ImmobileFour: Now and Forever More

Max Steel no Chishiki Baiten

ImmobileFour: Now and Forever More

General disclaimer: Max Steel belongs to many companies, Kids’ WB!, two different computer animation companies, and a whole mess-o corporate executives. This story is my personal work derived from my inner child getting hold of an uzi and obliterating my good side. "Thank You For Loving Me" is by Bon Jovi, and is used without permission. I really hope they doesn't mind, cause it really fits the story. And a big thank you to Kat for telling me about the song! Thank you so much, girl!

IMMOBILEFOUR: NOW, AND FOREVER MORE

When Berto came into Max’s room, the older agent was so preoccupied with a spot on the ceiling, he didn’t hear the Spanish agent’s entry. Only when a hand was waved in his face, did Max register his friend’s arrival.

“Oh, hey, bro,” he greeted, cracking a smile up at the younger agent.

“Off in your own little world again, hermano?” Berto questioned, pulling the injured agent into a sitting position, on the side of the bed. Max yawned, and stretched.

“Something like that. Just thinking,” he clarified, as the Spanish teen pulled the wheelchair over to the bed.

“About what, Max?” Berto queried before he realized the words had left his mouth.

“Promise not to laugh?” Max shot back, dropping himself off the bed and into the chair. After two months, he could get around quite easily on his own, so long as someone left the chair within arm’s reach. After several incidents, everyone was careful to place the wheelchair at the end of the bed, much to Max’s chagrin.

“I never do, hermano,” the younger agent retorted stoutly. Max grinned, then was thoughtful for a moment, as if choosing words.

“I love Rachel. But I don’t know how to tell her,” he explained, a little sullenly. Berto shrugged, and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair.

“I already knew that one, Max. But, my suggestion? Finish your recovery, then take her out to dinner. Tell her then,” the Spanish teenager said reasonably. Max shot him a hopeful raised eyebrow.

“That works?” he asked, a smile spreading across his lips.

“Works in some movies,” the younger agent shrugged. Max nodded, and the thoughtful look crossed his face again.

It was a sweep of some sort of luck that Rachel was away from base, keeping Kat out of trouble. The two boys had the rehab center to themselves. Max easily completed his usual steps, and paused, after the third step. Normally, it was his last, he would fall. But he didn’t. Berto watched him curiously.

“Hey, if I’m gonna do this, I guess I should start really pushing it,” the older agent said reasonably. Much to his, and Berto’s surprise, he did take another two steps before crashing.

“Doing better, hermano,” the Spanish agent noted approvingly. Max smiled proudly, still on the floor. A moment later, with a little assistance, he was back on his feet.

“I’ll be back in the field in no time,” he agreed happily. Things were suddenly looking up, and the brunette agent found himself forming a plan beyond simply proclaiming his love to Rachel.

Kat came into Max’s room to find him as usual, but a little bleary-eyed, as if he’d just woken up. He was looking up at the ceiling, as per the norm for him. He tilted his head towards her when she arrived at the side of the bed.

“Hey, Steel. How ya feeling?” she greeted cheerfully. Max raised an eyebrow at her unusually perky demeanor.

“You seem awfully happy. Anything happen that I’d want to know about?” he asked, yawning slightly. He had been asleep before she came in. She shrugged nonchalantly.

“Nothing much. But I am getting this thing off a little early,” she told him, gesturing to her arm.

“That’s great. Oh, hey...um, can I ask you a favor?” the younger agent responded. Kat gave him a raised eyebrow grin, grabbing the chair behind her.

“Which would be what, Steel?” she returned smoothly. The boy looked embarrassed for a moment.

“I wanted to get a ring for Rachel,” he mumbled finally, looking at the end of the bed. Kat laughed at his sudden change in demeanor.

“For her birthday?” she replied, grinning. Max shot her a confused look.

“Huh?” he asked blankly. The female brunette rolled her eyes. Men could be just so think-headed, most of them, most of the time.

“Birthday, dummy. Bir-th-da-ay,” she repeated, rapping her knuckled on the side of his skull. Max flushed a little, and grinned embarassedly.

