February, 1892

"Max... Max..."

A young boy with long chestnut brown hair and violet eyes spun around, finding only darkness on all sides. "What the-?"

"Max Wellington..."

He looked for the source of the teasing voice once again, and once again found nothing. "Who's that?"

There was a brief tinkering laugh like icycles. "Over here Max. Come with me."

'Over here? There is no over here! There’s... nothin'...' He thought, then heard that laugh again. "Hey! Where are you?!"

"Good-bye, Max, good-bye."

"Wait a minute!" He yelled to the fading voice.

"Oh, you'll meet me again." She said in that taunting voice, and then there was silence.

He looked around frantically. Nothing. But there was something so familiar about all of this... some faint memory he could sense...

"Hey, Max!"

He looked around, startled, but this was a different voice, softer and happier. "Max Wellington! Wake up!"

'Wake up?' He wondered, but the thought was interrupted by a sharp tug on his braid. He jumped and swatted away the person standing next to his bed. "That hurt. Did ya have to touch the braid?"

She nodded, causing her red curls to bounce. "It was the only way to get you up, Max."

"Yeah, well you coulda been a little more gentle, Lori." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

She smiled, making her green eyes sparkle. "But you promised to take me to the park today!"

"Did I?" He asked, trying to concentrate as he thought back. The memory popped up and he sighed a little. "You sure your brother can't take ya?"

She pouted. "No, Jamie's busy. Anyway, you promised to take me."

He yawned and nodded. "Right... just lemme sleep ten more minutes."

She pursed her lips as he closed his eyes once more. "No! Then you'll say the same thing once those ten minutes are up and you'll never get up!"

"Okay, okay, I'm up." He muttered as she tugged on his arm, and he half-heartedly waved her away.

She giggled. "You're awful lazy!"

"I'm not lazy, I'm motivationally challenged." He said teasingly and stretched his arms.

"Hurry!" She exclaimed impatiently, tugging on his arm.

He smiled a little. "Calm down, I'll take ya. Just give me a minute." He walked into the washroom to get ready, splashing some icy water onto his face and gasping a little. 'Geez, that's cold! Can't wait for summer to get here... of course, then it'll be hot all the time.' A few minutes later he walked out and looked at Lori, holding a finger to his lips and whispering. "Shh... Don't wanna be caught sneakin' out."

She nodded and latched onto him as they made our way out of the orphanage. When they made it to the park she danced around him in happy little circles, her pale cheeks turning rosy in the cold. "You're the best, Max! Really you are!"

He shivered a little and shoved his hands in his pockets as she skipped away. "Why's it so blasted cold?" He blinked in surprise as a white snowflake fell on his nose and melted.

"Max, it's snowing!" Lori yelled, tugging on his arm. "Isn't it beautiful?" She had a look of wonder plastered on her face.

He shivered again, not quite as amused as she was. "It's cold." He replied matter-of-factly.

She continued to smile and laugh, not once complaining about the temperature. He sighed after a while when he couldn’t stand the cold anymore. "We should go back, Lori... or we'll get into all kinds of trouble."

She complied and followed him back, hopping into puddles of snow and slush every now and then along the way. He took a moment to stop outside of the orphanage and motioned for her to be quiet before tip-toeing in. 'Don't get caught, don't get caught...' He kept telling himself as they crept inside.

"Maximillian Francis Wellington!" A voice said from behind him. He winced at the use of his full name and turned around, giving the slender nun a smile. "Hello, Sister Mary! How are you today?"

She put a hand to her forehead. "Honestly, I don't know what to do with you. Sneaking out of the orphanage with little Lori... and in this weather no less! You know it isn't good for her!"

He smiled his most charming smile. "It's okay, Sister! I'll be sure ya won't catch me next time!" He winked at her and turned to run down the hall, waving before he turned a corner. "Gotta go! Got chores to do!"

She sighed and shook her head. "Max, you're impossible." Despite her tone of voice, she couldn't help a smile from forming on her lips. "He's just a charmer." She muttered quietly, and carried Lori upstairs.

"Max Wellington!"

He spun around and sent one of the nuns his special 'You know you love me and I didn't mean any harm' smile. He had learned to master that look after being in trouble almost every day of his life, and it always worked... well, for most of the nuns. "Hey, Sister Katherine!"

She frowned and put a large fist on her hip. "Mr. Wellington, you know very well that Lori was not be out in this kind of weather."

'Okay, so that look didn't work, time for look number two.' He cast his eyes to the ground, trying his emergency 'Gee, I'm awful sorry, I didn't know I'd cause so much trouble. I'm so sorry I just might cry if you yell at me' look, and adding a sniff for good measure. "Sorry, Sister. She begged me ta take her out an' I just couldn't disappoint her."

The sister started to respond sternly but was called aside by one of the other nuns. "Stay here, you're not excused." She ordered, coming back a few minutes later looking slightly uncomfortable. "Max... Sister Mary would like to talk to you."

He grinned and nodded, running over to Sister Mary who he was sure he could keep from yelling at him. Sister Mary looked at him sympathetically and hugged him. He wrinkled his nose and squirmed away, staring at her suspiciously. "Whatta ya want?" He grumbled, loosing all charm after being hugged.

She sighed and looked down at him. "Max, I know you were very fond of Lori." She faltered for a moment. "But... for the past few days her consumption has been getting worse and... and she passed away today. I'm very sorry, Max."

