"Uh… n-no… go ahead!" Max said before he could really consider it, and stepped back to make room for her.
He didn't go far though, which apparently bothered the woman and after she threw him a sideway glare, he had no choice but to move and go back to his uncomfortable chair.
Of course he could have just waited for her to finish and called after, but even he could admit that he had just been waiting for an excuse to avoid doing so. He didn't think he could go through with it anyway, and he would probably end up insulting Kyle first before really informing him of Liz's situation.
He didn't know much more about her state than when he had arrived in fact anyway, the only thing he had been told so far being that for the moment everything was going well, better than the doctors had expected it in fact. It was something already of course and he couldn't afford to complain he guessed, but he would have preferred if they had told him that they had finished and that Liz was completely out of danger at last.
As he sat down again, he felt a strange sense of liberation at not having called in the end. Truth be told he didn't want Kyle anywhere near Liz, now not more than ever. He actually wanted to be the only one to be there for her, the only one to take care of her because that was his job. He was her husband after all, what was Kyle? Nothing, as far as he was concerned. And if he looked at things logically, he had not even called the Parkers yet, having decided before to wait to know more about Liz and how she was doing before alerting them and turning their life upside down as well, so why in the hell should he call Valenti first? It wouldn’t make any sense, right? Again, that was what he thought, too.
Funny how taking the decision to not call had been way easier than to do it. If he really had to, he would do so when he wouldn't have any other choice left. Maybe when Liz would be out of the operating room and lucid enough to make her own decision -and despite what that could mean, he really hoped it would be soon- he would ask her what she wanted to do, but till then, he would be the only one at her bedside when she would open her eyes.
This was his chance, however dramatic the circumstances. This was an opportunity that was given to him to show her what she meant to him, despite everything that had happened between them, to show her that he wouldn't give up on them this time, that he didn't care about the past anymore and that he wanted them to try again. She would maybe not believe him, maybe she would even think that it was already too late, but he would be there with her every step of the way. No matter what.
~ * ~
Sweat pearled down the column of her neck, but she didn't even notice. Her calves started to burn from the exertion but she kept running nonetheless, needing the exercise to get her mind off other matters. She had called him again before starting but once more had only gotten his voice mail, and even if she knew that she shouldn't let herself think about that, she couldn't help wondering where the hell he was. The thought that he could be with that bitch of his was enough to make her want to gag, or maybe just hit something in anger.
She wondered what she could have come up with again this time to have him all but running to her with his tail between his legs, like the pathetic dog he could be sometimes when it came to her, and she cursed her to the pit of hell for still having such a hold on him.
She hadn't gotten much details, but knowing that conniving, cheating slut, whatever had happened to make him leave like he had, was most likely nothing serious, even if that was how she had wanted to make it look. She wouldn't put it past her either to use the lowest tricks in the book to have him exactly where she wanted him. He was the one who couldn't see past her innocent face, but she definitely didn't have that same problem. Now if only she could open his eyes as well.
The phone rang again in the background and once more she was just tempted to ignore it like she had already twice before, thinking that whoever was calling would quickly notice that he wasn't home, but the insistent and repetitive thrilling sound soon got on her nerves and eventually she stepped down the treadmill and stomped to the other side of the room to grab the cordless receiver.
"Hello?" she all but grunted into the phone, still panting some from her run.
"Hello?" she repeated in exasperation when all she got for answer was a long silence. Yet, she could clearly hear someone breathing on the other end of the line and that fact only unnerved her more.
"I-Isabel?" an hesitant voice reached her ears and she all but rolled her eyes.
Okay, whoever this was, was clearly not up to date with Isabel's whereabouts because it was supposed to be common knowledge that she was in Europe and didn't plan to come back any time soon. Or at least her friends and family were supposed to know that.
"No, it's Tess… who are you?" she replied irritably, while inwardly cursing the idiot who had bothered her when she was shaping her body. Not that she really needed to, but Max being someone who worked out regularly, she didn't doubt that he would appreciate. And it would certainly not hurt either if he came back to find her in nothing but her sport-bra and spandex short.
