Chapter 6: The Deadman's Hand
Author Notes:
Hi everyone it's me your favourite author the Mandalorian terminator coming to you with a brand new chapter! This chapter will be back in Hawkins focusing on the cliff-hanger at the end of Chapter 4 about Suzie being in the hospital and how the Party deals with it. This chapter will also be focusing on Lucas and Max so Lumax fans your prayers have been answered. Hope you like it and please remember to read and review!
Mike hated hospitals. Whenever he'd been at a hospital something bad had happened. But it was the waiting he hated most. Waiting for doctors to come and deliver news. Be it about Will when he was possessed or after Starcourt when the Party had had to deal with the fallout of the Mind Flayer, the death of Billy and the supposed death of Hopper.
Now they all sat outside waiting for test results from Suzie. Lucas and Max were doing their best to console a distraught Dustin who had been pacing back and forth since they had arrived. Will and El were both on their way over.
The waiting room was silent save for a few doctors and nurses that come in and out of hospital rooms.
Mike sat with James and Eleanor next to him. He had decided to inform the kids about Suzie since they saw her as an aunt and it wouldn't have felt right to not tell them. Eleanor was the most upset asking what had happened and why.
Eleanor and Suzie had bonded very early on due to their shared inquisitive nature as well as love for musical instruments.
Mike had done his best to try and explain but the truth was he didn't know. None of them did. Dustin had come out of a shower to find his wife laying on the floor unconscious blood pouring from the back of her head.
Mike had called Sara and left several messages trying to get her to pick up but so far no success.
"Sara it's dad calling…..again. Please call me back. It's important," Mike said as he left the hundredth message on her phone.
"She'll answer eventually dad don't worry," James said hopefully.
Mike turned to his son and smiled briefly. "I hope so James," He admitted.
"Mike!" El suddenly called out to him as she and Will walked up to the group. "Sorry we're late. Construction work all along the way to the hospital," Will said.
Mike immediately embraced his wife in a hug along with James and Eleanor while Will went to console Dustin.
"Dustin? Are you okay?" He asked his friend, whose hands were covering his face.
Dustin looked up, his eyes damp from crying and his face red with emotions. "I was in the shower for a minute and this happened. And I couldn't do anything," Dustin said, his voice cracked with emotions.
"It's going to be okay Dustin, I promise. Suzie will pull through I'm sure," El said as she gave him a hug.
"Thanks El, thank you all for being here. Means a lot," Dustin said to the group.
"Hey of course. We're a family," Lucas said encouragingly.
At that moment, the door to Suzie's room opened and the doctor stepped out, causing the Party to immediately gather around him. "Your wife is stable, Mr Henderson, although she is unfortunately suffering from a concussion. She is currently in a coma at the moment. The police chief has been called and will be arriving shortly," the doctor explained.
"Can I...see her?" Dustin asked.
The doctor nodded as the Party all converged into the hospital room. The lights had been dimmed and the blinds were shut. A heart monitor beeped a steady rhythm from the corner. Suzie had an IV sticking out of her arm and her head was lulled to the side. "Oh my god!" Dustin exclaimed as he approached the bed.
Mike turned to face James and Eleanor who were standing by the door waiting to go in. "Kids do you mind waiting outside for a bit? The grownups need to talk for a bit in private," He asked in a quiet tone. "I promise you'll be able to see Aunt Suzie after we're finished, ok?"
The children nodded and resumed their seats outside the room while Mike closed the door. "Do you think Aunt Suzie will be alright, James?" Eleanor asked, tears starting to well in her eyes again.
James knew how close Eleanor was with Aunt Suzie. The two would spend hours practising the violin together or investigating different species of bugs. Their shared curiosity had bonded them together and now Aunt Suzie was lying in hospital. James was a hopeful person but he didn't want to give his sister false hope. The truth was he didn't have an answer.
"I don't know, Eleanor," He answered as he held his sister's hand tightly. "I just don't know."
Back in the hospital room, Mike looked around at his friends conspiratorially. "So what do we think? Deliberate?"
"Well the list of people we've pissed off is long," Max agreed.
"You think someone targeted Suzie?" Dustin said not taking his eyes off Suzie's still form.
"It's possible."
"The Russians?"
Mike shock his head. "The Cold War's over. The Russians have probably moved on."
"Mind Flayer?"
