"Max?" 99 reached over and patted the side of the bed that's usually hers, without opening her eyes. When she felt nothing but the smooth sheets, it seemed she had no choice but to open her eyes. She rubbed her eyes and pushed her bangs out of the way. She sighed and squinted in the darkness looking for any sign of her husband. "I'm right here, 99!" He told her. She turned and looked at him at the foot of the bed, she smiled. Max reached behind his back and pulled out something. In the dark it was next to impossible to see. She sat up and crawled wearily to foot of the bed. "What've you got there, Max?" She asked still not being able to see. He smiled then held it out further. This time 99 saw it perfectly, it caught the light from the alarm clock. The silver blade of a knife flashed in her eyes. "Max?!?" He reached over and drove the knife into her shoulder. 99 let out with a blood-curdling scream, although I'm sure that's not an uncommon reaction for someone who's been stabbed. 99 was still screaming when she woke up from her dream, well, nightmare. She saw Max still sleeping quite peacefully. She frowned at him, reached over to him and shoved him off the bed. It was Max's turn to wake up screaming. When he looked up over the bed, he looked at 99 with awe, "What the hell, was that for?" he asked rubbing his knee. "For stabbing me!" She told him in an annoyed voice. At that point she reached up and felt her shoulder, why she didn't know she was compelled to feel her shoulder. She stopped, stunned she stopped breathing for a second and her face went white. She pulled her hand away and precariously looked down. What she saw, horrified her, she had a modest sized gash in her shoulder, with blood dripping onto her, now ruined, pink nightie. She screamed, Max covered his ears. "99, what the are you doing?" She flicked on the light so Max could see her injury as well. "Oh my god! What happened?" "I don't know! I don't know!" She whined through her tears, which were pouring from her eyes. "But this is where you stabbed me!" "99," He sighed. "I didn't stab you, stop entertaining that ridiculous notion, stop crying and talk sensible!" He demanded. "Max, just get away from me." She jumped up and ran to the bathroom. "Do you think I oughta go somewhere for this?" She asked still whining and crying. "Might not be a bad idea," he agreed sarcastically. "I don't know where that came from." He got up, and walked over to her, he flipped the overhead light on, and gasped again. "99, look in that mirror over there!" She walked to the mirror, and looked in and gasped in turn. It was in the shape of a K. "Max!" She wept. Max hugged his wife, he knew that the blood was soaking through his shirt as well. "I-I- I'm gonna die!" She leaned her head on his shoulder, and cried like she'd never cried before. At this point in the story, I think it only proper for me to tell you, that it isn't because of the wound, necessarily. She wouldn't die, solely from it, only from what the 'K' stands for. "No, no 99!" Max told her stroking her hair, "You're going to be OK and you have my promise, that I will never leave your side, till you're safe!" He rubbed her back. OK, now, to end your curiosity, the K stands shortened for 'KAOS KILLERS' COUNCIL' a particularly merciless group. They mark their victims for death by knifing a 'K' into the shoulder. The thing about the KKC is that they don't have a pattern. Sometimes they hold off the killing just to scare them, and sometimes they end it quickly. "But, Max," She sobbed, "The KAOS KILLERS' COUNCIL has never not succeeded in killing their victim. No one has gotten one of these and lived to tell about it!" "You're living!" he pointed out which was, of course, the entirely wrong thing to say. She looked at him and burst into uncontrollable tears. Amidst her tears she choked out, "Not for long!" "Come on, 99. You've got to get to the hospital." Max insisted grabbing his bathrobe, and swinging it onto his back. Leading her down the stairs, still crying, he grabbed the towle he dried his hair with earlier, after his shower and held it to 99's wound. He stood her just in front of the door and grabbed a jacket for her; he wrapped it around her shoulders about ready to cry himself. They were dashing down the hallway 99 still sobbing and carrying on; Max trying futilely to stop her crying. The landlady came out with curlers in her hair and mad expression on her face. She watched 99 sobbing and stood there without an emotion (except mad) on her face. "Where do you think, you're going at this ungodly hour?" "We're going…" he said but the landlady wasn't finished. She looked at 99, "You and your blubbering," 99 was put back, "Are waking the whole floor." Max