Part Two
"Where are you going?" he asked with his sleep laden voice, his eyes still shut as his arm held her tighter to him, refusing to allow her departure from his arms.
She smiled as she was pulled in to him and her shoulders were teased with the soft bristles of Logan's chest hair. Who would have ever thought how much she would love that feeling? The rest of her squirmed against him as well, eliciting a smile from him as well. A little easier to explain this feeling, she thought, at least to Kendra. "Will's awake," she finally explained her failed attempt at sneaking out of his arms. A sign he must either be more rested or adjusting to life with a newborn, since he hadn't fallen into a deep sleep immediately as he'd been doing for most of the week.
"I don't hear him," he answered with wandering hands. A different set of actions causing her to remain in her place this time.
She smirked, "You will."
He groaned and his hands stopped and instead just pulled her close to him.
A completely and utterly pleased smile crossed her face. There were no words to describe how lucky she was.
A small groan of disappointment as Will started to make his presence known, followed by a quick squeeze from Logan as he moved away and sat up.
Max half smiled and half pouted as she rolled to her side and moved to stand. A full pout as she looked at the floor, everyday clothes lay there, she'd skipped changing for bed that night, most nights when in this predicament she slid into whatever shirt Logan had worn when wandering around the apartment, but even tonight that wasn't an option, he'd skipped changing too and simply came to bed in his boxer briefs which did her no good. "Damn," she muttered under her breath and left the warmth of the sheets that had been retaining the heat she had felt from Logan's body wrapped around hers.
Logan chuckled watching her cross the room quickly with an extra bounce in her step, he said one word and only one, "Spoiled." The meaning was known to them both, submerged in a frozen lake escaping Manticore the first time without actually having to say the word Manticore and spoil the mood. Now she was complaining about not having protection against a temperature controlled apartment in springtime.
She turned back and gave him a quick glare as she pulled open a drawer, causing his laugh to continue for a moment before it stopped leaving only the sounds of an increasingly hungry newborn.
He suddenly looked forlorn as he looked over at her as she rifled through his drawer.
"What?" she asked as she slipped a simple gray tee-shirt over her head.
"We should probably buy you a robe."
She shook her head and laughed at him, continuing to chuckle as she walked out of the room.
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The next morning:
She was smiling once more wandering around the quiet apartment; a smile hadn't exactly been on her face earlier when Logan had sent her to deal with the seemingly continuously crying baby since he was in the middle of making their omelets. Their leisurely, relaxing weekend breakfast had been decimated for the second day in a row, granted today they'd actually managed to eat together, but with a newborn who started to cry every time he was put down. Logan finally just gave up after two failed attempts and ate breakfast holding him as Max tried not to glower at the kid across from her.
She was smiling now though since Logan had given the proper response to her, 'Any plans for today?' question.
An, "Aren't we going shopping?' as an arm had gone around her to pull her in for a kiss.
Of course the smile also might have fallen for a short time when she was on the phone with Kendra turning down the offer of lunch, rolling her eyes and laughing at her friend's teasing when Will had started to cry and she ducked further away and passed it off as the tv before quickly hanging up.
She returned to find Logan looking at her accusingly.
'What?'
'The tv?'
She just looked at him.
That had been an hour ago though. Right now she had a contented smile upon her face as Logan went through the kitchen figuring out what they'd need, as he mentally jotted down the things they did have. She didn't poke her head into any cupboards or the fridge though (and not because of any advance intellect), she'd just call out things and he'd either add it to the list, tell her they already had it or tell her they didn't need it.
Trivial, domestic stuff. Really quite pathetic when she thought about it. All those eye rolls and sighs of pity for how sad Natalie was because how much joy she got out of being the 'wifey' to Sketch. And here Max was now, smiling like an idiot.
"I need to call Bling and get the name of his formula guy, we're running low," Logan said butting in on her 'smile time' as she was about to fill a glass of water.
She turned and just looked at him.
"What?"
"Formula guy?" she asked with a smile and a slight chuckle, her face totally aglow.
He turned mildly defensive, "You can't just buy formula from anyone, they cut it with everything nowadays," it was a slight overreaction he was aware, but due in part to the fact that he'd played the role of housewife for a full week. "Do you read anything I write?" he questioned a moment later remembering he'd written an article on the subject a few months back.
