Author's Note: Hey guys. I know it's been forever again since I've updated. In the last year there were two deaths in my family and since then I've been having a really hard time getting back my inspiration to write. It's been tough. But I've decided it's time I get back to the things I love, and writing is one of them. I spent a lot of time writing and then re-working this chapter as I got back into the groove of it, and I'm pretty pleased with the end result. I hope you will be too :) It feels good to be back. Huge thanks to everyone who's read, followed, favourited, and reviewed in my absence.

Disclaimer: Neither ATU or any Beatles songs belong to me. I'm just doing this for fun.

Chapter Eleven - Days in the Life

"Max! Sit still!"

"Aren't you done yet?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "No. And I'd be able to draw faster if you'd sit still."

Huffing slightly, Max adjusted his position back to where he'd been before he shifted and got told off. Maggie smirked amusedly and went back to her drawing; she was actually almost finished, but she enjoyed getting a rise out of Max. A few minutes later Max moved again and glanced at Maggie with wide eyes, thinking that he was going to get yelled at again. Instead, Maggie burst out laughing.

"Relax, I'm done," she said with a grin.

Max practically leapt out of his chair in delight. "Cool. Can I see it?"

"Of course you can. Come here," Maggie replied, patting the couch next to her. Max flopped down beside her, wrapping an arm around her as he looked at the picture.

"Maggie, that's amazing," he said, kissing her cheek. "I love it."

A slight blush crept into her cheeks at his praise. "Thanks Max. I'm glad you like it."

Maggie signed the bottom of the drawing just as the door to the apartment opened. She glanced up out of habit, wondering if Prudence had come back; when she saw Lucy enter instead, Maggie didn't feel quite the same pang of disappointment as she had in the first couple of weeks after her friend left. Maybe she'd just have to accept that Pru was gone for good.

"Hey Luce," Maggie called over her shoulder. "Where've you been all afternoon?"

Lucy shrugged off her jacket and came into the whatever room before answering. "At Students for Democratic Reform. There's so much to do, we're organizing another peace rally for next week."

Ever since Max had been drafted and they'd gone to the Fifth Avenue peace march, Lucy had become quite the anti-war activist and Maggie had been producing even more peace and anti-war art than before, which Rocky was still happy to buy for use in Revolution. Maggie and Lucy had been inspired to do their part in the growing movement by the losses of their brother and boyfriend, respectively, and by their great concern for Max. As a result, the two girls had become pretty close in the few weeks since Lucy had moved to New York.

"Speaking of the rally," Lucy continued, "there was something I wanted to ask you, Maggie."

"Sure, what's up?" Maggie asked curiously.

"Well, Paco asked us if anyone could get some posters and stuff to use at the rally, and I thought maybe you could do something."

Maggie smiled. "Sure, I probably have some stuff made up already that you could use. Come with me," she said, standing up.

She led Lucy into her bedroom and went straight to the desk, which was piled with paintings and drawings; most of them were going to be submitted to the magazine, but Maggie knew she had some extras lying around. As Lucy watched, Maggie sifted through the pile of artwork and pulled out a few posters, which she handed to Lucy for inspection.

Lucy's face broke into a grin as she looked at the posters. "Maggie, these are perfect! Just what we're looking for. You should come with me to give them to Paco tomorrow, I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

The next afternoon Maggie and Lucy left the apartment together, Maggie carrying an armful of her artwork, and they headed down to the headquarters of Students for Democratic Reform.

So this is where Lucy's been spending so much time, Maggie thought as they entered. The space was filled with young men and women who all looked very absorbed in their work. Lucy led Maggie over to a small office in the back, where the bearded man they'd seen at the march several weeks ago was sitting behind a desk; he looked up as they entered.

"Paco, this is my friend Maggie Jones," Lucy introduced them. "She's the artist I told you about. I thought we could use some of her paintings at the rally."

Paco extended his hand to shake Maggie's. "Good to meet you. Let me see what you've got," he said, gesturing to the posters rolled up in her arms.

"Right," Maggie replied, unrolling the four posters she and Lucy had selected for the rally. She watched somewhat nervously as Paco gazed intently at the paintings. After a few long moments he looked back up at the girls.

"These are quite good. We can definitely use them." He paused, surveying Maggie as if sizing her up. "I feel like this art is coming from personal pain. Did you lose someone?"

Maggie bit her lip and nodded. "My twin brother was killed in action a few months ago. That's when I started with the anti-war stuff."

