A/N: It's been forever, yes (EXACTLY A YEAR TODAY), and I hope I still have some readers! Please go back and reread if you need to refresh! I've been mainly focusing on my other story, Gnik Nus. I also updated Chapters 1-22 (there were some mistakes and it was a little cheesy). I should say that I have been writing this story, just future stuff. The future stuff I have written is more than all these 33 chapters, so expect a LOT of stuff soon! Please bear with me as now is when the story is getting really good. Now, back to Sexy Sadie - from a perspective never before seen!

Chapter 33 – Birthday

Prue

"No, please don't. Stop!"
He didn't even say anything before he closed his eyes and took a swing at me, his fist colliding with my shoulder. I let out a wail as the pain overtook my left side. I had taught myself by now not to cry during these incidents, but it was oh-so-hard to hold back the tears. He stepped back and crouched down, his face in his palms. Abruptly, he stood up and stalked away. I immediately went to tell Anna. She had told me to tell her everything, every time.
"I want you to tell me every single time he touches you," she had said, "We need to keep a record of how many times he's done it, for future reference."
I found her in the locker room. She saw my expression and the way I had minimal movement in my shoulder and immediately knew.
"Another one?" she asked sadly and I nodded. She pulled me into an embrace but I gasped as it hurt my left side.
"Ooh, I'm sorry!" she apologised, "Where this time?"
I pointed to my shoulder.
"He didn't seem to enjoy it," I said, "He didn't seem very happy with himself."
"Good!" she exclaimed, "But why should we care how he feels about it? He's the one that's doing it to YOU."

We talked just outside the locker room and we saw Sadie stalk past, ignoring us. She was still slightly angry about us not divulging my personal information to her.
"Sadie!" I called out after her.
She turned around, a hopeful look on her face. Anna looked at me quizzically.
"Tell Max I can come to his party," I finally said.
"Okay," she said before continuing to walk away.
Anna was looking at me bemusedly.
"What?" I snapped.
"I don't see why you won't tell her. She's one of your best friends."
"It's her… she can't know."
Anna just looked at me skeptically but didn't say anything. I had my reasons for not telling Sadie.

Sadie

It was Friday, May 18th and the day before Max's sixteenth birthday. This was the first birthday for us to share as a couple. I appealed to Mum and Dad to let me go over to his house that night. I argued that it's what a good girlfriend would do and they agreed. Even though it wasn't his birthday until tomorrow (when his party will be), they were having a family dinner that Friday night. Dad dropped me off at their house at five. The atmosphere of the Edison household had changed. Infant cries could be heard and there was a sense of excitement and tenseness in the air. Max came bolting down the stairs to greet me. We briefly kissed and I hugged him.
"Happy birthday for tomorrow!" I sang enthusiastically.
"Thanks," he bashfully replied.
"How's the sister going?" I asked.
"Eh, she keeps me up at night sometimes but she makes up for it in adorableness."
For the rest of their lives, Max and Harper's birthdays will only be eight days apart. It was odd to think that they were fifteen years and three-hundred and fifty-seven days apart in age. Bob came into the hallway then, cradling Harper in his arms. She looked so small.
"Hey Sadie," he greeted.
"Hey."
"Do you want to hold her?"
I nodded enthusiastically and Bob carefully handed her to me. I felt incapable of holding such a small and fragile being. It was like the slightest movement could hurt her.
"She's so cute," I said.
"I know, right?" Bob agreed, "There must've been a mix up at the hospital."
We laughed at the joke. Bob and Joan were certainly not ugly - their children were much too good-looking for that to be possible.

We ventured into the kitchen where Joan was making Max's favourite meal - corned beef. At least it was something I liked. I don't think I could stand it if his favourite meal was something I hated.
"Oh, Sadie, how are you sweetheart?" Joan asked.
I liked it how Joan and Bob treated me so kindly. I was lucky that I wasn't one of those girlfriends who the parents hated. With us it was mutual all round admiration.
"I'm fine," I smiled, "You?"
"Apart from all the glorious aspects that come post-pregnancy, I'm fine."
Joan was never afraid to share too much information with me - I was like her own daughter. Max cringed most of the time, however. Being a male he didn't understand that type of thing. Even though I had never given birth, I could still understand.

Soon dinner was ready and we all sat at the table. Joan cradled Harper as she breastfed her. We ate and then Joan brought out the chocolate mud cake. We sang happy birthday to my man and he blew out the candles. When he cut the cake, his parents joked about kissing the nearest person. He didn't hesitate in smooching me, and I didn't object. We all ate a piece of cake (which was divine) and then Joan and I put Harper to bed. I liked to watch how she did things, just so I'd know for future reference. Then Max and I went up to his room.
"Max, do you intend to have children in the future?" I awkwardly asked.
"Well, uh, I've always thought I'd have children one day," he replied. It was obvious we were both slightly uncomfortable.
"How many?"
Oh, God, I can't believe I'm asking him how many kids he wants, as if I were going to start PLANNING its occurrence.
"About three," he replied in a tone that suggested he was becoming slightly uncomfortable.
Oh, thank God, he wanted more than two children. I'd always wanted four.

