AN: Sorry for the delay peeps, turns out bot Cassie and I thought the other would be posting... :P Mea Culpa... While we didn't quite make it to the deadline, at least it's still Monday over here. We'll try and have next chapter uploaded whitin two weeks. As always, Read and Review. The little green button and the bottom is your friend!

Darn, I'm such a review wh0r3...

Chapter Two

She didn't move from her spot on the window. A mask of pain was firmly set on her flawless, beautiful face. It gave her a haunting air, an almost intimidating presence; it was an unnerving sight that gave Eva Jace Guevara chills along her spine.

"Mom…" Her voice was quiet; she didn't want to startle Max, if that was possible anyway.

Max didn't attempt to look away from the crawling morning skies; perhaps she figured it was easier looking at the rolling clouds than her child for the moment. Eva stepped forward confused, her eyes searching for a sign, wanting to understand Max's sudden depression.

"Hey…what's so awesome about outside? You've been looking out this window for a long time," Evie calmly spoke and waited for a full reply.

"Hmm…" Max replied, still seemingly captivated by the thick, thunder clouds crawling along the six am. sky.

Eva bit her lip, which then twisted into a small, sneaky smile. "Hey Mother dearest, I'm pregnant."

Max blinked, her eyebrows cocked slightly, her face contorting into thought. "Who's the father?"

Evie huffed exasperated, "A random guy from the streets, I don't remember his name, but I jumped him and we hit it off after that. I'm sure he was about fifty years old and smelled like garlic." She placed a hand on her hip and glared at her Mother across the bedroom. Max paid no attention, even though she felt her child's eyes blazing her.

"Well that's nice, but I'm not going to be the one telling your Father," Max sighed, clearly uninterested.

"Seriously, what's making you so happy?" Evie sauntered over to Max and plopped next to her on the window seat. Her face changed into concern then flashed back to curiosity.

"Just…thinking. I like to think," Max responded, tearing her eyes away from the bleak world outside the window.

"Nobody thinks that hard, especially someone like you. Please I'm your child, I should know when thinking is not thinking and when thinking turns into some weird, stored away burden. I saw your face, I'm not an idiot."

"I agree you are no dummy."

"Then what is it?"

"Nothing."

"I know you're lying, don't insult me."

"I couldn't insult you anyway Evie," Max's daughter's eyes burned into hers. Max felt herself feel flattered but annoyed at her girl's pestering questions. Please Evie, back off. I know she cares about me, but still…I just need to get my mind off of things for today. And ANYWAY, I can't tell her what's wrong…she'd pity my ass and it'd upset her too. 'Oh yeah babe, today is the birthday of your dead brother.' No, I think I'll stitch my lips...

"Fine. I can tell whatever is giving you series baggage is your dealio, I respect that. I just thought you'd actually trust me with it, but I guess not," Evie got up and turned away from Max, clearly trying to pull the guilt trip. It worked, but not well enough. Max wasn't going to spill that easily. Logan strolled in while Evie paced towards the door, with a spark of hurt in her shimmering eyes. She attempted to leave, but clearly he saw her face and questioned her.

"Hey? What's got you so pleasant this morning?" Logan's face was sarcastic, while his eyes showed a different story. He was anxious and caring, always caring and he was damned good at sensing problems with his girls. Eva looked right into them, seeing a painful gleam that was slowly killing the beauty in his pearly green irises.

"Not you too!?" She threw her hands into the air, obviously frustrated with her atypically moody parents.

Logan opened his mouth to protest, but his unruly daughter was already down the hallway, stomping away in a clear sign of protest and frustration. He turned towards his beautiful Max and stared into her eyes, understanding instantly. He felt her pain too, and it hurt him. They would have had another child, if fate wasn't such a bitch. He knew that, she knew that. Evie didn't know that.

"Max, she'll catch on eventually." he offered.

"Yeah, but she doesn't need to know, that was then and she's now. I'm just being a little dramatic right now," Max half frowned.

Logan sat next to her and enveloped her into a loving hold, "We should let this go. It's been fifteen years," Max nodded against his chest, "Oh and another thing, you're entitled to be dramatic. Any Mother is." He kissed her smooth forehead and rocked her slowly in his arms. Max didn't try to protest, just like the night at the hospital, fifteen years ago…

Eva crinkled her chocolate eyebrows while she eavesdropped on her parents talking in their bedroom. She sat in the hallway, a good twenty feet away, listening. She could hear every word, every breath that came from them, thanks to her enhanced senses. No sound in that room was off limits. But it also worked both ways, since her Mom was the giver of her 'talents', she could hear Evie too, well that is, if she wanted.