“Oh, Y-yeah,” he tried to cover up his slip, and failed miserably. Kat chuckled, and mussed up his hair. A big sister teasing her little brother.

“Don’t worry, Max. I’ll help break you out,” she promised. He smiled gratefully, forgetting, or ignoring, her “siblingly” treatment of him.

The next morning, Max had, after much arguing, gotten clearance to leave N-tek for a few hours, and Kat had obtained one of the handicapped vans.

“How’s it feel to escape the medical bay?” the female brunette was asking her passenger as they headed for the mall. Max thought about it for a moment, then shrugged.

“I guess...like rejoining civilization,” he quipped after some time. Both agents laughed. But that’s really what it’s like. It’s just so weird, he muttered to himself. Kat looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and caught the fleeting look of a kind of...she couldn’t quite place it. Was it sadness, perhaps? Or some kind of joy? She couldn’t figure it out, and when the traffic became heavy, she forgot about it as well. Getting them safely to their destination became her main interest. The look left Max’s face, as he became interested in watching a world he had temporarily left behind whip by him at a dizzyingly fast pace.

The two agents made good time to the Del Oro mall. Kat laughed to herself as she unloaded her younger partner. Max shot her a curious look.

“What’s so funny?” he questioned. She was tempted not to answer, but decided against it.

“I never thought I’d ever have to do this, with you especially,” she explained. That look returned to Max’s eyes, and she wondered if it was the wrong thing to say, if maybe she should have kept her mouth shut.

“Even I knew it was bound to happen sometime,” he said, so quietly, Kat worried that he was angry or upset with her. She couldn’t think of anything to say, and silently moved to take the wheelchair handles. Max didn’t see her, and grabbed the handles on the sides, using them. After checking to make sure that the van was locked, then hurried to catch up with him. A quick fleeting look at his face showed that the look had gone, and she felt relieved. So he wasn’t mad at her.

Ten minutes later found Kat and Max at the jeweler’s shop, in the heart of the mall. With a promise to come back for him in 20 minutes, Kat left to explore the mall. Content to be truly on his own for once in a long while, Max turned his attention to looking around the store.

“Max?!” a female voice gasped behind him, a disbelieving note in her tone. Spinning around, the young man was as surprised to see Laura standing behind him as she apparently was at seeing his new set of wheels.

“Hi Laura. Long time no see,” he replied smoothly. The dark-haired Chinese girl nodded, looking him up and down. Nervously, the male brunette fidgeted under her scrutiny.

“A little too long, from the looks of it. What happened? I’ve been trying to reach you for the last couple of months,” she returned finally. Max swallowed uncomfortably.

“I had a bad accident a few months back. I’ve been in therapy,” he explained easily. She nodded, satisfied with the answer. Max was just glad she didn’t ask how he’d gotten so badly injured.

“So, what are you doing at a place like this, anyway?” she questioned, casually, gesturing to the sparking wares in their polished glass cases behind the immobilized young man.

“Just getting a thank you gift, of sorts, for a someone who’s been helping me out,” Max returned with a guarded tongue. Laura smiled sweetly at him.

“How thoughtful. Well, I’ve got to meet a friend. I’ll see you later,” she promised, bending over to give him a quick, fleeting hug. A moment later, she straightened, adjusted her purse strap, and left.

“That was a weird reunion,” Max muttered to himself.

“Excuse me, young man. May I help you?” a masculine voice asked from the counter. The brunette agent turned around, and smiled.

“Yeah, actually. I’m looking for a ring for a friend of mine,” he explained. The salesman nodded, his “seller smile” still glued to his face.

Right on time, Kat walked back into the store, to find Max finishing up paying for his purchase. She stepped up behind him, and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Ready to go, Steel?” she piped. He nodded in reply, set the small bag on his lap, and grabbed the wheelchair handles. They left the store.

“I ran into Laura,” Max commented, almost absently, when they were halfway back to the van. Kat threw him a surprised look. She knew about the former girlfriend, but last she heard, Laura was still out at sea.