Suddenly, I leaned over and kissed him, taking him slightly by surprise. He didn't hold back when returning the kiss though.
"Happy birthday, Meteorological One," I whispered.
"Oh, I remember that!" he exclaimed.
We were, of course, referring to the nicknames we had given each other on our double date with Anna and Patrick. He was known as the Meteorological One due to his ability to manipulate weather, although Patrick and Anna didn't know that. No one but us knew about our little secret.

I suddenly got up and went over to my bag in the corner, pulling out a wrapped gift. I thought it would be better to give it to him tonight, in private, instead of at the party. He tried looking surprised, uncontrollably smiling, but of course he knew it was coming.
"What's this?" he asked.
"What do you think it is?" I placed my hands on my hips, trying to hold back a smile.
"A present? For me?"
I handed him the gift, anxious of his response upon opening it. This was only the second present I had ever gotten him, the first being a Beatles book last Christmas. He unwrapped it, carefully trying not to tear the paper.
"Don't you even know how to open a present?!" I asked.
He eventually pulled it out of the paper – his second Beatles shirt! He already had one which only had their faces on it.
"Wow," he said.
"I'm pretty sure every big Beatles fan has an Abbey Road shirt. So this is yours."
"I've been wanting one for ages!" he then hugged me, "Thank you."
I was expecting a kiss but sometimes a hug means so much more.
At the end of the night, Bob dropped me home. I thought the night had gone exceptionally well and hitch-free.

I was excited for Max's party – probably more so than him, actually. My friends were going to be there, as they were now Max's friends too. Mum, Dad and I went over to the Edisons' early to help set up. When we walked in the door, Mum immediately snatched Harper and started snuggling with her. Bob informed us that Max was still getting ready, and had been for a while. Either he was excited and really going all out for this party or something was wrong. I assumed (and hoped) it was the formed and decided to let him be. Dad and I helped Bob hang balloons while Mum rocked Harper and Joan prepared the food. About ten minutes after we got there, Max finally came down. He looked totally adorable in some jeans and a nice casual dress shirt. His hair was quiffed (something I had never seen) making him look even hotter. I hoped objects around the house wouldn't start to shake, as that would be embarrassing.

He sauntered over to us and pecked me on the cheek.
"You look stunningly handsome," I whispered to him. It was a very quiet whisper – only one Max could hear.
"And you look achingly gorgeous," he said to me in return, making me blush. All I had on was a pink dress and sandals. My hair was down and straightened.
"Did you shave?" I asked him, staring at his chin, after I could smell aftershave lurking on him.
"Well…"
"Really, what was there to shave?"
He playfully slapped me and I giggled. Max had only just turned sixteen – he didn't even have any fuzz. I knew that he had only used aftershave to give the impression that he was older and had something to shave. Bless him.
"Did you use my aftershave, Max?" Bob suddenly piped up. I could tell that this observation from his father embarrassed Max.
"Maybe," he replied airily. Bob laughed.
"It won't be long, Max," he said, "Soon you'll grow something and I'll teach you how to shave."
Now Max was the one turning red.

Soon everything had been set up and it was five o'clock, the time for everyone to be arriving. Anna and Prue showed up together and we greeted them. Eventually all the guests arrived and I met some of Max's other friends. The party really got going when Riley arrived – I spotted Max having what looked like a pretty serious conversation with him. The music was pretty loud. Joan and Bob were walking around with plates of finger food. Anna, Prue and Patrick stood in a corner together, talking to my Mum (who was still holding a sleeping Harper – that newborn can sleep through anything!). Molly was off somewhere with Max's friend Des, her new boyfriend. The song "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd came on and I rushed over to Patrick, who loved Pink Floyd just like I did. We danced to the song (not a slow dance, though, more like a casual random dance). When the song was over, I got a can of Coke and went to join my other friends.
"How are you liking the party, guys?" I asked them.
"It's great," Anna replied.
Riley came over to us then and draped his arm around Anna, much to her chagrin. She rolled her eyes irritably. This was the second time they had met. The first was when we had a big group meet up. Riley was hitting on Anna then too.
"Get off me!" Anna shrugged him off with slight aggression.
"Not very friendly, eh?" Riley said.

I left them to their bickering and went over to where Max was standing talking to Nathan.
"Hey, Sadie," he greeted me.
"Hey, Nathan, how are you?"
"I'm great. I might just go and rein Riley in though," he said as he marched off to attempt to control Riley.
It was just Max and I standing there then. I smiled up at him and then kissed him. Did I sense some reluctance? At that moment, Coldplay's "Sparks" came on. I really loved this song. My eyebrows must've knotted as I stared quizzically up into Max's face. He stared back just as intensely. This was an odd and intense moment. Soon Joan had called everyone to the cake to sing happy birthday to the handsome birthday boy and soon after that Max opened the presents his friends had brought him. At the end of the night, everyone went home. Mum and Dad wanted to help clean up but Joan and Bob forced us to go home. We had to remind Mum to hand Harper back when we left.

A/N: It's been a while, so please review!