Fifteen years ago? What are they talking about? Some bad mojo is going around them right now…I hate it when they don't tell me stuff. Fine, if they don't want to talk, I'm not going to give a shit. Then everything's fine. No problems, no worries… But in the back of her mind, and mostly in her heart, she knew that wasn't true. She cared, and it frustrated her.

"Whatever," she spat at no one in particular. She stood herself out of her squatting position and headed past the emotion-filled bedroom, while glancing in quickly to see her parents wrapped in a loving hug. She stopped dead.

"I'm leaving," She stuttered.

Logan looked up at her with sincere, pain-filled eyes. "OK, we'll see you later sweetheart. Be safe," He gave his daughter a weak smile, distant and distracted.

Eva scoffed at him, slightly angered, "No way, I'm gonna go and have sex and do drugs and drink TONS of alcohol." She laughed darkly at him while closing the door of the penthouse behind her.

Logan looked at Max, partly stunned and taken aback, but laughed with her at Evie's retort. Some sort of inner fear and awkwardness came out on both of their chuckles. They were afraid of that in fact, but they wouldn't admit that to one another out loud. They were blinded, and naïve, trustful parents. It wasn't that they didn't trust their daughter, no; they didn't trust the world around her. The worst part is they didn't even realize it yet.

"Too much Max in her cocktail." Logan whispered as he kissed Max again. He stretched his back and lifted himself to his feet.

"You would be surprised," Max teased, gazing up at him.

"What?" He quietly asked, slightly curious. He walked out of the room with Max quietly trailing him. Her head was cocked to the side, in a playful and curious manner.

"You'd be surprised on how much Cale is in her cocktail." Max shook her head at her man's naïvete when it came to Evie.

"Even though my daughter is an exact replica of my beautiful and charming soldier?" He stopped and wrapped his arms around Max's waist, pulling her against him. He felt her beautiful lips peck his neck softly.

The front doors slammed open suddenly with a loud bang and there stood Evie, her face a mixture of hurt and confusion.

"You're bipolar! Or just plain crazy!" She stomped towards the rack that held all of the family's coats. She felt her parents' confused gazes from across the room. "I'm getting my coat!" She yanked it clear off the hook with a snapping leather sound. Dust fluttered around in tiny specks from being disturbed from their peaceful slumber. Eva gave them one last glare before leaving again quickly.

"Maybe you're a little right. If she was exactly like you Logan, her face would have been beet red in embarrassment, not fury." Max and Logan chuckled again. Evie was their relief all of the time, they felt blessed to have such a child.

****

Eva glanced both ways before running across the busy street, filled with people and garbage. Her hair flowed behind her as she ran. Her laced-up Converse shoes slapped the wet pavement, and flecks of yesterday's rain water spritzed on the cuffs of her jeans, causing the blue denim to turn a darker shade of black. The black which had also made up the structure of her shoes, were soggy within minutes. But it was Seattle and she was used to trotting around with soaked feet and itchy, damp socks. She sped up her pace.

She didn't want to be late, again.

She just hoped that Hal and the others weren't getting angry waiting for her late ass. Especially Hal, she didn't want him to be annoyed with her. She passed a few transsexuals on the streets, and a few hobos which were Seattle's common folk nowadays. They adorned the streets and waved to passers that understood how it was. The street people hardly ever gestured nicely to suits and councilmen. If those men and women were ever lucky enough to get a gesture, it was normally an angry one dealing with, 'the finger.' She got a few of the common waves, and she waved back delving herself into their secret language. She stopped short and fast. Her splattering feet were silenced for a moment. She had reached her destination.

The alley, their alley.

A few elementary school kids passed her as she stood there, waving hello. They were on their way to school. Unlike herself, for she hadn't gone to school for the past two weeks. Like she had thought before, she was too good for school, so she skipped. She already knew everything actually worth knowing. She was a transgenic genius. Besides, her teachers didn't care, or her principal. The only people on Earth who could care were her parents. That's why she won't let them know about it.

She turned down the alley. The familiar scent of tobacco wafted to her waiting nostrils. She smiled to herself privately; as if in a personal memory she was recalling. This was her home, all parts of it. There was the 'chilling' dumpster, adorned with rust spots and the occasional roach that crept along the sides of the green bin that rested to her left, against the wall of a club. The steaming sewer drain that brought sewage and rotten scents to them every once in a while served as a divider between them and outside of the alley. The old fire escape that dangled from their 'hang out', an abandoned warehouse. There were busted windows, and old newspapers askew everywhere, and the metal trash cans in the far, dark corner of the alley. Everything was as it should be, all of its glory waited there. She traversed around the steaming public sewer plate and saw her friends waiting, each lying or sitting in their designated spot. Hal saw her trotting up, obviously late and shook his head, his cigarette dangling lazily from his lips. He sucked from it and tore it from his mouth.

