Last Chapter...
Oregon – Kenny's Room
Max stepped back at that, feeling John tug her closer to him. He believes in me. Kenny is out of his mind. "What?"
He stared at her. "You set me up. You said you believed me."
She gulped at that. "I'm so sorry."
"I needed you."
Kenny, she thought, John needs to let go of me. He shouldn't be touching me now…Kenny.
Max, he thought, staring at her. Max. Still with him…she believed I did this. That I was capable of this…while being with him. Mine. "I still need you."
She gulped at that. Go to him. Nothing is stopping us…I'm not pregnant. We're together… No, I can't. I promised I'd stay with John. I'm committed…Not Kenny. He should be dead. He never chose me.
"I'm so sorry."
John looked at her, stiff in his arms, the tears rolling down her cheeks. Shaking… "Honey."
"She isn't your Honey. The Master wanted me to bring her home. She's Cana Whittaker."
Kenny – 10 Years Ago
"What the hell?" he groaned, as he was dragged through the darkness. "Where…"
Solomon smiled, as he towered over him in the cave. "Welcome."
"Where am I?"
"You're one of us now."
He struggled against his chains. "One of you?"
"Our children need to feed," he smiled. "You hurt my daughter, my Sweet Cana. I wanted to kill you, leave you strewn about for her. This, this life for you, it will be much worse."
"Cana?"
"I took you for her. To punish you. Your girlfriend, my Elena now, is a fine bride. She will feed on you shortly…Cana will be so pleased."
"Feed?"
He gestured Elena into the room. "Hello, My Love."
She looked at Kenny for a long moment, as she rubbed her eight month pregnant stomach. "I'm hungry, Master."
"Kim?" he asked, looking at his filthy and tattooed covered girlfriend. Pregnant…that's my kid. "Kim?"
She stared at him, baring her sharpened teeth. "My name is Elena."
"Kim," he pushed, as she climbed on top of him. "We'll get out of here. We can go home."
"I am home," she growled, sinking her teeth into his leg as he screamed. Ripping flesh from his leg, she sat back and chewed.
Kenny's Hospital Room
"We know that," Morrell said. "She's been cooperating since she found out."
Kenny stared at her. "She's always known. Haven't you, Cana?"
She shook her head. He called him Master…me Cana. He knows… "No. I'm not her. Not since I was a baby."
"He was going to send me to bring you home. He knew you would come with me."
Max felt John's arm tighten around her. "What?"
Kenny smiled at her. "The Master wanted you home. With your family."
"They aren't my family."
"Oh, they are Cana. You belong with us. You'll lead us."
Locked up, she thought, or dead. I'm not safe…I'll never be safe. John can't keep me safe. "No."
"Oh, yes," he said, straining his arm to reach her. "It's our time. Our people need us."
Shaking, John thought, Kenny is out of his mind. Max is done with this, I'm never letting her out of my sight. "Morrell, I'm taking Max home."
Littleton House
"Mom, you look pretty," Gracie said, as Anna and Noah snuggled into her sides. "Mom, where were you?"
She winced a bit, as Gracie, Kara and John unbraided her hair and wrinkled her nose a bit at the smell. "Just…police work, Kiddo. Boring work stuff."
"She's home now," John said, seeing a hint of a smile on her face. Shaky, but home. "And not going anywhere."
His hands, she thought gentle and strong on me. The way he looks at me. I need to let Kenny go. He's out of his mind. I can be happy here. I am happy here.
"Mom?" Kara asked. "Are you okay?"
Safe in the woods. In the bunker. No one will hurt us there. No. It's done. "I'm just tired…but so glad to be home with you guys."
"Did you kiss Daddy?" Anna giggled. "Mommy, you always kiss him."
"Your mom is very kissable," John said, as they finished up her hair. "How about we let her shower and get some rest, guys?"
"I want Mommy," Noah insisted, not letting go. "Mommy, don't go."
She hugged him back, meeting John's worried gaze. "I'm never leaving you."
Kenny -10 Years Ago
"Kim."
She licked the blood from his thigh. "My name is Elena."
Her babies, our babies, he thought, why are we here? "Elena, please. Look at me. Know me."
"I know my Master."
"Leave us, Elena," Solomon said, nodding to her babies. "I need a word with our guest."
She picked up her twins, letting him lick the blood from her face as she left. "Yes, Master."
"What did you do to her?"