"T-Tess?…" the woman repeated, and she couldn't miss how just uttering her name seemed to cost her.
However, before she could question her and ask her what her problem was, with her, or with her being here, she hung up on her without another word.
Looking at the phone like it was a foreign thing, Tess just frowned, wondering what this was all about, until a thought crossed her mind and she suddenly couldn't help but smile like the cat that ate the canary at the possibility.
Maybe she had been worrying for nothing. Maybe she had been wrong all along. And if she was, then this was definitely going to work for her.
~ * ~
Hours seemed to stretch to no end and with them Max's patience started to wear thin as well. It felt like centuries to him since the last time he had seen a nurse come in or out of those damned doors. An eternity since he had heard a noise around in fact. Weren't hospitals supposed to be always busy? Animated? Weren't there supposed to be people running everywhere? Here everything seemed like to be suspended in time, like life had stopped altogether and the whole world was waiting with him for some sign, some news, anything. Here everything seemed suddenly… dead… and Max really didn't like how that made him feel. No, he didn't like it one bit.
Hands shaking in nervousness, he massaged his neck, hoping to alleviate the soreness there, but it didn't seem to do him any good. Nothing seemed to calm him, appease his fears, soothe his now tired body. He felt uncomfortable in his own skin, like he was slowly burning from the inside out, and he nearly cried out aloud in frustration.
God, he needed to get out of there. He needed some air, needed to clear his head, or he would break something and soon.
Quick strides led him to the entrance doors and the instant he was out, he doubled over, hand on his knees, avidly gulping for air while he fought tears of desperation and waves of nausea, the sight of his blood-stained shirt definitely not helping to stop the rolling in his stomach.
He didn't know how much more of this he still could take. Seriously. Inside, the walls seemed to be slowly closing in on him, outside, he was just too far from Liz. Nothing seemed to be good enough for him anymore. No matter what he did, or how he looked at it.
If someone had told him this morning that this was were he would end up, he would have done his best to never wake up. He would have fought against everything and everyone just to be able to ignore the world. Nothing about this day seemed right and if he could, he would just go back in time and erase it completely.
Yes, if he could, he would do everything all over again. He wouldn't have been late. He wouldn't have fought with Liz. She wouldn't have asked him for a divorce. He wouldn't have insulted and hurt her. And she would definitely not have been here, so close and yet so far away. She was still there, holding on, he knew that, he held on to that himself, but it was not enough.
If he could, if he was given a second chance, he would make things right, before it was too late. Nothing seemed to matter more than that and it was certainly the only thing that kept him still going right at that instant. Making things right with Liz as soon as she would wake up. Telling her, showing her how he felt, what he wanted.
His breathing less erratic now, he fished into his pocket for his phone, hoping to find a message from Michael, his parents, anyone who could inform him about Janelle's whereabouts, and he had to use all of his willpower to not throw his cell away in rage when he turned it on and after the few seconds it normally took for it to connect, he didn't hear the usual jingle tone that should have signaled a new message.
Nothing. Nothing at all, he was just as in the dark about her as he had been hours ago, ever since Michael had left.
Quickly dialing his cell number, he cursed loudly when all he got was his voice mail, knowing that his prayers wouldn't be heard yet. And why even bother leaving a message? It wouldn't help.
A second call to his parents resulted to be as unsuccessful, only succeeding in leaving him even more frustrated in fact and for the umpteenth time, he wondered where the hell they could have gone? Was he going to have to worry about them as well? This was certainly the last thing he needed and he would just go and hang himself to the nearest tree if he had to deal with another mysterious disappearance in his family.
"Mom, Dad… it's me… Max… call me back as soon as you get this message!… it's… it's important!" he drawled out tiredly, swearing inwardly that the first thing he would do as soon as he would get a chance would be to invest in a cell phone for his father, like it or not. His mother didn't understand those 'damned' things like she said, but his father was just against new technologies, and even more against anything that could allow anyone to locate him when he clearly didn't want to be joined.
Well, he would have to get used to it because after tonight, he would just show him the usefulness of such devices and that even if he had to resort to violence and knock it into his head.
