House Arrest

Chapter 8

It was late. Really late. He had just gotten home. Why should he have to do it?

"Fine, you selfish jerk," Max said, putting on her shoes.

"Max, I'm tired, alright?"

"Whatever."

"I wanna goes," Rain called from her spot next to her daddy. "Peas?"

Max picked her up before taking her downstairs to put her shoes on. "It's cold outside so you have to wear your jacket."

Rain giggled as her mother gave her a kiss before helping her with her jacket. "Love 'oo."

"I love you too," Max said, carrying her out of the house. Their house was just down the street from the grocery store and her car was almost out of gas so she just walked with Rain. In the store, there wasn't really anyone there. One other man besides the cashier. She bought Rain a candy bar in addition to the diapers because she was behaving so well.

"Here, ma'am," the other man in the store said, taking her bags for her. "Let me walk you to your car."

"I'm not in a car," Max said, taking Rain's hand, leading her from the store. The man smiled at her.

"At least let me walk you to the end of the street," he said. Max let him, just because he was being nice. When they got to the end of the street, he pushed her down, taking her by surprise. Figuring he was just going to rob her of her diapers and candy bar, Max decided not to fight back, not with Rain there. Then the man got on his knees next to her, pulling a knife. Now, Max was ready to fight until his words stopped her.

"You do anything I don't tell you to and I gut you and then your daughter."

Max wouldn't do something that could get Rain hurt. She heard her daughter crying and she focused on that. Then, just like that, that moment that had lasted an eternity was gone, was over. Her shirt was ripped and her pants too but she just picked Rain up and ran, not even remembering that she had her phone. She ran home.

"Fang! Fang!" She was yelling his name over and over while running up the stairs. Rain was still crying. Thinking that Rain was hurt, Fang got up, going to open the bedroom door.

"What? Is she-"

"Fang!" Max had left Rain in the living room and was now to the bedroom. She wrapped her arms around Fang.

"Max, what happened?" He asked, frowning. "Where's Rain? Are you okay?"

"No. Fang, no. I didn't want to. Rain was there. Fang, please."

He held her to him, moving her closer to the bed. "Max, tell me what happened."

"No, Fang. Please."

"What's wrong?" Hayley was in the doorway. Fang looked up at her.

"Go get your sister."

"But-"

"Now."

Hayley closed the door before going away. Fang looked back down at Max.

"Baby…where are you hurt?" He asked, rubbing her back as he laid her down on the bed. He knew. He already knew. He just had to hear it for himself.

"The diapers," Max randomly said. "I left them. Ace-"

"Max, stop."

She looked up at him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't ever say that," he said, shaking his head while pulling out his phone. God… Is there even one of those anymore?

Day 29

"Mommy?"

"What, Rain?"

"It's Christmas eve."

Max rolled onto her stomach. "And?"

"We have to get ready for Santa."

"Santa isn't real."

"Daddy!"

"Max!"

Sighing, she opened her eyes. "I was kidding, baby. Just…let me sleep for a little bit, alright?"

Rain was in the middle of the bed, trying to get her parents to help her make cookies for Santa but they were being stubborn. "Daddy?"

"Come here," he said, pulling her closer to him. "You know what?"

"What?"

"Mommy's just mad that Santa's bringing her coal this year."

Rain giggled.

"Yeah, so leave," Max said, closing her eyes again. "And Fang, call Sky. He spent the night somewhere last night."

"Where?"

"If I knew, I would have told you."

Fang got up. "Come on, Rain, let's leave Grumpy alone."

Rain giggled. "Like the seven dwarfs!"

"Yep," Fang agreed, carrying his daughter out of the room. Max went back to sleep.

Rain leaned against Fang as he carried her into Ace's room. Caden had spent the night at Dr. Martinez's house. "I love you, Daddy."

"I know you do," Fang said, bouncing her a little. She was getting heavy. "Say good morning to Ace."

"Good morning, Ace," she sang, smiling when the baby woke up. Then he started crying. Fang sat her down so that he could pick the baby up. Rain frowned. "Did I make him cry?"

"No. Sometimes babies just cry," Fang lied, getting Ace to be quiet.

Ace closed his eyes again. Starting for the door, Fang said, "Come on, Rain."

"I gotta wake Hayley up," Rain said, as her daddy started down the stairs.

"Alright. Hurry up," Fang said, continuing downstairs. Rain ran into Hayley's room.

"Wake up!"

"Rain, go away."

"But Hayley, it's Christmas Eve."

"So?"

"We've got to make Santa cookies, write him a letter asking that he doesn't get Sky coal, go over to Grandma's, g-"

"Alright, I'm up," Hayley said, sitting up.

"Good," Rain said, marching out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Hayley laid back down. When Rain got into the kitchen, Fang was making breakfast.

"Did you get her up?" Fang asked.

"Yep!"

"Good."

Rain climbed into a chair. "What 'bout Mommy?"

"What about her?"

"No hungry?"

"I don't know," Fang said. "Let's let her sleep though."

Ace, who was on the floor, crawled over to his sister. "Hi."

"Hi," she said back, smiling at him. "Santa's gonna bring me lots of gifts, Ace."

He just blinked. Then he licked the leg of her chair.

"Daddy, Ace is licking things."

"Ace," Fang said, going to give Rain her plate. He picked the baby up. "Are you being bad, Ace?"

