His Vice

26

That day had been the craziest day of her life, it was even worse than the day she had been kidnapped. The day she watched her husband be driven off in a police car, then being forced into one herself. The officers insisted she needed to come to their station in order to give a statement on the events that lead to the shooting. They wouldn't take no for an answer, pushing her into the vehicle with the child in her arms, as if she was the one being arrested. She was panicking, hoping they wouldn't discover her hidden secret, that she was indeed a missing person in New York, and Maxwell had been her abductor. But, she was shocked on the ride to the station, when the officer suddenly pulled to the side of the road, slightly scaring her.

She screamed when the back of the seat beside her suddenly flipped forward, holding Maxxy to her chest. But, she let out a breath of relief when she saw the smiling face of Bunny as she crawled from the trunk and into the cab of the car, telling her to relax and everything would be Ok. They switched clothes, letting Bunny take Maxxy. And just like that, she was let out of the car and left on the side of the road, Bunny impersonating Maxwell's wife with her son in her arms. Ever since that day, she had been under the watch of Spike, living in Maxwell's place on the top floor of the Hell's Heaven New York chapter building, which had been renovated and beautifully set after the shoot-out. It was where they had first met, and she was living there without him.

She followed the events closely on the television, the parts of the hearing that were filmed by news crews, with Bunny holding Maxxy, sitting near the back of the room. She sighed, staring at the image of Maxwell on the screen, feeling her hands tighten at her side. It had been months since she saw him in person, she wasn't even able to visit him in prison, Bunny always had to take her place in order to keep up the charade that she was Harmony Lucas. She missed him terribly, sleeping alone at night in his bed was the worst, when she imagined his warm, large body pressed against her own, holding her tight and keeping her contempt. So long had it been that she hadn't felt his hand lightly brush hers, seen his beautiful bright blue eyes staring at her as if she was the only thing in existence, like she was a delicate priceless jewel that could never be replaced. It felt as if after everything they had been through, their real-life was finally beginning, the life where they could live as a truly loving husband and wife. And just as fast, it had been ripped away from her. Now, she was nothing but alone again, wishing for the comfort that only he could provide.

-

"Miss Jones, you're son is completely fine" she couldn't understand, staring down at Maxxy in her arms

"There has to be something wrong!" she insisted "Callum is almost two years old, and yet, he hasn't said a word!" she claimed, looking down at her child with worry in her eyes

"I'm sorry Miss Jones, we've almost a dozen tests, your son is completely fine, there's no sign of a developmental delay or any other possible reason your son could be not speaking at this age" she ran a hand through her hair, staring at Maxxy as he smiled up at her, grabbing at her hair. "So far from what you've told me, Callum is right on schedule with every other milestone for a child his age"

"I understand doctor" she sighed, getting to her feet, holding Maxxy against her hip, collecting her purse and her car keys from the chair beside her

"Your son is very much healthy, it's just a manner of when he decides to start speaking" she met Maxxy's bright blue eyes, wondering what was going through his mind, why he wouldn't just speak to her. "It's just being patient" the man put a comforting hand on her shoulder. At least she was relieved to know that there was nothing medically wrong with Maxxy, but that reality did nothing but just cause more questions to hurl through her mind. Why was he doing this? why was he just not speaking despite that he had every capability of it, at least to her knowledge.