Defeated and more depressed than ever, he turned around and was ready to switch his phone off once more before entering back, when it rang unexpectedly, all but startling him and forcing him to take a step back.
"Mom?" Max asked into the phone before he even looked at the ID of the caller, sure that it was his parents finally calling him back, and hoping against all hope that they would have some good news for him.
"No, it's not your mom, you… you bastard!" an angry voice boomed along the line and the second he recognized it, Max felt his head start spinning and his heart stop altogether.
It couldn't be! It just couldn't be! he thought, feeling suddenly dizzy and consequently stumbling backward, the only thing that stopped him from falling flat on his ass from the shock being the wall he connected with.
Oh. God. What the…
"L-Liz?" he choked on the name, thinking that he had finally lost it completely and that he was simply imagining things, because clearly this just couldn't be real, but still, even as he heard her curse his name all the way to hell, he found himself hoping this was true nonetheless. "Oh, god… Liz, a-are you okay? Where… god, where are you?"
"Where am I? Where am I?… are you kidding me? … where the hell are you? … no, forget it… I perfectly know where you are!" Liz cried out, not believing for a second that he could have the nerve to look surprised to hear her, or act like she had been the one disappearing on him.
That asshole! Oh, but she would show him, and no later than right now.
"Liz… wait… " Max stuttered, his mind trying to process what was happening, but though his brain was working at a furious rate, it just didn't make any sense to him.
How could Liz be calling him from… home? he realized as he pulled the phone off his ear and took a quick look at the small screen where the word was still visible. How could he just be talking to her right now, when not five minutes ago she had still been lying on an operating table for all he knew and he had been praying for some kind of miracle? How the hell could this happen? He was going crazy, that was the only explanation he could come up with. Or at least it seemed to be the most logical.
"No… you listen to me, Maxwell Evans and listen to me good… you can treat me like crap if you want and whenever you want, you can stomp on my feelings and not care in the least for all I care… but I will be damned if I let you hurt your daughter without saying a thing!… from now on…" Liz intoned, fuming from the inside out when she realized that Max was probably going to try to serve her some stupid excuse to calm her down and wasn't even going to take his responsibilities, but he was seriously deluding himself if he thought that he was going to get out of this one that easily.
Liz could tolerate about anything he could throw at her. She could overlook anything he could do to her, even when it hurt like hell, because she knew she had no choice, she couldn't force him to love her if he didn't want to, or just simply didn't feel it anymore, but she would kill him first before allowing him to hurt her daughter just because he had suddenly decided that Tess Harding was more important to him than anyone else. Well, if his own daughter couldn't mean more to him than his blonde bitch, she would make things easy for him and he wouldn't have to worry about having to make a choice any longer. But he could rest assure that whatever it took, she would protect Janelle. At all costs, and against anyone. Even the man who had helped to bring her to this world.
"No, Liz… wait, wait… just l-listen to me, please!… you don't understand… I-I thought… oh, god, they s-said…" Max tried in vain to explain her what had happened, even if he didn't understand everything that was occurring himself actually, but obviously Liz was in no fit state to hear him out.
And if he hadn't understood why she seemed to be so upset at first, after remembering that had all this not happened he should have been with Janelle at home hours ago for their movies night, now he perfectly could. Only Janelle's well-being could put Liz in such a state, and he loved her even more for that, but god, couldn't she see that none of this was his fault? That he had never meant to let them down, and that only a couple of hours ago actually, he had been in the pit of despair himself and had been sure he would just die if he couldn't be with her and Janelle very soon. Of course, he would have rather been with them than having to go through that!
"Oh, I understand alright… I understand that Janelle cried herself to sleep because you broke your promise to her… and I understand that I was the one who had to be there for her and comfort her… I had to lie to her because of you and you know how much I hate that… god, I'm so fed up with this… she doesn't deserve this, Max… you had no right to just… to… god… " Liz cut him off once more, growing more infuriated the more she had to hear his voice, the pain she could clearly distinguish in it actually only serving to fuel her anger even more.
