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[Isabel Yara Galloto]

The more she tried to scream, the dizzier she felt, the piece of clothe stuffed in her mouth and taped shut making it hard to breathe. Isabel could feel her head spinning as she tried to catch her breathe, her heart pounding in her chest painfully. Her legs and arms were both tied to the bedposts, and the harder she struggled, the tighter the fabric would get and dig into her skin. She could feel something wet on her wrists and ankles, blood. Isabel could feel the tears streaming down her face, slicking off the tape and onto the bed as she cried, trying to pull herself free as hard as she could. " You should try to relax and enjoy this," She could hear Marie say, as her hand stroked her thigh up to her back, tangling in her messy, red hair. Every muscle touched by her were tense as Isabel tried to pull her hands free, letting out a scream as she tried to get someone, anyone to hear her. But her attempts were futile, no one could hear her. Her body ached, her head pulled up as Marie grabbed her hair," I've always loved your hair, Isa, you were always so beautiful, so naive, so trusting," She said harshly, her hands wiping away some of the tears on her face, once again feeling around her body as she tried to pull away. Sitting on top of her, Marie bit Isabel's neck, sucking on the skin roughly, making Isabel whimper in pain as she did. Her hands gripping the fabric, Isabel could heard a whipping noise, followed by searing pain on her lower back. Thrashing, Isabel kicked and squirmed underneath her with no hopes of breaking free, the screams escaping her lips muffled and impossible for anyone outside the house to hear. The room was dark and she was forced to lie on her stomach, making it impossible to see what was happening. But she could feel it.

Pain. Her body aching and her joints feeling like they were about to break from the amount of strain she was putting on them. Isabel screamed and screamed, but the more she did the more tired she became. Her head was spinning, her teeth biting down trying to keep herself from screaming more. She whimpered in pain, shutting her eyes tightly as she prayed for it all to be over. She knew Max wasn't going to come home in time to help her, Isabel told him to go out with his friends from the gym. Before this, Isabel was at the bookstore picking up the new books Max was wanting, which were still sitting on the living room table. Max. Isabel wanted to wake up. She wanted this all to be a nightmare that she would wake up from, but it wasn't. " I am going to ruin you, and after I'm done no man will want you," Marie hissed in her ear, her lips returning to Isabel's neck. Isabel once again let out one more scream, one more attempt to escape before giving up, her face against the bed as she tried to catch her breathe. Tears rolled down her face and onto the bed, and Isabel could feel herself slipping out of conscience-ness, something she was fighting to desperately keep. Isabel couldn't pass out, she was too afraid of what would happen if she did. But as time passed, Isabel could feel herself slipping, her body's aching seising as she closed her eyes. Isabel felt the same peaceful darkness she once felt when trying to commit suicide, those months ago.

Pulling off Max's hoodie and setting it on the chair, Isabel took off her clothes, throwing them into the hamper as she looked up to see Marie watching her from the doorway. The same de ja vu feeling returned to when Max watched her in the hotel room, except this felt entirely different. "Don't look!" Isabel cried, embarrassed as she crossed her arms, covering her bare chest," What the hell are you doing?!" Isabel asked, backing up into the room more as Marie walked in. Marie grabbed Isabel, putting her arms around her as she kissed her," I want you back," Marie demanded, pushing Isabel against the wall as she kissed her. "Marie, you're drunk, I'm married, get off!" Isabel cried, trying to push Marie away. Marie's hands grabbed Isabel violently as she shoved her into the wall, and Isabel used all her force to push Marie away, who slammed into the dresser hard. Her expression grew dark and Isabel backed away slowly, her eyes wide. " Marie, I didn't mean to-" She said, backing away as Marie walked towards her, her expression dangerous as she grabbed her by the wrists, slamming her against the wall hard. " You always got everything you wanted!! Now here you are married, and what do I have? Not you. I want you," Marie growled, forcing Isabel into a kiss.

When Isabel's eyes opened, she could feel everything. Her body was aching and sore, her wrists and ankles still bound to the bedposts. It was still dark, and Isabel found herself alone. The gag was removed, and Isabel could feel how hoarse her voice was from her screaming. The room was silent, and she could feel the blood on the bed, dripping off her legs and from her body. Her breathing heavy, Isabel attempted to free herself once again, letting out a cry in pain as the fabric dug into her skin more. She could feel herself panicking, she was stuck and couldn't break free no matter how hard she tried. " Help," Isabel begged, her hands gripping the fabric as she tried to free herself. " Help me! Please, someone," Isabel cried desperately, her voice hoarse, no response. Silence. All Isabel could hear was her own breathing, which was heavy. Exhausted, Isabel let her body go limp, the pain setting in even more. Remaining still, Isabel tried to keep herself from feeling more pain and stayed as still as she could, closing her eyes as she lied on the bed. The room was dark, except for a sliver of light shining through the window from the streetlights. Isabel could feel herself slipping out of conscience-ness once more, a buzzing noise filling her head as she closed her eyes.

[Maximeu Alexandre DuBois]

Something about working out at the gym just made Max feel all nice and relaxed afterwards. His muscles may have been just a bit sore from all the extraneous work he put on them, but it wasn't anything a hot shower wouldn't take care of once he got home. Home to his beautiful wife who had so generously agreed to buy some new books for him while he was out. As fun as being with the boys could be, he very much did prefer to be home with Isabel. Anywhere with Isabel, really. Everything just seemed better when they were together, like nothing bad could happen. That wasn't entirely true, of course, many bad things had happened in the time they were together. It was more like they could conquer any challenge when they were together, like they had so many times in the past: finding out their feelings for each other, her engagement to Ciel, eloping, returning to face their parents. They were practically invincible when together. The guys at the gym would mess with Max about it sometimes, tease him on how he looked a bit like a lost puppy when Isabel wasn't with him. Something he would try to deny, but it was slightly true. Max felt the overwhelming need to protect Isabel and have her by his side to remind him that he was human. "Human" was something he never really associated himself with. Not until Isabel. He thought of himself as above humanity and the pettiness that came typically because of their lack of control over their emotions. Either have complete control of emotions, or a lack there of, he used to tell himself. It was better that way before. Emotions seemed to make everything seem so much more complicated, or that was the lesson he picked up from his parents. His mother always seemed so strung out while his father came off as someone always so calm and solid. He supposed that it was that one wish that all boys shared, to be like their father, why he was like how he was. He liked who he was now so much better, though, and he was sure that Isabel did too.

His fingers drummed along to the beat of the music as he drove himself home, his head bobbing slightly to the beat of the music. The night was so much cooler than the day, the streetlights illuminated the sidewalks as couples and people walked around, being able to without melting in the hot summer sun. Maybe him and Isabel would also once he got home. It wasn't fully dark just yet, and even if it was, no one would dare to try to attack him and Isabel, not when he looked rather intimidating as a wall of muscle. Not that anyone would anyways. This was one of the nicer neighborhoods in Glassview. Everyone always gave each other warm smiles and exchanged greetings as if they were old friends. It reminded him of those old 1950's movies that he and Isabel had watched a couple of times. All that was missing was the ice cream man with the pressed white uniform, handing out ice cream cones to the neighborhood kids. It made him smile a bit. This would be an amazing neighborhood to raise a family in. They hadn't ever really talked about the idea of raising a family because they were both still so young, but Max wouldn't deny that living here had made the idea of being a young father much more appealing. His thoughts rolled around this as he pulled into the garage of the house, turning off the engine as he stepped out.

Max shrugged off his jacket as he entered, hanging it on the coat rack. He took a step into the living room, seeing the books on the coffee table. He picked them up and looked each over, smiling as they were the exact ones he had asked for. He put the books to his nose, loving the smell of fresh pages and ink that always accompanied new books, and only grew more refined with age. They were like wine, and almost as intoxicating. Max placed them back down onto the table, making his way to the bedroom. "Isa! Babe, I'm home!" he exclaimed as he walked, swinging his arms in an attempt to relax his muscles from the soreness that was still lingering from his workout. He turned the door knob once he reached their bedroom. Curious, he thought, We never close the bedroom door unless we have guests over. "The guys at the gym just don't know when to call it quits with the jo--" his sentence was cut short as he flipped the lights on to see Isabel tied to the bed with slash marks across her body. Blood had gotten onto sheets where the fabric that bound her to the bed had rubbed her wrists raw. Max froze. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be. He would wake up and it will all have been a bad dream. A few more seconds ticked by and nothing had changed. It was real. It was all real. It made Max snap out of his paralysis and run, tripping over his own feet to the bed. He untied her as quickly as he could while being careful to not cause her anymore pain.

