Island Wolf: Sorry this update was a little on the slow side, I was busy with holiday celebrations and this is a pivotal chapter in terms of Maxie and May's relationship so I wanted to try and make it half-decent (and there were some struggles, whooo boy). There's not a heck of a lot of action, but there's some nice emotional content which was a fun challenge to write and I hope you all enjoy it.

As always thanks to everyone who reviewed, faved and followed this fic, I feel so overjoyed every time I get that little email notification and I grin like an idiot for at least an hour after the fact. I've gotten so much positive feedback and such lovely comments (much better than the Tumblr scene anyway, the amount of negativity on the shipping tag lately has made me glad I never posted anything there. I salute the brave souls who do, you people are amazing and you have a level of courage and fortitude that I do not) so thanks so much for the support, and I hope you keep enjoying the story.

Chapter title is based on the song of the same name originally sung by Edith Piaf ( a lovely cover of it was also featured on How I met your Mother), absolutely beautiful I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot as per usual

"Mr. Asher, a word if I may?"

Maxie was on his feet before Dr. Strickland had even finished his sentence, nearly upsetting the cup of cold coffee across his lap as he did so. The doctor's session with May had had taken up the better part of an hour and he was at his wit's end trying to keep himself composed. Surprisingly enough it'd been Steven who'd been the calm one, offering quiet words of comfort when Maxie threatened to barge into the room – oh how the mighty had fallen.

He followed the doctor to a more secluded corner of the hallway, shifting his weight from left to right impatiently. "So how is she?"

"Severely traumatized as predicted," the doctor sighed softly. "She recalls everything with an upsetting degree of clarity. The main issue is the guilt factor – it's unfortunate, but victims of such violent and violating crimes often place a great deal of the blame on themselves, which seems to be the case with Miss Maple. She puts herself at the pinnacle of fault and therein lies our issue."

"What do you suggest then, in terms of treatment?" Maxie asked, fighting back the bile in his throat. It tore him apart inside to think that May was blaming herself for everything that had happened and what it must be doing to her. He thought back on the state he'd found her in, how savagely broken she'd been – he never wanted to see that again so long as he lived.

"Ordinarily I'd suggest intensive one on one therapy sessions with my department, but this case is unique," Strickland replied, frowning slightly. "This level of trauma, the degree in which her mental state has been manipulated and changed over the past few months – it's quite unlike anything I've ever had to deal with. That said she's obviously created a very strong bond with you so I think our wisest course of action would be to leave her in your care."

"I'm sorry Doctor, but I have no knowledge where psychology is concerned, I hardly think I'm qualified -"

"To be blunt Mr. Asher, I think parting Miss Maple from you would be utterly disastrous. You seem to be the only foothold the girl has left in keeping grounded to reality. If she is denied your presence I fear she will face a complete psychotic break."

"Then what are you proposing exactly?"

"As I said, I want to keep her in your care," Strickland replied. "Keep to your current routine – the main goal is to make her realize that everything that's happened to her, anything she'd done under Ardos' influence – absolutely none of it was her fault and no blame rests on her shoulders. Make her realize that she is still worthy of being loved and cared for and that she is far from the monster she believes herself to be."

Maxie inhaled deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off the headache building behind his eyes. "My estate is fairly remote, wouldn't it be better to socialize her?"

"Not in these early stages, keeping her contact limited to you I think would be our safest bet – she already trusts you and exposure to other people would cause more stress than anything else."

"Alright, would it be agreeable if I visited her now?"

"By all means. I'd like to keep her overnight for observation, but come the morning I'll have her discharged into your care," he said with a nod. "Now, it has been brought to my attention that her cousin will be visiting sometime tonight – David I believe, and he is bringing some of the pokémon he has managed to revert back to their normal states. I would prefer you kept the number of visitors limited, no more than one at a time unless she's comfortable with more and always with your presence. If that is all, I shan't keep you any longer, if you have need for me flag down one of the nurses."

He nodded and immediately made his way back down the hall towards May's room. Steven was on his feet by the time he arrived, his steel coloured gaze questioning and concerned. Maxie dragged a hand through his hair, grimacing when he felt how greasy it'd become. "It's – a difficult situation," he sighed. "The doctor wants to send her back to my care."