"What the hell kid? We've all been waiting here, and here you come lolly-gagging like its aiight." He ran his hand through his shaggy brown hair in annoyance before leaping off the trash bin he was reigning on.

"Sorry guys. I was having a rough morning." Evie shrugged him off and walked towards the gang, each of them giving her a threatening glare. They were hard people to please, and she knew that from past experiences. Who would have guessed that hot wiring a cop vehicle with just half of a broken screw driver wouldn't impress Hal? Evie had to step it up, even after she completed her juvenile ritual tasks. That included things, like…stealing three purses from upper-class women. There Evie cheated, she took her father's aunt's purses one day and claimed them as all from different people. Also, she had to complete the duty of walking into a convenience store and jacking 150 bucks worth of meaningless merchandise. She couldn't cheat on that one, since Hal was her cover man. But it was easy, all of it, easy and enthralling. She actually enjoyed being in this posse of bad-asses. She was never able to be so free with herself before, until Hal inducted her into his group. Then she became a true force to be reckoned with. She was also very, very good at it and they all knew that, all five of them. They were in awe of her skills, but they treated her as the newbie she was, for she had only been in the gang for a month and a half.

"Damn girl, we all have rough mornings. What makes you special to be able to show up late?" Greta, a pearly looking blond girl stammered. Her grey eyes burned into Evie.

"Hey I was gunna say sorry. Get off my ass Greta."

"Screw you EJ."

"'Ey, 'Ey! Knock it off ladies! You're getting on my nerves," Dallas, a thick and strong country boy, grumbled from a corner next to the sitting trash bin. His red hair almost matched the color of his freckled cheeks.

Hal, finding a victim, bent over and smacked Dallas across his freckled face, causing an even redder right cheek on the boy's face. Dallas growled loudly and jumped up from his crouching position, ready to fight.

"Don't be a bitch Dallas," His action caused the whole group to burst into laughter. Hal puffed a grey could of smoke into his face. They all laughed harder, while Dallas grew redder.

"Hey now, we're all here. So, what's up for today Hal?" Eva asked, and smiled at him. She pleaded that he would smile back at her, the smile she absolutely loved.

"Well, I was thinking…" The group immediately gave him all of their attention, except for one.

"Every time you get to thinking Hal, we always end up stealing petty shit. I say we go for a bigger prize," Gage spoke up, a strong and tattooed seventeen year old with a bad temper. His black eyes gleamed with excitement when they met Hal's.

"Yeah, we should be able to steal more than three sector passes and a few hundred bucks worth of old women jewelry. 'Sides we have freak show EJ to do the elbow work-." Greta said, leaning against her boyfriend Gage, she always agreed with him. Every time.

Eva frowned at her while interrupting, "-So you can call the cops on me yourself, huh?" This caused a black, deathly stare from Greta, her beautiful face contorting into a sort of inner evil.

"Hey who leads this crew? Me, so shut up." Hal's green eyes sent waves across the kids. Only his frightening superiority at 18 could make them listen to him whole heartedly and Evie was absolutely drawn to him. She had been ever since she caught him jacking some shit from a store one day and she happened to be in it. And to think Evie was going to kick his ass for it too…

"I think we should take it chill today. I'm tired as shit and I want to think about what you said Gage. That's probably why I keep your punk ass around; I don't think it's a bad idea at all, I think we can move up the ladder." He smiled a cunning smile at the group. He turned towards Evie and flipped open his pack of smokes, he offered one to her, "Wanna smoke?" He flashed his smile again and Evie gave in instantly, she couldn't help it.

"Yeah sure," She pulled out a slender white nail and put it to her lips all the while looking into Hal's green eyes. He didn't object, and it flattered them both as he put the lighter up to her cigarette, slowly. The orange flicker buzzed at the end of it until it caught and began to exert fumes.

"Would y'all get moving!? You can screw each other later!" Dallas yelled, walking towards the abandoned warehouse were they hung out in, his body limping away down the alley.

Evie pulled the alien chemicals into her lungs, coughed short and responded, "Shut up Hill-Jack we're coming," she puffed the smoke from her mouth in a curling grin, just for Hal.