“What happened?” she asked, interest piqued. He shrugged as if it didn’t matter. But then, maybe it didn’t, to him at least.

“We talked for a couple of minutes. She was a little surprised by the wheelchair,” he summed up the entire conversation in two sentences. Kat didn’t press him. She merely chuckled.

“Anywhere else you’d like to go before we head back?” she asked before he could question her reaction.

“Nah. We’d better get back before Rachel finds out,” the immobilized agent reasoned. Kat shrugged, not caring either way. Max steered himself towards the exit.

Rachel came out of Max’s room, surprised at having not found him. She headed for the rehabilitation area, figuring it was a solid bet. He seemed to be in there an awful lot recently. It stung that he didn’t seem to want her help, but then, maybe it was her busy schedule that was keeping her from being there.

“Mmm...this is pecticular,” she muttered to herself, finding the room void of the muscular brunette agent she’d been searching for. However, there was another agent in the room, working with the weights in the corner. Recognizing him, Rachel smiled and stepped over to him. He offered her a cheerful smile in greeting.

“Afternoon, Leeds. How’s Steel doing?” he asked, hefting one of the weights to his shoulder. The question wasn’t surprising. If an agent was injured, word traveled fast. News merely spread all the faster for an unusual agent such as Max.

“Hello, Kev. Max is doing better. What about you? How’s your arm?” Rachel replied, nodding to his limb. The red-headed young man grinned brilliantly.

“I’m up to twenty pounds. It’s still short of my goal, but hey, progress is progress,” he reasoned. The blonde agent had to chuckle.

“Keep up the progress. Well, I have to find Max. I’ll see you later,” she told him. Kev called a quick farewell before the doors shut. The female agent made her way back up towards Max’s room.

Kat and Max arrived back at the male agent’s room shortly after Rachel had left it. Reluctantly, the male brunette placed himself back onto the bed, while Kat hid the ring. She turned and smiled at her partner, then moved the chair to the end of the bed.

“I didn’t realize how much going to the mall could tire a guy out,” the bed-ridden agent groaned. Kat came up to him, and shook her head.

“That’s why you should have let me push you,” she shot back, grabbing a chair. Max offered her a haughty smile.

“I’m a big boy. I can push myself,” he told her firmly. The female brunette laughed, and reached out to mess up his hair again.

“I’ll see you later, Steel,” she told him, getting up. She was at the door when he spoke.

“Kat?” she turned around, hand on the door knob.

“Yeah?” was the reply, accompanied by a raised eyebrow. Max grinned back at her, and matched her calm gaze.

“Thanks,” he said finally, his grin staying where it was. A smile flitted onto her mouth in reply.

“You’re welcome,” was all she said before making her exit. Almost immediately outside the door, she ran into Rachel. The older agent shot her partner a calm glare.

“I’ve been looking for you and Max everywhere. Was he with you?” she said quickly. The brunette smiled.

“Yeah, he was with me. He’s in his room now, if you’re still looking for him. Se you later, Rachel,” Kat replied smoothly, then wandered off. Rachel watched her go, shook her head, and knocked lightly on the door.

“Come in,” a voice called a moment later. The female agent did as told, turning the handle and pushing open the heavy barrier.

“Hello, Max. How are you feeling?” she greeted, smiling at him. He wriggled as best he could into a sitting position, and returned the smile.

“Just great. I finally got out of here for a few hours,” the younger agent replied cheerfully. Rachel came and sat down o the bed beside him.

“Trying to ease back into your old life?” she asked him. He nodded, and smiled.

“Yep. Which brings up something else. Look, Rachel, I know your birthday’s in a couple of weeks, so I wanted to know if you’d like to, um...” the younger agent started, then tripped over his own tongue. Rachel smiled at him.

“Oh, of course, now you can’t talk,” she teased. Max cracked a grin, then took a deep breath.

“Okay...Rachel, would you like to go out to dinner with me on that night?” he blurted, so fast, the blonde had a little trouble translating. When she did, she chuckled and kissed him on the lips.

“Consider it a date, Mr. Steel,” she told him, their faces still only an inch or two apart.