Everyone immediately looked at Lucas who shrugged. "Everyone's thinking it. I'm just saying it," He replied.
Out of the corner of her eye, El noticed Will visibly shake at the mention of the monster that had once possessed him.
"We'd know if the Gate had been opened again," Mike replied in a sure voice.
"What about the government? They'd still remember us. Let's face it Bush Junior and Cheney would hardly be fans of us," Dustin suggested finally looking away from Suzie and up at the Party.
"Hopper or Sam Owens would have told us if the government were coming after us," Mike answered.
"Then who? Who's responsible for this?!" Dustin asked, his voice rising in frustration.
"I don't know," Mike said.
El who had been silent during the conversation shifted nervously. "I think I know," She said quietly.
Everyone immediately looked at El waiting for a response.
"My sister Ten or Mary as she calls herself. We met at the reunion," El explained, her eyes cast down as she struggled to look at her friends especially Mike in the eye.
"What?" Mike said.
"There's another experiment from Hawkins Lab here?" Lucas asked in disbelief.
El nodded. "She has the power of fear."
"That's why you were on the bathroom floor screaming wasn't it?" Max asked a look realisation on her face.
"Yes. She brought back memories of Brenner and the Lab. She said she was in Vietnam and after the war was locked up in Pennhurst. She's been the one responsible for kidnapping those homeless and runaways Mr Clarke told us about," El explained her eyes still cast down.
"What does she want?" Will asked.
"Me to be her sister. She feels that I'm living in a fantasy land as she calls it and she wants to "free" me from it. By killing all of you," El replied back.
"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Dustin asked staring at El intently.
El looked ashamed. Here we go. She knew this question was coming. "I didn't... think she would be a problem," She said quietly avoiding Dustin's eyes as he glared at her.
"Not a problem? She's kidnapping children for god sake El and what you don't think that would be a problem?!" Dustin snapped.
"Of course it is. I just didn't think..."
"Friends don't lie El! Rule number 1 or have you forgotten! My wife is in a fucking coma because YOU decided not to share!" Dustin shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Dustin I—"
"If anything happens to Suzie as a result of her concussion that's on you understand?" Dustin declared pointing his finger at El.
"Dustin-please!" El tried to say but Dustin interrupted.
"I don't want to hear any excuses. You put all of us at risk!"
"I know and your right I should have told you all earlier but—"
"But nothing!" Dustin said as he heard a knock on the door.
Dustin opened the door to see a tall woman wearing a long trench coat and a fedora that obscured most of her face. "Can I help you?" He asked.
"Yes, I'm Melody Malone. I'm the new Hawkins chief of police," The woman introduced giving a quick flash of a badge to a stunned Dustin. "I would have been here earlier but my flight was delayed."
"Dustin Henderson," He introduced. Turning to Suzie's form he said, "That's my wife Suzie."
"Mike Wheeler. This is my wife Jane," Mike introduced shaking Melody's hand.
"Pleasure to meet you both," Melody after shaking El's hand.
"Lucas Sinclair. My wife Max," Lucas said as Max nodded at her name being mentioned.
"Will Byers," Will said to her.
Melody seemed to pause. "The boy who died and come back?" She asked studying his face.
"Uh...sure yeah," Will said after getting his composure.
"Pleasure to meet you all," Melody said after studying the group. "I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other around here."
As she turned to leave Melody seemed to give El another glance momentary before leaving the room...
And walking straight into Sara who was also about to enter the room, Bruce by her side.
"I'm so sorry!" Sara said as she helped the new police chief up on her feet.
"Hang on have we meet before?" Sara asked as she looked at the woman she had run into her. She looked familiar but Sara couldn't place where...
"No we haven't," Melody replied quickly as she seemed to give Sara a look over.
Melody nonetheless stretched out her hand and Sara took it. The woman was almost a whole foot taller than her. Maybe it was the six-inch, size 11 heels that gave her the extra advantage. "Aren't you the Liberian at my school? I swear you are."
"No I'm the town's new police chief," Melody said sternly before turning back to face Dustin. "I can assure you Mr Henderson I will be looking into who attacked your wife. I hope she gets better." And with that Melody turned and left the hospital.
"I swear she's the Liberian at my school. I've meet her before," Sara exclaimed to Bruce. Sara had indeed met Melody before butthat is another story for another time.
