Uniting As The Ten- Part Two Of The Conclusion To The United Series

Chapter Twenty Two

^^^Yes I know that this is Andy Biersack from Black Veil Brides (yes, I listen to rock bands) but this is exactly what Remo looks like minus the tattoos and piercings so...here you go, I guess. Again.

Max's POV:

I choke on my coffee.

"WHAT?!" I shout. Octavian jumps up in surprise and slams on the break. When the car stops, I'm breathing heavily, but not because the car almost flipped.

"He wants me to court you. Basically, he wants me to date you." Octavian repeats.

"I know what courting means, but why?" I question. Octavian sighs and purses his lip.

"I don't know, but he doesn't just want me to do it, he's ordering me to. We don't exactly have a choice." He replies.

I sigh in annoyance and lean back on the seat, breathing heavily. "I don't care what Setràkus Ra says, I am not dating you, Octavian." I tell him as he continues driving again.

"It's either me, Bryce, Curtis, Michael or Remo, Max. Take your pick." Octavian says.

"I pick death."

Octavian sighs in exasperation and focuses on the road again.

"And when you turn twenty, he wants us to get married." Octavian quickly adds in.

"Well you can tell him that you're eighteen years old and I'm fifteen." I reply bitterly. "And what does he want us to do after that, have kids?" I add sarcastically.

"You make it sound like you don't want kids at all." Octavian tells me.

"Not with you." I respond, and I've never thought about having kids before. I just never thought I'd ever live that far, but now that I really think about it, I think I do actually want kids. Maybe three with Leo.

And I realize I'm thinking about having kids with Leo as I'm on my way to say goodbye to him forever.

I take a deep breath and stare out the window at the dark desert.

At least I can see him one last time.

-Time Skip Brought to you by Ivan's Bisexuality-

We're finally in New York.

After the argument about Octavian courting me once we get back, we haven't spoken a word to each other. Not a single word.

As Octavian's driving towards the building everyone's staying in, he takes a turn towards the woods and stops the car by a thick tree. I don't say anything as he turns to look at me.

"Look, I'm sorry. You're being forced to do things you don't want to do, and I honestly hate that. But I really don't want you to be mad at me, Max." He tells me and I immediately start to feel guilty. He said it himself; Setràkus Ra is forcing him to court me. It's not his decision, and I'm being completely unfair to him by snapping at him and being mad at him.

"I-I'm not mad at you. It wasn't your choice, anyways." I reply.

"I'm not only sorry about that. I'm...I'm sorry about everything." His voice cracks and I automatically look his way. He's sitting straight in his seat again but I can easily spot the tears forming in the edges of his eyes.

Oh gods oh gods oh gods.

Remo, remember what Remo did. He cried and made you feel bad and made you forgive him, then he took advantage of it. Don't fall for it, don't fall for it.

But this isn't a trick. I can tell that this isn't a trick. He's genuinely sorry, and those tears are real. I don't know how I know, but I do. I wish I could read minds like he can.

"I'm sorry for...torturing you with fire and the knife at Dulce, and letting the Mogs experiment on you and..." His voice is heavy and shaky now. He's gripping the steering wheel tightly and I can feel tears forming in my eyes, too.

"I'm so sorry, Max." And he hugs me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me so close to him I feel his heartbeat against me. I grab fistfuls of his shirt and bury my head into his chest. I don't care if this is a trick. Screw it.

He softly strokes the top of my hair that isn't done up in a loose braid. After about a minute or two in that position, we both break apart from each other. I look up at Octavian and there are a few tears streaming down his face. He looks down at me and smiles sadly.

"Let's go."

Leo's POV:

I can't stand this anymore.

I need her. I need her next to me right now. I can't stand another second without her.

I can't say I'm not a mess. Honestly, I'm probably a bigger mess than I was when Max got blown away by the explosion she made in Chicago with the cannon against the Mogs.

I sit in a random room waiting for seemingly nothing when the door to the bedroom nearly slams open. I look up and try my best to wipe away the multiple dry tear stains on my cheeks when I see Ivan standing in the doorway. He stares down at me with wide eyes.

"Leo, I'm sorry..." Ivan trails off, chewing his bottom lip anxiously. I don't reply. I just stare at the floor and glance at the charcoal drawing of Max Hazel drew for me. She got every single thing right; those mischievous and cheerful glints in her eyes, the freckles dotting her nose, that slight eyebrow raise she does when she smiles. It's perfect. It makes me miss her all over again.

"I just...kind of need to be alone right now." I tell Ivan. He nods his head and gives me a small smile before walking out of the room and closing the door. I slightly smile at the door and at Ivan. He may have killed Max, betrayed her and put her under a love potion, but overall Ivan isn't so bad once someone really gets to know him.

I'm about to lie down to finally fall asleep since Max got captured when the door is swung open a second time. This time, Jason stands in the doorway. He notices me right away, but I've already wiped away all my dry tears, so it just looks like I'm really tired.

"Hey, have you seen Ivan?" Jason asks me. That's ironic.

"He just came by, but I don't know where he is, sorry." I answer, hoping my voice isn't as cracky and shaky as it seems.

"Okay, thanks. And try to get some sleep, Leo. I know it's been...hard for you." Jason replies, glancing at the drawing of Max on the nightstand next to the bed I'm sitting on. I guess you can't keep anything from Jason Grace.

I nod my head in agreement and Jason flashes me a small smile before locking the door and closing it behind him. I lay down on the bed and pull the blanket up to my chin, thinking back to the night Max and I slept next to each other; after she came back from the Anubis and told us everything that's happened to her. I want that now. I want her to be next to me right now. I want to take her in my arms and pull her close and cuddle her and never let go.

But for now, I slip into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Alone.