“Great,” was all the younger agent could say. She said yes! his mind shouted joyously. Rachel’s pager went off, spoiling the moment.

“Worst possible time,” the blonde grumbled, picking the small device off her hip.

“Go save the world,” Max encouraged her. The older agent smiled, nodded, pecked him on the cheek, and rushed out the door. With a contented sigh, the brunette agent settled back against the bed. She said yes...

Even as he hit the mat, Max was grinning triumphantly. He had just walked half of the twenty foot-long ramp.

“Doing great, hermano,” Berto encouraged, helping his friend back to his feet. The older agent nodded proudly, pleased with the realization that he didn’t feel that tired.

“Let’s see if I can finish the course,” he grinned, hands locking back around the bars. As he had many times before, the rehabilitating agent closed his eyes, and visualized Rachel standing at the end of the ramp. His eyes took on a determined glint as he carefully moved his leg forward. At a pace half as slow as the first half, punctuated by several stumbles, the young man made it down to the end of the ramp. Berto let go of his arm, and went to get the wheelchair. On impulse, Max let go of the bars, and took a cautious step forward. When he didn’t fall, he moved forward again, bolder this time. But then, his body just decided that enough was enough, and dropped him. Berto came over, looking surprised.

“You did it without the bars, hermano,” he observed, impressed. Max nodded proudly, a huge, radiant smile covering his face.

“I’ll be back to normal by the end of the week,” he predicted cheerily. Berto chuckled at his exuberance as he helped the fallen agent back into the chair.

The recovering agent had barely been in his room for half an hour, when the door burst open, and Kat appeared in the room. She smiled at Max.

“Congratulations, Steel. Martinez told me about today,” the female brunette greeted first, coming over to the bed. Max’s grin matched, if not outshone, hers.

“Hey, I’ve only got a week left,” he reasoned. Kat snorted and mussed up his hair.

“Dummy. Don’t push yourself too hard,” she chided, a note of sister affection in her voice. The corner of Max’s mouth quirked.

“I’m not!” he objected, pouting slightly and trying to keep the laughter out of his voice. Kat raised an eyebrow.

“Real mature, Steel. Well, get some rest. If you’re really gonna push yourself this hard, you’ll need it,” she told him in a mock stern voice. Chuckling, Max closed his eyes.

“Yes, Mother,” he said teasingly. With a noise of playful irritation, Kat batted him upside the head, then whisked out the door before he could implement a retaliation. Still chuckling, the male brunette settled back down, and slowly sighed. He was out a moment later.

Three days later...

After that day, Max’s progress increased rapidly. He could take a few steps on his own, completely unassisted by a human or non. At Max’s request, Kat was still careful to keep Rachel busy during the young man’s rehab sessions.

“I don’t see what the point of not having her here is, Steel. You do better, did, whatever, when she’s here,” Kat commented as Max readied himself for another attempt.

“I want to surprise her. She still thinks I’m back at the stage I was at a month ago,” the younger agent explained. He pushed himself out of the chair, but didn’t grab the bars. Kat thought for a moment, then nodded in understanding.

“She’s gonna be irritated, to say the least, when she finds out,” the young woman cautioned after a moment. Max grinned at her confidently.

“Let’s hope the shock of seeing me actually walk will override that,” he chuckled. As Kat and Berto watched, Max slowly, laboriously, made his way from point “A” to “B,” with only two short pauses. He faltered several times, but didn’t fall. The whole time, he held his hands a inch over the bars, for security. Both agents clapped as their partner reached the end, five minutes later. Kat hurried over to his side.

“Nice job, Steel,” she said approvingly, thumping him on the back. He grinned, didn’t fall.

“Told you,” he said smugly. Kat just rolled her eyes, and Berto came over.

“You’re doing great, hermano. Want to keep going, or call it quits?” the youngest agent asked.

“Quit? Now? No way!” Max replied, turning around. All three of them laughed.

Almost an hour later, Max had walked the ramp two more times, doing better each time, and was now back in his room. He turned his head, hearing the door open. A smile crossed his face, and his eyes lit up, seeing Rachel standing in the doorway.

