Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)
Rated: NC-17
Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.
Timeline: Six weeks after FN.
Pairing M/A
Summary: An unexpected accident causes Max to think about the future in a new way.
Chapter Six
The Quickest Path Is A Straight Line
Max was glad that she’d unconsciously followed her husband’s lead when choosing her clothes. As they made their way to the infirmary, she was increasingly aware of the cooler temperatures outside. As another person, one she didn’t recognize, stopped them to talk a moment with Alec, Max forced herself to analyze the situation. Or part of it at least. Not that it was hard. It was chilly out. Alec had dressed warmly and had given her a coat. All the others they saw or ran into were also dressed warmly. And there was that familiar chilly scent in the air that spoke of a Seattle winter. So at least now she had some sort of clue as to when it was. Max shivered unconsciously, perturbed still with the idea that time had passed of which she had no knowledge.
Alec, with his arm still around her, noticed and broke off his conversation. She had been acting slightly odd all morning. Every time he fully expected her to jump into the conversation, he’d glance down to see her staring off into space, or studying another person. And while he found the slightly quizzical look on her face oddly endearing, it was just another worry to add to the list in his mind.
"We’ll sort this out over at HQ, okay," Alec finally decided. Max glanced up at him and smiled softly, knowing that he’d probably thought she was just cold.
"Okay man," the other man grinned, even as he knew he would be completely ignored. Everyone around TC knew that when Max smiled at her husband like that, Alec would blissfully ignore his butt being on fire. But fortunately it wasn’t. Jake shook his head as he turned away from the happy couple and headed back to discuss the latest issues of TC’s very own soap opera.
Alec did not in fact spare a glance for anyone else as he asked softly, "cold?"
Max nodded. "Just a little."
"Well, let’s get going then," he whispered huskily. "The sooner we get Josh taken care of, the sooner I can take care of you."
"I like the sound of that."
"I thought you would."
They moved purposefully now towards the infirmary. It was a familiar gait that others knew not to interrupt. Max, who’d been quietly trying to interpret her surroundings without alerting anyone to the fact that apparently she couldn’t remember what had happened between summer and winter, felt the apprehension coiling in her stomach with each step nearer. She tried to forestall it, knowing that Alec could feel the tension in her. She was surprised that instead of his usual joke to try and dispel the angry aura she usually drew around herself, Alec had instead been stroking her shoulder as they walked. The motion was soothing and she was grateful. But it was just another signal of how much things had changed. Things she still wasn’t fully aware of.
They entered the building that housed their infirmary and both their senses were assaulted by the pungent smell of antiseptic that always pervaded hospitals. Max’s nose crinkled up a little as she took it in. Alec glanced down at her, just as annoyed with the smells and memories assaulting him. He pulled his arm a little tighter and was glad when she just accepted it. He was fully expecting her to shove him away and deal with things her own way. But she didn’t. Max just slowly pulled from his embrace as she stepped forward. But she did catch his hand as it slid down her arm. She transferred his hand to her other and tugged him along behind her. He didn’t resist.
Max was trembling inside. As soon as they’d stepped into the building, she had, well she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Almost an instinct about where she needed to be. It was strange, because she’d never been able to sense where Joshua was until he was in her very near vicinity. But all her senses were pulling her down a long corridor until they came to the second last room on the left. She paused outside the door, slightly ajar, squaring herself for what she would find inside. Alec gave her a gentle nudge from behind.
"Go on," he whispered. "He’s been missing you these last couple days." She nodded absently and pushed the door open. And to her utter relief, there stood Joshua, slowly folding a shirt and pressing it into a bag; obviously full of the belongings he’d accumulated during his stay. His head snapped up though and Max could see the grin on his face already. She took a step forward, just as he turned to face her fully. And stopped dead with an audible gasp. They stared at one another, as an awkwardness that rarely occurred between them seemed to fill the air.
"L’il fella?" Joshua asked in a pleading tone. Max heard it, felt herself respond to it, but so much more was in her mind. ‘Get a grip!’ she ordered herself firmly. She knew that something bad had happened to him. Knew that he’d been recovering for a while. But she’d never been expecting the angry lashings across the left side of his face, still an ugly, fiery red, only to be broken by the distressing neutral colored eye patch over his left eye. ‘Oh God!’ she realized. ‘White took his eye.’ Joshua whimpered slightly and Max found herself rushing forward to comfort him.