"Isabel. Isabel!" he tried to call to her in her unconscious state. He could see her eyes moving below her eye lids, though they were not opening. Max knew she could hear him, but didn't have either the will or energy to awaken. He gently laid her onto the bed, on her side so he could clean and dress her wounds. He went to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit, returning quickly. Every cut he cleaned, medicated, and dressed felt like a stab in his own stomach. Why would anyone do this to her? He couldn't think of anyone he knew that would be this cruel. No one he knew was that spiteful or vindictive. He could only try to not cry out in agony himself that this had actually happened. Max laid Isabel on her back as gently as he could, covering her with the sheets and comforter. Dressing her woulds had taken some time, night had completely fallen over Glassview and the stars were shining as brightly as they could against the city lights. Max didn't know what to do. It wasn't as if he could call the police and have them take care of it, considering he wouldn't be able to give them any leads since he had just come home to find Isabel like that. He was sure he could ask her mother, but Max didn't want to give the already emotionally stressed woman a heart attack. And then it clicked. The one person who could apparently make anything happen, come Hell or high waters. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number, holding the phone to his ear as he waited for the call to be answered. He heard the groggy "What is it?" on the other side. "Lina, I need your help. Something terrible happened to Isabel and I don't know wha--" the call ended before he could finish his sentence. He closed the phone and stuffed it back into his picket, hearing Isabel groan in her sleep.

[Isabel Yara Galloto]

Isabel could hear her name. Like a whisper in her mind as her swimming conscience told her to wake up. Wake up. But she couldn't, her body had completely given up and seemed to have no intention on waking itself. But the voice was so familiar, and even though she could hardly think it sounded like someone she knew. Someone she felt safe with, but who? She could hear his voice, but she wasn't awake, not completely. Isabel didn't feel the pain, only a dull numbness that filled her entire body. Isabel wondered if this is what if felt like to be dead, but she knew she wasn't. She couldn't be, not if she still heard his voice. His voice... Isabel knew she was safe now. She could feel it. But at the same time, she was so exhausted she couldn't get herself to get up. It was as if Isabel was in the middle haze of conscienceness at unconscienceness, just floating in the numb middle of her mind. Isabel groaned, opening her eyes as she did. The light flooded her eyes as they opened, her eyes on the ceiling instead of the side of the wall. Shooting up, Isabel felt the covers fall from her body, the pain of her body all at once stabbing. She winced at the pain, and looked down at her wrists, which were one of the more painful parts of her body. She looked at her skin in horror, examining the cleaned scars that formed all around her wrists. Her glance shot up when she heard Max say her name, staring at him in shock and horror. Isabel's eyes were wide as she looked at Max, who was visibly worried about her. " Max..." She whimpered, her voice hoarse as she spoke. Her throat was in pain as well, and Isabel didn't realize how much of that time she spent screaming and crying until then.

" I tried to fight," Isabel sobbed, the tears tricking down her cheeks," I couldn't, I-" She chocked, not being able to make a complete sentence anymore. Isabel was sick of the pain, the stinging, aching pain that covered her entire body. Isabel couldn't stop the tears, and she could feel her body shaking as she cried. Ignoring the pain, Isabel wrapped her arms around Max, holding him tightly as she cried, her entire body shaking and causing more pain to her. Every time she moved, a different part of her body would hurt, and she was beginning to feel numb from the amount of pain she was experiencing. Max's arms around her made her feel safe when she felt so violated in every way possible. There was bruising all over her body, slashes from her whip, hickeys on her neck and clumps of hair ripped out and on the floor. She looked like a wild animal attacked her, except for her wrists and ankles were she had been bound. Isabel couldn't stop the tears, she had never been so scared. She had never been at the mercy of someone, not knowing whether she was going to live until the next day. Isabel was scared and where she once felt safe, she felt fear. A fear that couldn't be stifled by Max's arms around her. His voice, which once brought great comfort to her, didn't help shake the horrible feeling in her chest. She felt violated and used and taken advantage of in the worst way possible. She was scared that she was going to open her eyes, and Marie would still be there. She couldn't stop crying, the tears kept falling from her eyes, her body shaking even though it had so little energy.

Her face buried in Max's shoulder, Isabel cried for what felt like forever and when she stopped crying, she fell silent. Loosening her grip, Isabel looked Max in the eyes, her features soft and sad. Max's hand running through her hair felt nice, but Isabel flinched when he leaned in to kiss her. She couldn't get the feeling of Marie's lips pressing against hers, her tongue forcing its way into her mouth before Isabel bit it. Her expression sad, Isabel leaned forward, her hand shakily touching Max's face as she kissed him gently and nervously. Isabel was never a timid girl, but she found herself scared of even touching Max again. She felt so hurt and abused, that touching people again was hard. She was scared to, but she had to remind herself that Max would never ever hurt her. He loved her, and wasn't going to do anything bad to her. It was a comforting thought to her, that gave her the confidence to kiss him. Breaking the kiss, Isabel leaned her head on his chest, his arm around her making her feel safe. Her breathing was still labored from her previous panicking, but when she paused, she could feel Max's heartbeat. His heart was pounding in his chest, and Isabel couldn't have imagined how horrified he must have been to see her lying on the bed like that. Like the night she tried to commit suicide, but ten times worse. Her blood soaked the sheets, the slashes covering her body almost as bad as her wrist from that night. Letting go of Max, Isabel moved to the side of the bed and attempted to stand, staggering slightly. Her legs were extremely weak, but Max held onto her and helped her stand up.

They had two full body mirrors on each side of the bed, and through the one nearby her, she could see her back from the reflection of the mirror. All down her body, she was covered in scars and bruised. Her wrists and ankles were red. Her eyes looked dead in expression. Running her fingers through her hair, Isabel stared at herself in the mirror in shock, as though it wasn't even her anymore. It didn't look like her. She couldn't stop herself from crying. She was so angry and upset. Max lead her to the bed, and Isabel without question let him sit her down on the bed. Sitting down in front of him, Isabel leaned back as Max wrapped his arms around her, covering her with the blanket. She leaned back, tears rolling down her face once again. Her hands covered her face as she cried, Max's arms once again holding her closely. She couldn't speak, or think of anything to say, she just felt so broken. She was so scared and in so much pain, Isabel couldn't stop crying and it was frustrating. Her tears stung as they hit a scar on her cheek, but she continued to cry. Her legs were tucked close to her body, Max's hands keeping them on the bed as he held her closely. " This is all my fault," Isabel cried finally, her voice soft and painful," I shouldn't have trusted her, I shouldn't have-" She said, wiping the tears from her face.

[Maximeu Alexandre DuBois]

Her? Who was "her"?. No matter. Whoever "she" was, she wasn't going to get away with this. No way. His Isabel, his poor Isabel. Why would anyone do this to her? He couldn't think of any reasons as he held Isabel close to him, pressing his lips as gently as possibly to her forehead. "No, it wasn't your fault," he told her softly as he stroked her hair. Even if Isabel could be a little too trusting at times, it wasn't as if she could have predicted that this would happen. No one could have predicted that something like this would happen to them if they simply put their trust in someone. Who would be so evil as to do this, though? Leaving clumps of her beautiful red hair on their floor. Bruising and scarring her all over. Only a monster could do something like this. Only a monster would do something like this. His heart was still racing in his chest from the adrenaline kick he received from finding her in such a state. He couldn't get it to calm down. Max could practically feel the blood pumping through his veins as they sat on the bed. "No one could ever deserve anything like that," he mumbled to her, petting her hair softly. Max wouldn't even wish anything like this on his worst enemy. No one deserved to be violated and abused like that. It was just inhuman to treat another person like that. No one deserved to be treated like an animal. He wanted to cry from the moment he found her in that state, but he couldn't. He couldn't because he was too shocked to and because he had to hold himself together so he could try to hold Isabel together. Max couldn't just fall apart. Not when Isabel needed him to be strong.