once again tried to speak, "My wife has been…" she still wasn't finished, by this time half the floor was in the hallway listening. "Look at this, stop crying Mrs. Smart, whatever it is it couldn't be that bad." 99 started crying hard again. Max at this point was yelling, the next floor down would've heard him, He picked up the towel exposing her wound, and bloody nightgown, "She's been stabbed, you heartless stodgy old woman." He pressed the towel onto the wound again. "Come on, 99, it's OK we'll be there in two minutes tops." The landlady stood there watching, 99 run barefoot down the hallway, in her less than decent nightgown (didn't even reach her knees) and Max in his  pajamas, bathrobe and slippers. She stood there speechless along with the rest of the floor. "What line of work are they in?" One woman asked her neighbor. "I bet he got fed up with her," Her husband said. The woman elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow." @*********@ "Chief!" Max exclaimed nearly running into him. "What are you doing here?" "Working late unfortunately. What're you doing here, more importantly, what's wrong?" Max, for the second time revealed the 'K', the chief jumped back. "We've got to get you to the CONTROL emergency room. Run!" Max and 99 took off again down the corridor. "Max!" 99 whined, "It hurts, it hurts real bad." "I can imagine." Max muttered under his breath. She was crying uncontrollably again. They burst through the doors. The night staff jumped to alert. "We'll take her from here." Max pull the towel again, which set them all back, and 99 started crying again, he grabbed the coat as one of them led her through another set of doors. 99 turned and gave a sort of half wave, and did her best to smile. @**********@ "Max?" The chief asked coming in, Max had his head buried in his hands. He looked up when he heard the chief. "This is for you… and 99 when she wakes up, compliments of the CONTROL deli." "Thanks, chief." Max's exhaustion was apparent. He looked down at the food, a bunch of sandwiches and some lunchmeat. "Tell the boys at the deli thanks, too." "Max," the chief said gently, "Get some sleep. I promise I'll wake you when you can go see 99." Max sighed, "Promise?" "Promise." The chief assured him. Max leaned back and fell asleep. When he woke up, the chief told him, "You can go see 99, now." He went in, 99 was sitting up in bed but her eyes were closed, "99?" he said softly, nearly whispering. He moved closer still he reached out to touch her shoulder. She fell forward and revealed a knife in her back. He gasped. "99!?!" "You're too late, Mr. Smart, she's dead!" A man said from the doorway. "NO!?!" He screamed. "Max! Max! Wake up! You're having a nightmare." The chief shook him. Max looked around and sighed. "I've got to see, 99!" He said getting up and rushing toward the door, "Don't try to stop me!" He ran into the nurse, "Where's my wife?" He demanded. "228." she told him and he dashed down the corridor counting the doors as he went. He burst through the doors of her room and she was sitting up, but her eyes were closed, his heart stopped. He moved closer ever so carefully, he shook her shoulder she fell forward, "NO!?!" 99 woke up abruptly and Max sighed, "Trying to give me a heart attack?" she asked putting her hand over her heart. "99! 99, I love you. I love you so much!" He hugged her and she gasped. "Sorry 'bout that 99." Her face twisted in pain, she rubbed her shoulder. "I've even got a 'K' shaped scar." She said, it reminded her she was marked for death but was able to suppress her tears. "Max? I'm scared." "Me, too, sweetheart." She leaned her head against his chest, "Me, too." The chief picked that moment to come in. "How are you feeling 99?" He asked walking over to the bed. "Better, but not good." She explained. "This scar is so haunting. It reminds me, about the death threat, every time I lay on it wrong or hit it somewhere." "Yes that'll take a little while to heal." He told her handing her a sandwich; she waved it away. "What I want to know is how the KKC got into your bedroom, without waking or disturbing either one of you. And out again!" "I think I will have that sandwich." 