Pain was not an emotion she could understand right now. Not coming from him at least. What gave him the right to act like he could share, or understand what she felt herself? What gave him the right to sound like his own world was slowly collapsing around him, or he regretted everything he had done so far?
Well, whatever it was, it was too late anyway, buddy. He should have thought about the consequences of his actions before, now the only thing she wanted was to make him hurt, just like he had hurt her baby girl.
Just thinking back to her now, was enough to make her want to cry herself. Having to witness how her bottom lip had started to tremble and her eyes to mist when she had understood that Max wouldn't come tonight had nearly broken Liz's heart, but when she had finally broken down in tears, begging her to call her daddy and tell him to come right then because she wouldn't go to bed before having seen him, Liz had known that she wouldn't be able to forgive him this time. It had happened too many times with her, there had been too many overrun meetings, too many last-minute hitches that had forced him to cancel or postpone whatever plans they could have had together, she wouldn't let him do the same thing to her daughter now.
Of course, if she stopped long enough to think about what had really put her in such a state of rage, she would realize immediately that she was partly being unfair and it was just her own hurt and jealousy talking, but then she knew that she would just collapse and cry until she would have no tears left. Being angry seemed to be easier then, even if it wouldn't stop her from feeling betrayed, or like her world had finally and definitely fallen apart.
She didn't know how long exactly Tess Harding had been living with Max, if that was what it was, but what was sure was that he had certainly not wasted any time to invite her over. It was only this morning that she had expressed her intention to get a divorce and tonight she was over there, already answering the phone like it was her home, so she doubted that this had been a one time occurrence, even if she had never gotten her on line before, at least not at Isabel's. What hurt most though, was the thought that Max had been there, too, but had obviously been too busy to take the call himself and it wasn't that hard to imagine what they had been doing then, since Tess had clearly seemed out of breath when she had answered.
No matter how much the concept of him that way, with her, repulsed her, it seemed all too evident to her that while she was struggling to put Janelle to bed and coming up with any kind of excuses to defend him and justify his absence, he had just been fucking Tess Harding without another care in the world. They had probably been celebrating the fact that he would be a free man very soon, their enthusiasm over the news making him forget everything about her, but what was worse in Liz's eyes, everything about his own daughter. And God, how she hated him for that.
"Liz… it's not what you think, okay… I-I'm coming and I will explain… " running out of patience, Max only saw that solution to stop her in her rant. Maybe if he was in front of her, he could calm her down and make her understand that this was only one huge misunderstanding. One more in the long list they already had on their favor obviously.
"You what? Oh, no… I don't think so! You're not setting foot into this house… " Liz shrieked upon hearing him, swearing that she would just wreck his neck the next time she would see him.
Did he really think that he could screw up like this and then just come and see her with a big smile, act like nothing at all, and that was just it? He obviously hadn't realized yet just how much he had hurt them both, and was seriously misjudging just how thoroughly pissed she was right now if he actually truly believed that.
"Liz… please… wake up Janelle … I'll be there in fifteen minutes!" Max sighed and said more firmly this time, knowing by experience that it was no use trying to discuss with her when she was like that anyway.
Besides, he needed to see his daughter. He needed to see for himself that she was alright. And god, more than anything he needed to see Liz, because though he could hear her now, his heart wouldn't stop beating so erratically until she would be just in front of him and he would make sure that everything was really alright with her.
"Have you lost your freaking mind? … do you know what time it is?… I don't care what your excuse is this time… you're not seeing her tonight… and if it depended only on me… believe me, Max, you wouldn't see her ever ag-…" Liz hissed heatedly, her body trembling from the fury that was unfurling inside of her, but before she could complete her threat -threat that she knew very well she would have regretted afterwards anyway- she heard a siren in the background and she was stopped dead in her tracks.
"M-Max, where a-are you?" she asked after a few seconds, her voice quivering in sudden dread when she heard someone yell a 'get out of the way', very close from where Max obviously stood.
"Cedars Sinai Hospital!" Max revealed, and he could almost instantly feel the change in her, her sharp intake of breath carrying over the line and tugging at his heart.
