Ch 26 (A Few Months Later…)

Max came by her sister's house after classes. Knocking on the door, she stood back to see the state her sister was in. "What happened to you?" smiled Max. "Did a tidal wave hit you?"

"Ha ha Max, you would look this way to if you were tired and taking care of twins," said Alyssa as she closed the door behind her sister. "Slag, I need some sleep so bad."

"Where's Derek?"

"He's sleeping. He was up with them all night and now it's my turn."

"Well," Max smiled, "I did come over to help. If you need some sleep—

Alyssa hugged her. "Did I mention you're the best sister ever?"

"No, but it would be nice to hear every once in a while.

After Alyssa went over the twins' routine with Max, she went straight to her room to get some much needed sleep.

Making her way to the nursery, Max walked into the room with as much stealth as she could muster. Looking at her niece and nephew, she smiled. She was an aunt, and she couldn't be more thrilled about it. Sitting in her sister's rocking chair, she rocked back and forth, spending some time with the new editions to her family.

Once the twins had waken up, they had been trouble from the start as they cried up a storm. She had held them for a while before taking them out of the nursery, putting them in their high chairs, and feeding them. She sighed as they became quiet once again. When they were done, she took them for their bath.

Drenched in bath water, she sighed in frustration but once she heard the laughter of her niece and nephew, she smiled to as a water fight erupted between her and the twins.

"You know your mom is going to kill me if she sees the bathroom like this," she said as she drained the water, took them out of the tub, and dried them off. Getting them dressed, she placed them in their play crib in the living room.

Relaxing on the couch, she turned on the TV. She was beat taking care of the twins, and it was only 11:30 in the morning. She sighed. 'Slag, how does Alyssa do it?' she thought as she flipped through the channels. The news caught her eye.

"Batman saves the day once again Bob," said the news reporter. "The parents of a young boy were arrested today for murdering him. Police discovered the boy had been abused for years prior to his murder, and it's quiet unfortunate. Gotham is use to abnormal villains, but this crime was just too real to believe."

Max couldn't hear anymore and imagined it couldn't have been easy for Batman to deal with this situation. Looking at her niece and nephew, she couldn't imagine how parents could beat and kill their own children. Getting up from the couch, she looked into the crib to see the twins blissfully unaware of what was happening in the world while they played with their toys but they looked up at her and smiled. Picking them up, she held them close as they rested on her shoulders. "I love you Cynthia and Jeff."

Leaving the twins with their parents, Max made her way to her home. Seeing the light on in her room, she wondered who was waiting for her. Opening the door, she saw Batman sitting on her bed in a contemplative posture. She wasn't sure she could read him very well in his suit as she made her way over to the bed. "Terry?" Batman looked up into the deep, worried brown eyes of his girlfriend. "I heard what happened on the news. I—

"The boy was Matt's age Max. You think I'd be use to it by now. I mean I've seen things, but this was too real. I couldn't save the boy, and he was just a kid with his whole life ahead of him. It was cut short by the people who were suppose to love him. Why, why would they do this?" he asked as he felt the bed dip beside him and looked to Max for answers.

"They were sick Terry, but it still doesn't excuse them for what they've done. I looked at my sister's twins today, and I just couldn't imagine—I'm sorry you had to go through that Ter, and it's not your fault. You did the best you could, and you got justice for that boy even if he wasn't alive to see it. I'd like to think that he's grateful that they can't hurt him or anyone else anymore."

Batman pulled the cowl off his face and wiped the tears falling down his face. "Thank you Max."

"For what?" she smiled as his arms found their way around his waist.

"For making me feel better," he said as he held her close to his body.

"You've always done the same for me," said Max as she felt Terry pull away to look into her eyes. "Are you sure you don't want to be with your family right now?"

"I am with my family Max," he said as his hand caressed her face before pulling her into a kiss. When he pulled away, he watched her smile. "What?" he smiled.

"Maybe you should get out of that suit, McGinnis."

"I couldn't agree more," he said as Max watched him peal the bat suit off his body, leaving him in his boxers. He smiled. "Maybe you should loose some clothes."

"You're just trying to get me into bed," she smirked.

"Is it working?"

Max removed everything but her underwear. "What do you think?" she said as she got onto her bed.

Terry was on top of her in no time as they made out heavily on her bed, holding onto each other as tightly as they could under the covers. When they felt their underwear was restricting them from getting closer, they removed them entirely and became one body. Spending the rest of their time basking in the after glow of their lovemaking, they closed their eyes as their bodies gravitated towards one another once again.

When Max woke up, she stared at her sleeping boyfriend. She thought about how she could have lost all this forever and was grateful that Terry had come into her life when he did. He accepted her as she was, pink, short hair and all, and she loved him deeply for it. Feeling his strong arm hold her close, she heard him whisper her name in his ear. "Love you to Ter," she smiled as she closed her eyes once again.

(The End)