Max just didn't know what to say. He didn't think there was really anything he could say. Max had never exactly been one for words, but this time he was at a complete loss for them. What do you say to someone who was raped so very recently? Especially someone so close to you, in this case your wife? Were there words that could be said which would bring comfort to the victim? He had never felt so useless before, so helpless. He couldn't do anything else for his wife, the woman he vowed on holy grounds to protect. Max had never been all that religious, but he was at least respectful of institutions deemed holy and was a man of his word if nothing else. And he had let someone do this to Isabel. His Isabel. His wife. His other half. The one and only person he was sure he would ever be in love with. He could only hold her to him as she sobbed. He was desperately wishing that this was all just a bad dream. That he would wake up, Isabel would still be sleeping next to him, wrapped in his arms. Max would smile as he usually did when he woke up before her, kiss her on the top of her head, hold her a bit closer, and then fall back asleep. Only, this wasn't a nightmare he was waking up from anytime soon. This horrible reality had really happened. Hoping and wishing that it was nothing but a bad dream was pointless.

He sat holding her silently for who knows how long before he heard the front door be slammed shut. Max felt his muscles tense. Now what? Who would be arriving at this time at night? Most everyone would still be asleep. He pulled Isabel closer to him, preparing himself for whatever was about to happen. Out of all the scenarios he played in his head, he did not expect a disheveled Adelina to come busting into the room, hair a mess and wearing her fiance's shirt, leggings, and sandals. He had never seen her so under-dressed, even when she came to pick them up from the airport those early hours in the morning, she was looking as sharp as someone would for a business meeting or a press conference. He then remembered that he called her and she must've come rushing over at the mention of Isabel's name. He saw her clearly annoyed eyes take one look from him to Isabel and freeze. He saw the emotions as they passed. Shock, confusion, horror, sadness, before they settled on anger and worry. He watched her quickly walk over and as gently as she could manage, held Isabel's face in her hands. She turned her face side to side with the softest touch she could manage, worry in her every feature and lacing her words, "¿Isabel, quién te hizo esto?" she asked, brushing some of the tears of off Isabel's cheeks.

Lina looked to him and for a brief moment he felt absolute fear shoot through him. He watched as she helped Isabel to lie down against the pillows and tucked the blankets around her before she grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip. Max winced from how right the grip was on his bicep. How could someone so small in comparison to him cause so much damage? She dragged him out into the hall, but not too far away from the room. She let his arm go and he felt the blood once again flowing down his arm veins, being almost as painful as her grip. "And where the hell were you during all this?" she asked angrily, her voice dripping with a furious venom. It was so different from the sweet soft voice she used with Isabel. "You talk as if I expected this to happen!" he argued, rubbing his arm. He had no doubt that there would be a bruise in the shape of a hand print where she had grabbed his arm. "You're disappointing me, Maximeu DuBois," she said, her gaze steely yet searing hot, like she was trying to burn him. If looks could kill, had briefly crossed his mind. "I put my trust in you to take care of one of the very few people in my large family to take care of, and this happens." He could understand her anger -- as he felt anger too for letting this happen -- but didn't find it fair that it was all being thrown at him. It wasn't as if he meant for this to happen. "Believe me, Lina, if I had known this would happen, I would never have left her alone," he didn't even realize that his voice was beginning to raise. Not a smart move. "Oh don't you give me that bullshit, you horse's a--" Lina's voice had risen to a yell before they heard Isabel call out for them to stop. Both looks away from each other, ashamed. They were too busy arguing to even think of what really needed to be done. To find the person who did this to Isabel.

[Isabel Yara Galloto]

The door slam, causing Isabel to jump a little. She had been nervous and scared the entire night, every little thing seemed to set her off. Isabel could feel Max hold her a little more tightly, as if he was expecting something he would have to protect her from. As if she was coming back, and he had to defend her. But instead, Adelina walked into the room. Isabel was surprised, she didn't expect her over unless Max had called her. From what she was wearing, Lina didn't expect to be coming either and looked like she had just rushed over for her. Isabel flinched once again as Adelina touched her face, letting her see the damage done. When she asked who did it, Isabel simply shook her head, unable to answer. Unable to say her name. The tears dried on her face where Lina had brushed her cheek, and Isabel could feel how tired she was. Her body ached and stung, she was exhausted only awake because she forced herself to be. Because she was afraid of going to sleep. She was afraid that she was going to close her eyes for the night and Marie would be there waiting for her. Isabel let Adelina lay her down on the bed, and even though she closed her eyes, she couldn't sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about it and as she closed her eyes, her heart began pounding in her chest harder than before in fear. If she closed her eyes, would she open them in the morning? Isabel had to know that she was alive, that this was all real. It felt like it wasn't. It felt like this was some sick nightmare that Isabel was trapped in and was going to wake up from. That Marie wasn't really gone and she was just hallucinating.

Isabel could hear them talking in the hallway as she closed her eyes. She felt like a child again, listening to her parents argue in the other room when they thought that she was asleep. These weren't her parents, but Lina and Max's arguing felt just like it. Isabel could hear there voices raising, and wrapping the covers around her, she walked out into the hallway. " Stop it!" Isabel cried," Stop fighting, please," She pleaded, tears in her eyes still, hoping they would listen. From their expressions, they did. Isabel limped a little closer to them, leaning on the wall to support herself. Isabel's heart was pounding in her chest, should she tell them? She was too afraid to, but she knew that she should. Isabel had only ever dated three people, one which she married. But she was scared that Marie would know that she told them. That was a risk she would have to take. Adelina wouldn't rest until this was settled, Max wouldn't forgive himself until it was. For her own sake, she had to give herself closure. If not soon, at some point in her life. She couldn't continue to fear her forever, and forever be a jumpy, paranoid woman. Max didn't deserve to deal with that his whole life, though he would for her. Isabel was sometimes amazed at the length that Max would go to make sure Isabel was happy, and she knew deep down that if she went mad she would take Max with her. That wasn't going to happen though, Isabel wouldn't let it. She was always scared of physical contact and was paranoid and scared, she wasn't going to let Marie win through this all.

" She said she wanted to ruin me," she told them, her voice soft," "after I'm done no man will want you", that's what she told me before..." Isabel's voice trailed off as she lost herself in thought again. For a while, she was silent before Adelina asked again who it was. Isabel shuttered to say her name, but she had to. " A girl from my past who knew me- intimately," Isabel answered, her voice as soft as a whisper as she spoke, her eyes on the floor. She knew right away when Adelina figured out who it was. It wasn't hard, considering Isabel only ever had one girlfriend before, but Adelina's expression turned dangerous and Isabel caught herself once again scared. She knew why, but anger just frightened her now, she had experienced so much of it through her life. Violence. From her father and now her ex girlfriend, Isabel was always the victim of violence. The only person who she was never afraid of was Max, and even now she was still slightly frightened by him. Touching became something she feared, kissing became something that frightened her. But she was going to get better, for Max's sake. She wasn't going to be ruined, she refused to be. Because Marie was wrong: Max would always want her. Even through all of this, he would. And before she knew it, Adelina was on the phone, trying to get her people to find her. Isabel was scared though, what was she intending on doing once she found her? Isabel stumbled forward a little, out of balance, before Max caught her, his arms around her. She had never been so weak before, so fragile. She hated it, but it was all out of her control.

When Adelina ordered Max to take her to bed, Isabel didn't want to go because she was still afraid to. But when Max picked her up gently bridal style, Isabel felt immediately calmer. Leaning on Max's chest, Isabel closed her eyes briefly, letting him set her down on the bed, tucking her into the covers. When he kissed her forehead and turned to leave the room to help Adelina, Isabel automatically sat up, grabbing Max's arm. When he looked over at her surprise, Isabel pulled on his arm slightly to come back. It was obvious she was still scared. " Don't leave me," Isabel begged, her grip on his arm weak," please don't." She said again, scooting over as Max sat down on the bed, getting into the blankets. Isabel laid down with Max, burying her face in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She held Max as tightly as she could, her fear slipping away as she fell asleep.