"Lori died?" He managed to stutter, trying not to cry. "It's because I took her outside, isn't it?"

Sister Mary shook her head. "Oh, no. It's not your fault, Max. She was sick even before that. We knew it was only a matter of time.."

He glared at her and ran out the door before they could catch him, stopping in an alleyway a few blocks away and shivering. It was so cold there...

Max jerked awake, cursing out loud. The dreams were back again. He sat up and shivered a little, wrapping his arms around his body. "Hey, Wellington. Why are ye awake so bloody early?"

"Just couldn't sleep, that's all." He mumbled, trying to ignore the growl of his stomach.

The freckle-faced boy, Sean Murphy, sniffed in disbelief. "Can't sleep? Come on, that's all ye can do."

Max shrugged him off and looked around slowly. There were boxes piled all over the cargo hold. "Ya know where we are, Murphy?"

He shook his head. "Nah, wanna go up onto the deck, maybe swipe some breakfast?"

"Sure, why not?" He grinned mischievously, his violet eyes starting to sparkle with excitement. "Sounds like an adventure." He jumped up and Max followed him towards the deck of the ship. After walking down a series of narrow hallways they found the deck of the ship. Max’s stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep them warm as he ran over to the railing and looked around at the open sea. The vastness of the water was almost creepy. A gust of wind whipped his braid around a little and he shivered. "Geez, will ya look at that..."

Sean shrugged nonchalantly. "Ah, tain't nothin' special."

Max glanced at him for a second. "It's big." He said simply.

"Yeah, t'is. But when ye grow up on the sea, ye hardly notice after a while." He remarked off handedly and walked off to find some food. Max followed slowly, helping him swipe some food and hurrying off to a bench on the deck to eat it. Sean polished off a sandwich he was eating and stretched his arms out. "It's a good day, Max. If ye look over there, ye can see Ireland gettin' pretty close."

He looked in the direction Sean was pointing and stared, amazed by the sight. "So we'll be dockin' soon?"

He nodded. "Aye, soon enough. We best be gettin' our things so we can sneak off with the others."

They gathered what little stuff they owned out of it's hiding place and left with the other passengers when the ship finally docked. Max slung his bag over his shoulder and grinned. "So, now where, Sean? We're in your country now."

He nodded and walked along the street. "Now we go tae Dublin. We can probably hitch a ride on a train goin' that way. First lets rest here for a bit. We'll take the train this afternoon."

They wandered around the town for a few hours before they hopped onto the train as it was leaving at twilight. Max curled up in a corner of the luggage car and shivered a little. Sean raised an eyebrow. "I suppose an American wouldnae be much used tae the weather here."

"What was your first clue, genius?" He muttered bitterly. He didn't like the cold, didn't like it at all.

He laughed, seemingly amused by Max’s temper. "Ye're an odd one."

Max rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. Sean finally sighed a little and looked at the younger boy seriously. “Wellington, how long have we been friends?”

He shrugged a little. “From California, to Georgia, to Boston, to here. I’d say three months maybe.”

Sean nodded. “Three months sounds about right. So, what’s wrong?”

Max raised an eyebrow at him. “Wrong?”

“Yeah.” Sean nodded. “What’s wrong? I’m five years older than ye, so I think I’m a good enough person tae go tae for advice.”

He sighed and looked down at the floor of the train, running a finger along the wood. “Nothin’. I’m just in a bad mood I guess.”

Sean nodded slightly and curled up in his corner of the train. “Get some sleep then.” He grinned. “Soon enough we’ll be in Dublin, an’ there’s much tae do there.”

Max nodded and laid down, closing his eyes and falling asleep. He was rudely awakened at the break of day by a quick jerk on his braid. “Don’t pull the braid.” He muttered angrily, swinging an arm at Sean.

The Irish boy easily avoided the blow and pulled on Max’s arm. “Come on, the train’s slowing down, we need tae jump off before it gets tae the station.”

Max stood up and gathered his things with a considerable amount of griping and finally jumped off the train with Sean just before it reached the station. Max looked around the city of Dublin, hazy in the dim light of dawn, and then at Sean. “The country’s nicer.”

Sean grinned at Max and nodded towards a street to their right. “Come on, I’ve got someone for ye tae meet!”

Max trailed along close behind, wondering briefly who this person might be. Sean didn’t stop until a few blocks later when he walked up the stairs of an apartment building and knocked on the door, an eager grin plastered on his face. The door opened slowly and a girl with red hair and green eyes peered out curiously for a moment. When she saw Sean she squealed with joy and threw her arms around his neck. “You’re back! Oh, I thought ye’d never come back, Sean! I’ve missed ye so!”

Sean grinned and kissed her on the lips, then turned to Max, laughter in his voice. “Max, this is me best girl, Katy. Katy, this is me travelin’ friend, Max.”

She smiled at Max and shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure tae meet ya, Max. I’m sure we’ll be good friends.”

Max scowled a little, disappointed that Sean had stupid enough to get hooked by a girl. “Yeah, sure.”

Her grin just broadened at his tone and she turned to Sean again. “I have tae go tae work. But ye’ll meet me later and tell me all about your trip, right?”

He nodded and kissed her cheek. “Five a clock at the pub around the corner. See ye then.” She waved cheerfully as they turned to walk away and made her way back into the apartment. Sean looked down at Max, trying to look serious but not quite able to hide the smile from his eyes. “So, did ye like Katy?”

