Authors Note: This Chapter is definitely not for young teens. There is strong sexual material so if you are not mature or you are easily offended then I kindly advised you skip to the epilogue...
Two Days Later...
Terry sighed as he took the key card to his brother's apartment and stuck it through the metallic slot above the door handle. A small light on the pad went from red to green and the lock made a soft clicking sound allowing him access into the place. Walking in he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it aside before slumping down onto the couch feeling exhausted. Miko eyed him suspiciously and he was grateful when the moody feline crept away leaving him alone for once. He had just spent the past several hours at the hospital at Matt's bedside. The doctors had to do emergency surgery on his shoulder and informed him that he would be in rehab for several months but they had all breathed a sigh of relief when they realized Matt was in no mortal danger. Melonie had arrived at the hospital hours later after Matt had been admitted and she had saw how worn down he had looked and insisted that she stay with Matt while he went and grab a shower and a few hours of sleep. He had begrudgingly accepted and had been heading back to his home when he realized Matt would like some personal items and change of clothes when he woke up so he had came to the apartment instead. His eyes rested on the couch where Matt had sat wounded and he was surprised there was no trace of blood on the leather furniture nor on the carpet. He was wondering if the maid had made an early visit when Max walked out of the guest room and into the living room carrying her luggage. He was startled to see Dana with her. Seeing him Max noticeably tensed and stopped abruptly.
Dana felt the bad vibes flowing between the two and grew uneasy.
"I was just heading over to the hospital to tell you and your brother good news. We caught the two criminals who assaulted Matt. Apparently the woman had an attack of conscience and she came by the station and admitted everything and even told us the exact location of where to catch her psychotic partner. They are both in police custody and the public can rest easy knowing they wont have to constantly look over their shoulder constantly in fear. At least not until the next shady delinquent comes along," she said wryly.
Terry forced a smile.
"That is a great news, Dana. I'll be sure to let him know when he wakes up," he said gratefully.
Dana nodded.
"Ter, you should be proud of him. What he did took a lot of guts," she said gently.
Terry lowered his gaze to the floor. He knew Dana was right, but it was hard to be proud when he had been so terrified hours earlier.
Dana cleared her throat softly and turned to Max.
"It was great seeing you again, Max. Don't let it be another ten years before you decide to pay us another visit," she murmured before embracing the other woman who smiled in return.
Dana embraced Terry and stunned him when she held him in place when he went to pull away. She stood on her toes so that her lips nearly grazed his ear.
"Don't you dare let her go again, Terry. Tell her how you feel," Dana whispered firmly before pulling away flashing him a genuine smile before exiting the apartment.
Terry shifted his weight from one foot to the other feeling awkward. He was well aware that he had said some pretty terrible things to her the previous night and he knew he owed her an apology, but he was afraid she wouldn't forgive him.
"You were going to leave and not say goodbye?" he asked quietly.
She stared down at the black heels she was wearing blankly. Her chocolate brown legs stretched from underneath a black skirt and she was wearing a pink v neck shirt that flaunted her toned arms and gave a tasteful peak at the curves of her breast. Her face looked fresh but her eyes were heavy and slightly red, from crying he suspected.
"You made it clear that you want me nowhere near your brother and you also made it perfectly clear that it would be best that I leave Gotham. I was just heading over to the hospital to tell Matt goodbye," she said her voice hoarse.
"Max," he started.
She shook her head and held her hand up preventing him from speaking any further.
"Don't, Ter. Apologies will not make this any easier for either of us. I should have never came back to Gotham. I made a mess of things, and I nearly got the only family I have left killed. It reminds me of the old days. I would screw things up and you would have to bail me out. Maybe I never belonged in Gotham," she smiled sadly.
Terry felt his heart lurch as he took a step towards her.
"Don't say that, Max. Yeah, you may have screwed up a lot but your heart was always in the right place. Plus I feel Gotham is a lot smaller without you here," he said tenderly causing her to blush.
They stood in an suffocating silence both unsure what to say.
"He's going to miss you," he said finally, feeling the need to broach the sensitive subject concerning her and his brother.
The image of her and his brother kissing tied his stomach in knots and it took everything he had not to acknowledge the bitterness he felt smoldering inside of him as he combed his fingers through his hair.
"Apparently you two have gotten close over the past few days. Is it serious?" he said his voice steady not giving testimony to the emotions flooding through him.
Max looked at him startled.
"Ter, Matt and I are just friends," she said stiffly.