~ A week later... ~

Isabel shot up from the bed, screaming again. Her eyes wide and alert, her breathing heavy, her heart pounding, she glanced around the room. It wasn't real, just a nightmare. Her body was covered in swear. The slashes were starting to heal, her wrists and ankles tender but still healing. Isabel could feel the tears on her cheeks, which she wiped away as Max put his arms around her. " Just a nightmare," Isabel said softly, before turning around and giving Max a kiss on the lips. She could tell he was being cautious with her, which he had to be. Little things would scare her or made her jump, and Isabel was still recovering from not feeling safe. " I'm going to take a shower," Isabel mumbled, giving Max another kiss, nuzzling him gently before getting out of bed, pulling out some clothes before heading over to the bathroom. Isabel turned on the water, pulling off her clothes and getting in the shower, which still stung a little. Things had been hard, Isabel was sad all the time and spent most of her time crying. When Max had to go out, Adelina come to her house to make sure she was safe. She was only half herself, the life seemed to be sucked out of her. Max was having trouble adjusting, though he was for her. Isabel was still too afraid to have sex again, and he could only really kiss and hug her. If Isabel felt anything on her back, she would panic, she never laid down on her stomach. Isabel would be lying if she said it didn't change her. She tried for Max's sake, but for the most part, Isabel locked herself in the house all the time. Today, she was going out for the first time since that night.

After a quick shower, Isabel dried her long, wild hair, and pulled on her tank top and shorts. She wasn't going to let this experience change her too much, she was set on this. Even though she was scared to walk out in shorts and a tank top, Isabel wasn't going to let the fear take over. She refused to. Max wanted to do something nice for her, so he was taking her out to her favorite restaurant. Once dressed and ready, Isabel held Max's hand, their fingers intertwining as they walked out of the house. The restaurant was close by, and Isabel needed to get out a little so they were walking over. Isabel was trying so hard to recover, but was struggling so much. It was as if Marie broke her, and here Max was trying desperately to put the pieces back together. He was her husband, and was trying to support her and be there for her, even though most days and nights she spent silent or crying. Isabel didn't talk like she use to. She use to be a total chatterbox, and her and Max would go on for hours talking about nothing, but recently talking got harder. When they reached the restaurant, Isabel saw Max's friends, and her heart started to pound, her hands tightening a little nervously as she saw them. " Max, Isabel, long time no see!" Ashton said, looking over his chair" Come sit with us, we just got here and-" His eyes met her wrists, and Isabel felt herself panicking a little as they all stared at her. " What happened to her?" He asked Max, his eyes wide. Isabel could feel herself hiding behind Max a little, who pulled off his hoodie and put it around Isabel.

[Maximeu Alexandre DuBois]

In the week that passed, Max was absolutely terrified to leave Isabel alone, ever. He would be lying if he said that he hadn't become paranoid at the thought of leaving Isabel alone at anytime. He was afraid that if he left her alone, he was going to lose her forever. He spent most of his time in the house with her, and when he wasn't able to, Adelina came over so she wouldn't be alone. He could very clearly remember the look that crossed her face, the pure, raw anger that filled it. It made him just a bit peeved that he didn't know who this woman was that did that to his wife. Adelina had her phone out and was having people looking for this woman before he could ask who she was. He wasn't going to ask Isabel, he didn't want to traumatize her further by making her think about it. All he knew was that it was someone she had dated before, which wasn't all that helpful considering that he hadn't really known Isabel before she was with Ciel. Not that it really mattered who it was. Adelina had said that she would take care of it, and not to worry, she refused his help and his thanks whenever he offered either. "Anything for Isabel," she had said. "I'll be damned if I let that bruja get away with it." He understood how she felt, but still wished she would let him help with the search in some way. Something that came up only once in the first couple days of the passing week. "I understand what you're feeling, but I can't allow you to help," she explained, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't afford any slip ups. And Isabel needs you more than ever now. Take care of her and leave the revenge part to me."

He took her advice (order) and stuck to Isabel like glue instead when he could. He was always cautious of every word he said and movement he made. He didn't know what would make her mentally and emotionally break down, so he was always walking on eggshells. He was especially careful when kissing or hugging her. He would welcome her to, but if she didn't want to, he wouldn't push the issue. It made him sad, but he tried his best to put on a smile for her. When she would talk he always made sure to keep he topics light, avoiding anything that could bring back bad memories. No matter how hard he tried, he knew that they would come creeping back into her mind. It was obvious by the way she would wake up screaming, or from the thrashing movements she made in her sleep. He knew that they weren't getting any better, and he didn't expect them to. He wished they had -- Max had never been one for wishing before this -- but it was painfully obvious to him that they weren't. He usually spent half the night awake, holding her close to him, hoping that she could feel his arms around her trying to offer her comfort and protection from her nightmares, but they were plaguing her so brutally it seemed like nothing he could do would help during the night time. He would only fall asleep right as the sun was rising, he only got two or three hours, four at best, of sleep a night, before he was awoken by Isabel screaming awake from another nightmare.

It was one of those mornings. He simply held her close to him as she wiped away the tears. It had been a four hour sleep night. Everything happened in slow motion as he was still dazed from the lack of sleep. All he felt was Isabel kiss him, heard her say she was going to take a shower, and then kiss him again before leaving the bed. He shook his head in an attempt to wake himself up. He stumbled out of bed to the nearest bathroom down the hall where he splashed some cold water on his face to wake himself up. It was beginning to show more, or at least to him it was. The bags under his eyes had become larger and the dark circles became more noticeable. He let out a sigh, running his hands through his hair and splashing water on his face again before returning to the bedroom to pull out some clothes for the day. He chose a simple tank top, jeans, some sneakers, and a hoodie. Isabel wanted to try to go out for the first time in a week, so he decided that they would go to her favorite restaurant where she at least had some good memories. He was desperately trying hard to make her forget about what had happened. The sun outside was shining brightly, as if there wasn't a problem at all in the world. He could only think bitterly about how everyone else seemed to be living care-free, happy lives while Isa was broken and Max was trying to pick up the pieces at the sight of it. It made him wonder how Adelina was coming along with the hunt. She hadn't said anything about it in the past week, so he had no idea what was happening.

The walk didn't take long, but he internally cursed when they ran into his friends. Even more so when Ashton brought up the scars. He felt Isabel hide herself behind him a little, he instinctively took off his hoodie and put it around her as if it could make her invisible to the prying eyes that made her so nervous. He put his arm around her shoulders as her arms went into the sleeves that were much too long and covered her hands as well. He tried to force a smile at the guys, he didn't want to tell them what had happened. It was too soon, and he wasn't even sure he wanted them to know. "Maybe another time, Ash," he said, leading Isabel inside the restaurant instead. He was sure he made it painfully obvious that he didn't want to talk about it. He was sure that his attempted smile may have even come out as more of a sorrowful grimace. He requested a table in the most secluded spot of the restaurant. he was trying to take baby steps with her reintroduction to the world outside their house walls. It was time, though. He didn't want her going stir crazy from being trapped inside all day and night. He held out the chair for Isabel as she sat, thanking the hostess for the menus. He watched her cautiously as she looked at the menu, smiling when she looked up at him. He was about to comment on what a nice day it was for small talk when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at the phone screen. "It's a text message from Lina," he said, looking at Isabel again before looking back at his phone. Problem solved, was all it said. Did that mean that she had found the person who did this and took care of it already? "Here," he said, handing Isabel the phone. "She works fast."

[Isabel Yara Galloto]

Shuffling past the group. Isabel looked down to avoid making eye contact with any of them. Max's friends each exchanged looked at each other, and Isabel could hear one of them whisper," Think something bad happened?" "Who knows, man." Everyone who knew her could tell that Isabel was different. Life seemed to have been drained from her eyes. Her laugh was gone and even smiling was something she struggled with. Adelina had recently convinced her to get psychiatric help from professionals who worked with rape victims, and she was starting this week. Isabel was nervous, having to face what happened. She had been trying to avoid it all since then, but she was struggling. She could feel herself falling apart, and though Max was trying so hard to pick up all the pieces, it wasn't enough to help her. Isabel couldn't sleep, she could barely eat or talk. She was shutting down. And Max had to sit by her and watch, which was torturing him. Isabel could just tell by how he looked, though he tried to smile when he saw her looking at him. He looked exhausted and stressed, trying to balance the delicate line of too much and too little. Max was going to all her sessions with her because she was afraid to go alone, and the psychiatrist told her that he would prefer that he would come. He said that by helping her, he could help Max cope with it as well. Females made Isabel considerably nervous, so all psychiatrists and workers around her were strictly male. Isabel looked at the menu before glancing up at Max, who smiled at her. It hurt to see him so tired and worn down, especially knowing that it was her fault. Isabel took the phone from Max, looking at the single text. Problem Solved. Isabel could feel her heart pounding, and she looked up at Max briefly before running her fingers through her hair, covering her eyes for a moment. If the problem was solved, why did she feel like this?