"Hey Joshua," she murmured into his chest as he hugged her tightly. This was right. This was something else that was instinctive in her. Never once had she turned away from her big fella. She couldn’t let him think that she was turning from him now. She stepped back and gestured to the bag on the bed. "Are you all ready?"
Joshua cocked his head to the side, as he usually did when a thought had occurred to him. "L’il fella okay?" he asked, concern etched in his features.
"I’m okay Joshua," she tried to reassure him. But he obviously didn’t believe her as he scrunched down a bit to look fully into her eyes. She watched in morbid fascination, as he had to turn his head to do so. But then, he’d been dealing with this new problem, his new handicap for a month. Whereas it was still quite a shock for her.
"No," he decided finally. "Something wrong. Something different about Max."
Her eyes widened as she scrambled to cover herself from his probing gaze. "It’s just a headache," she lied. How the hell did Joshua know there was something wrong? Certainly there was. Had she changed so much in the last six months that acting like herself was no longer herself? She breathed deeply, the headache trying to return with the weight of that strange thought.
"So you still have it?" a familiar voice asked from behind her. Max spun around to see Doc entering Josh’s room, Alec dogging his steps. Her little fink husband must have ratted her out.
"Alec!" she protested, ignoring Doc completely. "I told you, I’m fine."
Alec opened his mouth to respond, but Doc forestalled him. "Alec’s just concerned. Not that I blame him after last year’s debacle." Max stared at him a moment, her mouth hanging open. Last year? When she had been shot? That certainly didn’t make any sense. "But then again," he continued, "that as I recall, didn’t start with a headache."
"No," Max agreed with a snort, "it certainly didn’t." Yeah, the headache had definitely come after she’d been shot.
"So, you didn’t bang your head?" Doc asked, a slight trace of amusement in his voice. Max grimaced at the X-4. Alec had certainly hurried to fill him in while she’d greeted Joshua. "And Alec said you weren’t drinking."
Max threw her hands up in the air, "I don’t see why everyone is making such a big deal out of this!" she shouted angrily, her eyes glittering. "Hello! I have had headaches before. It doesn’t mean I’m dying." She would have continued her tirade, but caught the shuttered look on Alec’s face. She recognized that easily enough. He was hiding something. She watched him for a microsecond as it came to her, how familiar that look was. She could almost hear his voice in her head, hauntingly, from another time; ‘I’m always all right Maxie.’ He was hiding his emotions. She softened again and stepped around Doc to wrap her harms around her husband. "I’m okay Alec."
He returned her embrace, sighing. He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I know," he admitted. "But I’m allowed to worry every now and then." She nodded and hugged him a little more. It was a worry everyone shared when they loved someone as much as he seemed to love her. As she loved him. And funny enough, the realization that she loved him didn’t hit her like a jolt of lightening as other things had this morning. It settled on her like a comfortable, familiar blanket. Sniffling a little, she pulled back and smiled up at him. She’d been doing that a lot it seemed.
"I’m fine," she announced softly. "But if you’re really that worried, I’ll let Doc check me out."
Alec grinned in relief. "He’d better not be checking you out," he growled playfully and was rewarded with a rolling of her eyes. And a swift, but light slap on his arm. Doc and Joshua laughed along with him as Max shook her head in resignation. Some things about her husband would never change.
"All I can say Max," Doc finally offered, "is if you have a headache, then take some aspirin."
"We were out," she told him, remembering that much from her frantic search of the bathroom cabinet earlier.
"I’ll get some to you then," Doc nodded. "And if you would like an appointment…"
"I’ll let you know," she promised. Doc dipped his head and then turned to Joshua. "And you my man, are all set to get out of here. Just don’t forget that Tina will be by tomorrow for your therapy."
"Won’t forget," Joshua promised as the medic left. Max wondered briefly who Tina was, the name not being familiar to her. But it was just another thing to file away in her mind to think on later.
"Okay," Alec said smartly as he clapped his hands together. "I hate to say this, but I need to get to work. You guys going to be okay?"
"We’ll be fine," Max assured him, lifting her face to his as he stepped closer. He brushed a soft kiss over her lips. "See you tonight?"