She laughed and smiled, "Powdered formula that was actually more cornstarch and flour than formula, three kids died, they think the flour was tainted which is why the kids died instead of just got sick," she finished with a 'so there' look. Poor kids nowadays, actually poor everyone who didn't have the constitution of an ox. She was amazed there was anyone left still alive with a food allergy; of course she hadn't met anyone in awhile with a severe one…
He smiled, "So why'd you laugh?"
"Bling has a formula guy?"
He looked puzzled and then laughed, "I don't ask why, I'm just going to be happy he does."
"What about Gianni?" Gianni, as in the owner of the small market they tended to pick up their boxed and canned goods from, there had never been a question of his quality before.
Another thoughtful look from Logan, "He sells formula?"
She laughed, "Right next to the diapers Logan." How had he missed that? Oh right feminine products, it really was true all men stopped and turned around at that point. Another laugh.
The pen raised in the air for a second before dropping to the pad, "We need diapers too. We can pick up some more disposables until we can get the cloth kind."
Max stopped herself from laughing….Yea definitely no way in hell Sketchy was going to be doing any of this in six months.
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Max felt her attitude returning, a certain wariness as they entered the crowded marketplace, a sea of different colored tents and smells filing the environment.
All had gone well at the apartment, Logan packed a diaper bag, asked Max to grab the stroller as he got Will loaded into the carrier…It had been a seamless event. Just like the car ride, it hadn't really been out of the ordinary. Then they parked less than a block away and out came the stroller…And Logan's hands on the stroller. Both hands pushing the light green stroller.
"Why'd Bling get a pink stroller?" she asked pulling up with it as Logan was straping Will into the carrier.
"What are you talking about?" he turned looking confused, "It's," his eyes flickered over to the hood, "sage?"
She laughed, "I mean the frame, its pink." She hadn't really noticed it until just then, especially since it had been out of her sight for days.
He was about to completely discount her when he looked at the frame, a moment of being puzzled, before looking up with confidence. "That's just the light and the walls; they're reflecting oddly, its cream."
"You sure about that?" she asked with a smile.
He nodded through his uncertainty. It had definitely been cream when he'd put it together, at least he thought it had been cream.
Logan had been right mostly, though she still wouldn't describe it as cream…however, the color no longer mattered to her, but instead the location of his hands. Both of them firmly attached to the handle.
She was insane she realized as she became aware of the fact that she was jealous of a kid who was less than a week old. Or wait actually…He was a week today right? It suddenly occurred to her that not only was she jealous of a kid that was supposed to be her son, she knew nothing about him. The most basic of things, when he was born, she didn't know. She assumed he was born last Sunday since Logan had come home on Monday.
No time of birth, no weight, hell wasn't even positive of his birth date and she was supposed to be his mother.
She was supposed to be his mother and she wasn't sure she didn't hate him.
As soon as that thought came to her mind so did the flash of guilt. Wasn't his fault. Zack's death, Manticore, even the fact that Logan was repeatedly ignoring her for him wasn't his fault. He was a baby.
Didn't change it though.
Weekend shopping meant on and off hand holding, an arm casually flung around her, gentle hugs, not two hands on the handle and none on her.
She felt like a petulant child, but this was it. They were over. They were over and no one thought to give her advance warning. No 'this will be the last time you lounge on the sofa for five uninterrupted hours,' no days spent entirely in bed with only short runs to the bathroom or kitchen. They were over. And Will apparently had no idea that three really was a crowd, then again she seemed to be the extra body in this group.
Out of nowhere an arm interrupted her thoughts and draped itself over her shoulders and pulled her in to him.
Pathetic Max, she told herself as Logan walked with one arm draped around her and the other pushed the stroller not separating until they reached the first stand.
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"Why are you trying to keep me from the penthouse?" Syl paused in her task of pulling on her boots to look at Krit.
"I'm not, I just thought you'd rather go get some dinner," How was it he'd been taught to lie to everyone but his girlfriend?
"We're broke," she pointed out; granted not flat ass broke, but pretty close to it, "remember you spent your last two paychecks getting new tires?"
Last two paychecks and then some, he thought with a glimmer of pain, focus Krit, his mind reminded. "Not so broke that we can't get dinner," especially since Logan better be paying me back.
"What's going on?" she asked as she stood stomping her foot into its final position leaning down tugging the tops up and her pants down.
"Nothing, just thought you might want to grab some dinner."
"I want to see my sister," she said moving out of the room.
"Come on," he followed her out of the room and down the stairs, "you know how they are on the weekend; you probably don't want to go over there."