Max looked up at him, an expression of disgust written all over his face. “She’s a girl.”

Sean fought against a smile. “Not just any girl, she’s the prettiest girl in all o’ Dublin.”

Max groaned and rolled his eyes. “Oh, she’s really got you trapped.”

Sean laughed and patted Max on the back. “It’s not a trap if I’m happy walkin’ into it. Besides, ye’ll understand what I mean soon enough.”

He crinkled up his nose at Sean and shook his head. “Nope, not ever.”

Sean was silent for a moment and finally whispered, “Didn’t ye think she was a wee bit pretty?”

Max blushed slightly. “Well… maybe a little. But I still don’t like it.”

Sean grinned at the younger boy knowingly. “Whatever ye say. Now, let’s go see the city.”

One week later…

“Hey Max, will ye hurry up! We’re never gonna meet the others at this rate!”

Max glowered at Sean as he walked into the room, tying off his braid. “Don’t rush me.”

Sean grinned and tugged on the braid. “Ye should cut this thing off.”

“Never.” Max swatted Sean’s hand away and they walked out the door, their routine banter lasting all the way to the river. Katy waved cheerfully as they approached. “Good of ye tae finally show.” She greeted teasingly, her good nature keeping her from being angry with the boys.

“Well, I had tae wait on Max an’ his braid.” Sean responded with a pointed look at Max.

Max glowered at him slightly and walked past him, then stared at the river. “Looks cold.”

“Ye’ll find out if ye donnae get back over here and stop sulking. Or I might just have tae cut that braid off if ye don’t give the ladies a proper greeting.” Sean teased.

“You won’t touch the braid if you want to live, I’m not sulking, and what do you mean by ladies?” Max spun around and caught sight of a girl around his age with dark auburn hair and aquamarine eyes. He inspected her, not quite comfortable with all the girls Sean was introducing him to. Katy was nice and pretty, he had decided he liked her, but this one looked like a normal, giggly, silly girl. “This is me little sister, Bridget. Bridget, this is Sean’s friend, Max.” Katy responded, pointing to the girl.

“Hi.” Max replied unenthusiastically.

Bridget giggled. “Nice tae meet ye, Max.”

He glowered at Sean. The girl was all ready giggling before she had even said a word. Sean grinned, that stupid look he got when he thought he was onto something, and winked at Max. Boy, could that guy be dense…

Max helped Sean spread out a blanket on the grass and Katy set down a basket with food. Sean sat on Katy’s left, and Max very cunningly sat to her right… followed by Bridget taking her seat next to Max. Sean winked at him again, an annoying habit the older boy had picked up, and Max glared at him. He spent the rest of the picnic ignoring both Sean and Bridget to the best of his abilities. About forty-five minutes later, Sean stood up and dusted himself off. “Well, I’d better be off. Max, ye gonna come along?”

Katy glared at him. “Oh no ye don’t, Sean Murphy! The boy’s only twelve years old. He’ll no’ be goin’ with ye.”

Max looked up at Sean curiously. “Going where?”

“Ah, ‘s not important. Katy’s right though. Ye can either stay with the girls or go off on yer own, but it wouldna be a good idea for ye tae come with me. I’ll catch up with ye later.” Sean replied, waving to the group and walking away.

“Are ye gonna stay an’ talk tae us, Max?” Bridget inquired eagerly.

Max hid a scowl and stood up, brushing himself off. “No, I thought I’d go wash and rebraid my hair.” He waved casually and walked off, frowning as he tried to think of where Sean might have gone. He walked in the general direction Sean had gone and nearly jumped out of his skin when, after a block, Sean suddenly walked out of an alley. “I knew ye’d follow, that’s just like ye.”

“Geez, what’re ya tryin’ to do? Give me a heart attack?!” Max yelled, annoyed.

Sean grinned and leaned against the wall of the building they stood next to. “No, I just had a feeling ye’d be followin’, an’ I thought I’d intercept ye.”

“You mean I can go with you?” Max asked enthusiastically.

Sean shook his head. “No, I meant no such thing. The meetin’ I’m goin’ tae is no place for you, not yet. I thought I’d tell ye that an’ make sure ye won’t follow.”

Max stared at him skeptically. “What kind of a meeting?”

Sean sighed and looked at the younger boy wearily. “Can ye keep a secret if I tell ye?” Max nodded so Sean went on. “It’s important that ye don’t tell anyone. It’s a group that fights against the English, so if anyone ever knew who went to the meetin’s, then we’d all be in a world of trouble. Understood?”

“Mostly.” Max started, staring at Sean solemnly. “Why fight the English?”

Sean laughed bitterly and shook his head at Max. “Why? They invade our country, steal our land, outlaw our language, starve our people… the devil himself would’ve been more welcome.”

“Okay, I understand. So why can’t I go? And don’t say it’s because I’m too young because I’m not.” Max glowered at Sean, practically daring him to bring age into the issue.

Sean grinned, expecting the statement. “I need someone I can trust tae watch our for Katy when I’m gone, that would be you. That is, if ye’ll accept the honor?”

Max hesitated slightly before nodding. “Oh, all right. I can watch out for Katy… but I’d rather be where the fun stuff is.”

“Believe me, Max, it’s not fun.” Sean replied seriously, then tipped his hat. “Well, I’m off. See ye later.”