“Hey, Green-Eyes,” he greeted. Rachel smiled back at him, and came over to the bed. The brunette agent shifted over a little to make room as she settled beside him, her leg just barely touching his.

“I thought that, since we are going out the day after tomorrow, perhaps you’d want to decide on exactly where we are going,” she replied. Max looked thoughtful for a moment.

“How about Cafe Cafe?” he suggested after a minute. Rachel was silent next, debating. She nodded approvingly after a moment.

“I’ll pick you up around six. Is that all right?” she added.

“Sounds great, Rach,” Max replied, smiling. The blonde suddenly went quiet, shattering the happy, relaxed atmosphere. The male agent looked at her curiously.

“Max, I’m sorry I haven’t been at your recovery sessions recently,” she said suddenly. Oh, no. Not this, the younger agent groaned.

“Aw...it’s okay, Rach. I know how busy N-tek is,” he tried to reason. She smiled at him.

“I know you know, Mr. Steel. But I still feel guilty about not being there,” she uttered calmly. Max fished frantically for words.

“Rachel, you’re always there. Even if you’re not there in body, I can still feel you in my heart,” he said finally, with utmost sincerity, using a line from a movie he’d once seen. Or perhaps a book he’d once read. Either way, it seemed to do the trick. Rachel’s eyes lit up.

“Thank you, Max. That means a lot to me,” she told him, smiling. Max’s smile widened.

“You’re welcome,” he returned. She leaned forward, and touched her lips to his. Both closed their eyes for the long moment. When they parted, Rachel hugged him tightly.

“I’ll see you later,” she murmured in his ear. The look of euphoria on Max’s face pressed into Rachel’s mind as she left the room.

Though he only had three hours before Rachel was to pick him up, Max was taking one last “run.” He wanted to make absolutely certain that the last month hadn’t been a dream or fluke. Though he could walk down the ramp, half a dozen times, without tiring or falling, he was still short of a full recovery. His left leg dragged a little, and he could only go so far. But, it was enough for what he had planned for the evening. Berto nodded approvingly as his friend trotted down the ramp.

“You’ve done great, hermano. But, unless you want Rachel to catch you while you’re getting dressed, I’d suggest getting back to your room,” the Spanish agent told his older partner. The male brunette chuckled.

“Would that be such a bad thing?” he asked with an absolutely hysterical smile on his face. Berto sighed, and whapped his friend, lightly, in the head with his clipboard.

“You’re sick, Max,” he scolded, trying not to laugh. The elder of the two was, however, still chuckling as he settled back into the wheelchair, and grabbed the wheel controls.

He had just pulled on his black pants, and buckled his matching belt, when he heard a knock on his door. The young man froze, thinking it was his date. Glancing down, he rapidly tried to throw on the white shirt he’d been wearing during the day. He managed to mistake one of the arms holes for the head, and rushed to correct the mistake.

“Come in!” he called, once he had it on properly. To his surprise, it wasn’t Rachel who walked in the door. Instead, Jefferson Smith was there. The much younger man let out a relieved sigh, and reached to fish his dinner shirt out of the bedclothes, which had been severely rumpled when he fell on the bed during his fight with the shirt.

“I’m glad to see how much progress you’ve made,” the brunette agent’s father began. Max held up the garment he’d been looking for.

“Come on, Dad. You don’t think I’d really stay down forever, did you?” the younger man replied, stripping off his shirt and tossing it at the bed. He’d managed to keep his old form during the few months of his recovery, minus around ten pounds. He pulled on the white long-sleeve. Jeff frowned slightly at his son. Max had told him about the plan he had, and no one else knew of it.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this, son?” he asked. The brunette agent nodded confidently, sitting on the bed and grabbing his shoes, black like his pants.

“Believe me, Dad. I wouldn’t make this a snap decision,” the young man assured, looking up at his father. Jeff sighed, and shook his head.