Two months had passed and Isabel was finally starting to act more like herself again. She was seeing a psychiatrist every other day with Max. Ken, her personal psychiatrist, told her that she was going through the stages of grief rather quickly. Shock and Denial, Pain and Guilt, Anger- which was possibly the worst, since Isabel actually broke a couple of household objects in the process- Depression and Loneliness, and now she was finally getting better. She was working through it all, she went back to her yoga classes. The bruises had disappeared, the scars remaining but still healing. She was starting to look and act like herself again. The color had returned to her face, she was laughing again, she was sleeping through the night (which was a great relief to Max). The nightmares had started going away, though every once in a while she would have one. Ken said that he was surprised how well she was recovering and how hard she was trying. Isabel wasn't surprised though, she knew why she was trying so hard. Max. So that he could smile again as well, so that he didn't feel as scared or nervous as she was. They were kissing and cuddling like it was normal, and little touches didn't scare them like they use to. Though she still struggled with it, Isabel felt more alive than she was for a while. While in her yoga class, people would look at her scars, but Isabel learned how to ignore the looks. She couldn't change the fact they were there, only how she was reacting to them. She still felt nervous when people stared at her, but not as much as before. The only thing that wasn't fixed was her fear of being tied down. Nobody could touch her ankles or wrists without her panicking.

Getting out of her yoga class, Isabel wiped the sweat off of her forehead, walking out of the room towards the gym where Max was working out. Max finally told them what happened, and they were furious that such a thing happened to her. They looked at the scars and it was first time Isabel was able to talk about her experience to someone other than Max. Isabel walked over to the group of men working out together, smiling when Max looked over at her. Max looked more alive than he did after it all happened, and though he worked out more than ever to cope with stress, he wasn't as scared when Isabel wasn't with him. She still couldn't be alone at night without panicking, but she was working on that. " Hey, sweetie," Isabel said affectionately, wrapping her arms around his neck as he stood up. His hands on her hips made Isabel feel safe as she held him closely, pulling him into a kiss. One of his friends whistled, followed by a loud smacking noise and a hissed "ow!". Breaking the kiss, Isabel nuzzled him gently, her eyes locked with him. Isabel was finally getting use to acting like a couple again, and the closer she was to Max the safer she felt. She almost forgot that his friends were there, watching them with an amused expression. " Mind if I steal him from you, boys?" Isabel asked, not breaking eye contact with Max as she asked, a smile on her face. " Go have fun, you two," She heard Ashton say as she gave Max another kiss, her hand trailing down his side before reaching his hand, which was still on her hip. Holding his hand gently, Isabel's fingers automatically as they walked out of the gym, laughing a little when Max's friends were talking about how lucky Max was to have such a gorgeous wife.

Since Isabel's recovering stages, Max and her seemed to be glued to each other. Even though they never went all the way because Isabel was still nervous, they still spent most of their time kissing and hugging and cuddling. It was like Isabel had been gone for two months, and Max finally had her back. And she was back. Not entirely, but enough to start feeling like herself. Not just an empty shell. Walking down the street with Max towards the house, Isabel told him about how a group of girls in her yoga class were talking about him and that he was a real charmer to all the women there. Unfortunately for them, he was married. Unlike every other day when she let Max take a shower, today Isabel led Max into the bedroom. Sitting down on the bed, Isabel patted the spot next to her for Max to sit down. One of the key aspects Ken told her was to talk to Max about what she was feeling or struggling with. When Max sat down, Isabel reached over, touching his face gently as she pulled him into a kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck gently. " I know it's been really difficult living with me, but I'm really glad you did. I don't think I could have gotten anywhere without you, and I know I still am having trouble with being-" she paused, blushing a little," intimate with you, but I'm trying to not be scared anymore." She told him, looking him in the eyes," I want to be close to you like we use to, I love you." Isabel felt embarrassed telling him that, but she knew she had to. Ken said that the best way of coming to terms with things that scare you is to talk about them. She admitted she was a little nervous to do anything again, but she hoped that since it was Max that her body would remember him more than Marie. Kissing Max passionately, Isabel let him lay her down on the bed, propping himself up with his arms as he kissed her. Her hands tangled in his unruly, dark curls as he kissed her and Isabel felt butterflies in her stomach. It reminded her of the first time they did it, how nervous and excited she was. Even though everything around them continued to change, her feelings were the same.

[Maximeu Alexandre DuBois]

Things got better over the following couple of months, far faster than he thought they would. Isabel was finally able to sleep through the night, and he was able to soon after she was -- he couldn't help but be worried that she was still going to be waking up screaming. The worst part of this whole ordeal was probably the seven stages of grief that she went through, a few things around the house were smashed to bits as she passed through anger. But she still got through all of them extremely quickly, and he was so proud of her for it. Adelina came around once or twice a week for a month to check on Isabel's progress until she went back home to Spain for the summer with her fiance. He finally found the guts to ask her about what exactly did she mean by her cryptic text, "Problem solved." the week after what had happened, when they were seeing them off at the airport along with her best friend. She simply smiled, said "Don't worry you crazy, curly hair about it," and went to saying bye for the summer to Isabel and her friend, making promises to take week long trips and such. Max learned to figure that if she said not to worry about things involving people who did things she didn't like, it usually meant that very bad things happened to the person, and it was probably best to just accept that it was done and not question it. That, and he was probably safer just being kept in the dark. He attended every psychiatry session with her, Ken helped him to get the traumatic scene of finding Isabel in that predicament; he no longer woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night after reliving it in his head. They wasn't to say he didn't still feel slightly anxious at least, but working out most definitely helped to remedy that.

Max's friends were very supportive throughout the whole thing, and actually became very protective of Isabel once they had been told of exactly what happened. It was nice, and Max was happy that they cared so much, but it became slightly obnoxious at times. They at one point suggested that they start wearing suits, sunglasses, and ear pieces to make themselves look the Secret Service, because "no one wanted to mess with a group of big, muscly, attractive guys with serious faces that looked like they were government agents. Max talked them out of it. One, he found it a little too extensive. Two, he was sure that even jokingly impersonating government agents like that was against American Kingdom's laws, and not all of them had the same protection as a foreign diplomat as he did. And three, he explained that a lot of women would probably think that they were secretly strippers because they were "so attractive". It was the illegal part that really talked them out of it, most of them were down for being strippers. They still hung around whenever they could, though, usually helping in making the house a mess whenever they were over. They were a big, lovable, rather violent bunch of morons. They also partook in the emptying of the fridge whenever they came over. He wondered if they did it on purpose, considering it was also his favorite foods that went missing from the refrigerator whenever he wanted a snack, and not Isabel's.

He laughed as said bye to the guys as Isabel pulled him away to home. He smiled, but was confused about how the girls in her yoga class thought he was charming. He honestly thought he was simply being polite when he smiled at them and greeted them also, it wasn't as if he was doing anything other than what he had been in his entire life. Besides, he wasn't interested in any other woman besides Isabel. He hadn't been interested in women at all until he got with Isabel. Max didn't have eyes for anyone else but her, male or female. He was merely glad that Isabel was talking like how she used to, and was more herself again. He was happy to have his old Isabel back, maybe not completely, but she was coming back. She could laugh and smile genuinely, which probably made him the happiest, seeing her being able to be happy again. He hadn't really realized before this how much of his own happiness relied on Isabel being happy, like how a person's mood drops on a cloudy day. She was his sun and if she wasn't shining, he would be down and out also. Nothing made him happier than seeing her laughing and smiling and talking like she used to once again.

Max watched her as she spoke, digesting every word. He couldn't help but to smile at her blush. She could pull it off without looking just cute, but gorgeous. "I want to be, too," he said, nuzzling her. "I've missed you so much, Isa," he told her before kissing her back passionately as he gently pressed her into the mattress. He had managed the past couple of months of kissing and cuddling quite nicely in his opinion, but he missed the real physical closeness that they used to have. Their lips parted, allowing their tongues to twine and dance, his hands went to her waist, rubbing down to her thighs as he crawled on top of her slowly. He was still being careful, making sure to take it slow. He lifted her legs so that they wrapped around his waist as they kissed. He let his lips trail small, sweet, soft kisses to her neck, placing one right above the pulse at the base. His arms wrapped around her torso, pulling her to him as he sat up, moving her into his lap. He stopped and looked up at her, a hand placing itself on her cheek, rubbing it softly with his thumb. Her hands were still in his hair, and as pleasurable as it felt, he didn't want to risk losing control like he usually did and sending her into shock. "We'll only go as fast and as far as you want to go," he told her, looking her in the eye. "Just tell me to stop whenever you want me to, and we will."