"You?… oh, god! … what are you doing there, Max?… a-are you alright? … what happened? Oh, god, baby, are y-you hurt?… did s-something… " Liz rushed out in one breath, a hand on her heart, the only thought still running through her head being that something could be wrong with him, and not once did she notice the tenderness and concern in her tone, or the fact that she was speaking to him again like nothing had ever happened between them, or like she had not been ready to end off his life not two minutes ago.
It didn't seem to matter anymore because at that moment, she could swear that her heart had just stopped mid-beat from the fear she felt and just like that, she was drained of all her righteous anger and indignation.
"No, no… I-I'm fine… it's a long story, and I'll explain everything, I promise… but please… I n-need to see the two of you… L-Liz… I-I can't tell you more right now… but if-if the eleven years we've loved each other still mean anything to you, do what I'm asking you, please… wake up our daughter and wait for me, okay?" Max pleaded with her in a long tortured whisper, very close to losing it again.
It seemed to him like this day from hell would never end, and he could feel the tears burning his eyes again. God, the only thing he wanted was to sit down with his daughter and wife and forget that it had happened at all, was that still too much to ask after everything he had already gone through?
"Liz?" he softly called her name when she failed to answer, and for a fleeting second, he even wondered if she hadn't hung up on him, or just dropped off the phone.
"Y-Yeah… I… o-okay!" Liz answered in a sob, a thousand of possibilities already filling her mind and though she could hear the tears in her own voice, she didn't care right now.
She had been so angry with him that she hadn't even stopped to think that anything could have happened to him, but now, just the thought was enough to rack her body with uncontrollable tremors and she wasn’t even surprised when she found herself on her knees on the floor before she could even realize that she was falling.
"Liz, baby, I'm fine, really… I'm on my way, okay? I'll be there soon!" Max whispered soothingly, hoping he could take her in his arms already, because at that moment he was convinced that she probably needed it as much as he did himself.
He wouldn't analyze what it meant for now though, but he would lie if he said that her reaction didn't fill him with hope. He couldn't help thinking that if she seemed to be so affected, maybe it meant that she still cared for him enough for them to pick up the pieces of their relationship and still have a chance to save whatever was left of their marriage.
"Y-Yes… I'll... we'll be waiting!" she managed to breathe out, wishing herself that he could already be there as well.
She didn't think she would be able to breathe properly until she would have him just in front of her and made sure whatever had happened to him was nothing bad. He sounded okay as far as she could tell, but she needed more than the soft sound of his voice for reassurance.
"Thank you!" he expelled, closing his eyes in relief, grateful that she wouldn't keep fighting him, at least for now.
Silence stretched between them after that, the only sound on the line suddenly being the sound of each other's breathing, both knowing that they should hang up already but none of them really wanting to. Until Max was eventually ready to make that decision, yet before he could, Liz called his name and he found himself listening attentively again.
"Max?" her voice was soft, hesitant even, but at the same time Max could swear he heard the desperation in her tone as well, although he didn't know what to make of it.
"Yes?" he waited with bated breath, wondering what could be so important now that she couldn't wait for him to arrive to tell him so.
'I love you!', the words burned her throat and more than anything ,she wished she could say them out loud because despite everything, there was probably not a moment she meant them more than this one, she realized, but somehow she restrained herself, convinced that this was probably not something that he wanted to hear anymore. That and the fact that she really didn't know how she would react if he rejected them, rejected her, or simply told her that he didn't know what to say to her in return.
"Hurry!" she said instead, knowing that she was being a coward again, but thinking that it wasn't as if she still had a choice anyway. Telling him how she felt would certainly not do them any good, or change anything, so why bother in the end?
"Yeah!" Max answered simply before hanging up, but something deep down inside told him that that had not been the first thing she had had in mind. He could be wrong, but she had just taken too long to tell him such a simple thing as this. He didn't have time to think too much about that though. Not now.
On unsteady feet, he half-walked, half-jogged to his car, caught between the desire to yell in relief and the urgent need to cry. Liz and Janelle were okay, that was the only thing that was still running through his head, and he needed to get to them as fast as possible.