Paco nodded in understanding. "Well, judging by what I've seen I think our cause could use more of your work."

"Ah, well, I already have a job," Maggie said awkwardly. "I mean, one where I get paid, and most of my time goes into making stuff for that..."

"You're selling your art?"

Maggie nodded. "Yeah, the editor of Revolution buys a lot of it."

"Oh, I know Rocky," Paco replied. "That's why your style looks familiar. I've seen the magazine."

Glancing between Lucy and Paco, Maggie thought they looked a little disappointed, and she realized that they'd been hoping she would join them. "I could probably give you some stuff, though. Lately I've been producing more than Rocky can buy, so you can have the extras."

Lucy's face visibly brightened. "I told you she'd help."

"Good to have you on board," Paco said. "Would you like to stick around for a bit? I can show you more of what we do here."

"Actually, I still have to drop these off at the Revolution office," Maggie replied, indicating the folder she still held. "But it was real nice meeting you. I'm sure I'll see you again soon."

Maggie gave Lucy a quick hug goodbye before leaving the building; she made her way down the street, enjoying the warm summer day. It was a fairly short walk to the building that was home to Revolution and Rocky was available to see her right away, so within an hour Maggie was back outside without her drawings but with a nice bundle of cash in her back pocket instead.

With a spring in her step Maggie made her way back to the apartment. Today had been a good day; she'd been paid, found a new audience for her work, and the gang was getting together to see Sadie's band play later that night. On days like this it was surprisingly easy to forget that there were only a couple months left before Max would be shipped out.

Max glanced up at the sound of the front door opening, smiling when he saw Maggie enter the apartment.

"Hey there, beautiful," he said in an overly flirtatious voice, wiggling his eyebrows exaggeratedly at Maggie as she came into the living room. Laughing softly at his antics, she sat down next to him on the couch and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Where've you been all afternoon?" Max continued in his normal voice.

"I went with Lucy to deliver those posters for the rally, and then to sell some stuff to Rocky," Maggie replied, snuggling into Max's side as he wound his arm around her shoulders.

"How'd it go?"

Maggie shrugged. "Good. Rocky wanted everything I brought with me and that Paco guy seemed impressed with my posters. I hadn't realized how many people actually work at that place with him and Lucy. It was packed." She paused thoughtfully, fiddling with her four leaf clover pendant.

"What's on your mind, Mags?"

Still rolling the small silver clover between her fingers, Maggie looked up to meet Max's eyes. "I don't know, seeing all those people there, working so hard to stop the war... It made me sort of wonder if I'm doing enough."

Max raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"I just mean, I'm not out there at the rallies, or mailing out pamphlets, or talking to important people. I draw and paint. What good am I doing, really?" Maggie finished softly, lowering her gaze to her lap.

"Hey now," Max said, squeezing her shoulders, "you're doing your part in the way that comes naturally to you. Not everyone can be the one shouting through the megaphone. Someone's got to be behind the scenes, quietly working away to give the guys out front what they need to make a bigger impact."

Maggie raised her eyes back to his. "You really think so?"

"I do," Max replied, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Your art gets through to people. That's why people like Rocky and Paco want to use it."

Maggie smiled then, her self doubt vanishing as she gazed deep into Max's sincere blue eyes. "Thanks Max."

"Anytime darling," Max said, returning her smile as he captured her lips with his.

Maggie wrapped her arms around Max's neck, deepening the kiss, as his hand slid from her cheek to tangle in her long hair. Max gently pushed Maggie onto her back to lie on the couch underneath him, grazing his free hand down her side to rest on her hip.

They were so absorbed in each other that neither of them noticed the sound of footsteps entering the living room; then a loud whistle rang through the air and they broke apart, startled, to find Jude leaning casually against the wall with a smirk on his face.

"Get a room, would you?" the Brit said teasingly as he sauntered over to an armchair and flopped down into it.

Maggie and Max sat up, her blushing and him gazing at their friend with mild annoyance.

"We have rooms," Max said.

Jude grinned. "Yeah, so use them."

A moment of silence followed his words until Maggie snorted with laughter, causing the two men to glance at her amusedly and chuckle as well. The three of them were still giggling when the front door opened and Lucy came inside; she kicked off her shoes and wandered over to stand behind the couch, one eyebrow raised.

"What's so funny?"

