Chapter 15, Epilogue

July 7, 2011

“Maxime, where are you??”

Juliet shouted through the second floor hallway of Sid’sgiant summer house. She needed to talk to him, now. It wasn’t like there were amillion people visiting at the moment. And she could see Sid and Marc out onthe deck, Vero and Viv were playing in the yard.

How can he hide sowell?

She was just about to yell for him once more when a handsnaked out of the bedroom she was walking by and pulled her in. She tensed andthought about how she could take out this unknown assailant when she heard himspeak.

“For the love of all things holy, do not kill me mon amour.”

There was a light chuckle after the statement and sheimmediately relaxed and curled into the warm body in front of her. She wasdefinitely getting better at not attacking first. It helped when there was athree-year-old running around all the time, playing Hide-and-Seek, pretendingto scare her, screaming out laughs as her ‘uncles’ tickled her and chased her.

“You’re getting sneaky Maximus.”

“You’re just more comfortable around me now.”

He had a point. The first couple weeks in Pittsburgh, shehad jumped at every sound she heard outside his house. And the first time hesnuck up to hug her from behind she had bruised his ribs. It was unclear whoshe had apologized more to after that incident… Max, Bylsma or Mario.

But it had been easy to get Max to forgive her. And theother two had just laughed. She was going to miss everyone from Pittsburgh. Allthe friends she’d made. Especially Vero and Mel. The two of them had been the closestthing she’d ever had to ‘girlfriends’ and they had quickly bonded, helpingintroduce her to what it meant to be attached to a hockey player. She hadthought that being in the military was tough…

“Juliet, you are not listening to a word I say, are you?”

She blinked and then looked up into Max’s eyes. They seemedeven bluer today than normal. They matched the sky outside. And when she lookedinto their endless depths, she felt like she could fly.

“I’m not… sorry babe, I’m a little preoccupied today.”

“I know that it seemed kind of... spur of the moment, andthat you probably planned on staying in Pittsburgh. But I didn’t just havemyself to think about now. I have you and Viv… and while I love this city,Philly was offering something that could mean a comfortable life for us.Nothing really flashy, but no freakish concerns about money.”

“I’m not worried about that Max. I just want you to be okay.I’m worried about the fact that you signed with probably the biggest rival ofyour former team. I’m going to have to become your bodyguard and not your wife,aren’t I?”

Max just smiled and let out a bark of laughter as he broughther left hand up, the new solid band on her left finger glittery in thesunlight, and pressed his lips to the white gold. She leaned into his solidchest as she remembered the simple, sweet ceremony they’d had at Geno’s houseafter the team had been eliminated from the playoffs by the Lightning.

Erin, Geno’s wife, had asked her uncle to come preside overthe small wedding celebration. He was the same man who had married the two ofthem, and he had been the perfect man for the job. Max had talked her into agown that reminded her of a Greek goddess. She had wanted to hide her scar atfirst, not sure how people would react to it. Then she remembered that the onlypeople who would be there would already know the story. And Max had told hershe should wear it as a badge of honor.

Mac had stood in place as her maid of honor. Mel had beenMax’s best man. Everyone had laughed at their opposite sex bridal party, but ithad been perfect. Viv had walked down the aisle before her, dressed in asimilar gown, her dark brown curls blowing gently and giving her an angelicquality. And Gramps had walked her down the aisle. She didn’t remember the ceremony,didn’t remember the after party. She just remembered Max placing a quick, surekiss to her lips after they were pronounced man and wife.

“… and so I don’t think it’s a bad thing.”

“Hmmm?”

“Cherie, you are entirely too distracted today. Where isyour thoughts?”

Smiling at his pluralization problems, once again, shesnuggled into his embrace and brought up the information she’d been waiting twodays to tell him.

“Max, when did you wanna go to Philly and look at houses?”

“Well, I kind of wanted to stay here a few more days. Thiswill be the last time I get to spend a long period of time with these guysuntil next summer… it… it’s weird. Why?”

“I was just thinking that we could probably make a list ofthings we need. Nice sized kitchen, amazing master bathroom, multiple bedroomsso we have a couple for guests, us, Viv, a nursery. And multiple baths wouldprobab…”

“What??”

“What, what?”

Max pulled back, placing his hands on her shoulders. Hesquinted his eyes at her, staring intensely. She tried to keep a smile back,but failed miserably. Biting her lip, she just shrugged.

“Well, it’s not like we’ve been terribly careful when itcomes to those things.”

“You’re pregnant?!”

“Nine weeks.”

“You’re not sick though.”

Before she could respond, before she could even blink, Maxhad her hand in his and was dragging her out of the room and down the stairs.He ran through the first floor and the open door that led to the deck. Allconversation stopped and their friends stared at the two of them. Mel was thefirst one to speak.

“Max, Jules… what’s going on?”

“We’re having a baby,” Max shouted. There was a split secondof silence before everyone let out a cheer and clapped. She watched Genevieve’sface break out into a huge smile as she ran over and tackled her father’s leg.She was babbling about babies and dress up and sisters, Vero and Mel wanted toknow how far along she was, Marc attempted to touch her stomach, and hisfingers were promptly smacked by Max, and Sid offered to go grab a round ofcelebratory drinks, with juice for her and Viv.

The rest of the day flew by. She called Gramps, Mac, Jonas,and a couple of the WAGS. Max called his parents and sent a text to some of theguys from both teams. Chris Pronger and his wife gave them the number of agreat realtor who had worked with a bunch of athletes for Philadelphia. By thetime they settled down for bed, Viv already passed out on an air mattress intheir room at Sid’s, Juliet was completely exhausted from all the well-wishers.Max was behind her, his arm lying over her, his fingers splayed out over herstomach.

“I’m scared,” he whispered.

“Scared? Max… that’s just silly.”

“What if I’m not good at this though? What if I’m not goodat babies?”

“I’ve watched you with your brother’s children, Kuni andDuper’s little ones, your daughter…You’re great with them!”

“Were you scared… with Viv?”

“I was petrified actually. But she was my link to you. Myreminder that you and I had shared something beautiful. And when she wasfinally here, all I wanted to do was protect her from anything bad that evercame her way.”

“She’s excited to be a big sister.”

“She is. It will be a little different of course. She won’tbe the baby anymore. But I don’t think we’ll have too many problems.”

“We’re having a baby,” he said for the millionth time. Itcame out with that hushed amazement, like he couldn’t believe he was getting tobe a part of something like this. And she had to remember that for him, thiswas new.

“We are. And you’re going to be just fine. Besides, thereare a few months to figure things out. It’s not like he or she will be heretomorrow!”

Max chuckled and snuggled closer to her.

“I love you, my wonderful warrior wife,” he whispered intoher ear. She laughed lightly at his alliteration.

“And I love you, you perverted Frenchie.”

She fell asleep to his even breaths, thanking her luckystars that she had found this man. That someone had been looking out for herthe day she lost her friends, and that whoever it was up there who was playingat being her guardian angel… that they had deemed her worthy of a second chanceto fall in love with the man who made her whole.

*~***~*

So, that's it. That's where it's going to end. I don't feel like I could continue with Max and Juliet's story without it sounding too forced... I hope this gives all you lovely readers some closure on their lives* :)