Max waved and walked back in the direction of the river where he had left Katy and Bridget. He wasn’t looking forward to seeing that giggling half-wit again, but he had promised to take care of Katy, and he liked her. Luckily, they had just finished picking up and hadn’t left yet. “Katy!” He yelled, running in their direction with a wide grin on his face.

Katy smiled at him and gave a short wave while Bridget ran towards him. “Max! Ye’re back!”

Max hid a frown and walked the rest of the way to Katy with Bridget by his side. “Yeah, I changed my mind.”

Katy grinned at him knowingly. “Oh, didja now?”

He tried to hide a guilty blush by picking up the picnic basket. “I’ll take this for you.”

“Thank ye, Max.” Katy winked at him as the three started on their way back to Katy and Bridget’s home.

Three weeks later . . .

Max eyed Bridget, trying not to show his annoyance. “You can’t beat a full house with two of a kind!”

Katy laughed at him. “Och, humor the girl, Max! She doesnae know any better.”

He glowered at her. Whether or not he liked her, she was pushing the issue now by asking him to let Bridget win at poker. “Fine. You win, Bridget.”

She squealed and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. “Thank ye, Max!”

He quickly wiped his cheek off and glowered at her. “Don’t do that.” He pouted, causing both girls to laugh. Max looked up at the clock impatiently. “Isn’t Sean back from that stupid meeting yet?”

He immediately regretted the statement when he noticed Katy’s worry. When she saw that Max was looking at her, she smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure it’s just running a little over.”

Max nodded and stood up, stretching his arms. “Yeah, well… if you ladies will excuse me, I think I’m gonna get back so that I can get some sleep.”

Katy nodded at him. “Thank ye for comin’, Max. Time passes faster when ye’re here tae keep us company.” Bridget mumbled a thank you as well, obviously disappointed that he was leaving.

He grinned at Katy and mock bowed. “My pleasure. See you two tomorrow!”

“Good bye, Max!” Katy called as he walked out the door and down to the street into the chilly fall air. He shoved his hands into his pockets and quickly made his way towards an abandoned church where Sean’s meetings were held. The boy was going to get it for abandoning him to a bunch of girls, one of which was a girl that didn’t know how to play poker. He stopped once he reached the church and looked around him for the lookout. He frowned in annoyance when he didn’t see anyone, wondering for a moment if maybe the meeting was over and he had missed Sean. He dismissed the idea as he saw a light flicker in one of the windows, concluding that the lookout was hidden in the shadows. He walked into the church cautiously and saw a group of men congregated in a corner. The one called Fitzpatrick spun around quickly, leveling a gun at Max’s head, then quickly lowering it again. “Bloody hell, Wellington, donnae sneak up on us like that.”

“I was looking for Murphy.” Max responded, walking forward slowly.

The man rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, but motioned into the center of the throng. Max pushed his way through to the front where he saw one of the elder members of the group tending to Sean, who was slumped on the floor, blood pouring from his abdomen. Max automatically backed away, bumping into one of the others, and responded in alarm, “What happened?”

“The parliament soldiers invaded upon our little party.. if we donnae hurry out o’ here, we’ll be entertainin’ them once again.”

The man who had been trying to patch Sean’s wound stood up, wiping off his hands. “Right, Connor. It’s aye time we get out o’ here.”

“B-but… Sean.” Max, stuttered, pointed helplessly to his unconscious friend.

Fitzpatrick clapped a hand on Max’s shoulder. “It’s too late for the poor boy. Best tae leave before we all join him.”

Max stared at his fallen friend fearfully, thinking for a moment that he should be the one to tell Katy. He paled at the idea, realizing he couldn’t bear to do something like that. He took one last look at Sean before running off into the night, intent on getting the hell out of Ireland.

Max sniffed at the air and scrunched his nose up a little. The air still stunk. "Geez, Paris is definitely overrated. What's so great about this place?" He paused as a group of girls walked by. "Hello, ladies!" He took off his hat and grinned at them. A few turned around and giggled before rushing off again. 'Hmmm... looks like I'm gonna have to learn some French... after I find some food that is.'

He casually walked past a vender and swiped an apple, stashing it away until he was out of sight. He bit into it and thought for a second, digging around in his bag of stuff. "I'm sure there's a book in here somewhere... ah! There it is! A French dictionary... now lets see." He opened it up and flipped through the pages swiftly, memorizing a few words. He smiled charmingly at the next French girl that walked by. "Bonjour! Je suis un ananas!" She stared at him askance for a while before bursting into a fit of giggles and walking off without a second glance. He frowned and looked at the book in confusion. "Wonder what's so funny..."

"You just told her that you are a pineapple." A laughing voice with a French accent responded from behind him.

He spun around and blinked at the girl behind him, looking her over. Big blue eyes, curly brown hair, cute little turned up nose, apparently nice, and she spoke his language, that was a plus. He tried out his charming smile again. "Did I?"

The girl giggled lightly. "Silly Americans, you never do speak French very well."

"Well, maybe you could teach me?" He offered, grinning broadly.

She laughed and shook her head. "From what I've heard? I doubt it." She smiled and offered a hand. "I'm Adele Larinette."

"Max Wellington, nice to meet ya." He took her hand and kissed it.

“You’re quite the charmer, Mr. Wellington.” She responded, raising an eyebrow.

He stood up strait again and winked at her. “So, what is there to do in this stinkin’ city?”

“There’s lots to do in this stinkin’ city.” She responded, feigning offense. “Have you seen the Eiffel Tower yet?”