"She is my bride…Much like Cana will be when she joins us. My daughter who will lead us into the light."
Kenny stared at him. "Why Kim? Why me?"
"You broke my Cana's heart. You not loving her drove her to that man…she had tainted children who can never be one of us."
Tainted, he thought, no…she isn't. No. "Max?"
"Her name is Cana."
"You're Max's dad?"
"Everything I do is for my Sweet Cana. You broke her heart and this is your punishment."
Max, no, he thought. I broke her heart…what? She wanted nothing to do with me even when I told her I loved her. She…she loves Littleton. Her dad, no…he's going to bring her here too. Turn her into a monster like Kim. "Max, she…I didn't break her heart. She loves Littleton."
Solomon smiled at that. "If only you loved my Sweet Cana like I do."
Littleton House
"Look at you," John smiled, watching her in nothing but a towel. "You look good."'
Max looked up from where she was combing through her thrice washed hair. "I think I got the stench off."
"You can smell all you want as long as you're home."
She smiled, as he wrapped his arms back around her and pressed his lips to hers. Such a good kisser…just a good man. Who loves me. "I missed this."
"I missed you. I worried about you…Max."
She sunk into his arms, letting her towel fall to the ground. "Hmm. Wait."
He pulled back, studying her for a long moment. "Honey?"
"I can't."
"Max?" he pressed, as she looked away from him. "Did something happen down there? Did one of them…Max?"
Kenny, she thought, I betrayed him. I sent him there, I married John, had kids with him…I thought he died. I thought my father killed him for hurting me. Instead…He's back. He survived. "No, I'm fine…it's just…I feel…dirty and…what is inside me? What if I wake up one day and…what if I'm like them? What if I…what if I do what my father did?"
"You want to start a cult in the woods?"
"He wanted to keep his family safe," she trailed off. "It's all I can think about right now, I want our kids safe and…what if I…"
"You're a wonderful mother and a bad ass detective. Cry, get it out because you're not this quivering mess. You aren't one of them, I don't care what your DNA says. Our kids are safe and so are you."
"You're too good for me. I mean that. You're such a good man, John," she said, as his hands settled on her butt. "I couldn't have asked for a better husband."
"We have a lifetime ahead of us."
She smiled at that, enjoying his hands on her. I wish we did. Oh, John, I wish we did.
Kenny 8 Years Ago
"You've served us well."
I can't move, Kenny thought, I'm dying. Kim is pregnant, my kids…this place. "Please."
"You are part of our pack."
"No."
"I am your Master."
"Never."
Solomon smiled at him. "You could go home and bring Cana. She would come here for you."
I can't…I can't do that. Go, not come back…I can't abandon Kim or my kids, even if they don't know me. "Leave her alone."
"She's more willful now. That world has ruined my sweet Cana. She'll never join us on her own now."
Littleton House
"Max?" John asked looking at her on the back porch staring at the woods. "You okay?"
She took the offered cup of coffee. "Yeah. Just thinking."
He sat down next to her. "About what?"
"What's out there. What if there are more…and Kenny. They ate him and still he…the Master has him. You weren't down there and…they worshiped me. I saw the bible…Cana was, is…he made me a…story, legend, this thing I can't…"
"Max."
"So many people died. I couldn't save them."
"Those kids have a chance at a normal life now."
She looked back at the woods. My bunker. I can keep my kids safe there… "I want our kids to be safe. I don't want to go all overprotective and…all I can think of is them taking them. They said they were tainted, John…because they're half black."
"Then they won't take them if they're out there."
She looked at him with that. "We don't…we don't talk about race anymore."
"You're my wife and they're our kids. Our skin color never mattered. We're a family, Max."
"The best decision I made was to date you."
"Ah, you were so nervous…and so damn pretty on our first date. I couldn't stop touching you…by the time I kissed you? I knew."
She smiled at that. "It was a good kiss. I like to think we've gotten better at it too."
"Kissing you is one of my favorite things…it makes the kids squirm when they see it."
"We're bad influences."
"Nah. They're lucky to have parents who like each other."
She smiled at that. I do like him…it could have…I thought this was our fresh start. It was supposed to be just us here. I was happy being a wife. If I didn't go back to work…if they didn't follow me here…it would all be so perfect still. How can John still look at me like this? How can he hold my hand and smile at me like that? "You like me?"
He rested his forehead against hers. "I like-like you."
She pressed her lips to his. I'm doing this for him. It's the only way.
