Alex was getting tired. Tigerlily was crying and Jack was really trying to calm her down, but she refused to. She wanted Max. No one else. Jack walked around with her, he tried to play with her and he desperately tried to feed her with cute cupcakes. She ate them, but still cried. The twins was sleeping upstairs and they had gotten used to Tigerlily and her cries. For the best.

Alex sighed and put down the papers. Everything was just a mess right now but he had learned something new. Max had been put in the institute wrongly. He was going to court with this and if he won she would get out much earlier. He just needed a lawyer that would help him, and he thought he had found the right one as well. A guy named Derek, and he was known for winning his cases. Because when he got involved. He got in deep.

---

Alex held such a tight grip around his own fingers, and he stared into air. He was waiting for Derek to return with some news. Hopefully good news because the last few turns had been a disaster. From the looks of it Max wasn't getting out. Ever. Because she hadn't done any progress at all. She refused her medicine as well and Alex was slowly starting to think that she wanted to be inside. But he still tried to believe that she wanted to get out as well. She did make a promise to him.
"Alex?" Derek said and walked inside. He looked tired and beaten, and Alex cursed.
"Fuck" he said and leaned his head against the table. Another defeat.
"Max is getting out" Derek said and Alex looked up.
"She's... getting out?" he asked.
"We won" Derek said and smiled.

When Alex got back home Jack and Rian was there, together with Tyler and Ed. Zack was in the kitchen preparing food for them all. They all looked at Alex when he fell down to his knees and started to cry.
"oh fuck" Jack said.
"Shit" Rian breathed.
"We won" Alex said and looked at them, and rubbed his eyes. They looked surprised, and then they all lit up in big smiles.
"She's getting out?" Tyler asked, and Alex nodded.
"Max is coming home" he said.

---

Alex held Tigerlily and he looked up at the door. Any minute now she would come out and when she did Tigerlily would probably cry. Alex took a deep breath and he kissed Tigerlily on her cheek, and she frowned.
"You don't like my stubble?" he teased, and Tigerlily shook her head. But she dragged her fingers over it. Then the door opened and Max walked out. Tigerlily turned around and she looked at Max for a short moment, then she reached for her and teared up. Max ran down the stars and hugged her, and Tigerlily started to cry. Alex smiled and looked at them. Never had he felt such ease.
"Hey" Max said and hugged him as well.
"Hey" Alex answered and hugged her tightly.
"You look tired" she said and stroked his stubble as well.
"So do you" he chuckled and kissed her cheek. Max smiled, cupped her hand over his cheek and kissed him properly. For the first time in months.

Notes

sorry for the short chapter, but I needed t update with something <3