Part of him was of course wondering how in the hell this could have happened, how he could have received a call from the hospital telling him that his wife was all but dying in there and then that his daughter was nowhere to be found when they were all clearly mistaken, but the biggest part of him was just too grateful nothing had really happened to them to truly question his luck.
There had to be an explanation, and whatever it was, he was sure that sooner or later he would learn the truth, but that wasn't his main preoccupation right this second. No, right now what he wanted was to get into his car and arrive in one piece so he could be with his family at last.
Just as he was opening his car door, another vehicle parked just beside his and in a reflexive move, he turned back to it, only to stop momentarily dead in his tracks when he recognized Michael's car.
Seeing him getting out of it, it didn't take him long to analyze the expression on his face. Wherever Michael had gone, he hadn't been able to find Janelle -which was normal since she had most likely been home all this time- and it was all too clear to him that he was wondering how in the world he was going to be able to break the news to him. But thank God, it didn't matter anymore.
Taking uncertain steps toward Max, Michael cringed inwardly with the prospect of what he was about to do. How was he supposed to look at Max in the eyes and tell him, hey, I'm sorry, but I still don't know where your baby is!. He had gone to every possible hospital he knew of in the city, to every clinic and still his search had been fruitless, and he knew all too well that it would break Max's heart to hear so. Even if in a way it could be a good thing since it pointed more and more to the fact that Janelle had not been with Liz in the car when the accident had happened, he didn't think that it would be of any comfort to Max. Nothing would until he would have his daughter safely tucked in his arms.
"I'm sorry… I… " Michael stammered helplessly and held out the agenda he had taken from Max's office for all explanation.
Well, he had never been good with words, that was for sure, and he was proving it once more, but he knew that Max would understand what this meant without him needing to utter them this time. He also knew that despite everything, Max would know that he had done his best nonetheless. Or so he hoped.
"Oh… uh… thanks, but I won't need it… I-I need to go!" Max grabbed for it and stuttered himself, the need to leave being greater than the need to explain everything to Michael right now.
"What?… What the hell is happening, Max? Where are you going?" Michael asked bewildered, noticing for the first time that it was actually weird that Max had been in the parking lot himself.
Looking at him intently now, that was when Michael realized that Max had his keys in hands and looked really serious about leaving. He would have probably done so already even, if he hadn't arrived at that moment and he couldn't help but frown in worry, thinking that his friend had finally lost it for good.
"Home!" Max just said, feeling a strange sense of peace and relief as he uttered the word.
Yeah, home was wherever Liz and Janelle were, and that was where he needed to be.
"Home?" Michael parroted in disbelief, sure now that he had missed something big since he had left because this didn't make any sense at all to him. "But what if something happens with Liz? What if… " he queried, growing more confused by the second. Surely Max wouldn't leave now, not when he had been making himself miserable before because he didn't want to have to choose between Liz and Janelle. There had to be some kind of explanation, of course.
Oh, God. What if Liz… no, no… he wouldn't let himself think of that. It was not possible. Besides, Max wouldn't look so calm if he had just… god, lost his wife. Just thinking about it, even only for a second was enough to put him in a cold sweat, so he could only imagine how Max would have reacted himself if it were that.
"It-It's not her, Michael!" Max breathed out, still having a hard time believing it himself.
"WHAT? What are you talking about?" Michael cried out, sure that he had heard him wrong, or just not understood the words.
What did that mean, it's not her? Of course it was her, Michael knew that Max had been given her wallet almost as soon as he had arrived, so it had to be her. Not that he didn't want what Max was telling him to be true, but still, it seemed impossible.
"Liz… sh-she's home with Janelle, she's okay! Janelle is, too!… and I-I'm going to see them!" Max continued, not surprised to see his friend looking at him like he had just lost his mind.
"But how? How is it possible?!… Max, what's happening here?" Michael demanded more forcefully now, thinking that soon he would be the one needing to be sedated, or downright locked away in a loony bin if someone didn't start explaining this to him, and fast.