"There is no need to deny it, Max. I saw you two kiss," he said.
Max glared at him balefully. Suddenly the mood of the room was uncomfortable and hostile.
"Honestly, do you think I am that vindictive to go after your brother? We were both in the need of comfort. If you do recall, Matt was stabbed and you had just severed what was left of our friendship. It was a kiss shared between two friends. Nothing more. Not that I owe you an explanation anyway," she said evenly turning to walk out of the bedroom.
He grabbed her by the elbow gently stopping her.
"Ter, don't. It's over. Just let me go," she said quietly not daring to lift her head to meet his gaze.
"No."
She tensed at his curt reply.
"You don't owe me an explanation but I owe you one and I would like to give it to you before you walk out of my life again," he said firmly.
Her head whipped up and she stared at him in disbelief.
"Is that what you told yourself to sleep better at night? That I simply walked out on you? You pushed me out of your life so don't stand here and pretend that you are the one who were wronged," she said her tone caustic and hardened.
A low growl rumbled in his chest as he narrowed his eyes at the her.
"Damn it Max! Why do you have to be so confrontational? For once can you stop fighting me and listen?" he demanded growing agitated.
She sneered.
"Why should I listen to anything you have to say. Terry? You made it perfectly clear that-" she was cut off abruptly when he crushed his mouth against hers roughly in a bruising kiss. Max was too stunned to react. As his tongue forced its way between her lips and into her mouth she felt enraged. Pulling away she slapped him hard across the face leaving a stinging red imprint on his cheek.
"You don't get to hurt me again, Ter. Not now, not ever," she hissed irate.
He grabbed her ignoring her startled cry and yanked against his chest holding onto her wrist firmly to prevent her from moving away. His teeth was bared dangerously, blue eyes dark with anger and his dark bangs fell in his eyes carelessly.
"Get the hell off me, Terry," she whispered, her voice soft yet murderous as she glared back at him consumed with fury as she struggled against him.
"Max, I need to say this, so just listen. Please," his broken whisper caused her to stop struggling.
"Terry, we have just faced an intense ordeal dealing with your brother and both of us are really vulnerable right now. Don't say anything you are going to regret saying later," she warned gently. The last thing she needed was him giving her heart false hope.
He released her wrists and fixed his tearful gaze on her beautiful face. He could see the fear and doubt on her face and it hurt him that she would think that he would hurt her.
"I know this might not be the right way to tell you what I have to say, but it's the only way I could get your attention and I'm sorry. If you want to leave after you hear what I have to say then I promise I won't stand in the way, but please, let me say this. I need to or else I will go crazy ," he said in a ragged whisper.
She glared at him unkindly, but remained quiet. The sooner he attempted to absolve his guilt the sooner she could leave.
"I should have said this ten years ago. I was a fool for letting you go without letting you know how I truly felt about you and where I stood in our relationship," he said his voice husky with raw emotion.
Max felt her breath catch in her throat. This was it. She could hear it in his voice. This was THE moment she had been waiting for. The final confrontation that would forever define their relationship. There was no going back. They were either going to be doomed to a lifetime of being apart or finally blessed with the opportunity to be together. She closed her eyes and desperately prayed silently for the sake of her already fragile heart that it was the latter.
"Ter..." she whispered her voice catching as she struggled to keep from crying, "If you don't love me don't say anything and just let me walk out that door..."
He gently pressed his index finger against her lips efficiently silencing her.
"I am in love with you," he confessed softly.
His words hit her like a ton of bricks causing her knees to buckle slightly, She had fantasized about hearing him say those words for so long that it didn't seem real. He loved her...
The truth was so overwhelming that she didn't know whether to laugh for joy or cry with relief.
" I can't remember a time when I wasn't. This may sound selfish of me but I don't want you to leave. I don't want another ten years to go by where we are apart," he pleaded drawing her close and kissing her tenderly.
Max felt her legs grow weak beneath her and if it hadn't been for Terry's arm wrapped securely around her waist she was sure she would have melted to the floor. She clung to him whimpering softly as their tongues danced together rejoicing in their reunion. Suddenly she pulled away gasping horrified.
"You are married to Melonie. I can't do this," she said breathless quickly stepping away from him.
What had she been thinking? She had almost fell into his trap again. She couldn't be with him when he was with another woman. However what he said next shattered that protest.