"...I can't say I'm terribly happy about sending her away again, but you've brought her back this far and I can't argue with that," Steven finally admitted after an awkward beat of silence. "Can we see her yet?"

"I'll go in first and let you know when she's calm enough for another visitor, is that satisfactory?"

"Yes, I'll be waiting by the door. David said he was on his way, I'll fill him in if he gets here beforehand."

Maxie nodded his appreciation before slipping into May's room. Her head shot up from her knees as soon as he touched the door, watching him with her hawk-sharp gaze. She'd been crying again, that much was obvious, the startling blue of her eyes standing out against the redness and she seemed on the verge of tears again when she saw him. "M-Maxie?"

"Hello," he offered, feeling quite out of his depth as he closed the door behind him. She was fisting the thin blankets covering her lap, knotting them nervously until they threatened to fray. He took a seat in the chair next to her bedside and immediately she dropped her gaze to her knees, as if suddenly afraid to look him in the eye. He hesitated for a moment before taking one of her hands in his. "May, look at me please."

She spared him a brief sidelong glance and flinched, averting her gaze again. "I'm sorry."

"For what? May, you have nothing to be sorry for," he said, keeping his voice as gentle as he could as he brought his other hand up to cup her face. He tried to coax her into looking at him, but she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and curled her hands into fists again. "May please, why won't you look at me?"

"Why are you here?" she retorted hoarsely. "I'm a monster..."

"No, you're not!" he said, perhaps more harshly than he'd intended because her eyes opened and she looked at him in shocked silence. He turned her surprise to his advantage and leaned forward until their foreheads were almost touching. When he spoke again he made sure to keep his voice low and soft. "Don't ever say that about yourself. May, what happened to you was not your fault – none of this is your fault."

"B-But I should've tried harder – I could have -"

"No, no there's nothing you could have done. If you want to lay blame on someone, blame Ardos...or blame me for not protecting you."

She fell silent at that, closing her eyes again but he could feel her shaking and her breaths came out in short little sobs. He wrapped his arms around her as best he could. "It's alright, everything will be okay."

"...Everything I've done...for the first time – I'm glad mom and dad aren't here, if they knew...who could love me now..."

Those words broke his heart. For as long as he'd known her he'd always associated May Maple with levels of kindness and compassion that seemed greater than humanly possible. He'd often mocked her in the past for her reliance on friends and the childish way in which she professed to love without judgement. Now that girl who stood out so vibrantly in his memories was a pale ghost, stripped down to her bones and hollowed. He drew back and looked her in the eye.

"I could."

For a moment the world went still and a deafening silence settled so heavily on the room that it threatened to smother him until she inhaled sharply and time lurched back into motion. "W-What?"

"I could love you...I do love you," he said, though his throat was so tight it made speaking difficult. "We all do May, look – Steven is right there waiting to see you. You still have friends."

"Steven?" she breathed, though far from looking pleased an expression of horror slowly crept across her pale face. "Oh god, when he finds out -"

"He already knows everything May, and he doesn't care. David is on his way to see you too. Don't you understand? You're still loved by everyone."

He highly doubted she believed him, but she stopped crying at least and went back to knotting the sheets between her fingers. Her knees were drawn up again and her shoulders were hunched up close to her neck – she was withdrawing again, putting herself into self-defensive posture to shut the world out as much as possible. He'd seen it all before, and used the same tricks himself when he'd been a green cadet and heard shell-fire for the first time. That said he was quite surprised when she peeked out at him from behind her cage of limbs. "What's going to happen now...are – are they going to take me away?"

"No – not unless you want to," he said gently. "Dr. Strickland said you can be discharged from here first thing tomorrow morning if you want to come home with me again."

"I – I can stay with you?"

"If you want to."

A small, trembling hand reached out to touch his. Slowly, she lowered her knees and cautiously raised her head. "I would like that," she said softly and then hesitantly interlaced her fingers with his. "I was scared, so scared that you were going to leave..."