“I know. But I still think that maybe you’re a little young to be making such an important decision,” the older man said calmly. In response, Max snorted and got to his feet, wavering slightly, and crossed the room to where Kat had hidden the ring.

“I’m almost 22, Dad. I’ve known her for almost three years. I think, no, I know, this is the right thing. If she doesn’t agree, she’ll say no,” he reasoned, slipping the box into a pocket. Jeff sighed, and turned to the door. That’s what I’m afraid of, son, he murmured silently.

“Have fun. Good luck,” he tossed over his shoulder, sincerely. Max gave him a smile and a thumbs up in return.

Less than five minutes after his father had left, there was another knock at the door. That definitely is Rachel, he thought quickly, grabbing the wheelchair and pushing it over to the side of the bed, and tossing himself down in it. The door opened a second later. A familiar blonde stood in the doorway.

“Rachel, happy birthday,” the brunette agent greeted. She smiled, and stepped over to him planting a quick kiss on his cheek when close enough.

“Are you ready, Max?” she asked after a moment. He nodded, and she took the handles of the wheelchair.

It’s hard for me

I wanna say sometimes

There’s no one here

And a broken old streetlight...

The silence seemed choking, and out of place, as the couple headed topside. But neither Max or Rachel could work up the courage to start a conversation. Rachel’s thoughts were racing, many things on her mind. Max was getting nothing but static. The halls of N-tek were oddly empty, especially considering that it wasn’t really that late. Really, it was as if someone had ordered everyone out of the building. Come on, McGrath. Steel! Either one! Say something, Max yelled at the unresponsive communication sectors of his brain. They entered the elevator. The male agent snuck a glance at his partner. She wore a clouded, thoughtful look. He couldn’t guess what she was thinking. He’s being so quiet. I wonder if something’s wrong, Rachel was thinking as the structure made it’s way to the upper levels. The doors slowly opened, allowing the passengers to exit. Outside N-tek, the stars made tiny glowing holes in the dark blanket of the night sky. As they walked to the van, Max’s attention was caught by a burned out streetlight, of all things. Hmm. Wonder if maintenance missed this one, he thought, for lack of subjects to run through his brain. Rachel still seemed lost in her own thought-filled world.

Leave the world outside

Are these five words a night...

The entrance doors swung shut behind them. Immediately, Max and Rachel felt a swift rush of air conditioned cold air fly against their faces. Somehow, it was almost like being tossed into another world, despite the number of times both had come to the restaurant. The waitress seated them near the back of the expansive room, thoughtfully taking the extra chair away with her. She was back a moment later, and took their drink orders. Both chose water. I don’t need sugar or alcohol messing my mind up at such an important point, Max reasoned with himself. Rachel sipped her drink, and still remained silent. Odd, we both seem to be drawing blanks on conversation, she thought. But she wasn’t bothered by it. Talk would come when it came.

When I couldn’t see

For parting my lips

When I couldn’t breathe

Nervously, Max toyed with his water. Taking small sips, long gulps, nudging it around on the table. Rachel smiled to herself, content to watch him. She highly doubted he was even aware that she was watching him.

“Max,” the word sprang from her mouth suddenly, starling him, making him jump. The water glass sloshed, and a small amount hit the glass table top.

“Huh? Oh, uh, yeah?” he replied, grabbing his napkin and wiping at the spilled water.

“Max, you seem a little...edgy. Is there something you’d like to talk about?” the blonde agent asked gently.

“No! I mean, n-not yet,” the younger agent rapped out, a little too sharply. Instantly, he grabbed his glass, and took a long drink, to shut himself up. No, not really, Rach. I just wanted to thank you for being there for me, for everything you’ve done for me... he thought, letting his eyes slide over to the young woman across from him. Rachel looked confused. Not yet? What on earth is that supposed to mean? she wondered, looking down at her glass. After a moment, she decided to start preparing for bad news. The waitress came by their table, and took their order. Max got a burger, while Rachel chose salmon.

Until that dream was you

The sky’s a different blue

I will not disguise

You’d make believe

That you believe my lies...