"I'll leave Melonie. I'll do whatever it takes, Max. Just don't leave. I don't think either of our hearts could take it if you left here again. She knows my heart belongs to you. I will divorce her. If I have to, I will give her all the control to my company, and anything else she may want. All those things don't mean a damn thing to me. I need you Max," he said emotionally.
Max felt her heart race furiously not able to believe her ears. He just said he loved her and now he was willing to leave Melonie for her?! It was almost too much to take. She felt as if she was in a very vivid dream where everything felt real but at the same time not real enough.
"Terry, honestly you can't just hand her the company. Bruce left it to you for a purpose," she whispered trying to calm her heart beating rapidly in her chest.
"The old man would have wanted me to be happy and I know returning to vigilante status and being with the woman I love would mean being happy. If losing the company means making things right between us and returning to protecting the city then it's a loss I am more then willing to accept. For ten years I've been living a lie, Max. When you left all those years ago the reason I didn't stop you wasn't because I didn't love you. In a misguided way I thought I was protecting you," he said softly.
Her face was filled with confusion.
"Protecting me?" she echoed.
"I thought that being with you while being Batman was too risky so I pushed you away for Melonie, who I never really loved. When you disappeared I felt dead inside. I stopped being Batman because I didn't care about anything anymore, but I never stopped caring for you," he swore touching her cheek tenderly.
Max was stunned.
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"I want you Maxine Gibbs. I have always wanted you. Not Melonie. You."
"You were always my heart, Ter," she confessed feverishly before letting a few stray tears fall a sign of her surrendering herself to him completely and honestly.
"The horrible things I said to you were cruel and the fact that I intentionally hurt you is unforgivable. When I saw you kiss my brother I felt that I had lost you for good and it killed me," he started miserably.
She smiled tearfully.
"I forgive you." Her penance lifted a burden from Terry's shoulder and he kissed her lovingly in thanks.
"What?" she asked softly squirming underneath his heated sultry gaze.
He blushed and shook his head.
"I missed you," he said hoarsely burying his face into the crook of her neck breathing in her familiar scent. Those three simple words touched her in a powerful way as she realized something tragically beautiful. The ten years she had spent longing for him, he had spent longing for her as well. Max tangled her fingers through his hair smiling happily. For a long moment they laid together just taking solace in each other's embrace. They were finally together. Theirs heart finally healed and complete. Terry pulled up and looked down at her feeling a surge of contentment rush through him at finally having the woman he loved in his arms.
Slowly he began to lift the pink shirt she was wearing and he gently pulled it over her head tossing it away as his eyes drank in her curvy lithe body. A body that he swore every time he saw it was made specifically for him. He saw no flaws. He loved every inch of her. To him she was...
"Perfect," he whispered freeing her breast from the restraint of her candy apple red bra.
She flushed deeply underneath his soft praises as he removed her skirt and slid her red lace panties down from her smooth thighs and around her pedicure feet. He slowly undressed the rest of her enjoying getting reunited with every part of her. Her breathing grew shallow as he lowered his mouth from her full luscious lips down to her breast finally finding its resting pace on the peak of one of her chocolate erect nipples. His eyes lifted mischievously, a smile spreading across his lips as he observed the look of eagerness lighting up her beautiful face. Slowly his wet pink darted out and grazed the sensitive skin causing her to arch moaning sweetly. Max mewed with pleasure, tangling her fingers through his unruly wild raven hair as he tortured her with his mouth relentlessly. She bit down on her lip hard tasting a metallic liquid on her tongue and her mind register a brief flash of pain but at the moment it didn't matter. She was too consumed with the ecstacy he was bestowing upon her to acknowledge the slight swelling of her lower bitten lip. Just when she thought she might die from the intense waves of desire pulsing through her, his head lifted away from her bosom and there was a seductive smile on his lips as he slowly began a trail of kisses up the upper torso of her body before devouring her lips once more.
"Terry, please." She had meant her request to come out fierce and hot, but instead her voice had betrayed her into sounding weak and possessed.
He let out a low chuckle as he propped himself up on his elbows positioning himself between her legs. She could feel his hardened member twitch and jerk against her thigh eager to gain entry and she was more then willing to grant him passage. However he seemed deadest on taunting her, and she lifted her impatient gaze to meet his and was exasperated to find him grinning at her, fully aware of the effect he was having on her. Pressing lightly her he allowed her to feel his shaft against her coyly delaying penetrating her earning him a sigh of protest. A few minutes and several bruising kisses later he decided to end the foreplay feeling unable to last much longer. Taking her wrist he pinned them over her head securely before slowly easing into her, clenching his teeth as he felt her tighten around him.