Maxie gave her hand a squeeze and smiled. "I'll stay with you for as long as you want me."

That appeared to comfort her and she reclined back on the bed, blinking drowsily. He hummed absentmindedly, rubbing the pad of his thumb against the side of her hand. She relaxed slowly with the small, repetitive motion and drifted off into a doze. The calmness was unsettling when he knew there was a hellstorm brewing in the darkest corners of her mind. No doubt it would follow her into her dreamscape, but for now he would try to let her rest.

He looked towards the door and saw Steven watching through the small window, giving the younger man a nod. Quietly as he could, he cracked the door open and peeked his head in around the corner. "How is she?" he asked softly.

"It's going to be a long time before she's alright again, but I think everything will be fine in time," Maxie replied quietly. "I'd let her rest for now, I let her know you were here to see her. I think it would be alright for you to visit when she wakes."

"Alright. I'm going to see if David has arrived yet, but then I'll be back waiting by the door."

The door shut and Maxie looked back down at May's sleeping face. For now she was still serene in her tranquil slumber and he could only hope for her sake, that Morpheus would remain so kind. He kept rubbing his thumb along her hand. He'd almost let things slip there, when he said he loved her. Yes, he'd managed to salvage the situation by quickly weaving Steven's name into the conversation, but it'd been a close thing. Part of him wanted so badly to tell her the truth of it, but that nagging logical part of his brain told him to hold back – she had gone through so much, she wasn't in her right mind and it would be unfair to unload such weighty information on her already overburdened shoulders. Still, she was deep asleep...

"Do you know how unfair this is?" he sighed, though he felt himself smiling ruefully. "I was perfectly content in forgetting that I'd ever had a heart before you came along. You, with all your lovely fire and steel. You had a wounded heart behind that armour of yours yet you still found it in yourself to treat me with compassion. I thought the world had finally turned you hard when I saw you in Lilycove, that your rose-coloured glasses had been ripped away, but I was wrong. You've seen the world for what it is, through unclouded eyes, but you've chosen to keep your kindness. Foolish girl, looking at me like I'm a decent man...trusting me...gods be damned for allowing you to walk back into my life May Maple, and damn me too for falling in love with you."

Leaning in close, he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. For a moment her body tensed and he feared that he'd awoken her, but then she relaxed with a gentle sigh and turned her face to nuzzle his palm. "Don't go leaving me now, May. Not after you've become so dear to me."

"I'll stay with you for as long as you want me."

Those softly uttered words carried her into sleep's heavy embrace. The world she drifted away to was dark and warm, but she felt like she was drowning. Cloying shadows slid their tendrils across her body, covering her mouth and nose with their relentless grip until she was dizzy was lack of air. The voices had returned with fervent maliciousness, hissing and snarling in her ears as the coils turned into claws and started rending flesh from bone. She wanted to scream, but her voice had been stolen away again and her vocal chords refused to work. She was trapped in the deep silence, slowly and savagely being torn apart bit by bit as the voices lashed her with barbarous tongues.

Bow your head and weather the storm.

Suddenly she was free from the claws and the voices retreated with the darkness that was flung back like a veil by her father's voice. She was sitting on one of the benches that stood in the garden that backed the Petalburg gym. Norman Maple sat next to her, smiling. "Hello sweetheart."

"Dad," she croaked. Her voice had returned though she could barely speak through the tears. The sun was so warm on her face and she could smell the flowers, all in the full bloom of midsummer, drifting on a warm western breeze that brought with it the keen edge of brine from the seashore just past the edge of town. "Dad, I'm so scared. I – I wish you and mom were here...even though I know you'd be so ashamed at what I've done..."

"Dear, look at me," her father said and forced her to look up at him. His eyes were such a dark shade of blue that they were almost black, but they held such an unbelievable amount of warmth that for a brief moment she felt like a little girl again, receiving comfort from her father after she'd skinned her knees and been teased by the boys. "May, your mother and I could never be ashamed of you. You have done nothing wrong my dear girl."

"I miss you Dad, so much," she sniffed as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I don't know what to do, I don't know how to handle this alone."