"Yeah, I’ll be home for dinner," he promised. One more kiss to his forehead and then he turned to Joshua. "Josh, glad you’re outta here man. I’ll see you later."
"Yeah, later Alec."
*****
A woman shouting after them stopped the walk to Joshua’s apartment. They both turned to see who it was. Joshua recognized her after a moment, which could be forgiven, with his impaired depth perception. But Max had no idea who she was. The woman, a petite blonde, was carrying what looked like a medium sized canvas. Max’s mind immediately and correctly identified her as another X-5.
"Hey Joshua," she greeted as she caught up with them. "You forgot this," she held out the canvas. To Max’s surprise, Joshua dropped his bag and yanked the canvas from the woman’s hands, looking slightly panicked.
"Thanks Tina," he spoke quickly, as he did when he was nervous. But at least it was one little mystery solved for Max. She peered at him, trying to discern why he was upset. She barely noticed as Tina turned away with a casual goodbye and hurried back to the infirmary. And then she realized what the problem could be. Joshua had been trying to paint. She smiled up at him, wanting desperately to reassure him. She knew full well how difficult life could become when something one believed they loved was taken so harshly from them.
"You’ve been painting big fella?" she asked gently. He glanced down at the painting in his arms, trying to hold it so that he wouldn’t smear the paint, but also so Max couldn’t see it.
"Trying to," he grunted. Max ducked quickly under his arm and caught a quick peek before he shuffled away. Her eyes widened as she took in the subject. It was a simple painting really, for him. Two hands entwined on a backdrop of black. But what startled her was not the elegance of the picture, but the rings that adorned the more feminine of the hands. They were her rings. Her wedding band and engagement ring.
"It’s beautiful Joshua," she smiled tremulously.
"Supposed to be a secret," Joshua grumbled. "For Christmas. For Max and Alec." There it was. He hadn’t wanted his surprise to be spoiled and she had unwittingly done so.
"I’m sorry," she apologized quickly. "I promise, I won’t tell Alec and I’ll act surprised."
Joshua regarded her for a moment before nodding. "Not finished yet anyway." He glanced down at the bag he had dropped then back at the painting. Max reached down and easily swung the bag over her shoulder.
"Let’s get you home," she chuckled, realizing that they were drawing a few looks from the other inhabitants of their city. They set off, Max fervently hoping that he hadn’t moved at any time over the summer. But he didn’t appear to have when she led him up to the building next to where she and Alec resided and he made no protest. Josh’s apartment was at the very top of the building. Max could understand how after living in a basement for the majority of his life had led him to request a place with a view.
The door was unlocked, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. Nearly everything was open and welcome to the well-oiled machine that their little hub had become. Max deposited her friend’s bag on the bed in the other room and returned to find him depositing the canvas on the easel set up close to the window. She moved up silently behind him as he dug around in the pocket of his coat and withdrew a slim paper. She watched as he clipped it to the easel. Her enhanced eyes zoomed in so she could see what it was. Her jaw dropped open as she recognized herself and Alec.
He was dressed in a black suit, with a crisp white shirt. The burgundy tie he wore set off the roses that were artfully placed in her swept up hair. Max caught a hint of a cream colored dress, but couldn’t see much of it as she was behind Alec in the picture. But she did have her arms wrapped around his waist, one hand entwined with his. His head was turned as if he was whispering in her ear, but her eyes were focused on whoever had taken this picture. And then Max realized why Josh had the picture. He was creating an enlargement of their hands from that. It was all so simply beautiful that she wasn’t sure how to react. Finally, she turned away to compose herself over a memory she no longer had access to.
"Max okay?" Joshua definitely sounded as worried now as he’d been before.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Max exploded angrily, not daring to look at Joshua, knowing the hurt she’d see in his eyes. Her shoulders hunched in as she felt the weight of what was missing from her clamoring at her. "I’m not fine," she whispered. She felt Joshua’s hand hesitantly grasping her shoulder. She let him turn her around, to face him.
"Joshua knows," he tried to reassure her. She shook her head at him.
"How could you know?" she demanded tightly, angry with herself even as she slipped. "I don’t even know."
"Max?" he asked hesitantly, obviously confused.
"I don’t remember," she cried out. And then more softly. "I don’t remember any of this."
Chapter Seven
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