"I got your message dad. Is Aunt Suzie okay?" Sara asked as she gave Eleanor a hug.
"She had a concussion and is now in a coma," Dustin answered as he shot a glare at El.
"Can I see her?" Eleanor asked.
"Uh… sure," Mike said after looking at Dustin for permission who nodded.
Eleanor and James went into but Mike mentioned for Sara to stay. "Thanks for coming and uh…I'm sorry about last night," He said.
Sara smiled at her dad. "I'm sorry for yelling. You are the best father anyone could ask for. And I'm….sorry for running away. It was dumb and stupid and..."
"As long as you're safe that's all that matters. And I may have overreacted a little bit about you having a boyfriend," Mike acknowledged.
"Just a little bit yeah," Sara said before breaking into a smile. This was what she wanted to hear.
"Okay sure. I'd like to get to know him and then I'll back off I promise." Mike said.
"Thank you really. I'm lucky to have you as a dad," Sara said before she joined her siblings in Suzie's room.
With the kids now gone, El turned to Dustin. "Please Dustin I never wanted any of you to get hurt. I thought Mary could be reasoned with. I still do," She explained unaware this would only set Dustin further off.
"Reason with?!You aren't serious!" He asked his voice a mixture of rage and disbelief.
El stood firm. "I am. I can help her just like you three helped me," She replied.
"The difference is you weren't psychotic which she clearly is!" Taking a deep breath Dustin looked sternly at El before making his decision:
"I don't want you visiting Suzie at the hospital."
The words were barely out of his mouth before Mike jumped to El's defence. "You can't be serious Dustin!"
"You may be comfortable with El putting our lives at risk Mike but I'm not. The rest of you can visit but not her," Dustin retorted staring El deep in the eyes.
El hang her head in shame and nodded as if accepting Dustin's verdict. "I understand. I'll leave."
"No! Come on Dustin don't do this," Lucas said but Dustin wouldn't back down.
"I've made my decision," He said defiantly.
El nodded again and turned to Mike. "I'll see you and the kids back at home," She said quietly before turning to face Dustin again. "I am sorry Dustin. I hope Suzie wakes up."
El turned and left the waiting room. If she had been paying attention she would have noticed the white van with dark tinted windows parked just opposite the hospital.
"Who knew Dustin could be so harsh?" Lucas said as he and Max entered the living room of his former parents' house where he and Max were staying while at Hawkins.
Max was tired. The stress of learning what had happened to Suzie today and plus being pregnant didn't help either. She felt for Dustin seeing his wife lying in a coma for who knew how long.
Max shuddered to think of that happening to either herself or Lucas. It had been hard at first for Max when Lucas first become a police officer. A dangerous business for anyone combined with the addition of Lucas being black.
A couple of times Lucas had mentioned how when he was first starting out as a police officer a couple of officers had given him dirty looks. It was nothing new to Lucas. He had dealt with racism since the days of middle school. His parents had tried not to dwell on it and making friends with Mike, Dustin and Will and playing D&D had been a welcomed distraction. As he had got older the racism became more and more overt with words such as "Nigger" or "coon" being thrown at him. Max especially had defended him during high school and their bond had grown as a result. His parents had immediately taken a shining to the fiery yet polite redhead and welcomed Max into their home during their first meeting. Max's family on the other hand...
Max knew Neil would never accept Lucas as her boyfriend. Obviously she didn't really care for his options but she knew how violent he was towards Billy, towards her own mother.
So they had kept it a secret. In private their "dates" would take place at the arcade where they would battle it out to retain the all-so import top score or in Lucas's room where they would engage in quite heavy make out sessions. In public they would act as friends first. Unlike Mike and El who were practically joined at the hip together Lucas and Max would distinguish themselves by not acting as "in love" as they were. In fact aside from the occasional handholding you could scarcely believe they were a couple let alone in love. But Max preferred that.
Every time Lucas would leave to go to work Max would fear for his safety. Her mind would go to dark places imagining that all too real phone call she might get. To distract herself she had thrown herself into starting her own skateboarding classes as well as the numerous charities aimed at getting children out of abusive homes. She felt very strongly about helping children in abusive homes probably due to her own experience with Neil and Billy. She had had to slow down with her charity work and skateboarding classes after beginning to show signs of pregnancy.