"Forgive me dear, but last I checked you weren't in this alone."

"W-What?"

Norman smiled knowingly. "Think about it sweetheart. Now, I have to go – just remember I will always be proud of you and you are not alone in this."

The darkness was creeping closer, blotting out the light of the sun and the sweet smell of the flowers turned sour. Whispers gnawed at her ears, venomous and cruel. "Dad – please no, don't leave me!"

"Bow your head and weather the storm."

The darkness came screaming, pulling her back with cruel claws. All the lights went out and she was left floating in the crushing black abyss as the voices tried to tear apart every last fibre of her mind. "Just end it," she moaned to the shadows that laughed and devoured her with long, hungry teeth. "I can't take this anymore."

"Don't go leaving me now, May. Now after you've become so dear to me."

The shadows hissed and spat as they were driven back and the voices were forced into muffled whispers and then into silence. The darkness melted away and she stood at the end of a long, snow covered drive that ran up to meet a rustic two-storey house. The winter wind nipped at her flesh, urging her forward until she reached the door. It opened of its own accord, bathing her in a breath of warmth and woodsmoke. She stepped over the threshold and moved towards a living room she knew was there. A man was sitting in an armchair next to a blazing hearth, book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. His hair was a vibrant shade of red that reminded her of the fire burning next to him and his eyes were the darkest shade of brown she'd ever seen, but they regarded her with warm fondness over the rims of his glasses.

With one last shriek and a promise of their return the shadows fled, but for the moment she didn't care. The man had set down his book and cup, and had risen. He crossed the room and wrapped her up in his arms. She inhaled deeply; he smelled like woodsmoke and pine resin, like hay and the deepest glens of the winter woods. Safety. Home.

"Maxie," she breathed and he smiled at her, placing a kiss on her forehead. Somewhere music was playing, a slow, sweet tune from a bygone era. She'd heard this song before. He was humming along softly, one arm curled tightly around her waist and a hand on the nape of her neck. May buried her face into his chest and cried. "Please, please don't leave me alone. Don't let them take me."

"I won't let anything happen to you, May. I'll be here for as long as you want me."

Harsh fluorescent lighting replaced the gentle glow of the firelight and the smell of disinfectant overpowered the lingering scent of woodsmoke, but when she took the time to look around she was comforted by the fact that Maxie was still sitting next to her.

"Are you alright? You looked like you were having a bad dream."

"I was," she admitted softly. The shadows were creeping again and the voices were fleeting around the edges of her mind, but they were quieter than before. She suddenly noticed that he was still holding her hand and despite herself she started to -

"May Maple, are you giving me a smile?"

His tone was teasing and it made the corners of her mouth twitch upwards ever so slightly more. "How are you feeling?"

"I – don't know," she replied softly, lowering her gaze to her lap. She felt him squeeze her hand. "I just – I don't know how to handle this Maxie. I don't know what to do, how to feel. It's so hard. I'm scared."

"I know," he sighed and brought their intertwined hands up so that he could press his lips against the back of hers. "But I'm going to help as best I can."

For the first time in months she felt her cheeks turn red and was slightly mortified at her sudden lack of control over such simple physiological reactions. She heard him laugh softly and felt her face burn all the brighter until she could no longer look him in the eye. "May, I'm sorry – I didn't mean to laugh."

"It's fine," she said, finally looking at him again when she felt the blush recede. "I'm – I'm just not used to this."

"You've never looked more lovely."

She looked at him sharply and it was his turn to look embarrassed – clearly that softly whispered observation had meant to be an internalized thought. He was doing a stunning impression of a Deerling in the headlights and she could practically hear the wheels of his mind turning as he tried to figure out something to explain himself. It was strange to see him so flustered...it was rather endearing to be honest. She looked down at her lap and twisted the hem of the blanket between her thumb and forefinger. It was silly, a slip of the tongue – so why did it cause warmth to pool in her stomach and make her heart flutter just a little bit? She was damaged goods, his comment made no sense. The voices hissed in the back of her mind, but the sound of his voice chased them away.

"I – I –"

"You think I'm lovely...after everything..."