****

Logan typed feverishly on his PC, going through some of his Eyes Only files. His hair the usual spiky mess, made worse by his anxious hands. He sighed and pulled open a folder marked, 'Cale, Bennet: Business etc.' Ever since he discovered that good 'ol Uncle Jonas's family business had been taken over by good 'ol cousin Bennet a year before, he'd been searching and picking into anything he could find out about it. Logan mostly wanted to make sure that Bennet was being wise, for he was an easy man to be tricked, and Logan wasn't going to tolerate him being abused by the government oversight committee that had ruled Cale Industries since Jonas's death. After a long, hard legal battle the controlling stock was returned to the original holders in the family, himself included. He wanted to know what investments his family's company was making, since it was now in Bennet's ultimate control as CEO. He mostly wanted to know if C.I. still held the patents and rights for the chips that were used in hover-drones, and what if any new developments were made that could cause problems for Seattle and him.

Truth be told, his anxiety stemmed mostly from the fact that he hadn't shared this news with Max. The whole sordid hover-drone affair still galled him, and even the prospect of regaining his former wealth did little to ease his mind.

He was fairly certain that Max knew about the court ruling, since it had made both State and National news. But Max never mentioned, and Logan was more than happy to let things as they were for the time being. He was happy that his family's name was vindicated, and the money couldn't hurt either. On the other hand, after the previous year's brush with the newly reformed Manticore he didn't relish the thought of making it back to the Society columns. He was living with a younger woman of no social standing, unmarried and with a kid, no less. He was a prime target for the usual gossip-mongers of high society Seattle.

And while he would never admit it out loud, he missed Bennet. They had been very close as children, and his cousin was the only Cale that actually had tried to keep in touch with him. After Evie had been born Max and Logan had decided to disappear from their usual hangouts, had rented out the Penthouse and moved to the suburbs under assumed names, in an attempt to throw off any prying eyes and live a quiet life...well as quiet as one could have while waging war on corruption and taking care of a genetically enhanced girl.

'Two of them, actually..' he mused with a smile as he remembered some of the temper tantrums the older of the women in his life had thrown. Add the fact that Evie had perfected that damned quivering, pouty-lipped expression that Max used to get away with, well, practically everything...'Hey, at least my life isn't boring...'

Focusing again in his work, he finally pulled a bulging manila folder from the bottom left drawer on his desk. After a few moments of doubt he opened it and retrieved a sealed envelope. He had received the letter by courier almost two years ago. As soon as he had seen the return address as belonging to his family's attorney he had archived it. He'd received several of those over the years, informing him of the status of the legal battle to regain the company's control from the corrupt government, and he had lost what little interest it held from him very quickly. But this one...this one had come about a week before the formal announcement of the verdict that returned C.I. to his family. To Bennet. Taking a deep breath. Logan opened the letter.

****

Three days later...

It felt strange. Logan hadn't actually worn a suit since Bennet's marriage, and he discovered that he didn't really miss it. He was far too comfortable in cargo pants and a sweater. And Max didn't seem to mind, either...

As he suspected, the letter informed him that control of the company would be returned to the family, and named Bennet as the new CEO and majority shareholder. It also contained a handwritten letter from his cousin, that asked to meet with him at his earliest convenience, so that was what he was doing today. Logan had actually planned to meet with him as soon as they left the media spotlight. And then Manticore came back. In all fairness, he had been just too happy (ecstatic, in fact) with Max's return and the latest victory over their nemesis to be overly concerned with something as trivial as someone else's money: he'd been pretty sure that it would be years before he saw any dividends, if ever. The State government had been forced to return control of all shares and assets, but had neglected to mention that they had been somewhat...remiss on their taxes. As a result, most of the already meager earnings were garnished as back taxes and fines. The company was theirs, but it amounted to little more than a pile of paper.

Taking a moment to compose himself, Logan crossed the threshold, into the belly of the beast. As he approached the desk he noticed the receptionist eyeing him intently, sizing him up...checking him out.

Logan blinked, surprised. While he knew he wasn't exactly hard on the eyes he had grown unaccustomed to women seeing him as a man, as desirable, since the shooting. Except for Max, of course. He had come to accept in the first two years in the chair that it was mostly in his head. But after finally getting over his self-esteem issues and settling down with her he had just ignored any other women. Living in near seclusion with his girls he had forgotten what it was like to be stared at as a piece of meat. While he wasn't at all interested, a small part of him couldn't help but preen a little at the attention he was getting. Arriving at the desk, he gave her one of his famous heart-melting smiles.

"Hello, I'd like to see Bennet Cale, please."

"Do you have an appointment? Mr. Cale's calendar is quite full." The girl smiled again at him, the invitation in her eyes was impossible to miss.