She paused and looked up at him, "They're like that all the time, what aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing," he answered with a shake.
Her only response was a wry face and she turned back and finished heading down the stairs.
New tactic, "Okay well you have fun," he flopped on the couch, "maybe I'll head over to Crash later."
She walked back in, now adjusting her coat, "Try not to blow the rest of my paycheck," she joked.
"Can't make any promises," oh yea, this would work; he stretched out on the sofa.
"Yea well I can promise to kick your ass later," she picked her keys off the tv he'd just flicked on, "I'll tell Max and Logan you said hi."
"Oh come on," he cajoled suddenly shooting up and grabbing her hand, "you don't really want to leave me here all alone." He tugged on her hand and pulled her down on top of him.
"Really do, unless you want to give me the real reason behind not wanting me over there," she paused for a moment focusing deep into the eyes that were so eerily similar to their sister's, searching out their secret.
He acted as if he didn't understand what she meant and his hands tried to slip in under her shirt.
A quick push away and a stand, "Really not going to tell me?"
"Syl," he stood, "I swear, there's nothing to tell."
"Leaving," she turned.
Dammit, dammit, dammit, he thought watching her heading towards their back door and her bike, "Syl," he finally called out.
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Most people would probably find this cute, she thought from the corner of the living room, Logan and Max stretched out together on the sofa. Most, but not her. Syl was used to seeing it, everyone was used to seeing it, it caused a varying range of emotions occasionally still, from jealously, to distain, to pity. They were cute to the average passerby, the rest of them were generally just used to it.
Truthfully, she had no idea how Max spent so much time with Logan, then again she'd been separated from Krit for only a few brief years of their lives. She'd kill him within a day if she spent as much 'quality time' as Max did with Logan.
Damn, now that she was here she had no idea what to say.
'Max is screwed up,' Krit had repeated that several times. That and 'Cute kid.' Seriously, the guy was lucky he was 'cute,' it was the only reason to explain why they were together half the time. She'd also heard, 'Go easy on her.'
She didn't really feel like going easy on her though. She just kept it to herself for nine months that there was still a little piece of Zack floating around out there. What right did she have to think that was her call to make?
Speaking of the kid, where the hell was he? Her eyes flickered around the room looking for that basinet Krit had kept mumbling about. If they had done anything with him…She started walking.
Their eyes both shot over to the sound of Syl's angry footsteps.
"We need a better security system," Max said casually before letting her eyes roll back to the tv.
"I've been talking to Sebastian about a fingerprint pad," he nodded, "hey Syl." He stopped for a moment and looked down at Max, "I thought you were our security system?"
She shrugged and didn't look particularly apologetic as she pushed away from him. "Where's Krit?" She asked swinging her legs off the couch.
"My guess is trying to figure a way out of the handcuffs without ripping out the radiator," she replied calmly. That would teach him to think twice about lying to her. At least she hadn't turned on the heat like she'd threatened to.
"That's my cue to check on dinner," Logan said following Max's lead of swinging his legs off the couch. He knew better than to try to interfere with any sisters, especially these.
Syl waited until Logan left the room as Max casually remained on the edge of the couch looking over at her, her expression giving away nothing, Krit really could use some pointers from her. "Rumor has it I have a nephew, saw the stroller, but don't see a kid."
"He was sleeping, didn't make any sense to move him from the kitchen."
"You left him in the kitchen?" her voice elevated a decibel, she said as she started to quickly leave the room. "What is he a fish?"
Max's hand was around her sister's forearm before Syl even realized she moved. "Watch your voice," Max spoke with a deadly seriousness that informed her sister she wasn't kidding. "He's not a fish and he's not a doll, he's a baby and he's asleep, you're not going to upset him because you're a little cranky."
"Says the woman who wanted to give him to strangers," her voice lowered to a harsh whisper.
"Yea well I didn't, did I?" Granted that was Logan, but it still didn't change the fact that he was still here and he was staying.
"But you were going to, you were going to give away my nephew without every telling us he existed," did Max really not get just how big that was?
"Tell you what, when there's a kid out there who has half of your dna you can make all the calls on him, but this one doesn't. This is my life," she paused, "mine and Logan's, we get to make the decisions in it."
Syl just shook her head and shook her arm free of her sister and started to walk away. "You know you're not the only one who's had a rough time," she turned back, "we all lost Zack, its not yours alone."
Thanks for reading everyone!