Family

Epologue

"Don't ya get smart with me Maggie." Nicole warns giving her a motherly look.

"I just want to go to the party, please. It's not like it's a human party." She whines with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Ok, but I swear if you ahr even the slightest bit drunk I'm gonna kill you." She warns and Maggie smiles.

"Thank you Nikki." She says before running off. Nicole shakes her head and smiles as Max and Maddie walk into the room.

"Hey, you two. Maddie, ready for your 22 birthday?" She asks.

"It's just 22, nothing special." She says a small blush on her cheeks.

"It is and Max ya'd better have something good planned. If I don't get to see my own sister on her 22 birthday it'd better be for a good reason." She says and he smiles.

"I have everything planned out, come on now. It's me." He says and she smiles.

"Alright, I'll see you in a week." She says wrapping Maddie into a hug.

"Yup, have fun with Maggie." She says and Nicole laughs pulling away.

"Oh, yah, the mood swings." She says making Maddie laugh. Nicole gives Max a quick hug before they leave. Nicole walks through the pack house smiling at everyone as they say hi or wave. She goes up to her and Andrew's office knowing she has work to get done. When she enters she sees Sara on Andrew's lap.

"And then we go to this pile. This is for all of the other packs to see what's going on." He says explaining to their daughter. Nicole smiles looking at the two.

"What is Daddy trying to get you to do Sara?" She asks walking into the room. They both look up at her a little startled.

"Nothing, just telling me what he was doing." She says running up to her.

"Oh, well, why don't you go and play with the other children. See if you can find Calub, he's always causing problems." She grumbles.

"He doesn't like me Mom. He says I'm just his annoying little sister and that he's stuck with me." She grumbles and kicks at the ground.

"Big brother's always say that, but he loves you, I promise." She says and Sara smiles.

"Ok, I'll go find him." She says running out of the office. Nicole walks up to Andrew and takes a seat on this lap.

"She's too adorable, just like her Mom." He says kissing her. She smiles pulling back.

"So, what do we have to do for Ty today?" She asks looking at the paper loaded desk.

"All of this." He says and she frowns.

"Guess we should get started." She says grabbing a stack.

**~**

"I still can't believe Nicole let me leave especially with you," Maddie says smiling at Max.

"Especially with me, what's that mean?" He asks and she smiles with a roll of her eyes.

"You know why." She replies and he shrugs. The two don't talk much until Max pulls into the woods. Maddie looks over at him confused but tries to figure out where they are going. She finds a small cabin and smiles. "I haven't been out here in years." She says as he slows to a stop.

"I know, that's kinda the point." He says getting out of the car.

"It's so peaceful here." She says looking around the empty forest. Max slides his hand into hers and pulls her along through the forest up to the cabin. She's mesmerized by the beautiful trees and flowers that are all around her. She doesn't remember it being so beautiful.