"No, I don't, but I'm certain he'll see me. Tell him Logan would like to see him."

"Logan...?"

"Cale. Logan Cale."

That wiped the smile from her face. Logan had been fairly sure that Bennet would have left instructions to let him pass when he finally chose to appear, but he'd been a little nervous as well; he had left him hanging for over a year.

"Mr. Cale! Yes, of course! If you'll take the last elevator I'll take you to his offices. It's in the top floor." The receptionist handed Logan a pass key. Not an average visitor pass, either. This one had his picture and name on it. It seemed that Bennet had been expecting him, after all. Logan looked at her name tag as he took the pass key.

"Thank you, Lucy."

He walked straight to the elevator, leaving a flustered, sputtering Lucy watching him leave. The ride up was quick and uninterrupted, he suspected that his ID overrode the usual commands. As the elevator doors opened he saw a large desk with yet another young, beautiful woman sitting behind. This one, however, had all the markings of an executive secretary or personal assistant. There were two identical sets of double doors on either side of her. As he stepped out the woman stood and walked towards him in a brisk, no-nonsense manner. She offered her hand as she reached him.

"Mr. Cale, it's good to finally meet you. Your cousin speaks very highly of you. I'm his personal assistant, Elizabeth Parks. But please, call me Beth. He does." Beth said this last part with a slight, warm smile. "Please, step right through, he's expecting you."

Logan thanked her and opened the right-side door, as Beth had indicated. The office was large, flooded by sunlight from the large, wall-to-wall windows that took most of the far side. The decor was minimal but tasteful, and screamed money. As Bennet stood from his chair Logan focused on his cousin. It had been almost sixteen years since they last saw each other; since the birth of his niece, Elaine Marie Cale. He realized that Ellie's seventeenth birthday was less than two months away. 'Damn, time does fly...' He was stunned again by the fact that he was almost 52 years old. Since he'd been with Max he just didn't pay attention to that. It didn't help that Max did not look to be almost 39. 'She is genetically engineered perfection, all right...'

He was abruptly shaken from his thoughts by his cousin's tight hug.

"Logan! You finally decided to crawl out from under your rock! You made me sweat for sixteen months, you prick!"

Logan couldn't help but laugh. He had missed his younger cousin.

"Yeah, well, I didn't want to come too soon, in case you wanted me to help you clean up the mess. I'm way too old for that crap."

Bennet snorted, amused. Logan thought he saw a mischievous glimmer in his eyes for a moment, but it was gone in an instant. "Yeah, right. Seat, man! I can't believe you haven't visited since Ellie's birth. She doesn't believe me when I tell her about my cousin, Playboy Logan Cale."

"Well, it's been a long while since that, Bennet. I'm an old man, now." Logan ignored the disbelieving expression on the younger man's face. "In any case, I received your letter, a little late I know. But here I am. What can I do for you?"

"It's really what I can do for you. You know that our stock is rising, right? And as owner of 20 percent of the controlling stock you have your share of that."

Now it was Logan's turn to snort in amusement. "Ah, of course. Twenty percent of eighteen years of back taxes, legal fees and fines. A real king's ransom."

Bennet took a bank draft from his otherwise pristine desk and handed it to him. "I agree it's not much, but it's yours nonetheless."

It took every ounce of self control Logan had to remain calm as he saw the amount on the check.

"...Bennet?"

"Yes, Logan?"

"There's a shitload of zeros on this thing..." 'OK, maybe I'm not that calm...'

Bennet chuckled, clearly enjoying having surprised him.

"So, I take it it's not at bad as you thought it might be..."

"You could say that..." 'Damn there's a LOT of zeros here!'

"Well, since you're happy there's a couple of things I'd like to ask of you."

"Oh, yeah, sure..."

"Ellie's birthday is coming up in six weeks, and we would love if you could come. You could bring a...friend of course."

Logan remembered when Max had first met his family, at Bennet's wedding. He had introduced her as a friend. And when Ellie was born, Max had been there as well. They had just gotten rid of the virus, and things were still a little weird between them. She'd been introduced again as a 'friend'. Bennet had probably been waiting all this time to rib him about it...

"Of course, we would love to go."

"Excellent! As for the other thing..."

"Yes?" Logan was still staring at the check, a little bewildered. 'So many zeros...' So at first he didn't really register what Bennet was saying. "I'm sorry, what?".

"I said, did you noticed the door on the other side of Beth's desk?"

"Yes. What about it?"

"Well, that's your office. I want you to come to work with me. Help me run the company. Together."

Logan could only stare at his cousin as the check fell unnoticed from his fingers.

End Chapter Two.