“No, I don’t believe I have. Would you care to show me the way?” He asked politely, offering his arm.

She laughed and curtsied jokingly, slipping her arm through his. “I’d be glad to.”

He grinned and walked beside her down the cobblestone streets towards the Eiffel Tower. His eyes widened a little when he finally looked up at it. “Wow. It’s big.”

She nodded proudly. “Yes, it is. Would you like to go up there? There’s a wonderful view.”

He shrugged slightly and tilted his head back to look at the top of the tower. “Sure, why not?”

She grinned and grabbed his hand, practically pulling him all the way to the top of the tower. He laughed as they finally stopped. “Well, you’re not excited.” He said sarcastically and then turned to look out over the city. The sun was setting and the street lamps were just starting to be lit. He could see smoke curling from chimneys at the top of buildings and forming a dim haze over the city.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She muttered distractedly.

He looked over at her and stared for a while. She had set her elbow on the railing and was resting her cheek in her hand, looking at the view dreamily. He smiled slightly. “Yep.”

She looked over at him and backed away from the railing, a smile forming on her lips. “Silly American, you weren’t even looking at the view.” She walked towards him and stopped in front of him. “You are a silly American.”

He grinned and nodded, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her softly. She returned the kiss for a moment and then pulled back, laughing. “I think I like Americans. Although I must say, that’s the first time you’ve been quite for more than five seconds since I met you. You might be setting a record.”

He laughed and nodded in agreement. “I think you’re right. Most people say all I can do is eat, sleep, and talk.”

She smirked a little. “Oh, I’d have to disagree. I think you kiss quite well.” Her hand flew to her mouth and a giggle escaped as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “I’m sorry. You didn’t strike me as the kind to blush.”

He rolled his eyes upward. “I’m not. You caught me off guard.”

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him again. He raised an eyebrow at her as she broke the kiss. “That’s the French way.” She said, winking at him.

“No offense, but I think I prefer the American way.” He muttered, shaking his head.

She laughed once again and took his hand. “Come on you silly American. I have to get home. How about you? Where are you staying?”

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Well, I haven’t really found a place yet.”

She smiled at him. “Then you’ll stay with me.”

“You?” He tried to hide his surprise and bit his lip. “Um… are you sure your parents wouldn’t mind?”

She shook her head and her curls bounced a little. “Oh, no. I have my own apartment. It’s not a bad place and it’s better than sleeping on the streets, right?”

He smiled and nodded in defeat. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

She smiled and took his arm again, leading him down the street. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Me?” He looked at her in surprise and shrugged when she nodded. “Not much to tell. I don’t remember my parents. I was raised in an orphanage in New York City, ran away when I was seven. Traveled around the US some, then stowed away on a ship to Ireland. Somehow made my way to France and here I am. Haven’t had many friends, no family.” He sighed and shrugged again. “Like I said, there’s just not much to say.”

She titled her head sideways and grinned. “There must be something. Your favorite color, your favorite place, what you want to do, what you’ve done?”

He laughed and rolled his eyes. “Okay. My favorite color is sky blue. My favorite place so far… well, I have to say New York. No offense to your country. What do I want to do? I want to… I don’t know. Just be happy I guess. Find a place to call home with friends and-“ He stopped and shook his head. “What I want is impossible.”

“Oh, nothing is completely impossible.” She broke in, brushing a strand of hair out of her face distractedly. “I’m sure you’ll manage to get some of what you want eventually. Now, what have you done?”

He laughed self-consciously. “You want to know what I’ve done? A lot of stupid stuff, that about sums it up. I’ve stowed away on ships and trains, had hangovers, managed to learn no other languages to use in places like… oh, I don’t know, France? It makes it very difficult to pick up girls when all you know how to say is that you’re a pineapple.”

She laughed appreciatively. “Well, you managed to impress me anyway.”

“True… and you’re not such a bad catch I suppose…” He smiled at her teasingly. “So, what about you?”

“I grew up with my family in the country. A big family, especially with all of the cousins and second cousins who lived nearby. I just moved to Paris last month. A relative has a shop and I got a job as a seamstress with her. My favorite color is red. My favorite place is anywhere but the country. I want to be a singer. I’ve spent most of my life helping harvest grapes and making wine… until now.” She stopped in front of a building and turned to him. “We’re here.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind me staying? I mean, you don’t have to be nice.” He backed down the street a few steps, waiting for her to change her mind.

She sighed and grabbed his arms, pulling him up the steps towards the door. “You’re staying with me, whether you like it or not. Admit it, you don’t have anywhere else to go.”

He raised an eyebrow as they walked inside and an old lady in the hallway stared at the two of them. She kept walking, oblivious of the woman who was inspecting them closely. After passing by the lady he scooted a little closer to her so that he could talk more quietly. “You know, this can’t be good for your reputation.”

She laughed and led him the rest of the way up the flight of stairs to her apartment. “I’m not worried about that. Half of the talk about people with bad reputations is just nosy old women who have nothing better to do than make assumptions about what other people do in their free time. It’s best not to trust gossip.”

He nodded slightly and followed her through the door as she turned on a light. Her apartment was small, but not tiny. The furnishings were modest, with lightly stained wallpaper, slightly dingy windows, and furniture that was starting to look a little rough around the edges. Just the fact that the place wasn’t infested with rats and bugs made it a palace compared to the apartments in the slums. She smiled a little. “It’s not exactly fit for a king, but it’s home.”