When their food arrived, Max gave it about a fifth of his attention, maybe less. He went through all the motions. Picking it up, taking a bite, chewing, swallowing. But most of his attention was either on Rachel, or not even at the table. When I was with Laura, I was happy. But that’s it. Just happy. With Rachel, I’m more than that. I don’t have to boast or parade to impress her. She’s seen me at my worst, and still she stays, he thought. As if by fate, if such a thing truly existed, his date looked up, just as he looked at her. An energized spark passed between them. Wow, her eyes...they’re so...radiant, he thought, amazed. She blinked first, broke the spell. A little sheepishly, the male brunette returned to his burger. I thought I was content with Laura. I thought she was the one for me. Now, I know I was just fooling my heart. I was mean, no cruel, to force Rachel to put up with me during that time, his mind chewed the thought, the way his mouth chewed his food. When he was with Laura, I was jealous. Sad, because I knew I was reaching for something I could never have. I tried not to say a word, because he seemed happy with her. I wanted him to be happy, Rachel thought, discreetly watching him fiddle with his burger. He was nervous about something, that much she could tell. The small, quick bites, most practically nibbles, that he took were proof enough that something was up. What this something was, however, was another matter. Max glanced at his watch. They had been there just over an hour. Yank the courage out of the box you stuffed it, and get ready! he thought. The small velvet box suddenly seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

When I couldn’t see

For parting my lips

When I couldn’t breathe

Max took a deep breath, held it for several seconds, then slowly expelled it. Adrenaline shot through his veins, energizing him. Giant butterflies flapped crazily against the insides of his stomach. The brunette agent nudged himself away from the table. Rachel raised an eyebrow at him. Here goes nothing, he muttered silently, then abruptly pushed himself free of the chair. Several patrons gasped in surprise. The young man ignored them, his attention completely on Rachel. Her jaw was slightly dropped. In slow, careful steps, without assistance of anything, such as the table, Max stepped around the obstruction, and to the older blonde’s side. With each step, her eyes widened even more. He paused before her, then knelt down, and took her hand in his. The room had fallen silent when he got up. Everyone would hear him. He didn’t care.

“Rachel, happy birthday. And thank you,” he began, his eyes locked on hers.

“Max...” the young woman started to interrupt, before she knew what she was going to say. He had walked. She hadn’t known. He held up a hand to silence her.

“Rach, please, just let me finish. Before I lose my nerve. Thank you, for everything you’ve done. Both before, and especially during, the accident and my recovery. Rachel, I love you with all my heart,” he said, his eyes still locked on hers.

“That’s so beautiful,” an elderly woman nearby said to her husband. He nodded, as Max took out the small velvet box. His eyes never left Rachel’s.

“Rachel Erin Leeds, I would be so happy if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife,” he told her just barely loud enough for her to hear, then gently slipped the band onto her finger. He bent his head, and touched his lips to the back of her hand, and looked back up at her. She was silent, tears misting her bright green eyes. She couldn’t speak. Suddenly, she dropped to her knees before him, looking him directly in the eyes.

“I would love to be your wife,” she whispered, then pressed her lips to his. A loud cheer rose from the gathered diners.

You pick me up when I fall down

You ring the bell before they count be down

You’d cross the sea

And risk you life to rescue me...

As they stood, Max’s left leg tried to give out. In a flash, Rachel had her arm around his waist, firmly holding him up. He smiled at her gratefully, while balancing his hand on the table. Their waitress came up to them.

“You kids are so lucky,” she told them with a smile. Both nodded and smiled. She grinned, and bustled away. Rachel turned her head back to Max, and was surprised to see tears glistening in his eyes.

“Max, what’s wrong?” she questioned, reaching up and brushing the tears away with her thumb.

“Nothing. I’m just so glad everything turned out just the way I hoped it would,” he replied, taking her hands. Raising them to his mouth, he closed his eyes and gently kissed her knuckles. She dropped both their hands, and touched her lips to his, firmly. There were several suggestive comments from various patrons, all unnoticed by the now engaged couple. All that mattered was each other. Now, and forever more.

When I couldn’t see

For parting my lips

When I couldn’t breathe