Her bump was now the ruler of her word, after four months of vomiting at the mere thought of anything except cheese and pickle sandwiches, she now craved sugar at the oddest times. Lucas had joked her never-ending cravings for ice cream and popsicles meant she was having a boy. Max had been quite insistent during her scans that she did not want to know the sex of the baby.
"You feeling alright?" Lucas asked looking at Max with concern.
"Of course I'm just tired," Max said as she said down on the couch feeling exhausted.
"I'll get us some lunch," Lucas said as he made his way to the kitchen. Max watched him go. Lucas was so sweet, so caring. Always willing to help especially now that Max was pregnant.
Outside the house the same white van with dark tinted windows from the hospital pulled up outside the house. The side door slid open and two burly man stepped out, each one carrying a submachine gun and wearing masks, porcelain white, like a china doll with teardrop blue eyes, rose red lips, and a kiss of pink upon the cheeks.
"So anything in particular you want for lunch or–"
Suddenly an array of bullets came cascading through the living room. Immediately on instinct Lucas divided towards Max, pushing her down to the ground and covering her with his body as a shield.
Back at the hospital, noticing Mike was alone Bruce made his move. "Umm…hi I'm Bruce," He awkwardly introduced holding out his hand. "I think we got off on the wrong foot, sir."
Sir, he thought. Now I do feel like Hopper. Mike glanced at the boy's outstretched hand and shock it. "Yes I think we did. So tell me how did you and my daughter meet each other?" It was time to give the boy a chance.
Bruce explained to Mike how he had first meet Sarah, how he was serving as a part-time tutor at the Academic Assistance office when Sara first stumbled in, desperate for help to catch up in her classes. "Come on in," he had said with a gentle smile. "Grab a seat and get out your textbook."
Over time, the two would become friends and start spending time together outside of their tutoring sessions. When they weren't busy studying, listening to Beatles records, or in Bruce's case, working at the tutoring centre, they would "jam" together and sometimes play open mics on campus and at local coffee shops, with Sara taking up the guitar and Bruce playing the harmonica. In the evenings, Sara had Bruce teach her Spanish, which he'd become fluent in during his time in Honduras. By the end of Sara's first semester, she was in the top 10% of her class. With Bruce's help, she had clawed her way to credibility on her own terms. With his own quiet, shy ways and "micromanaging" personality, Bruce showed her that it was okay to be yourself, no matter who you were. As the year wore on into the spring thaw, their friendship developed into something more. Bruce asked Sara if she would like to "go steady" with him. His old-fashioned geekiness had her captivated. She had agreed in an instant.
"Honduras? Really?" Mike asked after listening to the story.
Bruce nodded. "Yes sir I helped Jesuit missionaries run a vocational centre teaching local children carpentry and welding," He said proudly.
"And you said you play the harmonica?"
"Yes sir."
"Huh not to brag or anything but I am quite the singer myself. In fact I could have been in a band," Mike said.
"Oh don't start dad!" Sara joked as she, James and Eleanor stood outside the room watching the conversation.
"Bruce would you like to come around for lunch?" Mike asked suddenly.
Bruce was speechless. Lunch with the Wheeler family? Before he could voice his objections Mike cut in:
"Besides my mom always makes enough food for 10 people. So you might as well. Plus get a change for my mom and sister to meet you as well."
"Thank you sir," Bruce said with a warm smile.
"Right that's enough of sir thank you," Mike declared.
As the family prepared to leave, Mike turned and looked at Dustin, who sat silently in the room starting at Suzie. Walking up to him he put his hand on his shoulder.
"You going to be ok?" He asked.
"I'll be fine," Dustin replied, his eyes never moving from Suzie's still form.
Mike could only nod. "Good luck," He said with some sadness as he and his family left leaving Dustin alone with Suzie.
"Thanks for inviting me over again, Aunt Becky," El said as took the cup of tea gratefully.
"You're welcome Kid," Becky replied as they sat opposite each other at the table.
"I need somewhere safe to talk," El explained as she took a sip. "I made a mistake and now because of me one of my friends is in a coma and it's my fault. I should have acted sooner."
"Against who?" Becky asked.
Mary sighed. "My sister from the Lab. Ten. She's here in Hawkins and she wants to hurt me," El said.
Becky pursed her lips, answering thoughtfully. "Well I don't believe Terry ever came across any experiment named Ten when she was searching for you."
"Nothing about Vietnam?" El inquired.