"I don't know! … and I-I don’t care either way… she's alright, Mike, they both are… that's all that matters to me right now!" Max replied, voice cracking slightly, the fact to say it out loud helping him to realize the full impact of what it meant. His girls were alright. There were home, and they were perfectly safe.
"Okay, okay… but what about that woman in there? Who is she if it's not Liz?" Michael tried to rationalize, wanting more than anything to believe what Max was saying, but there was still too many incoherencies in this.
"I-I don't know… and I don’t know how she had Liz's papers with her either but it's not her!… I need to go now!" Max rushed out, clearly getting impatient now.
Of course he understood Michael's need to question all this, and he would do the same if he didn't have more important things to think and care about. Like getting the hell out of there as fast as he could, if only he would let him.
"Okay… I-I'm coming with you then!" Michael proposed before realizing that that was maybe not what Max wanted or needed right now.
"No, Michael… that's not necessary… besides, someone needs to tell them it's not Liz… they need to find out who that woman is… she must have a family, too, and they need to know!" Max countered, not meaning to sound rude or ungrateful, because truly he would probably never be able to repay Michael for everything he had done for him today, but as selfish as it sounded considering how he had helped him, he wanted to be alone with the two loves of his life nonetheless.
"Right, right… okay… I'll tell them… but Max, be careful… I know you want to see Liz and your daughter but drive safely, don’t go and kill yourself now, okay?" Michael relented easily, understanding right away what Max wasn't telling him, but that didn't stop him from making sure that Max wouldn't do anything crazy now that he knew where to find his family.
Nonetheless, he was right. Whoever that woman was, someone might have noticed her disappearance and he didn't doubt that they had to be worried sick about her. It seemed just so crazy that she had been there all along and no one had been able to realize that she wasn't Liz.
"I won't!" Max promised immediately, and for the first time of the night Michael was happy to see a smile on his face. It was still hesitant, like he was afraid to rejoice over the turn of events just too soon, but it was a smile nevertheless. "Thank you, Michael… for everything!" he then added and before he could react, Michael found himself engulfed in a manly hug.
"Anytime… now go, Max… your family is waiting for you!… and… " he answered, patting Max's back before pulling away and meeting his eyes with much seriousness. "… and tell Liz how you really feel, okay? … you won't be always as lucky Max, and you don't know what could happen to any of you, life is short… you've seen that today… so don't wait any longer and make things right with your wife!" he advised, still convinced that despite everything that had obviously torn them apart, if there was anyone that had enough love to go through anything, Max and Liz were those people. They just needed to sit down and talk, really talk to each other.
"Believe me, that's exactly what I plan to do!" Max affirmed, swearing to himself that after this night, he wouldn't let the chance to patch things up with Liz pass him by ever again. No, whatever it took, he wouldn't go through another day without her or his daughter. She had loved him once, he would make sure she would love him again.
"I hope to not see you later then!" Michael said simply, hoping that the next time he would see Max at his apartment, it would be to come and pick up his things and haul his ass back home. Where he belonged.
"Yeah… bye, Mike!" Max said and almost without delay got into his car, not waiting a second longer to crank up the ignition and get out of there.
"Bye." Michael replied, even if he knew Max wouldn't hear it.
As he saw him pulling off his parking spot, he sincerely wished that everything would go alright for Max and that this night would help him, as well as Liz, to understand how much they still meant to each other, and therefore work their way to a reconciliation.
~ * ~
And the same goes for Dreamer_Dreaming 
… but, I swear if you comment on a certain line, I'm on the next train to Paris and you'll see me in front of your school with you know what!! 
Nope, even auto-persuasion doesn't seem to work, so I guess we all know what that means. 
... the problem is that I'm feeling rather depressed lately, for so many reasons, and I'm having a hard time writing, but I'm feeling even worse for leaving you hanging there for so long, so I've decided that if I can't come up with what I want, and write the rest of the chapter just like I want it, I could at least give you what I already have. 
… I hope that you won't be too disappointed, but if you are, let me know and I'll try my best to make it up to you later 