A pregnant silence settled over the room, broken only by the steady beep of the heart monitor. His embarrassment was eclipsed by a deeply pensive look. "May," he said and her heart leapt into her throat, "of course I do. You are lovely. You've a beautiful mind, a wonderful heart and – forgive me if I seem too forward, but..."

He smiled and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You're quite easy on the eyes, I assure you."

She wanted to laugh, she wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, but she settled for giving him a watery smile. "Who are you and what have you done with Maximilian Asher?"

Maxie chuckled and leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. "I had the good fortune to be stuck with a rather remarkable roommate for the past few months you see..."

There it was again, he'd brushed off the more serious implication with a humorous retort. Perhaps it was for the best, she mused. The shadows were starting to dance again, threatening to pull her into a faery reel that wouldn't end until she did. He was holding her hand again and the shadows skittered back into the corners, lurking still. "Do you, perhaps feel up to receiving visitors?"

"I – for a little while perhaps."

"Alright, one moment."

He gave her hand one last squeeze before rising and walking to the door. He opened it just a crack and spoke to whomever was standing outside. The door was pulled open fully and Steven Stone stepped over the threshold. There were a lot of things she expected to see in his steel coloured eyes, but relief was not one of them. "Hello May."

"Steven," she said hoarsely. "I – I –"

"May, it's okay," he said, cutting her off gently. "I'm just glad you're back. We all are."

"I am too," she answered softly. Steven smiled and sat down in the chair on the other side of her bed, acknowledging Maxie with a brief nod. "Thank you, for coming to visit."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, you know that," he said. "I know we've had our problems, but I'm your friend May, I'll always be there when you need me."

"Steven...you don't know how much that means to me," she sniffed and found herself reaching Maxie's hand again, something to keep her grounded before she was swept away in the raging river of emotions that ran free now that the dam had burst. Steven noticed the motion, but rather than giving her a look of disapproval he smiled knowingly and she was left feeling confused. "How are thing...progressing, on your end?"

"Slowly," Steven sighed. "David has made some significant headway, but we're far from gaining the upper hand. Still, I'm hopeful. Speaking of David, he's here and he has a surprise for the two of you."

May's heart thudded so hard against her ribs she feared it would burst. David and his sister were the only blood family she had left in the world. As children they'd been so close she thought of the siblings as the younger brother and sister that she never had. God, what must he think of her? And a surprise...that could only be the pokémon he'd managed to rescue. She thought of Gabriel and her eyes started to burn. She'd be hated, reviled by the pokémon she had left...her family...

"May, you have to breathe."

Maxie's voice, low and soothing in her ear jolted her back to reality. She choked down a breath and looked at Steven who'd half risen out of his seat, clearly alarmed by her sudden change in demeanour. "I'm sorry," she said shakily. "I'm okay, really. S-send him in."

"Are you sure? We don't have to do this right now."

"No, David is the only family I've got...he should be here," she said softly. Steven still seemed doubtful, but he rose and went to the door nonetheless. After a moment of speaking to someone she could see he stepped aside and a tall, lanky boy in his late teens – almost a young man really, with striking red hair and emerald eyes that were crinkled in a smile stepped inside.

"May...I think I'm finally taller than you."

The random observation made her grin despite the fact that she knew she was crying. She spread her arms wide and sobbed. "Get over here you dork!"

David grinned and accepted the hug with gusto and for that May was thankful, he wasn't treating her like a freak, he wasn't treating her like she was made of glass – she was still just May. When he finally pulled away she scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. "When did you grow up?" she croaked. "Way to make me feel old."

Beside her Maxie attempted to smother his laugh with a cough and failed miserably.

"Yeah, yeah – hey I've got something for the both of you," he said, eyes glinting proudly as he unclipped four pokéballs from his belt, passing two to her and two to Maxie. For the first time since he'd stepped into the room his cheerful expression faltered. "These were the only ones we managed to recover, but they're healthy and fully back to normal. Eldes and I put them on priority."

"Who – who are they."

"Your Blaziken and Manectric," he answered and then looked at Maxie, "and your Mightyena and Camerupt."