"No," Becky answered, surprised by the random subject change. "I mean, the War was over by then. Terry was just focused on finding proof that Brenner had taken you to show to the courts and when that didn't happen she decided to take more ...drastic action to get you back," she admitted.
"Ten said she was in Vietnam. I thought perhaps Mama had stumbled across some mention of her," El continued.
"I could have a look for you later if you want."
"Thank you."
"Besides I've been going through some of Terry's old stuff. School books, stuff like that. I could give you some of it if you want," Becky suggested.
El nodded. "I'd like that. It must have been hard for you after what happened to Mama. Having to look after her would have impacted on your social life."
A small smile ghosted around Becky's mouth. "I didn't exactly have much of a life before anyway. Too ambitious that was my problem; Terry would always bring me back down to earth," Becky said with an odd twinkle in her eyes.
El couldn't help but smile at the obvious affection Becky had for her sister.
"I was even married a long time ago but it didn't end well," Becky added.
"I didn't know you were married."
Becky shrugged. "Like I said, it was a long time ago. I was a different person back then. I don't talk about it much now. And after what happened to Terry I had to say goodbye to a dating life," She laughed.
They sat back after that in relaxed silence. El picked at her nails and Becky seemed to retreat into herself for a few moments.
"Thank you for putting my mind at ease, Aunt Becky," El finally said. "You sure I can't entice you to come round for lunch? Karen always cooks too much food anyway, so the more the merrier. Plus Mike's invited Bruce over so that's a good sign."
Becky shock her head. "Not today some other time perhaps. I gotta go through Terry's old items anyway."
El nodded. "Thank you for inviting me over. It's good to see you and Mama again," She said. After hugging her aunt and giving her mum a kiss on the forehead she left.
After her niece had left, Becky walked quickly up the stars to the attic. Inside old boxes were sprawled all around the room, forgotten and abandoned.
But Becky was after one particular box.
Reaching it she opened it up and after a brief search took out a small fob watch. Turning it over in her hands, she lightly touched it. The blasted thing didn't even work properly. Becky had tried countless times to open it but all to no avail. She'd thought about getting rid of it. After all why keep it if it didn't work?
And yet it was as if a voice in the back of her head told her to hang on to the fob watch, that for some reason it was important. But why?
Shrugging to herself and dismissing it as just old age, Becky placed the fob watch back into the box and resumed going through the rest of the boxes surrounding her.
Outside however once again, El was completely oblivious to police car parked over to the side hidden by bushes. Melody Malone/River Song watched El walking away from the house and snapped off another photo of her. She'd taken several already of El knocking on the door and of Becky answering.
Putting her camera down, she took out her phone and dialled a number. "Yes this is Police Chief Melody Malone of Hawkins Police. I was wondering if you could send me over the files I requested earlier. Yes Terry and Becky Ives."
It was silence and slow motion. A pause. Max blinked once. Twice. Adrenaline began to leave her body and she was unable to stop the slight tremor in her bones. Her heavy eyes turned to see that Lucas had pulled her around and into his chest.
"Lucas?" She asked.
Lucas's groans filled Max with relief. He was okay.
"Are you alright?" He asked as he slowly rose to his feet, looking around him. The living room was covered in debris and bullet holes. The windows were shattered all around them. "The baby?" He asked a hint of worry in his voice.
"We're both fine," Max replied as she dusted herself off.
In the space of a heartbeat, Lucas darted forward toward the kitchen table, reached underneath it and pulled out a large brown hunting rifle. He had placed it there as soon as they had arrived back in Hawkins as a precaution. Call it a cop thing he had said to Max who had reluctantly agreed.
"Stay here alright? I'm going outside," Lucas said as he cocked the rifle.
"Are you crazy?!You can't go out there!" Max whispered in a mixture of anger and worry.
"Max someone just shot at us in our own home. I am not just going to stand by. Stay here. You and the baby will be safe," He said as he slowly made his way towards the bullet-ridden front door his hunting rifle at the ready.
"Dammit Lucas come back here!" Max hissed.
Lucas ignored her. Instead he carefully peeked outside and saw the large white van with dark tinted windows parked outside and the two burly men standing outside with submachine gun. Two against one not great odds. Plus he had no backup.
He thought of Max and their baby. The rest was easy. Taking a deep breath, Lucas stepped outside and opened fire.