She squirmed in anticipation as she felt him fill her completely. His gaze met hers and she felt a wave of nostalgia hit her full blast. Flashbacks of ten years came rushing back to her of them making wild passionate love. When he slammed inside her, she came crashing back to reality as a shudder went dancing down her spine. She clutched the silk black sheets tightly in her fingers as she threw her head back groaning, as his hips rocked against hers. Every inch of him filled her bringing her ultimate satisfaction. She surprised him when she deftly flipped him over on his back and sat on top of him with her hands planted squarely on his chest. He grinned bringing his hands to rest on her hips.
"You still know how I like it." His chuckle was filled with dark lust and approval.
She licked her lips seductively feeling desire flood through her as he gazed at her wantonly.
"I could never forget being with you Terry," she purred leaning down and planting a soft sensual kiss on his mouth. He groaned softly as he cupped her face in his hands kissing her back.
"Max." Her name rumbled through his throat and escaped his parted lips as he thrust deeper into her causing her to cry out with delight.
They rolled across the huge king sized bed deliriously lost in the passion of their love making. Her nails running across his pale skin, while his lips kissed every inch of her soft skin. Several of their limbs were tangled in the sheets but they were too caught up to care. This moment was a moment they both had been haunted and tormented by over the years. The question of "what if..?" was finally being answered and as far as the lovers were concerned the answer couldn't have been more perfect. Moments later he pulled up and slowly grinded against her, running her fingers lightly up his muscular back and finding a resting place in the thick of his hair causing him to moan softly.
"Terry," she groaned brokenly, "We can make love later. Right now, I need you to take me."
She had missed him so much and the weight of the emotions she was feeling tore through her causing tears to fall from her eyes cascading down her dark cheeks like lost diamonds. Terry reached up tenderly brushing them away.
"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.
"No, don't be, Max. Don't be," he whispered with a tremor in his voice.
He pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes as her body trembled against his. The amount of love he felt for this woman was so intense and overwhelming that years ago it would have scared the hell out of him. Now he accepted it because he knew she felt the same and that there was nothing that could ever tear them apart.
It wasn't long before the climax that had steadily built between them came to its limit sending both lovers falling over the edge of pure unadulterated ecstacy. He cried out her name shortly after she whimpered his and they clung to each other tightly as their bodies shook and convulsed with waves of pleasure surging through them.
Moments later they laid together breathing hard silently bathing in the aftermath of the mind blowing sex. Max's head rested on his firmly defined chest and she panted feeling delirious as he held her close running his hand down her back tenderly. His eyes were shut and his breathing shallow as he tried to slow his heart which was hammering loudly against his chest.
"Damn you for making me love you the way I do," she gasped giggling as the chills of the post orgasmic experience danced down her spine.
He chuckled and leaned down placing a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose causing her to scoot closer to him murmuring. For a long moment neither of them said a word and laid in each other's arms lost in thought.
"I meant what I said. I don't want you to walk away from us. I don't want to live one more day without you in my arms," he said seriously breaking the silence as he turned on his side, propping himself up on his elbow and starring down at her lovingly.
She smiled feeling her heart race as she braced herself for the inevitable question.
"So what do you say? You think you might wanna stay around and give me a second chance to make things between us right?"
His plea had stirred something deep inside of her. It was vulnerable and sincere, mirroring the way she was feeling inside. She allowed herself to mull over her choices carefully. Just because they had resolved most of their issues she knew they couldn't just pick up where they left off ten years ago. She had spent all those years mourning her heart break over Terry and now here she was with him promising his eternal love. It was a promise that she had dreamt of so long and now that moment was here she was uncertain. Was it worth the risk of giving her heart to this man knowing how painful he had handled it the first time? Looking into his beautiful eyes she bit the corner of her lip and inhaled deeply. She was being torn in two different directions. Her mind and her heard were not in agreement .One was telling her to run away as fast as she could and the other wanted to stay in his arms forever. Closing her eyes, she mentally prepared herself to deliver the answer the would be changed there relationship forever.
"Terry I can't..."
Stay tune for the final chapter and conclusion to sins of my heart. I would like to thank everyone who encouraged and inspired me and don't be sad that the story has ended for I shall be posting a brand new Terry/Max fic very soon so keep an eye out for it.