“It’s pretty nice.” He replied reassuringly.

She bit her lip and there was an uncomfortable pause before she spoke again. “I’d love to stay up and talk to you, but I have to work in the morning and I can’t be late.”

He grinned at her and pointed to the sofa. “Hey, no problem. I’ll just sleep there.”

“Oh! Just a minute.” She ran out of the room and walked back in holding a blanket and pillow. “Here you go. Are you sure you’ll be all right out here?”

A frown wrinkled his forehead as he thought the question over. “I don’t know…. The lions might get me. But that’s just if the wolves don’t beat them to it.”

She laughed and hit his arm softly. “Silly American.” She kissed his cheek and smiled at him. “Sleep well, Max.” She walked to her room, turning around just before going through the door and winking at him. “Don’t worry. There are no lions or wolves… it’s the bears you have to look out for.”

He laughed as she shut the door and laid on the couch, pulling the blanket over himself. He smiled peacefully and closed his eyes, trying to stop thinking about Adele long enough to fall asleep.

Two Weeks Later…

Max walked into the apartment building with his arms full of supplies for the surprise. The old lady in the hall stared at him and he smiled and winked at her. “Hiya!”

She gasped, offended by his friendliness, and shook a finger at him, walking into her apartment and closing the door. He laughed to himself and shrugged. He had entered through the fire escape for the first week, but Adele insisted that he stop worrying about her reputation, and it really was a lot easier just to go the regular way. As for the surprise, he had found a job just two days after he found Adele and he figured it was time to celebrate since he had some money now. She wouldn’t be off work for a while now, so he had time to prepare.

He walked into the apartment and set the stuff down, looking around. “Okay, start by cooking. I can cook, of course I can.” He started mixing the ingredients together, making quite a mess in the kitchen, and finally popped what was supposed to be some French thing he couldn’t pronounce into the oven. He smiled and nodded. “That wasn’t so bad. Now the easy part.” He walked over to the table and set a pair of candles on it, along with plates, glasses, wine, and silverware. “Okay, now I just wait for-“ He looked down at himself and sighed. “Great, I got more flour on me than the food. I look like a ghost!” He shrugged and walked to the washroom, quickly washing himself and his hair off and changing clothes. He walked out of the room, looking for the brush so he could braid his hair and frowned a little as he inhaled. “Smells funny out here… like… almost like… smoke.” His eyes widened in realization and he cursed as he ran into the kitchen, opening the oven. He sighed and fell to the floor after putting out the small fire. “Totally burned. I don’t think she’ll be too impressed by Cajun style French cooking.” He grinned and shook his head. “Time for plan B… sandwiches.”

He quickly made some sandwiches and set them on the table, lit the candles, then looked down at his watch. 8:00, she’d be home soon. He ran into the other rooms, searching for a brush again and smiled triumphantly when he finally found it. Just then the door opened and a confused voice asked, “Max? Why’s it so dark in here?”

He forgot the brush and ran over to Adele, hugging her and kissing her cheek. “Come on.” He said, motioning to the kitchen.

She laughed and looked at him. “Your hair isn’t braided.”

He blushed a little. “Um… it’s a long story.”

They walked into the kitchen and she grinned broadly as she looked around. She laughed in delight and threw her arms around his neck. “This is wonderful, thank you!”

He pulled out a chair for her and poured the wine, then sat down. She looked at the sandwiches and smiled. “I thought I smelled smoke.”

He looked slightly uncomfortable for a while. “Well… I tried to cook, but it didn’t work.”

She laughed and took a bite of a sandwich. “Don’t worry about it, the sandwiches are very good.”

“Of course they are, they’re my specialty!” He winked at her and took a bite of the sandwich, then a drink of the wine. He wrinkled his nose up and swallowed quickly. “People drink that stuff? It tastes like it was stored in an old shoe or something!”

She laughed out loud and shook her head at him. “You really are an American.”

He grinned at her a little. “We can’t help it if we have taste.”

She finished off her sandwich and walked over to him, offering a hand. “Come on.”

“What?” He asked, raising and eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Dance with me, silly.”

He looked at his sandwich longingly, but shrugged and stood up, putting his arms around her. “Wonderful music, isn’t it?” He teased as he listened to the silence.

She smiled serenely and rested her head against his shoulder, starting to sing softly in French. They swayed back and forth around the room until she finally stopped singing. He ran a hand through her hair and smiled contentedly. “You sing like an angel, you know.”

She looked at him curiously. “Do I?”

He nodded and kissed her, then pulled away and cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Well, I’d say it’s about time we get some sleep.” He blew out the candles and walked towards the couch in the living room.

“Max?”

He turned around and saw her looking at the floor nervously. “Somethin’ wrong?”

She looked up, starting to blush a little, and bit her lip. “Do you really want to sleep on the couch?”

He froze in shock and raised both eyebrows, not sure what to say. “Um… well, I, uh… shouldn’t …. No, no I don’t.”

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I… I think I love you.”

He swallowed nervously. “Um… Adele. You remember that problem about your reputation?”

She smiled and nodded a little. “Yes, I do. But I think Thomas Moore answers that problem best.
‘I’ve oft been told by learned friars,
That wishing and the crime are one,
And heaven punishes desires
As much as if the deed were done.

If wishing damns us, you and I,
Are damned to all our hearts content;
Come, then, at least we may enjoy
Some pleasure for our punishment!’”

Max laughed. “That’s quite a poem.”