He smiled at Fang. Then Max walked into the room and Fang meant nothing. "Ma-ma."

She took him. "Hi, baby."

Smiling even more than with Fang, he laid his head on her shoulder. "Hi."

"Hi."

"Are you good today?" Fang asked Max, going to make her a plate too.

"Fang, that is a stupid question to ask."

"Sorry," he said, setting a plate in front of her. "I just want you to be okay."

"Shut up."

So, he decided, she wasn't having a good day.

Frosty the Snowman was going to be the song that made her big. Rain just knew it.

"Rain, stop," Max said after a few minutes.

"Max, she's singing," Fang said.

"I don't care. My head hurts."

They had just gotten back from her mother's house and Max was done. Being there without Fang was hell. Having to listen to Nudge openly criticize Fang, Iggy pretend like nothing happen. They were all thinking the same thing. That she was weak. No one understood that she was just saving Rain. She had to save Rain.

That counselor that Fang had made her go to at first said that that was the reason she didn't play with Rain anymore. That she held it against her daughter. That was why Max didn't go to therapy anymore. Because that was a lie. A Goddamn fucking lie!

Fang saw the change in Max's face. "Okay?"

"Fine," she said. "Fucking fine."

"Max-"

"Maybe," she began, "if you were able to come with me to my fucking mother's house I would be better but you can't so who gives a shit?"

Max got up and walked out of the room. Rain crawled into Fang's lap.

"Did me makes Mommy mad?"

"No," Fang said, kissing her head. "You want to finish your song?"

"Actually," Hayley said from the ground where she was playing with Ace. "It's time for Rain to go to bed."

"No!"

"Yes, it is," Hayley said.

"Daddy."

Fang kissed her again. "You want Santa to come, right? He only comes when we're all asleep."

"Fucking fine," Rain said, exasperated.

"Stop it," Fang said. "Don't make me spank you. That's a bad word."

"Mommy says it."

"And Mommy's getting coal."

Rain let him carry her upstairs. "Can I sleep wid Mommy?"

"No," Fang said, taking her to her bedroom. "Good night, baby. I love you."

"Tell Sky not to worry. Dr. Martinez said that she'd talk to him about not giving him coal."

Fang gave her one last kiss and Tigger too, when prompted. "Alright."

Deciding to let Caden stay up a little bit longer, Fang went into the master bedroom. Max was in bed, watching TV. It's a Wonderful Life was on.

"Max-"

"Shut up, Fang. I'm watching a movie."

"You've seen it a thousand times before. Everyone's seen it a thousand times before."

"And?"

He closed the bedroom door. "Rain was cursing, a minute ago."

"So? Did you yell at her?"

"Max, you're missing the point. She did it because that's what you do."

"I only-"

"Max."

She sent him a glare. "Fang, maybe if you weren't-"

"Stop blaming me for everything, Max. I get it. I mess up, a lot. But you have to know that I would change it if I could. Max, I would have my dick cut off it I could have that not happen to you. Hell, I'd do it myself. But I can't."

"Shut up! Alright? If you hadn't made me go and get those damn diapers-"

"Max, don't do this to me, baby. I can't take it anymore."

She laid her head back down. "Leave me alone, Fang."

"I love you, Max. You know that I do. You're my wife."

"So what?"

"So, I'm not just going to leave you alone. I want to help you."

"Trust me, you've done enough."

He went over to her and tried to give her a kiss on the head but she pushed him away. "Max-"

"Help me by leaving me alone. I don't want to deal with you right now."

"Alright, Max. I'm going to put them all to bed but I will be back."

"Whatever."

He went and put Caden and Ace to bed, telling the other two that they could stay up as late as they wanted, so long as they were in good moods tomorrow morning. Then he went back up to his bedroom. Max was in the bathroom, taking a shower. Fang went into there.

"Max?"

"Fang, get out."

"Trust me, baby, I've seen you before. I can control myself," he said, sitting up on the counter. Max stayed in there for another minute before getting out.

"What do you want that couldn't wait?" She asked, grabbing a towel.

"Just to be around you," Fang said, watching her get ready for bed. "You're really pretty, Max."

"Not now, Fang."

"What? You are," he said. "So pretty. Beautiful."

"Maybe if I was ugly we wouldn't be here now."

"Max-"

"Don't, Fang. I could not care less about whatever it is that you are going to say," she told him, pulling a shirt over her head. "Granted, you'll want to say it anyways, don't. I'm not in the mood."

"I love you, Max."

"What is that? Fourth time this hour?" She walked out of the bathroom, going to lay down on the bed.

"I do," he continued, following her. "Don't you get that?"

"What's there to get, Fang?" She asked. "I've known that for a long time."

"Then why don't you ever let me help?"

She closed her eyes. "Fang, today's just not a good day for me, alright? I woke up and didn't feel like pretending."

"And that's fine. Just tell me what I can do and I'll-"

"There's nothing you can do, Fang!"

"There's always something someone can do," he said, getting into bed. "Always. What is it that'll make you feel better? Whatever you want."

"I want…I want you to be nice to Skylar."

Fang was taken aback by this question. "What?"

"Yeah," Max said, glad she was smart enough to change the subject. "Yeah. Be nicer to him. He thinks that you don't love him."

"Max-"

"Goodnight, Fang."

He shook his head. Be nice to Skylar… Like he isn't all ready.