99 said after a very loud proclamation from her stomach and strange looks from Max and the Chief. She sunk her teeth into it. "Mmm, this is delicious. You didn't get this from the CONTROL deli." "Yes, I did." The chief said. "Well, I guess you've got to be marked for death to get a good meal from that bunch. I can honestly say, this is the best thing I've ever eaten from there!" "Get some rest, 99." The chief told her before taking Max's arm and leading him out into the hallway. "She may not make sense for a little while. She's still under some pretty heavy painkillers. The nurse told me she was crying so hard, they gave her the shot and it didn't knock her out, or seem to help at all. She had three shots, before they took affect and they're supposed to be instantaneous!" "Right, chief." Max said turning back to the room. The chief turned him around again. "I wouldn't worry too much about, 99. She's a tough woman. She can take more than you can… no offense." Max smiled. @*********@ "Ok, 99. Take it easy." He instructed leading her into the door. "That's good." "Max," 99 said, "I hurt my shoulder, my legs work fine." She told him stroking his arm with the back of her hand. "I know that, 99." He told her hugging her, taking carefully into consideration her stitches, "I just like helping you." She smiled. "What can I say? I love your thank-you's." "Maxwell Smart, I do declare." She told him, smiling coquettishly. She kissed him. He smiled dreamily then took her back into his arms and kissed her again. "What was that for?" She said breaking the kiss. "That was 'you're welcome.'" He told her giving her another long kiss, "Very welcome." She gave a little laugh and noticed a good amount of packages and baskets. "What are those?" She asked looking over his shoulder. He turned to see. He bent down and picked up the first one he came upon, it was a basket of fruits, all 99's favorites, bananas, grapes, cherries, strawberries, and a honey dew melon. Her mouth watered. Max read the card, "Dear 99, Sorry to hear of your injury. Hope you aren't hurt seriously. Your boss, Mr. Clark called me. Give me a ring will you, darling? Enjoy the fruit, I think I got all your favorites. Love Mom." "Oh, that was nice of her and nice of the chief to think to call. What are the others though?" She looked down and saw at least six more. "Um…" Max said picking up another one. "This one is from, Mrs. Cranston (the landlady). The card says. 'Sorry about yesterday Mrs. Smart. Hope you get better real soon. Don't hesitate to drop by any time. Hope you enjoy the chocolates, Mrs. Cranston.'" "Wow, didn't know she was capable of human emotions." She opened the box and her mouth dropped, "All these people don't want me to get better, they want me to get fat!" "Heh, 99, look at this one." He handed her a basket. She pulled the card out of a bunch of roses (de-thorned of course), she laughed when she read the card, then read it aloud. "Sorry to hear about your shoulder, 99. Insincerely Siegfried.'" They laughed. "My gosh. These roses are beautiful." She paused and looked at them closely. "No microphone either." "Or on the basket." Max said, picking up another one. "This one is from… Carlson!" 99 took the card from his hands. "99, if you need anything at all just call me, Carlson." 99 laughed. "Max, I'm exhausted. I'm going to go up to bed. Please come with me, I don't want to be alone!" He paused looked down at the baskets. "Ok bring up the rest!" Later, after they sorted through all the baskets (not to mention pigged out)… "Oh, Max." 99 sighed. "I couldn't move if I wanted, too." They were sprawled on the bed, Max looked up as if coming out of a dream. "Me neither." Max said laughing and looking over at 99. "My god." He exclaimed. "What?" she yawned. "What is it?" "You are so incredibly beautiful!" He told her propping his head up on his hand. "I don't believe it took me three years to see how absolutely wonderful you are." "Forget it, Max." She told him. "You really forgive me?" He asked looking to 99 for an answer. She didn't answer she just nodded. And drifted off into a sound dreamless sleep… … 99 woke up, after feeling Max kiss her cheek. She looked up at him, "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to wake you up." She smiled adoringly, up at him. "No apologies necessary," She told him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him fervently. "But I don't mind them." "I'll see you in a little while." He told her after giving her another long kiss. She looked at him with fear in her eyes, "What? Where are you going?" She sat up in bed and anxiously awaiting his reply. "The chief wanted me to come down and get a few things. I promise I will hurry back." He kissed her hand, "I can't stand being away from you, you have my personal guarantee I won't be gone a second longer than necessary." He leaned in and kissed her again. "But Max," 99 said watching him heading for the bedroom door, and following him all the way down the stairs. "99, If I thought you were in danger, I wouldn't go anywhere, and the chief wouldn't make me. But I seriously don't think they'll come after you so soon." He kissed her though her mind wasn't in it, she looked at him with a 'ready-to-whine' face. "Oh, don't make this any harder