May hugged the two capsules close to her chest and felt a pulse of warmth as they twitched in her hands. They knew they were home. She glanced over at Maxie and saw that he was struggling to keep his composure. She almost smiled – behind the front he put up Maxie cared deeply about his pokémon, his Crobat alone was evidence of that. His voice was thick as he thanked David and attached the pokéballs to his belt. "Thank you David, I – I can't repay you for what you've done."

"Sure you can," he said, placing his hands on his hips. "Smile."

And she did.

When visiting hours finally came to an end Steven and David quietly excused themselves and got ready to leave. The nurse who'd come by to dim the room lights and tell them had also said that Maxie had been given special permission to stay overnight, much to his relief – he'd been dreading the concept of having to leave May by herself in the hospital. That said he'd stepped out into the hall after the younger men after assuring her he'd return shortly.

"I just wanted to thank you both for coming. It meant a lot to her," he said, and turned to look at David specifically. "And thank you for returning our pokémon Mr. Oxford. I am in your debt."

"Call me David, please – and I should be the one thanking you," David said, stretching out a hand. "May's like an older sister to me and you've taken such good care of her. She'd be lost with you Sir and for that you've got my gratitude."

Maxie smiled and shook his hand. He bid them both good evening and returned to May's room. She'd let both of her pokémon out by the time he'd gotten back. She was crying and telling them she was sorry over and over again while they nuzzled her with unbridled affection. Her Manectric, who'd jumped up on her bed at that point, saw him coming and gently pawed at her chest to get her attention. "May is everything alright?"

"Sorry, I'm sorry," she hiccoughed. Rikesh stooped down and brushed his beak against her cheek, crooning softly. "I was telling them what – what happened to – to G-Gabriel – what I did -"

She burst into tears again and her Manectric whined, licking her hand. Maxie moved to her bedside, taking her hand under Rikesh's watchful gaze. "May, that was not your fault! And they know that, look at them. They still love you."

"I don't de-"

"Don't you dare say that you don't deserve it," he growled. "You do, you do deserve their love and you have it whether you like it or not. Your pokémon love you, David and Steven still love you."

And so do I

"Maxie," she sniffed, trying valiantly to stem the flow of tears. "What would I do without you."

"Be left in the company of much less handsome companions?"

"Jackass."

"I heard that." he huffed and took up his previous seat at her bedside despite her Blaziken's wary gaze. "Come on, you should try to get some sleep, we've an early rise tomorrow."

"You – you're staying the whole night...right?"

"Yes," he said, smothering a yawn as he leaned back in his chair. "I'm taking you home first thing in the morning."

"Home," he heard her whisper and in the gloom he could see her smile as she settled down next to her Manectric. Rikesh took up residence in the chair Steven had occupied and offered Maxie a curt nod before folding his long, clawed limbs over his feathered chest. He returned it and closed his eyes; his back would no doubt be sore as all hell come the morning, but to stay by her side it was most certainly worth it.

Morning came far too quickly in Maxie's opinion.

The nurse coming in to check on them had been what awoke him. He blinked against the lights as they were flicked on and sat up, cringing at the cracks and pops that came from his lower back as his spine straightened. He dragged a weary hand over his face, waiting for his mind to catch up to his body as he watched the nurse carefully remove May's IV under the watchful eyes of her pokémon. May hardly seemed aware as she sat up blinking owlishly, her hair a frizzed, dishevelled mess. How could she be so bloody attractive without even trying?

He sighed and smiled to himself. He already knew the answer; she would always look beautiful to him no matter the situation because, damn him, he was thoroughly in love.

The paperwork was filled, May was dressed and her pokémon were returned to their balls for the time being as they got into the truck and started the drive back home. She kept silent the whole time and that bothered him. Yesterday she'd been open with him, at the very least she looked him in the eye, but now her gaze was firmly fixed on the window and the winter forest streaking by outside. When they finally arrived she'd nearly collapsed upon getting out of the truck and he suddenly realized that she hadn't eaten since yesterday morning on top of everything else that'd happened. He lifted her up into his arms despite her protests.