[Isabel Yara Galloto]

Isabel could feel a faint pang in her chest when Max said that he missed her; it really hit her recently how much that night changed her. She hadn't been herself at all, Isabel was never an angry or sad person. She loved her life and all the bits and pieces of it, good and bad. She had been so empty before, it was as though all that remained after that night was the shell of the person she use to be. Something that Max clung to, and tried to salvage whatever he could. Though things had changed, it was still a daily challenge. Isabel was still adjusting to a lot of things in her life that changed after that night. She found herself more paranoid than she use to be, and didn't feel safe alone. The worst was the scars. People stared at her scars, some would even comment. Some days, she felt so hideous from all the scars on her body that she wouldn't want to go outside out of fear. More comments, more people staring at the ugly, obvious scars across her body. On rare occasion, Isabel would refuse to leave the house because she couldn't handle it. She would cry and tell Max that she was ugly and everyone stared at her like she was some sort of freak. He would tell her that she was gorgeous and would kiss her until the tears went away. Isabel still had trouble believing it, but his friends always tried to help. They never called her by her name or even her nicknames, always beautiful, gorgeous, babe, anything that hinted that she was beautiful. And Isabel loved all of them for trying so hard to get Isabel to feel normal. That was what she was so desperately fighting for: for things to return to how things use to be.

Isabel let him crawl on top of her, her heart calm, something which she would usually panic if he did. She was still adjusting to people touching her from behind or Max holding her from behind. It use to frighten her, but Ken taught her how to replace thoughts of Marie with thoughts of Max when someone hugged her from behind. It was difficult sometimes, but imagining Max's arms around her made her feel safe even when she was scared. Isabel felt her heart racing in her chest as his hands trailed down her thighs, lifting her legs so that they were wrapped around his waist. Isabel could see the scars on her legs, his fingers trailing over them as though they weren't there. Sometimes she wished that they would disappear forever, but she knew they wouldn't. The doctors tried and tried to fix all the scarring but it was all too extensive, they weren't going away. His lips on her neck were soft and gentle, much different from the usual roughness that they would do. After that night, she would panic whenever people touched her neck but that was something she overcame with soft kisses. She had to always remind herself that it was Max, not her. She didn't have to be afraid because he would never ever purposefully hurt her. But as many times as she told herself that, her body said something entirely different. Her instincts screamed for her to push him away immediately, but she knew not to. Max would never hurt her. He would never do anything like that on purpose. He wasn't cruel, manipulative, or vile; Max was a sweet, compassionate man who loved her. He would never hurt her.

Isabel leaned into Max's hand on her cheek, her eyelashes fluttering as she opened her eyes, staring at him. Max. Her gorgeous, amazing husband. " Okay..." Isabel muttered quietly, pulling Max into a kiss. She wanted things to be back to what it was. She didn't want to be apart from Max, he tried so hard to keep her happy and she wanted to do the same. She loved him, always. Part of her vows was to always love him, good or bad times. They didn't say their vows in their wedding, since they eloped and didn't have an actually ceremony but on the plane ride back, Isabel and Max shared their vows in secret. Her hands trailing from his hair down to his chest, Isabel let her fingers trail down his body, feeling every little curve of his body. From his hair down to his neck, down the smooth skin of his collarbone to his chest, counting down his ribcage to his waist. Moving her hands up, Isabel counting the bumps on his spine with her fingers, her hands feeling every muscle of his back as they kissed. Sometimes, Isabel found herself lost in thought, especially when it came to Max. She would find herself focused on the smallest things, his hands, the touch of his skin. After the infamous night, Isabel wasn't there mentally as much as she use to be. It was easy to snap her out of it, but it still troubled her when she did. Isabel watched Max as pulled off her clothes with gentle hands, and she did the same for him, gently tugging off his shirt and throwing it to the ground. Pulling him close once again, Isabel let his tongue invade her mouth with the sweet taste of him. The sweat of his skin was a familiar scent, but one that made her feel safer.

Isabel let Max's lips trail down to her neck. Her heart raced. Max would never hurt her, she reminded herself as she held him closely, her legs once again wrapped around his waist as she pulled him into a kiss once more. His skin against his made her heart pound in her chest. Isabel let out a sharp gasp as he nibbled her neck, before whimpering softly. When Max pulled away, Isabel sat up. " Sorry, I-" She said before falling silent, her eyes low. A soft blush on her cheeks, Isabel bit her lip as she avoided eye contact. She didn't want to admit that it scared her a little. Looking up at Max as his hand tilted her head up, kissing her softly as he sat down on the bed. Isabel didn't want to keep pulling back, she didn't want fear to run her life. But she was afraid of continuing, she couldn't remember making love anymore, only the pain of that horrible night. But she remembered liking it though, at one point. Crawling on top of him, Isabel sat on his lap as she kissed him, her hands tangling in his unruly curls. Her heart was pounding, but she didn't care. She didn't want to be afraid anymore. She was sick of letting fear run her life. She could feel his hands holding her waist, pressing her to him as they kissed. Isabel let out a soft moan, pulling him a little more roughly into the kiss. It felt like ages since the last time she felt her heart fluttering in her chest like this. Breaking the kiss, Isabel nuzzled Max softly," I love you, you know that?" She asked, smiling as she looked into his gorgeous green eyes.

[Maximeu Alexandre DuBois]

Max tilted her head and kissed her before sitting up in the bed himself. Though he still terribly did want to continue, he wasn't going to force Isabel to. He loved her far too much to push her to do anything she was uncomfortable with. he just ran his hands through his hair in an attempt to calm down. Max would be a liar if he said that the past couple of months hadn't left him feeling physically deprived. Before this, him and Isabel were two very physical creatures. It was rare that they went a night without doing anything. He managed it, though, by remembering that making sure Isabel was safe and well was far more important than his own bodily needs. Holding back while they were doing things was hard enough as it was, since usually he didn't at all when they were together. Holding back right after they had started again after two months was torture, but he endured it. Anything for his Isabel. Even if that meant taking a shower so cold that the blood in his veins would freeze solid, or at least turn into slush. She meant the world and more to him. "It's alright," he said told her with a smile. He was keeping his promise to her. If she didn't want to continue, then they weren't going to continue, no matter what his body wanted. Losing her again wasn't worth whatever physical gratification his body wanted from him. One time a girl walked by him and his friends when they were discussing something along the lines of that, and she offered "alternatives" with a wink. He just told her that if he could be with Isabel, he didn't want to be with anyone at all, especially not a whore like her.

He watched as she crawled into his lap and pulled him into a kiss, his hands resting on her waist as hers went to his hair. He knew she was still afraid to even really try, so he just followed her lead. They could more easily go at the pace she wanted to go at if she was in control. Max had to fight hard for control. He wasn't particularly good at controlling his emotions or body once logic stopped playing a role and instincts started taking over. He never complained about it, though. Max liked the freedom of release from himself and his overly logical side. Once he had gotten comfortable with letting go, he welcomed the instincts that just consumed him. That, of course, usually resulted in several bruises, scratches, and hickeys, but he also felt more alive then ever afterwards. Him and Isabel would lay there, breathing deeply and he would listen to his heart pounding in his chest, the blood coursing through his veins. He was used to hearing the crude jokes from the guys at the gym about their sex life because it was always so very clearly written on the both of them. He even learned to laugh about it also. Max and Isabel were not at all gentle lovers; he could never really imagine them being gentle as being any good at all.

