And when they'd finally made it back to the others, them being a happy Ken and a slightly morose Max....

Rose: You guys were amazing!

Tiffany: Agreed. Both of you did exceptionally well.

Luke: Hmph. Yeah. Good job.

Rose: Uh huh. It was soooo cool.

It wasn't like Rose didn't want Max to win, nor that she didn't understand how Max felt. In fact, she'd already noticed Max seeming a little off.

So, what she'd said was, in part, an attempt to make him smile. One that did not work, to her sorrow.

Ken, on the other hand, was quite proud to receive this praise.

Ken: Why, thank you. Thank you all...

As for Max...

Max: Yeah... sure....

His eyes strayed away from his mother's.

Sure, having lost in front of the rest of the team was one thing, but losing in front of his mother was a whole other beast.

The same way a child feels bad after getting a bad grade. That's how he felt.

However....

Julianne: Max, sweetie?

Max: Yeah?

He weakly turned his head towards her.

Perhaps because he was so perturbed, did he not notice his mother starting towards him up until he was right upon him.

Julianne: That was incredible!

She grabbed him and gave him a big hug, almost knocking off his legs.

Max: Huh!?

Julianne: I mean, really. I was on my toes the whole time.

Max: You were?

Julianne: Mm hm. That moment when you got up from the ice and started skating... I couldn't believe it.

Max: Really?

Julianne: And when you knocked Ken into the ice.

She then made what could only be described as a girlish scream. Not a teenage girlish scream. More of a... "in her thirties" girlish scream.

After all, she was a mother. And what mother would not be proud of her son?

And why wouldn't she be?

She wasn't just proud of his powers or of his use of them.

Rather....

Flashback....

Just when Max had slipped on the icy floor...

Max: I ain't quittin' y' hear...

Ken: But you can't even move...

Max: Yeah, .... so!?

Ken: Hmm?

Max: I said I'm not quitting! Hmph!

And also...

When Max started skating on the ice.

Max: Woah! Woah!

And after that...

Max: Woo hoo!

His ice skating.

She was especially proud of two things.

Her son's incredible sense of balance. That was a sign of how strong he was. His own talents and hard work coming to light. But what was more important was her son's guts.

As a woman who had seen muh in her life, she had grown to respect people who refused to surrender even in hopeless situations.

After all, that was the man she'd married.

And then, right at that point... Max was just like her husband.

But perhaps even more importantly, at that point, her son was incredible.

One could say that every parent has, at the very least, some idea of who their children will be when they grow up.

And, one could say that that ideal comes from intuition. That being, an innate knowledge of their child's potential. A potential that is not innate, but rather, one that the child must grow into.

Whether it was that or the fact that she was simply impressed.. perhaps both. Who was to say?

But one thing was for sure. Julianne Hunter was proud of her son. Almost exceptionally so.

And as for Max...

Like any child receiving praise from his or her parents....

Almost as though the voice of some unknown and foreign judge who, in some sense, has a hold over one's very own soul. A judge that holds the keys to one's very own self-worth. One's very own belief in their growth and progress. That is the voice of a parent.

Perhaps, in a sense, it is a symbiotic relationship. Or, maybe, a relationship that exists beyond the realms of a mere 1 dimensional, or maybe even 3 dimensional reality. Child and parent. A relationship that exists beyond reality itself.

And so, Max couldn't help but feel better about the loss. The judge had spoken. It still stung, but he couldn't help it.

Julianne: Your father would be so proud of you.

And what is better than one? That would be two.

Knowing his father would also be proud was just the frosting and fruit on an already pretty good cake.

Max: R... really?

Julianne: Absolutely.

And then, Julianne held her son even tighter, squeezing him really hard, making another girlish squeal

Julianne: My baby boy is so strong.

Now, while children, teens, and even adults feel good about receiving praise from their parents, well.. teenagers will be teenagers.

And teenage boys will be teenage boys.

Max: H.. hey... let me go.

And moms will be moms.

Julianne: Awww... c'mon, sweetie. Just a little more.

Max: Moooooooom!

The rest of the team simply watched this occur, Rose simply giggling, and Ken and Luke quietly chuckling.

Max: (blushing) Hey mooooooom!

At that point, Max was struggling to pull away from her. But she wouldn't let go.

Max: Moooooooom!

Julianne: Ok... ok.

She finally let go.

Max was relieved to be released, only to be further embarrassed by the looks on his friends' faces.

He turned away, hiding his red face, as most teens would.

As for Julianne.

Julianne: And Ken?

Ken: Hmm?

Julianne: You did a great job, too.

Ken: I did?

It wasn't that he didn't think he did, but rather that Julianne saying that was one of the last things he'd expected to happen.

Julianne: Mmm.. hmm. Your bionics exceeded my expectations. But... enough about that now..

Her eyes turned to the basement door.

Julianne: Let's go eat!

Luke: Finally...

He suddenly became embarrassed, realising that he'd never intended on saying that out loud.

Luke: Uhh....

Julianne simply giggled.

Julianne: Looks like someone's hungry.

They were, in fact, all hungry.

But none of them would comment on this.

Well.... except for one person.

Rose: Oh. I'm suuuuper hungry too!

Julianne: Alright then.

With a bright, warm, and charming smile

Julianne: Let's go eat.