than this is… if you are that afraid of being alone, why don't you take up Mrs. Cranston's offer. It's well passed 10 I'm sure she's not busy. Rent isn't collected till the 30th and her husband deals with the repairs and stuff. Please, don't look at me like that…" "OK." She said kissing his cheek. "I'll put something on and go 'round for a visit." He smiled. "Good." He pressed her nose gently. "Stay outta trouble." She giggled a little, "I'll rush back!" He kissed her cheek; she smiled, waved and watched him go down the hallway till she couldn't see him anymore. She got dressed and headed over to Mrs. Cranston's. She paused at the door and took a deep breath. She'd always been a bit apprehensive of Mrs. Cranston, she wasn't suspicious most of the time she was just a kindly old lady, but there was something not right. She rang the doorbell. 99 stood there waiting for a couple seconds. Mr. Cranston opened the door, 99 smiled courteously. Mr. Cranston greeted her with a hospitable smile. "You're here to see my wife, I presume. She's in the kitchen," he stopped and pointed, to a door very similar to the one in her apartment. "Sorry to rush off but I've got business on the next floor. He closed the door behind him, 99 took another deep breath and slowly pushed open the door, "Mrs. Cranston?" She asked shyly. "In here dear." She said standing and putting down her coffee. "I hope your feeling better, I feel awful about detaining you." "Oh think nothing of it." She said pulling out a chair and sitting down. "So how are you feeling?" she asked, 99 smiled, but it was apparent that it was a cover smile for, 'you have no idea how bad my nerves are!' "If you don't mind me asking… How did you get stabbed?" "Oh," she faked a laugh. "It was really quite bizarre. I had woken in the middle of the night and was making myself a sandwich. Max came down and startled me." "You don't have to lie." Mrs. Cranston told her. 99 looked at her again with that put back look. "I'm not lying!" Mrs. Cranston just looked at her with a 'sure' expression, 99 looked back and forth nervously, "How'd ya know I was lying?" "For one, if you truly were making a sandwich, you're the only woman I know who uses a sharp enough knife to do that." 99 nodded, "Besides, that was in the shape of a K how can you accidentally knife a K into your shoulder? But if you don't want to tell me you don't have to." 99 nodded again, "Thank-you." "So what brings you here?" she said after the exchanged respecting smiles. "Oh, I didn't want to be alone and Max went out for a little while." She paused, "This thing has me all shooken up. I can't believe I'm telling you all this." Mrs. Cranston put her hand on 99's. "Mrs. Smart?" She said cocking her head, "I never did catch your first name." "99." She said without thinking. She got a strange look from Mrs. Cranston. "Uh, it's a nickname." After a nice chat with Mrs. Cranston there was a knock at the door. 99 got nervous and nearly dropped her coffee mug, she sloshed some over the side, Mrs. Cranston handed her some napkins. "Mrs. Smart? It's your husband." She called from the living room. "Oh." 99 said to herself and dashed out of the kitchen, and saw Max, "Max!" she shouted throwing her arms around him. "Mom?" A deep voice called from the back of the room. 99 screamed and jumped into Max's arms, she buried her face in his shoulder. She got a couple of very strange looks. "99?!" Max said putting his shaking wife down on her own two feet, "What is wrong with you? It's only Mrs. Cranston' son." "No, he's Nicholas C. Yesht!" She told him out of earshot of everyone but Max, "I saw his file, not two days ago! Please, lets go back to the apartment!" "Sorry, Mrs. Cranston, Nick." Max apologized trying to push 99 off of him (she was clinging very tightly), "99!" he said trying to free himself enough to move. Mrs. Cranston watched Max and 99 leave, she turned to her son, "Strange people." "You know they call each other by numbers?" He gave a funny look towards the door, "she's not a bad looking woman though!" "99, will you please tell me what that was all about?" He asked still trying to get 99 to stop hanging on his shoulders. He was pushing but she wouldn't let go. And the scary part was he was pushing his very most hardest and she just wasn't budging. Could she be stronger than him? "That's Nicholas C. Yesht! The KAOS new recruit, one of three students that graduated the school last year." 99 was explaining not looking up at him. "It's been rumored that he joined up with the KKC." "99, if your going to go visiting you can't scream like that every time some one enters a room. I think you popped an ear drum." He poked at his ear. She reached up and ran the back of her hand on his