It’’s not a walk in the park,
To love each other.
But when our fingers interlock,
Can’’t deny, can’’t deny you’’re worth it

- Still Into You (Paramore)

Outfit of the chapter
A New Year

Since Alex couldn’t continue the tour they cancelled everything they had for the rest of the year. Two and a half month with nothing to really do. But during that time Max really got to know the guys, and she and Alex finally found a house where they could live. Now it was only for Alex to be completely fine, since he still could feel some pain in his neck and shoulder, and for Max to finally get her skin transplant.

Alex was eating cereal when Max sat down by the kitchen table and looked at him. He looked up and wondered what was going on.
"What?" he asked.
"I’m going to the hospital today" she said.
"You’re not pregnant, are you?" he asked, looking a bit scared and confused.
"No I’m not pregnant" she laughed and shook her head.
"Then what? Are you ill? Did something happen?" he asked.
"They are going to take a look on my scar today, and see what they can do" she said, and Alex raised his eyebrows.
"oh, they’re finally doing it?" he asked, and smiled a little.
"It seems like it" she shrugged.
"Can I come? I don’t really have anything else to do" he said.
"Sure, why not?" she answered and smiled.

Max rolled her tired shoulders and the doctor came in. Alex looked up from his phone and straighten himself up.
"So we jsut got your blood values and it seems like everything is just in order, and with that we can begin prep you for surgery" he said.
"Wait what… Today?" Alex asked, a bit surprised.
"Yes, everything shows normal so we don’t see a problem with it" he answered back. Max just stared at him. This was it. She was getting rid of the scar.
"Okay" she said.
"What? You’re just gonna do it? Not even prepare yourself a little?" Alex asked.
"Alex… I wanted to get rid of the scar for years, even if it’s what makes me… well me… I still want to get rid of it" she said and looked at him.
"Yeah I know, but are you sure?" he asked. She took a deep breath and nodded. She was sure. She wanted this.

Hours later Alex finally got to go to the room Max had been assigned. She was still under anesthesia, and she looked so peaceful where she was. She had the ugly green hospital gown on her, and lots of bandages over her shoulders.
"So what happens now?" Alex asked and looked at the nurse tending to Max.
"We’re going to wait for her to wake up and then she can go home tomorrow" she said.
"Tomorrow?" he asked, a bit surprised.
"Yes, then it will take about a week before she can move without bandages and in two weeks time it should look pretty much like it supposed to look like" she said and smiled.
"Wow. But… What if her body rejects the skin?" he asked.
"The chance is very small, and if it happens… We’ll take it from there" she said and smiled again.
"Okay" Alex said and nodded. Then he felt that his phone was vibrating and when he picked it up he saw Jack’s name.
"Dude, where the fuck are you?" Jack asked.
"What?" Alex asked.
"Where at your place, but there is no one here" Jack said.
"Oh fuck I forgot, I’m at the hospital with…" he began.
"Hospital? Why?" Jack asked.
"Max did her surgery today, and she’s still under" he said.
"Surgery? The transplant?" he asked.
"Yeah, and… can we do it another day?" he asked.
"Sure, we’ll come back… some other day" he said, and they hung up. Just like that Alex turned to Max again and saw that she was awake. She frowned a little and swallowed, and she looked really tired.
"Well hello there" Alex said and walked over to her. She opened her eyes again and looked at him.
"Hi" she said, and smiled a little.
"How are you feeling?" he asked and brushed away some hair from her face.
"Well I’ve been better, but it feels okay" she said and sat up a little.
"I can understand that, and.. the nurse said you can go home tomorrow, and then a week from now we can take of the bandages completely and in two weeks it should pretty much look like it should" he said.
"That fast? Wow" she said and looked at him.
"That fast yes" he said and smiled.

Alex poured up juice in a glass, prepared a sandwich and walked out tot the living room where Max was waiting. Except she was sleeping peacefully on the couch, with the movie still running.
"Well aren’t you the tired one" he said with a smile and put down the tray on the coffee table. He stroked her arm and breathed out. Never had he felt so… normal. To take care of someone. Sharing a home. Being engaged. For real. It was a normal life. He was interrupted from his thoughts when he saw that her phone went off and it was an unknown number. Alex looked at her but she didn’t seem to wake up, so he picked up the phone.
"Max phone" he answered when he walked out from the living room.
"Max? Is that you?" someone said, the voice of a man.
"No, this is Alex. Max couldn’t answer so I answered for her" Alex said.
"Oh, Alex… Long time no see" the man said.
"Do I know you?" Alex asked.
"It’s George, Max father" the man said and Alex almost dropped the phone. Suddenly he was really glad that he had answered and not Max.
"And why the fuck are you calling?" Alex spat out.
"Well Bella is miserable since Max just left, without letting her explain" he said.
"Oh, she didn’t need to explain anything" Alex said, getting angrier by the second.
"Alex please, let me speak to my daughter" George said.
"No, I’m not going to let you speak to her and I would prefer if you didn’t call again" Alex said.
"She’s a Clayton, we stick together" George said. Alex was disgusted by his words.
"No sir, she’s not. She’s a Gaskarth" Alex spat out. He now saw that Max was awake and she was looking at him, quite surprised by his temper.
"Oh, so you two did get married? Why didn’t you invite us for the wedding?" George asked.
"George, you and Bella will never, ever, as long as I’m around be welcome to her, no our, wedding" he said and looked at Max. She looked to surprised to see that it was her father who was on the other side.
"Alex, it’s my daughter. i’m going to walk her down the aisle" he said.
"No sir, you’re not. She’s going to walk down herself. Because she’s the one that chose me, not you. She’s the one that’s going to give herself over. No one else is capable of doing that. No one." Alex spat out.
"ALEXANDER GASKARTH, THAT IS MY DAUGHTER" George yelled.
"It was nice talking to you, and i would appreciate if you didn’t call again" Alex said and hung up. He looked at Max and Max just stared.
"Was tha..?" she asked and Alex nodded.
"It was an unknown caller, so I thought it might be the hospital or anything… Turned out to be… George" he said.
"I’m glad you answered" she whispered.
"So am I… So am I" he said and sat down beside her.