"Maxie, you don't have to -"

"Hush and let me help you," he said with a half-smile as he slid one arm beneath her knees and kept the other around her back, carrying her like a bride. He brought her inside and gently deposited her onto the couch. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"No, no I'm not particularly hungry," she said, shaking her head. "I feel disgusting, I'd love a shower."

"If you don't eat you'll end up fainting first and you know how awkward that'll be," he said, but received only a glare for his dry humour. He relented with a sigh. "I can run you a bath if you'd like."

"That would be lovely, thanks."

This is a whole different game now he realized as he finished filling the tub. She had the full range of her emotions back now and would be much less predictable than she had been the past few months. Why did that excite him? He mused on that question as he dried his hands and went downstairs to fetch her. Well, that was fairly obvious – he wanted to see the girl he'd shared a drink with in his room, who'd bantered with him without batting an eye and gave him a wicked smile for good measure.

He helped her upstairs to the bathroom and turned to leave, but her hand on his arm stopped him. "Please, don't leave."

"May -"

"I – I can't be alone, not yet," she said, shaking her head firmly. "I just can't. Stay, please."

He wasn't prepared for this and he felt his heartbeat quicken. It was highly inappropriate, but the way she was looking at him now – how could he say no. "...Alright," he said quietly and turned around so that she could undress. He heard her clothing hit the floor and gritted his teeth – oh how cruel the fates could be; he loved May a great deal, but gods above he was still just a man. The water splashed softly as she slid into the tub and he heard a sigh that bordered on a moan and nearly choked on his breath. She's trying to kill me.

"You, ah can turn around now."

Oh good lord, why?

He did so, doing his damnedest to keep his gaze averted on the lean and lithe body beneath the water's rippling surface, focusing instead on the bandaged hand she was trying to keep clear of the bathwater. Trying to save himself some discomfort he opted to sit on the floor so he was no longer viewing her at such a precarious angle. He sat with his back resting against the tub and turned his head to face her. Her face was flushed, though whether it was due to embarrassment or the hot water he couldn't tell. He was starting to think it would've been less awkward if she'd feinted in the shower.

"How can you still look at me that way."

That jolted him back to reality. "What?"

"You look at me like I'm still human. I've done so many awful things but you still look at me with those eyes and you smile. How can you do that when I'm a monster?"

"May, I told you once that I was not a good man, that I'd done some very bad things. Do you remember what you told me?" he said. "You said that just because I'd done bad things in the past, didn't mean I was a bad person. That if I was a bad person than so were you. If you're a monster than so am I."

"You're not a monster, you're the furthest thing from that." she said softly.

"Then neither are you."

"...I never knew there was this side of you."

"What do you mean?

"I always thought that maybe – just maybe you weren't completely horrible. I never thought..." she trailed off and the redness on her cheeks deepened. "Maxie, these past few months you've been so kind to me, you've been – I never knew you could be this way, live this kind of life, treated me the way you have, the way you still do. I thought – I thought you hated me. What changed?"

He suddenly realized that she was well aware of what had transpired during her time in recovery with him, only now those memories would be coloured be her newly regained emotions. Of course his conduct would've seemed strange. He leaned his head back on the lip of the tub and inhaled deeply.

"You," he admitted softly after a long pause. "You did. It all started on that day I tried to drive you to Lilycove. You watched me gun a man down and you came to me that night, but you didn't criticize me, you didn't judge...you came to me for comfort of all things. You shared a goddamn drink with me and smiled even though you knew I'd killed someone and that he hadn't been the first. You looked at me, spoke to me like I was still a decent man. That bothered me, you have no idea how much that bothered me. When we were caught and they started experimenting on you, you asked me if I was alright for god's sake. When Ardos took you, I – I realized I had never hated you, I could never hate you. How could I when you looked at me that way, without judgement or revulsion. I admired you, I respected you. You showed me something I hadn't been given in years...compassion, and when I let them take you away I hated myself for allowing them to hurt you, to turn you into something cold and cruel like I was. I swore to myself that I would do whatever it took to make things right again, I would make things right because I owed you that much. I was supposed to teach you how to be human again, but I think I learned more from you about humanity than you ever did from me. You preformed a miracle May – you brought a man back from the dead. This man I am now, this man you've allowed me to become; I thought he died so long ago out on the ice, but you proved me wrong and I have never been so happy to be wrong. You – I love you May."