face, "Oh, poor Max." She let go, somewhat, and stood in front of him, "Want me kiss it make it better?" "Don't patronize me 99." He said thinking she was being sarcastic. "Oh, Max." 99 purred she kissed the ear, "Does that feel better?" "Much," he told her sincerely, it had stopped hurting some time ago, "You know 99?" He smiled, "My lips hurt!" She smiled and kissed him, "Better?" "Not quite." "Max." "99." "Stop that." "Stop what?" "Nevermind." She sighed, and patted his shoulder, then walked to the couch and sat down. "Will you come with me, Max?" "Sure." He said joining her on the couch. "No, Max, I meant the grocery store, will you come with me to the grocery store? We really need food, and I don't want to go out alone, or be left alone for that matter." "No." He told her shaking his head. "You won't go with me?" "No, I'm not going with you and you're not going. The chief gave me very strict orders, you are not to leave the apartment." Max stated firmly. "Max? Are you saying I'm not to leave, ever?" He opened his mouth to speak but she wasn't through. "I can't go anywhere at all? I'll become a hermit! I'll just be a fat little old lady, sitting in the corner, completely oblivious to her surroundings." "The chief and I are only concerned for your well-being." He soothed. After a long silence and the exchanging of respectful smiles 99 said, "What about food?" "We can order in tonight and tomorrow you can call and ask… Carlson grocery run." @*********@ Max had gone out to pick up the food. 99 was still nervous about being alone. She paced back and forth through the apartment. She stopped to go look out the window to calm her frazzled nerves. She leaned against the windowpane and let the cool breeze brush her face and blow her bangs and hair, she sighed. She opened her eyes and looked down into the street, her gaze was met by a young man, who looked up at her with a sly smile. She turned away and held her hand to her chest till her racing heart slowed up a bit. Wait a second, she thought, wasn't that Nicholas C. Yesht? She turned and looked around again; he was gone. Just then 99 heard footsteps in the hallway she stood completely still, daring not to breathe. The doorknob began to turn, the door opened. She shrieked. "99!?!" Max yelled in surprise, "What did we just discuss about screaming every time someone enters a room?" "Let's eat." She suggested. He put the brown bag down on the dining room table. "Let's see. I had the triple Decker medium well cheeseburger extra onions." He set it down on the place setting 99 prepared for him. "And you had, the Chicken Salad, with ranch dressing extra chicken." He set it in front of her. She picked up her napkin (which she folded quite nicely, she had some free time) and snapped it to reveal the entire napkin. She laid it gently on her lap. Max watched shaking his head as she tossed the salad many times, with her fork and spoon. "99? You are strange. If you were going to do that, why not just get a toss salad?" He asked. "There's a difference, the makings are different." She explained. "How so?" He asked still looking perplexed. "Chicken." @*****@ 99 was sitting on the couch talking on the phone while Max sat in a chair listening, "Yes… Oh and eggs too." She listened saying 'Mmm Hmm' every now and then. "Yes, oh thank you Carlson. You don't know how much I appreciate this. Ok, see you around two? Yup, Bye-bye." "There," he said watching her still, "You've got your groceries. Are you happy now?" he asked sincerely. "Mildly." She answered getting up and pacing again, "You know? Carlson can be a real gentleman when he wants to be." "Unfortunately he doesn't want to very often." Max frowned. "Max you've got no need to be jealous of Carlson. It'll be a cold day in hell when I let Carlson get any where." She kissed his forehead, "No worries, love." About an hour later, at two as promised, Carlson showed up with an armload of groceries. Much to Max's dismay he even helped 99 put them away. "Thank you so much, Avery." 99 told Carlson shaking his hand. He turned it over and went to kiss her had; 99 pulled away before he got the chance. "Tut, tut!" "Well, 99," he said courteously, "Next time you need groceries, don't hesitate to call." He closed the door behind him after 99 thanked him again. She turned to look at Max again. "Avery?" Max looked to 99, 99 shrugged. @*********@ "What was that?" 99 asked putting down her magazine. Sitting up at attention. "What was what?" Max asked (not playing around this time) "I didn't hear anything." "It was something in the hallway." She got up and grabbed the holster that her gun was in, walking towards the door. "Hey stop!" Max stood up, "Where are you going with that?" 99 put a finger to her lips, "Shh." She insisted. She pulled the gun of the holster Max got up slowly following her, without her noticing. She opened the door and Max jumped onto her. He grabbed the gun first of all, and jammed it into his pocket. She screamed.  "Sorry, Mrs. Stevenson, Mr. Stevenson." He waved with a nervous laugh. They gave him a strange look watching 99 squealing and trying desperately to get away. Just as soon as they had gone into their apartment 99 went of, "Max! Get off me!" She demanded pounding the floor with her fists. "And give me back my gun! It's mine not yours!" "I'll only give you back your gun if you promise not to act stupid like this. And I won't get off you till you tell me that you will not pull your gun," he started screaming at this point "On people walking past you!" She shouted back, "You don't have to yell!" He lifted himself up. He grabbed hold of her wrist and dragged her back into the apartment. "I can walk." She said gruffly. She walked over to the phone, she picked up the phone, "Who are you calling?" Max demanded. "CONTROL. I want some one over here to guard me who won't jump on me!" He walked over and put down the phone. "You promised me you wouldn't act stupid." He told her holding down the phone. "I didn't promise you anything." She said narrowing her eyes at him, "Let go of the phone… MAXWELL SMART, I SAID, LET GO OF THE PHONE!!!!!" "Make me!" He told her. She reached up and smacked him across the face. "BITCH!" He reached up and grabbed her hair from each side, and yanked on it. She screamed and retaliated delivering a powerful punch to his stomach while he was doubled 99 kneed him in the nose. He yelped in pain and came back with a kick on the shins and a right hook to the jaw. 99 socked him in the eye. She still clenched her hair, 99 desperately reached for the phone, she dialed the 353 to the CONTROL office, 99 cried out, "CHIEF!" She called just before Max, with 99 by the scruff of her neck, banged her head against the side table. The phone cord got knocked out of the wall, cutting the chief off, extremely worried about 99. Even though, 99 was doing a walloping good job of defending herself. Another series of violent punches to Max's stomach and chest, was followed by a couple of illegal blows to her chest. Which sent 99 off furiously, with a below the belt kick. This kept going for the five minutes it takes to get from CONTROL to the Smarts' apartment. When he got there a barrage of pieces of the vase that 99 broke over Max's head hit him.  Hey grabbed the back of Max's shirt, and pulled him back, but if there was any one who needed to be restrained it was 99. She was breathing heavily, her nostrils flaring and her teeth grinding. She landed one last mean hit to his jaw. "Thanks a lot, Chief." Max said, rubbing his jaw. And exhaling unsteadily. An hour later after a few tests were done, it was determined that the injury list is as follows: 99, a dislocated wrist and, a black eye. Max: two missing molars and an extremely swollen jaw. 99 kept her eyes averted, well one of them anyway, the other one was covered by raw meat. "I come down here expecting to find 99 being assaulted, that part I was expecting, was for you Max to be the one assaulting her. The pair of you are infuriating!" Max sat looking down at his shoes, like a kid in detention. "She started it." Max mumbled under his breath, but was heard by both persons in the room. She wacked his shoulder, with an outburst of pain on his part. "I did not and you know it!" She yelled. "Did so!" "You jumped on me!" "You were ready to shoot our neighbors!" "There are subtler ways to get your point across." "STOP! I can stand this fighting! 99 you're to go to your room, and stay there," The chief demanded pointing up the stairs. "Chief!" 99 objected shrilly still holding the meat to her eye. "You cannot…" she was outraged. "I will not…" she stuttered. "Do you want me to call your mother?" He asked. "Oh my god you can't be serious!" She stomped about. "I am a grown woman! I don't have to listen to my mother, to Max, and most of all you! I'm not at work, or on a case, you have no right to tell me what to do!" She grabbed her jacket, "Bye." "Where are you going?" He demanded. "You aren't my father," he sensed a hitch in her voice. "Besides, what do you care. So long, Max." She saluted, "Have a nice, life." She slammed the door, so hard it caused the windows to rattle and something fell and broke somewhere in the kitchen. "Nice goin' Chief, you really showed her." Max remarked sarcastically. @*******@ 99 ran down the hall and down the stairs and out the door. She didn't stop for running across the street, the car in the left lane, nearly hit her. She hardly batted an eyelash. She