London
Capital of England, Great Britain and told to be the capital of the world.

Outfit of the Chapter
LONDON

Max was walking home from the studio. After a long days photoshoot for Stockholm Red she felt tired, and her body was aching a little. Right now she just wanted to go home and spend her last night with Alex.
"Maybe I’m too tired for sex" she muttered and yawned a little, but then again. If she wasn’t going to have sex with him tonight she would have to wait another two months before she even got something.
"I better take a coffee" she said and walked in to Starbucks, and giggled a little at her own needs. Not that she think Alex would say no.

While walking home with a coffee in hand she felt how the air around her got more and more tense. She stopped for a second and looked behind her but it was nothing else than an old couple. So Max continued to walk and shook her head.
"I’m imagining things" she sighed. But then it came again and Max looked over her shoulder again. Still only the old couple. Why would she feel like this? Who could possibly… Fuck… Brianna. Was Bri here? Max feet suddenly started to walk much faster and she almost dropped the coffee in the process. She heard something behind her and she let out a small shriek and started to run. She hurried inside the gate when she reached their house, and ran all the way up to the front door. Tears was almost falling and she felt scared. Max couldn’t get the keys to go into the door and when she almost cried she felt a hand on her shoulder. She let out a scream and used her left arm to punch whoever was behind her.

Alex stumbled back and grunted, and Max gasped in surprise.
"I am so sorry Alex, I thought you… i thought you were someone else" Max cried.
"It’s okay, I shouldn’t have scared you like that" Alex said and held a hand over his eye. It would probably bruise.
"Shit… and you have a tour coming up" Max said and removed his hand. It was red and even if it was only seconds ago she hit him he was starting to swell up.
"Why were you scared?" he asked and looked at her.
"I felt this tension in the air when I was walking home, and then I remembered that Bri was out again and then i heard something and…" Max began but started to cry. She slided down the door behind her and Alex tried to help her up, but they both ended up sitting just outside the door.
"I didn’t want to end up in a cellar again" Max cried and her whole body trembled. Alex just stared at her. He had no idea what to say. So far she hadn’t even mentioned what happened with Bri. She had never cried like this over it. Yet here she was. Almost a year after and she was so scared her body trembled. She could barely breath because of her cries and hiccups, and Alex had no idea what to do. Except hold her hands and show that he was there.
"I’m here, and you’re here as well. She won’t take you" he whispered.
"I can still hear my skin burn under the heated iron… I can still remember the odors from burned skin and… the pain… it hurts Alex, it hurts" she cried and curled up into a ball. Alex just stared at her. So shocked, so hurt. He wrapped his arms around her and he brought her closer. He knew that Ed and Jack was probably just inside the door with Tigerlily, listening to them. Hearing every word that was said right now. But he didn’t care. All he care about right now was Max who cried. He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head.
"I’m here" he whispered. He brought her face up so she could see into his eyes and he softly placed a kiss on her lips. Taste of cherry from her lipgloss and salt from her tears. Then he saw how it was all red around her small, very small, scar. It formed like the old scar. He just stared at it. Her body was really remembering the pain.
"Come, let’s go in… and take a nice, cool shower to get that heat away and then you and I are going to go to bed, be close and go to sleep" he whispered and kissed her forehead again.

Tigerlily was sleeping, Jack had gone home and so had Ed. It was just Max and Alex awake and they lied in bed and looked at each other. Max had her puffy eyes from crying and Alex his black eye from getting hit in the face by Max earlier. He held her hand and he leaned his head against hers.
"Feeling better?" he asked, and she slowly nodded. He smiled and took a deep breath.
"Maybe you should go to London for a couple of days, get away and have a good time with blossom?" he asked.
"I should probably do that" she said and nodded. He softly kissed her and she smiled, and kissed him back. He moved so he was hovering her, and held himself up with his elbows on each side of her head. She looked into his eyes and smiled, and he smiled back. Words was not needed, they already knew what would happen next.

The morning after when they were eating breakfast Jack just walked in to the house and when he stared at Alex and his black eye.
"Dude… what the fuck?" he asked.
"Don’t walk up to your girlfriend, scaring her, when she’s pretty much been chased home" Alex said and smiled. Max blushed and hid her face. She still felt guilty for bruising his precious face.
"You did what?" Jack asked and looked at Max.
"Bri kinda chased me back home, then Alex appeared out of nowhere in before I could see that it was him I punched him in the face" she said and looked at her hands. Jack stared at her and then at Alex who nodded.
"So don’t scare your girlfriend Jack, don’t" Alex said and laughed. Jack laughed and picked up his phone and snapped a picture.

This is what happens when you scare the shit out of your girlfriend, after someone pretty much chased her home. But now we know that Max knows how to defend herself.

Alex laughed and so did Jack, and Max just whined and hid her face again. They didn’t make her feel better at all.
"Your fans will hate me" she muttered.
"Nah" Alex said.
"Yes they will, I ruined your face" Max said.
"You didn’t, this is just a bruise not a relocation of my eye or nose" Alex laughed.

- - -

Alex was in Europe, Germany to be precise, and Max was at the airport. Waiting for the plane that would take her, Ed and Tigerlily to London.
"So are you ready to see London again?" Ed asked.
"Not at all, but it’s going to be nice to see it again" Max said and smiled.
"Are you going to meet Bella?" Ed asked and looked at her.
"Never in my fucking life, she’s dead to me" Max said and frowned.
"Just checking" Ed said and chuckled.

Tigerlily thought it was really funny when the plan lifted and she laughed to whole time. Which made Max relax a little. She was scared Tigerlily would cry, but no… that baby just laughed it off. And she laughed when they landed as well.
"Let’s go to the hotel and then we go out to have something to eat" Max said and Ed agreed.
"I’ve never been in England, or outside the states… But it’s really beautiful here" he said and looked around.
"I’ll show you London, and we’ll have tons of fun" she said and smiled. When they had gotten their bag and walked out they were greeted by some girls. Or rather… A tons of girls that all wanted to meet Max. Ed just stared and Tigerlily yawned and looked at them.
"Aw, she’s so cute" the girls said and stared at her as well.
"Why are you all here?" Max asked, a bit surprised.
"We wanted to greet you back to England of course, and we wanted to see Tigerlily" they said and smiled. Max smiled and took a few pictures with them, together with Tigerlily of course. She liked the attention and the few toys she got from the girls. But when she yawned again Max said that they had to go, and the girls let her and Ed go.
Max got into the taxi, and Ed jumped in after her.
"That was weird" he said.
"I was not prepared for that" she said and shook her head.
"I guess being a Gaskarth, or being the mother to a Gaskarth daughter has it’s benefits" Ed winked. Max laughed and shook her head.
"They love Tigerlily, they don’t love me" she said and smiled. Tigerlily smiled when she said her name, and she made a few sounds before she leaned back and looked out of the window.