It was hard to breath by the time he'd finished speaking and it was difficult to swallow around the lump that had formed in his throat. He closed his eyes as a heavy silence fell and felt himself grow sick with fear when he heard the water suddenly ripple behind him. He felt her bandaged hand settle gently against his cheek, forcing him to face her and he opened his eyes.

She'd moved to the side of the tub, as close to him as she could get. The sunlight slanting in through the blinds of the window splintered into a thousand pieces and were reflected in the bright blue of her eyes. Her hand moved to settle on the back of his neck. "You love me," she whispered softly. "You – love me?"

"Yes," he breathed. "You're everything to me May. I don't know where I would be without you, I don't want to know. What I do know, is that I love you with every fibre of my being. I love you."

"Maxie," she murmured and he could see that her eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. You speak of my compassion – you've shown me kindness I can never hope to repay. You saved me Maxie, you saved me. By being this wonderful, kindhearted, amazing man...you saved me and I love you for that."

"May -"

"I'm not done," she said, her voice thick. She was close now, oh so close. "I was scared of you that day when you shot that man. I don't know why I came to you, but I'm so glad I did. Despite the way I'd reacted, despite the way I treated you, you still let me in and you helped me. When we were taken captive you looked after me as best as you possibly could and when we were rescued you took it upon yourself to try and bring me back, not because you felt obligated – you did it because you're a good man. After everything that has happened you don't look at me with pity, you still smile and that's why I love you."

Maxie hardly dared to breathe when she leaned in. Their noses were touching and he could feel the warmth of her breath on his face. "May, please I -"

She silenced him with a kiss.

It was soft, just the press of her lips against his, but it was ecstasy in its simplicity. When he brought a hand up to cup her cheek she grew bolder and brought her other hand out of the water to pull him closer. He ran his tongue along her lower lip, begging for entrance and she granted it willingly. She moaned softly when his tongue met hers, pressing against the slick muscle so delightfully. He was on his knees now and she rose out of the water to meet him as he kissed her deeply until they had to part for air. Her eyes were dark and hooded and she was breathing heavily. He peppered kisses along her jaw line and down to her throat, nipping lightly at the tender flesh there and smiling against her skin when he heard her moan again, louder than before. He continued his journey south, eagerly exploring her damp skin. He kissed the hollow of her collar bone and the wet valley between her breasts before moving to flick his tongue across her left nipple. She let out a keening whine and gripped his shoulders tightly. She nearly went limp in his arms and swore violently under her breath when he enveloped it with his mouth, repeatedly running his tongue over the sensitive peak. "M-Maxie, pl-please wait – wait."

He drew back and cursed himself when he realized that she was shaking. You fucking idiot, after all Ardos has done and you paw at her like a dog the first chance you get. "May, I'm so sorry I -"

"No – no, it's alright, you didn't do anything wrong," she said shakily and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. "I'm just – not ready. Oh shit, sorry I'm getting you soaked!"

"Don't worry about it, I need to take a shower anyway," a bloody cold one at that. "Why don't you finish up and once I'm done I'll make us breakfast?"

"That sounds great," she said, sinking back into the water. "I'm sorry about all this."

"Don't be," he sighed, and sat back down on the floor next to the tub. He smiled and tapped a finger against her nose. "I love you May."

She reclined back into the water and smiled shyly. "I – like it when you say that."

"Good," Maxie grinned. "Because I intend to say it everyday."

Island Wolf: Oh look I managed to work in a smidgen of steamy content, huzzah! I didn't want to take it any further than that (yet) however - this is a bit of a slow burn after all. That and you have to take into account that May was sexually assaulted by Ardos, that trauma isn't going to go away over night. She's starting to come around a bit by the end of this chapter because the initial shock has worn off, but obviously that too, is going to take some time to heal and there will always be some lasting effects of course. Since I won't be updating for the rest of 2014 I'll just say this now, Happy New Year everybody!