wiped tears from her face and kept running along the sidewalk, "Hey watch it lady!" A man on the corner shouted. She paid no attention she was oblivious to everything, besides she couldn't see through the tears that were blurring everything. She ran and ran until she absolutely couldn't anymore. But she didn't care she made it where she was going… @*********@ "She isn't in there." Max announced disappointedly, coming out of the ninth building and the chief agreeing coming out of the eighth. "She couldn't have gone that far on foot," the chief pointed out, "although she does still hold the record for the fastest on foot record at CONTROL." Max shook his head, "No, she's second, Hymie beat her by five seconds." He paused for a moment, thinking "Chief I know where she is." "How could you?" He asked looking at him uncertainly. "She told us herself." "Max as usual, you aren't making any sense at all." The Chief complained. "No, no. Don't you see? She told you, 'You aren't her father.' She's gone to see her father!" Max insisted. "Max her father has been dead for years," He persisted. "Exactly," He got a strange look from the Chief, "She's gone to the cemetery!" @*********@ Here we find 99 on her knees in front of a large tombstone, crying. She sifted some dirt through her fingers, and watched the lumps crumble as the moved in her hand. She felt something in her side, "Get up slowly." She did as she was told because she knew as well as we do that what she felt in her side (amplified in this situation) was a gun. "You wouldn't kill me out here." She told him. "Oh but you don't know KKC then." He chuckled, "Turn around. I want to see your eyes before I kill you." She turned, hands at her side, and looked straight into the eyes of Mrs. Cranston's son Nick (a.k.a. Nicholas C. Yesht) she shivered slightly. He pulled the top thingy, of the gun. He fell to the ground though before anything else. He grabbed hold of 99 and dragged her down to the ground with him. She saw a knife in his back, and looked up to see who saved her. She couldn't, however, see anything, the sun was shining too brightly in her eyes. 99 did see the hand that reached out to her. She grabbed it, to felt familiar. But somehow not familiar. She looked into the helper's face. She gave a confused to look to, Siegfried. "But…" she stuttered. "What's the matter?" He asked, "You looked surprised to see me." "I am." She announced. Shaking her head, "You killed your own man." "I know. What? I can do a favor for my favorite enemy?" Siegfried said innocently. Just then the Chief and Max hurried towards them. "Siegfried, hands up!" 99 was just looking into his face with a strange look. "Chief oh my God. He's hypnotized her." "Leave, Siegfried alone." 99 said. "99, do you know what you're saying?" The chief demanded. "I said Leave Siegfried alone." She repeated. "He saved my life." "Oh, 99." The Chief sighed, "We've done this before, it was just a clever plot on his part to infiltrate CONTROL. Don't you remember when he saved you and Max?" "Chief," Siegfried started, "I don't want to get into CONTROL this time. I just wish to see that this fair lady was not harmed by the KKC. You see, the KKC went against KAOS orders when the marked Miss 99, they had to be eliminated. And so they were one, by one. He was the last. There isn't anymore KKC." He turned to 99 and reached out and shook her hand, "You can walk freely and not worry." She gave a small bow, "Thank-you." This time she let Siegfried kiss her hand. She was still mad at Max; that'd make his blood boil! Which it did. He narrowed his eyes at Siegfried. Siegfried said before withdrawing the scene, "Until we meet again." "99." Max gave her an angry look. "You had no right to skip out like that. We were worried to death about you." "Max, stop talking down to me. You have your missing teeth to remind you, I can take care of myself." She walked past bumping into him. "I'm not talking down to you," he assured her, holding onto her back belt loop, she didn't struggle much. He turned her around and held tightly to her, even though 99 still struggled a bit, and wouldn't look into his eyes. "I was just worried about you. I love you more than anything else in the world. If anything ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do." "Oh, Max." She leaned in and kissed hi passionately. She broke the kiss maybe a minute later (the secret is breathing through your nose!), "I'm so sorry… I…" she started crying. "You don't have to apologize." Max told her brushing his face against hers. "But, I want to." She insisted, "My special apology." She smiled; Max smiled. "OK. Apologize." He caved, 99 smiled and blushed slightly. She whispered in his ear, "Even more special."