He would give anything just to feel close to her again like how they used to. While most the rest of her had been returning, there were still some parts missing, her self-esteem, and the part of her that was completely comfortable with human physical contact. "I know, I love me too," he joked, laughing at himself. In his campaign to bring Isabel back over the last two months, he also started telling far more jokes than he used to, trying to make her laugh and smile. There ended up being many word play jokes since he found those the easiest to make. He wasn't much good at any other kind. He kissed her softly again, staring into her eyes lovingly. "Just kidding. I love you too, mi amour," he told her, wrapping his arms around her loosely. Some would probably say that he was being a little extensive with how far he was going to make sure she felt safe and comfortable. Max thought that he was simply being a good husband and doing what good husbands do for their wives. He didn't want her to feel scared anymore. He didn't need a professional to tell him that Isabel was trying her hardest to bring herself back, though he did enjoy Ken's company greatly; as fond as he was of his own guy friends, they could be a bit much at times. Not to mention that he helped in putting life back into Isabel, something he couldn't be more than grateful for.

His fingers just gently ran themselves up and down her sides and back softly, trying to not make her have a panic attack and fall apart. He pressed his lips to hers again, gently, but passionately. He wanted her body, not just her mind to recognize that there was nothing to be afraid of, that she could trust him to not hurt her. He pulled away, kissing her cheek. "Why don't you be in control," he suggested to her, a hand running through her hair as the other stayed wrapped around her waist. "That way you can set whatever pace you want, and can stop if you need to." It was the only solution he could think of since Max still first needed to learn how to control himself before he could lead their relationship in the bedroom again. He nuzzled her, holding her as closely as possible to him and exchanging body heat with her. His Isabel. His beautiful Isabel. How he had missed her spark and fire the past few months. "Or if you don't want to anymore, we can stop right here and now."

[Isabel Yara Galloto]

Isabel raised her eyebrow, let out a small laugh when he told her that he loved himself as well. Through everything, he always tried to make her laugh. At first, she wouldn't even respond to his jokes or would simply glance over at him briefly. She wouldn't laugh or smile, sometimes her lip would curl into a faint smile but that use to be rare. As she started recovering, she started responding to Max's jokes more. She understood Max's sense of humor so well, sometimes she would be the only person who would laugh when he told a joke and everyone would stare at them, but she didn't care. That was one of the reasons why they worked well together, always had. Even when they were only best friends, Isabel understood him well. And when feelings starting coming out, it couldn't have been more perfect. It was confusing, illogical, and completely mental, but it was love. Isabel looked over at the corner of the room, her mind obviously deep in thought. Should she take control? She was never really one to enjoy being on top, and wouldn't that be a little counterproductive? Isabel didn't want to give into her fears, and by doing that she would be still letting fear take control. And she had gotten so far now, she couldn't take a step back. Not when she had been fighting and fighting to recover. Ken told her to take things at whatever pace she wanted, and to not rush things. But this was something she wanted, she wanted her love life to return to normal. She didn't want Marie or fear to dictate what she did. Isabel was a stubborn girl, and when she wanted something she wanted it. " No..." Isabel said softly, no longer lost in thought," I don't want to be afraid anymore." She said, scooting off so that she was sitting on the bed as she pulled Max on top of her as she lied down on the bed. " I trust you," She muttered, pulling him into a kiss.

~ Fade to Black ~

If Isabel said her legs were shaking, that would be an understatement. Trembling would fit better, though she wondered whether it was because that was the first time they made love in months or the fact she was really nervous getting into it. Both was probably a good answer. Panting softly, Isabel laid on her side, close to Max, her hand on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat underneath her fingertips, his skin soft. Her fingers tracing circles on his chest, Isabel watched his chest rise and fall. One of the downsides of her recovery was being more lost in thought, and Isabel was currently long gone. She could catch herself focusing on random things, like Max's heartbeat. It was amazing and strange feeling another person's heartbeat while hearing your own in your ear. Each drumming away at their own pace. Yet somehow, they were connected. Her heart to his. It was romantic when she really thought about it. Though she could hardly classify sex as romantic, considering how they did it. Isabel could feel a warm sensation on her neck. The hickeys on her neck were dark, and though at first it scared her a little, she quickly remembered it was Max. She could trust him with anything and everything, her body included. They initially wanted to start off slow, but as they each got more into it the roughness returned. Isabel couldn't remember the last time she was touched like that, and the farther they went, the more that she absolutely craved it. Like always, Isabel went head first into a situation and didn't regret it the slightest.

Leaning over, Isabel gave Max a small kiss before flopping onto the bed, her head hitting her soft pillow. Wrapped in the covers, Isabel cuddled close to Max as she laid in bed, her hand holding his tightly. She was scared at first, but she kept telling herself the same thing over and over again. I trust him. Over and over and over again until she fully believed it. He wasn't Marie. He would never purposefully cause her pain and he cared about her more than she ever did when they were dating. She was still trying to catch her breath though, or get her heart to stop pounding. Oh, how it pounded. Puttered away without her permission, giving her butterflies in the center of her stomach in the process. Isabel smiled when Max propped himself up and kissed her, still smiling a little as they kissed. He tried desperately to be gentle on her, but she made it impossible for him to. She tempted him too much and pulled him into it, and she knew it. Isabel couldn't help herself. When her body felt pleasure over pain, she wanted more immediately. And it felt amazing. The way Max looked at her made her feel like she was the most gorgeous woman in the world, there was this look he made when he looked at her. That look was something she absolutely loved. When he gave her that look, no one else mattered. The talks, the looks, everything disappeared. She wished she felt like that all the time. She wished she was one of those people who didn't care whether people were staring at her or not. But she knew she wasn't, and it was something she struggled with all the time. To Max, she was gorgeous, and that mattered most.

Wrapping her arms around Max's neck, Isabel kissed him again, her hands trailing up into his hair as they kissed. His hair was always soft and always untidy, but she loved it. She loved his curls, how he would brush them out of his face when his hair got in his face, how messy they were after they made love. Isabel pulled him close, so that once again he was on top of her. She knew that he had been missing this for a while, since they usually were always kissing and cuddling and making love. She did it not just because it made him happy, but because she felt safe with him. His touch became feeling more and more familiar, and Isabel's body remembered it instantly. Nuzzling Max softly, Isabel kissed him again, a soft smile on her face. She wanted to take in the moment as much as she could. Remembering the things that once made her happy was part of her recovering process, and feeling it once again felt amazing. " I love you... I love you so much," Isabel muttered, kissing him. " Did I ever mention that I have the most amazing, sweetest, most caring, handsome husband in the world?" She asked, kissing him after saying each adjective. She missed this, just this. Sitting on the bed, not worrying about anything at all. " Damn, the dinner is today, isn't it?" Isabel cursed, remembering later today Max's gym buddies wanted to meet them for a big dinner get together. " I need to shower, I'm covered in sweat," Isabel said, giving him a kiss before sliding out of bed, stretching like she usually does after. Pausing, Isabel turned around," Well, are you going to make me shower alone or are you coming with?"

[Maximeu Alexandre DuBois]

Max hadn't realized exactly how sexually deprived his body had been until now. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, hear it in his ears. His muscles felt truly relaxed for the first time in who knows how long. His fingers were twirling strands of her hair around his fingers as they laid in bed, and a relaxed smile was on his face as she drew circles on his chest. Even if things were no where near being completely normal like before, they felt the closest to normal for the first time in far too long. Max tried to take it slow and gentle, he really did. He wanted to slowly ease Isabel back into it, eventually -- maybe sometime later on -- getting back into their old habits of how they used to have sex. With Isabel, though, easing slowly back into routines and habits had never been her forte. She tended to dive head first into situations without any inhibitions. And when she went, she dragged Max with her, whether she intended to or not. Max and Isabel were married, they were tied to each other. Whatever happened to one of them, happened to the other. It made him think of that one old romance movie he easily got annoyed with, Titanic. The whole "You jump, I jump" deal. As sappy as that sounded, it applied greatly to them. Max couldn't be happy unless Isabel was happy. Her pain was his pain, her sorrow was his too. He didn't remember ever being the romantic type. Not ever. Not until Isabel, at least. He used to just be a bit cold, too logical, and always in an extreme amount of control of himself. He hadn't changed that much, except that he was much more the romantic now and had the tendency to lose control of himself when it came to her.