Maggie, Max and Jude glanced up at her before dissolving into a fresh wave of laughter; none of them really could have explained why exactly they were so amused even if they'd tried.

Deciding that she wasn't going to get anything sensible out of them for a bit, Lucy shook her head with a small smile and went into the kitchen, leaving them to it.

A few days later Maggie was standing at an easel in her bedroom, brushing paint across the canvas of her latest anti-war poster. She was in a pretty dark mood and the painting reflected that; it depicted a Vietnamese woman being strangled by an American flag, the ends of which were being held around her neck by a vicious-looking Uncle Sam while fires ravaged a village in the background. Maggie wasn't sure where the horrific image had come from but she was pretty certain that if Rocky wouldn't take it, then Paco would. Lucy was always carrying on about how Paco said people needed to be shocked out of their apathy.

She was absorbed in her work and didn't turn when she heard the beads in her doorway clattering; she continued painting and it was a long moment before her visitor spoke.

"Jesus," Max muttered from behind her, and Maggie knew he was staring at the painting. "That's...yikes."

Maggie finally glanced over her shoulder at him. "You don't think it's any good?"

"I didn't say that," Max said, shaking his head slowly as he stepped up beside her. "It's just a bit shocking. And sad."

"Well, good," Maggie replied firmly, returning her gaze to the canvas. "People should be shocked and sad, and maybe then they'll realize that this war needs to be stopped."

Max was quiet for another moment as he watched Maggie paint the raging flames, a look of grim concentration on her face. He'd seen her paint before but never quite like this, with a quiet, burning intensity almost seeming to radiate from her. Finally he broke the silence.

"Are you okay?"

Maggie's hand paused mid-stroke and she shook her head as if to clear it; then she put down her brush and palette and turned to face Max.

"Yeah, fine. Just..." She trailed off, shaking her head again.

Max reached out and curled his fingers around hers. "Just what?"

Maggie shrugged. "Just pissed off, I guess. More than usual."

"Why more than usual?"

"I don't want to say," Maggie mumbled, casting her eyes downward.

Max gazed at her quizzically, though she wouldn't meet his eyes. "What? Why? Did something happen?"

"Oh God, Max, if you haven't realized it please don't make me say it."

"Why?" Max repeated, putting a finger on her chin and gently tilting her face up to make her look at him. Her green eyes looked so sad that Max immediately put his arms around her and pulled her close.

"You just got wet paint all over yourself," Maggie informed him.

Max pulled away from her slightly and glanced down; sure enough, there were multicoloured smudges on his shirt mirroring the splotches on hers. He shrugged. "Whatever. Don't try to change the subject," he scolded lightly. "Why don't you want to say?"

Deciding that Max's shirt was already ruined and a bit more paint wouldn't make a difference, Maggie wound her arms around his waist and leaned into him. When she spoke, her voice was slightly muffled by his chest.

"Because it'll just make you miserable too."

"Well, doesn't misery love company?" Max quipped, earning a small chuckle from Maggie before she sobered again.

She lifted her head and met his gaze. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Max shook his head.

"Ugh, fine," Maggie groaned, rolling her eyes. "Stubborn ass," she muttered affectionately and Max chuckled.

"I've heard that before," he said. "Now out with it."

"Alright." She paused, biting her bottom lip before continuing. "Two months."

Max's eyebrows rose; that hardly helped. "What?"

Maggie buried her face in his chest again. "You have to leave two months from today."

Max was silent for a long moment, absorbing her words; he hadn't thought about it, but she was right. He was going to be shipped out in exactly two months. Though it was a sobering realization, the news that he only had two months left at home didn't upset him as much as Maggie obviously thought it would; rather, he had spent so much time feeling sorry for himself in the first couple weeks after receiving his draft letter that he found himself unable to muster up a fresh round of self pity now.

Maggie, however, mistook his silence for sadness, and looked up at him worriedly. "Max? I'm so sorry, I didn't want to upset you. Please say something."

Much to Maggie's surprise, Max chuckled softly and kissed her on the forehead. "It's okay, Mags. I'm okay."

She blinked up at him. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I may not be tomorrow, or next week; but right now, I'm fine." He smiled down at her and decided that he needed to banish that sadness from her eyes. "Now, Maggie Mae, what can I do to get you to join me in feeling fine?"

A smile quirked up her lips at his use of her nickname. "That was a good start," she said, rising up on her toes to kiss him.

A/N: I'd love to know what you thought :)