The first bullet missed and hit the window of the van. The two men immediately returned fire, causing Lucas to duck behind the front door to take cover.
Lucas returned fire blasting away with his rifle as one bullet hit one of the shooters in the shoulder. He went down.
His companion ducked behind the van. Taking this opportunity Lucas bolted towards him, crash-tackling him to the grass then immediately pointing the butt of his rifle squarely at his mask.
"Why did you shoot at me and my wife?!" Lucas demanded. "Tell me now."
Before he could an answer the shooter with the gunshot to shoulder came up behind Lucas and with a large crack smashed his gun across the back of Lucas's head.
As Lucas staggered backwards the masked man lying on the ground in front of him grabbed his own gun and fired.
The bullet punched its way through Lucas's neck, causing a gaping hole in its wake that quickly filled with blood and gushed out.
"Come on," One of the shooters said. "We're done here." The two clambered into their van and drove off just as Max came hurrying out.
She quickly took out for phone and snapped off a few pictures of the van's number plate only to stop when she saw Lucas. "Oh my god!" She screamed as she raced towards her husband.
Lucas fell to the ground, a pool of blood forming around him and soaking into his clothes as he choked to death.
"Lucas? Lucas look at me!" Max said as she tried to stop the blood from his neck. "Lucas stay with!" Her fingers shaking she pulled out her mobile phone and quickly dialled 911.
"Hello? Yes I need an ambulance right away. Please my husband's been shot! Please hurry," Max sobbed.
Blood continued to pour out of Lucas's neck. "Please stay with me Lucas! I can't lose you." Max begged.
Mary opened her eyes with a gasp. Looking around the large First Class room she and Courtney were in, she remembered she was in the air flying back to Hawkins.
She had insisted on leaving straight away. Mary didn't want too much time to pass in Hawkins before making her next move.
But the fear. The fear and pain and anguish she had felt just now was so strong unlike nothing she had felt before.
And strangely enough it belong to Max. What had happened?
Lucas.
Lucas had been shot.
No, she thought. It couldn't be. Mary had left very specific instructions that none of the Party or there family were to be hurt in any way while she was out of Hawkins.
No. This was someone else. Some new player was interfering in her game!
No.
NO!
Mary's fist slammed into the nearby wall, starling Courtney.
Whoever they were Mary would make sure they suffered. But what about Lucas? Would he live? Admittedly he was only a pawn in the game, not a very important piece compared to say Will or Hopper. But still. He could die. The impact that would have on Eleven and the Party in general.
Mary sat back into her seat, her mind already racing with possibilities. Whatever his outcome a response was necessary. And yet her mind seemed to drift to Max and how she would be feeling. The fear of losing Lucas had been so strong and intense that Mary had been able to feel 4,000 ft in the air! Plus Max was pregnant. That child could grow up without a father.
Like you a corner of her mind said. Could it be that she was actually feeling some sort of sympathy for Max?
No. She was a warrior, a soldier. Such sympathises were weakness as Papa had taught her.
And yet still her mind was on Max and her child. "Please be okay Lucas," She said despite herself.
The ambulance wouldn't arrive in time Max knew that much. There was another way of course. It could be dangerous but at the moment Max didn't care. All that mattered was saving Lucas's life.
Dialling the specific number she wanted, Max waited for the person to answer.
"Yes?" The female voice answered.
"Aunt Goldstein? It's Max. I need you to get to Hawkins, Indiana as quickly as you can. Please!" (1)
But Max already knew that it was too late.
Lucas Sinclair was dead.
Me hiding behind the bushes: Hi are the pitchforks and flaming torches gone?
Yes I'm sorry to say Lucas Sinclair is dead. Now before you get all angry at me I did say in my Instagram that characters would die in this story.
(1)This refers to the character Queenie Goldstein from Fantastic Beasts the sister of Tina Goldstein. Queenie will be appearing next chapter but will be much older and much different in terms of personality to how she was in the films. And yes in this story she is Max's aunt. Susan Mayfield was the third Goldstein sister but unlike her sisters was born a muggle. Max and her aunt aren't as close as they once were since Neil married Susan. Also yes Max is therefore related to Newt Scamander.
Now obviously there are still a lot of questions to answer. Why is River Song stalking Terry and Becky Ives? Who shot Lucas? All will be revealed I promise. For now please read and review!