She nodded and took his hands in hers. “I thought so too. Now come on.”

He nodded and followed her into her room. Later he yawned and curled up in Adele’s arms. “I think I’m starting to like this stinkin’ city.”

Adele giggled and traced a finger along his cheek. “Me too.” She smiled softly as he mumbled an indecipherable reply and the rising of his chest slowed with his breathing as he fell asleep. She cocked her head sideways and stared at his peaceful face. He would probably laugh if she told him he looked angelic when he slept. She rested her head against his chest and listened to the gentle beating of his heart, letting herself drift off to sleep as well.

She was torn away from her own dreams when Max bolted awake. She rubbed at her eyes sleepily for a moment, looking at his shivering form in concern. “Max?”

His violet eyes met hers, fear burning deep within them. “Adele, I . . . I have to go.”

She reached out and took his clammy hand into her own. “No, it will be fine.”

“You don’t understand, I don’t want to loose you. Not like the others.” He stopped and looked away, afraid he had said too much.

She reached a hand up and touched his cheek gently. “You can’t exactly keep me if you leave me, Max. Just tell me what’s wrong, then I’ll understand.”

His eyes filled with doubt for a moment and he closed them to think before finally managing to speak. “I don’t know exactly what it is. I have these dreams where there’s this woman’s voice taunting me. She never says who she is, or what she wants, she just laughs that icy laugh of hers. Every time someone close to me ends up dying.. I’m cursed.” He looked up at her sorrowfully, his pain cutting into her heart. “She’s back again. I have to leave so she won’t go after you too.”

Adele forced back tears and wrapped her arms around his neck, not sure what to think, but knowing she had to reassure him somehow. “You don’t have to run from her. I promise I won’t die, she won’t defeat me.”

He pulled back uncertainly, like a scared little child. “Adele, I can’t take the chance.”

She wiped away a stray tear and smiled at him. “It’s a chance worth taking. Anyway, I promised. Are you questioning my honor?”

He hesitated before smiling weakly and kissing her softly. “All right...”

“Good.” She muttered as she returned the kiss, hoping to be able to melt away his fears and insecurities.

September 1900

Max strolled through the park, whistling to himself. He stopped as he saw Adele standing near a bench and ran up to her, wrapping his arms around her and swinging her in a circle, then he put her down and kissed her quickly. “Bonjour, madame.”

She grinned at him. “Hello, Max.” She sat on the bench and he followed suit, looking at her seriously. “Are ya okay?”

“I’m fine.” She looked at the ground and started wringing her hands together nervously. “But, I’m going to have a baby.”

There was a moment of shocked silence before Max smiled at her. “Then we’ll just have to get married.”

Her head snapped up and she shook her head. “I can’t ask you to do that. You’re not even 16 yet.”

“You aren’t either.” He added defensively.

She sighed. “I know. I just don’t want to trap you into something like that when you have so much time left to be a kid.”

“Trap me?” He looked at her askance and hugged her, remembering the words of an old friend. “It’s not really a trap if I’m happy walking into it, Adele.”

She blinked back tears and held him tightly. “I won’t blame you if you change your mind.”

He scoffed lightly and ran a hand through her hair. “I won’t. Now, boy or girl?”

“You’ll have to wait and see, silly.” She laughed quietly.

He frowned a little. “Oh… how long?”

She shrugged and counted on her fingers. “February.”

“Well, that leaves plenty of time to think of names and get married. Right?” He smiled down at her, managing to hide every single doubt in his mind. ‘She shouldn’t have to worry about my fears; she has enough of her own.’

She looked at him sadly and shook her head. “No. I won’t get married… at least, not until the baby is born.”

He nodded solemnly. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

She smiled at him and hugged him tightly. “Thank you for being so wonderful. I’m not so scared anymore.”

‘Wish I could say that.’ He thought to himself, but kissed the top of her head. “Okay then.. well, at least I can reacquaint myself with your couch.”

She stared at him curiously. “The couch?”

“Yeah, the couch. I ain’t sleepin’ in the same room as a pregnant lady, I’ve heard they get kinda grouchy at times.” He winked at her. “Seriously, I’m takin’ the couch, it’s better that way.”

She blinked in surprise. “I knew you were charming, but where on earth did you learn to be so sweet?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’m being sweet? You can’t be serious.”

She hit him softly and rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s go home.”

He jumped up and held her hand, walking with her back to the apartment building and up to their place. She went to the couch to lie down, closing her eyes. Max knelt beside her and put his ear against her stomach. Her eyes shot open and she laughed. “What on earth are you doing?”

He grinned and held a finger to his lips. “Shhhh, I think she has your voice.”

Adele rolled her eyes. “Silly American.”

“Now ignore that comment, okay?” He said to her stomach. “You’re half American too, so when you bust outta that joint, you can defend me the next time.”

She laughed and shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

He looked up at her, his eyes bright with amusement. “Only about you.”

“You are either the sweetest guy on earth, or the one most full of crap.” She responded, standing up to go to her room.

“Mostly just full of it.” He shot, then heard her laugh and close the door to her room. He sighed and put his head in his hands. “Damn. How do I manage to always screw up?” He jumped as a pair of arms slid around his shoulders just seconds after the statement. “Adele, I thought you went to your room!”

“I was going to go there.” She said quietly, kissing his cheek. “But I changed my mind… you didn’t screw up, Max. I had my part in this just as much as you did, so if you screwed up, that means I did too. Anyway, you wouldn’t want your son or daughter to think they were the result of a screw up.”