He propped himself up, kissing Isabel as she laid on her back on the bed. His wife, who was beyond beautiful, an ethereal beauty. It made him sad that there were still days she couldn't see it herself. Days when she would refuse to leave the house, crying and calling herself ugly. He spent so much of his time holding and hugging her, telling her she was gorgeous. Max knew that she was still very self conscious of the scars that crossed her body. He knew that there were still people who would stop and stare, whisper a comment or two about the scars. Unlike everyone else on the street, Max didn't look at Isabel and see scars and damage, he just saw his more than beautiful wife who was still perfect in every way despite what had happened. It made him grateful for his friends whenever they were around. They refused to call her by her name or her normal nicknames. They only ever called her names that expressed that they thought she was still the same beautiful girl they had met at the gym when Max and Isabel returned from their honeymoon. They also knew how sensitive she had become about her appearance. They were great. A bit ridiculous, but great. He wished that she had her self confidence back, that she could consistently believe she was the most beautiful girl in a room full of people like how he did.

He ended up on top of her again as they kissed, his arms wrapping around her as her hands went into his hair. Max missed this. He missed being close to Isabel like this. He missed remembering what it was like before what had happened those couple of months ago. The moment his body started remembering was the moment he started losing control over it. He quickly gave into instincts and did whatever his body commanded him to. It was hard not to. His hands wanted to feel and travel across every inch her soft skin, feel the pleasurable burning sensation that he had at one time felt every night. His senses longed to remember what they had come close to forgetting in the time that had passed. The second they did, they went wild. His mind went blank and all he could think of was wanting to be connected to Isabel in that way again. That and her tempting and pulling him down with her hadn't exactly helped with controlling himself either. "I love you too," he said, his arms still wrapped around her. "I'm only as I am because I have you," he told her, kissing her softly. If Max could have it his way, him and Isabel would spend all their time in bed, just talking, cuddling, and making love. But of course he couldn't have it his way, not when the boys wanted to go out for dinner and invited (persistently insisted for days until Max cracked and agreed) them to come along. He could only flop onto his back as Isabel climbed out of bed to head to the shower.

He raised an eyebrow at Isabel before smirking and sliding out of bed. He walked over to Isabel, throwing her over his shoulder using only one arm and heading into the bathroom. "Let's save water," he said with a smile, turning on the shower while still carrying Isabel. "It's better for the environment to shower together." he got in, setting Isabel on her feet. He gathered her up into his arms, kissing her again. He felt her hands go into his hair once again as he reached for the bottle of shampoo. He broke away from the kiss, turned the bottle upside down, squeezing it out onto Isabel's head. He laughed at the face she made, reaching his hands up to her hair and lathering every strand with the stuff. "It was your idea to shower together," he teased as he massaged her scalp lovingly. He had missed this too, just being silly and ridiculous every chance they got. Not having to really worry about her having a panic attack at some in-opportunistic moment. He helped her to rinse out her hair before leaning down and kissing her again, nuzzling her. he currently had no desire to leave the shower just to entertain his friends' want to throw have a big dinner get together. Now that his and Isabel's love life was more on the way to getting back to what it used to be, he just wanted to spend as much alone time with her as possible. "We don't absolutely have to go to dinner with the guys, do we?"

[Isabel Yara Galloto]

Isabel couldn't help but laugh as he picked her up with one arm, carrying her to the shower. She missed having fun like this. She missed the carefree feeling that she had when she was with Max, like there was nothing she had to be afraid of. Mainly because there wasn't, Max loved her and would never intentionally hurt her. He was her husband, the man who she intended to spend the rest of her life with. Anywhere Max took her in her life, she would go willingly, even if it was just the shower. Isabel had never really taken a shower with anyone before. It seemed fitting to be trying something new with her husband. They always did new things together, which was part of the excitement of being with him. Before Max, she never went to the zoo or gone camping, she had never iceskated or tried surfing. And she probably would have never done it if it weren't for Max. He taught her so many new things, and opened her up to so much more. That was one of the reasons she loved him. Every new experience, they went through together, good or bad. That night, it took all Max's power to not cry, as shaken as she was, she could see the pain on his face. It was not just his expression, it was the look in his eyes. Isabel still got a heavy heart when she thought about it. But they were working through it, and Isabel was determined to have her life back. She wasn't the type to ever wallow in sadness, though at one point she did. When she started becoming more of herself, the feisty Isabel returned, and life seemed to be looking up.

The warm water hit Isabel as he turned it on, and Isabel giggled as she pushed her long, red hair out of her face. The water felt nice against her skin, steam quickly filled the room. One thing Isabel always loved about showers was the smell. With the scents of their shampoo and body wash, it always smelt like steam and flowers. Isabel smiled when he set her down, pulling her into a kiss. She missed this so much, it felt only natural. Her hands went up into his hair, his hair wet as she ran her fingers through it. Isabel gasped as he poured shampoo on her head, the shampoo was considerably cold compared to how warm the shower was. He was right, this was her idea, though she didn't expect that. Isabel smiled, kissing Max gently. She knew he wanted to stay here with her and continue to just be close to each other, but they did have a dinner to attend. They had been planning this whole dinner for the entire month, and Isabel felt bad letting all that work go to waste. They were a disorganized bunch, the fact that they were able to agree on one restaurant and reserve a table was pretty amazing. She did feel bad though, since she wanted to spend more time with Max like this. " I promised Ashton that we would go," Isabel told him as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair," But that doesn't mean we have to be on time." She added, pulling him into another kiss. Her hands reaching for the shampoo as she squeezed some on top of his head. She giggled when she felt his muscles tense up a little, laughing even more so from his face," You're right, it was my idea to shower together." She agreed, rubbing the shampoo into his hair with a smile, letting him rinse it out as she grabbed the loofa.

Pouring some body wash onto the loofa, Isabel pressed it against his chest, rubbing it across his body. The bubbles on his skin smelt of lavender, which was all Isabel could smell. Her eyes watched him as she rubbed in the bubbles more with her hand, feeling the smooth surface of his skin. She fingered the curves of his muscles, her hands trailing up his stomach to his chest. The loofa in her hand, Isabel's free hand trailed to the back of his neck, pulling him into another kiss. Her tongue slid into his mouth as they kissed, hardly noticing as he took the loofa from her hand which rested on her chest. The loofa was soft against her skin, his lips warm as they pressed against her neck gently. The soap on his skin was slippery, the bubbles on her skin from being held close to him. One of his hands rested on her waist, which held her close as he covered her pale skin with bubbles and soap. Her hands gently rested on the back of his neck, her fingers twirling his hair as they kissed. The bathroom was steamy and warm when they got out of the shower, and Isabel grabbed a towel and started drying herself, first patting down her frizzy curls. She loved her long hair, even though it tended to be horribly unmanageable. Something about it just fit her, hard to manage but fiery and wild. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a brief moment. Everything smelt of flowers and shampoo, and she loved how calm she felt. Isabel looked up slightly, smiling when she noticed Max staring at her as she bent down to dry her legs off. Pushing her hair out of her face, Isabel hung up her towel," Enjoying the show?" Isabel asked, an amused expression on her face.

Isabel loved teasing him, it was always funny to her how the ended up together. Max, her best friend, her husband. She was his exception to the rule, and she knew it. That's one of the reasons Isabel never worried about his faithfulness; Max was as committed to her as she was to him. Isabel would never want anyone else, and he wouldn't either. Walking into the bedroom, she smiled to herself, sure that he was watching her leave. When Max looked at her, she felt gorgeous for once. The scars didn't matter, though they were obvious and healing on her skin. She knew that even with the scars, Max thought that she was the prettiest woman in the universe, and right now that was enough for her. He didn't stare at her like she was a victim, a freak, or a show. There was love in his eyes whenever he looked at her, she could just tell. Isabel pulled on a pair of her new underwear, which was black lace. She loved this one in particular simply because of the color contrast, her pale white skin against the dark fabric. Adelina was the one who picked it out, telling her that Max would love it. Isabel was skeptical, considering he would probably prefer her with no clothes on at all, but she still accepted the advice. Lina always knew what she was talking about, and Isabel started feeling that she was naive when it came to seduction. She seemed to know all the ways to get a man flustered, but never used them out of class. Pulling on her matching bra, Isabel went into the closet, pulling out a simple black dress. The feeling of his hands on her hips made her glance over her shoulder, turning around as he pulled her towards the bed. Falling on the bed gently, Isabel giggled as Max kissed her neck, his hands trailing down to her waist. She knew he was avoiding her wrists because she would panic, ever since that night people weren't allowed to touch her wrists. " Max, we have to go to the dinner," Isabel giggled, pulling him into a kiss," I know you want to stay home, but we can leave early and stay up all night, I promise," She reasoned.