Kenny's Hospital Room
"Did you ever see Cana in the caves?" Morrell asked.
"Cana is a goddess. She lived among the evil world. The Master wasn't happy with her anymore. She tainted the bloodline."
Morrell sat back. A racist cult on top of everything else. Max…something is off about this case. There is something she isn't saying. She did look shocked to see Kenny…shocked when Amy tried to eat her. "How so?"
"Those kind won't be part of our new world."
"When did you first see Cana?"
"Cana," he smiled. "I knew she was a goddess when I met her. She needs to remember. She needs to save us."
Kenny 8 Years Ago
"Take me home," Kim said, straddling Kenny in the cave. "Take me home, Kenny."
He stared at her. She's in there, Kim is still in there. Under the dirt, grime, tattoos, hair…she's still Kim. "Kim?"
She nodded her fanged teeth resting on her lips. "I was scared…look at me. I want to go home. I want to be with you."
"You're beautiful, Kim."
"Kenny…"
"Kim," he pressed, straining to touch her. "Unchain me. We'll go together."
"With my children."
He nodded. She has four…and look at her. I think she's pregnant again. "All of them."
"What else will you do for me, Kenny?"
"Anything, Kim. Whatever you need."
She smiled slowly at him, injecting him with the same drugs that guided her transformation. "My name is Elena and the Master needs you with us. Rest, and we will remake you to serve us."
"Kim!" he cried, hating himself for letting his guard down with her. "Kim! Don't! I want to help you!"
"You'll never take our babies," she hissed, was a fog crept over his face. "You belong to us."
FBI Holding
"Cana! Cana!"
What the hell, Morrell thought, as they all chanted in unison together. What is this? An agent is still on the Littleton house…she did well. Shocked at Kenny being alive and Amy biting her…more shocked at him calling her Cana. How does he know she's Cana? How did the blood get in his bathtub if he didn't…Cana Whittaker. She isn't…A detective. Happily married. Four children at home. How did the blood get there?
"Cana!" they cried again, before dropping to the ground at the same time in silence.
"Get the doctors!"
Kenny 5 Years Ago
He sat on the floor of the caves, the children suckling blood from his legs. Drowsy, he leaned back against the wall of the cave.
"Abraham."
Kenny looked up. "Master."
Solomon smiled, as he led his wife to him. "Add to our family, Abraham."
"Yes, Master."
Littleton House
Max kissed John's cheek. I'm so sorry, she thought, looking at her drugged and sleeping husband. You are wonderful…I saw how Morrell was looking at me. "Good-bye, John."
One Year Later - John
I still can't, John thought, looking at his kids in their living room. She left…drugged us and left. Vanished…she left me, our kids…just a note saying she was sorry. She did this…she sent Kim to her father, set Kenny up and had them take her too. Years of serving her father and the cult on the outside. An actress, this whole time, a murderer, psycho…and I loved her.
"Dad?"
"Hey, Gracie," he smiled, Max's clone, her face under all those dark curls. Holding her math book and…I think she misses Max most of all. How Max looked like when she held her the first time. She loved our kids…it's why she left them. A psycho. "What's up?"
She dropped her book and ran to him. "I had a nightmare. It was Mom."
John hugged her back. If I see her again, when the FBI finds them… "Your Mom loves you, Gracie. She's mad some bad choices but she would never hurt you."
"Why did she leave me?"
John hugged her tighter. I'll never forgive her for this. She destroyed so many lives… Morrell thinks she may have poisoned that cult back in Rome but they can't prove it. Max… "She's sick…in her brain. She needs to work it out. Okay? You're safe here with me."
"I love you, Dad."
One Year Later – Max & Kenny
Max smiled, as she laid with Kenny in their bed. Tracing her fingers over his scars, she sighed as he kissed her. Finally…Us. I can be myself with him…not perfect wife and mother Maxine Littleton. She's gone…I'm free.
"Cana," he whispered, as they kissed again. "My sweet Cana."
She smiled at him. I can be Cana. "I am yours. I'm always yours."
"Our pack."
She nodded, looking at the kids they had been collecting over the past year. Start again. For my Master. As he would have liked…We can do it right. "We belong together."
Kenny nodded, pinning his mate to the bed. "What can I do to serve you?"
She smiled up at the man she had loved forever. "Love me, Kenny, just love me."
The End
Next Up: A Kenny and Max fic as requested...