“I’d hope they wouldn’t take after me in that respect.” He muttered under his breath.

She hugged him tightly. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I don’t mind it. People have babies all the time. It’s perfectly normal, so why be worried?”

“People die having babies all the time.” He commented wearily.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. “I already promised you that I wouldn’t die. Anyway, you haven’t had another dream since that night. Maybe there’s nothing to worry about.”

November 1900

Max walked down the cobblestone streets with his hands shoved into his pockets, staring at his breath making white clouds in front of him. He whistled cheerfully and made his way into the apartment building and back home. He grinned as he walked in the door. “Hey Adele, guess what!” He was greeted by silence and paused a second to look around the room. “Adele? Where on earth….” He walked into her room and smiled a little when he saw her lying on the bed. “There you are, I was kinda worried.” He froze as he noticed something dark and cursed to himself. ‘Blood? Where did all of that blood come from?’

“Max?” She asked weakly and looked up, her face strained. “I’m tired.”

He drew a deep breath and picked her up, gasping a little at the extra weight of the baby. “Don’t worry, I’ll take you to someone who knows what they’re doing.” He rushed towards the door, his mind reeling. The baby was early, there was something really wrong, he didn’t speak enough French to explain what was wrong… he certainly didn’t know who could help. He walked out of the apartment and looked both ways down the hall, and there was the grouchy old lady. “Hey, help! Somethin’s wrong and I need some help.”

Her eyes widened and she yelled something in French as he walked toward her, then retreated to her apartment and slammed the door. He kicked on the door and frowned as she yelled the same reply just loudly enough for him to hear. He thought the phrase over and frowned. “Hey, I know one of those words… that selfish old—Oh, what I’d give to know how to say go to hell in French!”

“Max?” Adele questioned, fighting to keep her eyes open. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’. Just hold on, I’ll get some help.” He walked out of the apartment and looked around. A hospital, he needed to get her to a hospital. “Stay here.” He said, setting her on the stairway, and scolding himself mentally for bothering to tell her that, as if she could leave. He waved a hand at a passing carriage, and another, but both passed him by. Finally he grit his teeth and walked into the middle of the street, nearly causing an accident, but not stopping any carriages. He cursed and picked Adele up once again. “Time to go for a walk, angel.”

Her eyes fluttered open for a moment and she sighed. “Don’t let me cause you so much trouble.”

“You aren’t trouble.” He grunted, keeping a firm grip on her as he hurried down the street until he came to a hospital. He quickly climbed the stairs and ran up to a nurse. She looked at Adele and said something in French to Max. He sighed, mentally kicking himself for never learning much of the language. “English, I only speak English.” She frowned and called a doctor, who quickly took Adele. Max followed close behind and watched for a moment as they took her to a room where they laid her on a table next to some instruments. Before five minutes had passed, the sight of all of the blood had made him as pale as the walls, and when he heard Adele scream he finally turned and ran out of the room, to the nearest bathroom.

Hours later he was sitting in a small waiting room when a doctor walked into the room. “Are you the one who brought the girl in?”

Max deciphered the question through the heavy accent and looked up, nodding. “Yeah. How is she?”

The doctor faltered for a moment. “Not good. She probably won’t live much longer. You can see her if you like.”

Max nodded and followed the doctor to the room Adele was in, creeping next to her bed silently, afraid to make too much noise. He stared at her pale face and felt his eyes well up with tears. He knelt beside her and squeezed her hand tightly. She opened her eyes and smiled weakly. “I love you, Max.”

He wiped away his tears and sniffed quietly. “Don’t say that. It’s like saying good-bye, and you can’t do that, you promised you wouldn’t die.” He stopped as he realized the soft pressure on his hand had gone away. He backed away stiffly and looked up at the doctor, who checked for Adele’s pulse and then looked at Max sadly. “I’m sorry, there was nothing we could do. Go home, get some sleep.” He said awkwardly, patting Max on the shoulder lightly. “We can take care of things for now.”

Max nodded and walked out of the hospital and back to the apartment where he sat on the couch woodenly until dark, when he finally managed a heartbroken sob. He wrapped his arms around himself and cried silently the rest of the night, and the next morning he packed his stuff and left the apartment one last time. The old lady was standing in the hall when he walked by her not bothering to even spare her a glance until she muttered a statement that he understood. He spun around and eyed her coldly. “That was English, you speak English.” She frowned and said something in French, turning to walk away from him, but he followed close behind. “I heard you, you were speaking English. You’ve understood me all along. You knew exactly what I said when I asked for help and you didn’t lift a finger. You could have saved her, but you wouldn’t even try.”

The old woman turned around and frowned at Max, speaking again in English. “I’m a good, Christian woman, and nothing would have saved that girl anyway… but I had my reasons.”

He scowled at her. “Oh, I know your reasons. I’m very glad to know that I can always count on you good, Christian people. You’re so wonderful you let a girl die because of your own stubborn pride. Oh, but you should be proud, I’m sure God would be impressed by your show of tolerance and sympathy.” He shook his head in disgust. “I’m glad I don’t qualify to your standards of a good Christian person. I wouldn’t stoop so low.”

“Heathen.” She muttered, glaring at him.

“From you, I’ll take it as a compliment.” He saluted her jeeringly and turned to walk away. “Au revior, madam. And good riddance, to you and this stinking city.”