Family Getaway

Chapter 4: Family





"This is my problem, only my problem, Ray was my responsibility in which Logan has no say…" Max repeated as she headed up to the penthouse. She had already been to Terminal City to clear her absence for the week. It had gone better than she expected. Mole was happy to get rid of her, even if it was only temporary, so he could act as leader. Max was almost glad that Alec was out of the city.

"Now I'm just going to tell Logan what happened…or at least a heavily edited version of it…"

Taking a deep breath, Max walked into the high rise with her head held high. As soon as she walked through the threshold, all of her carefully chosen words fled. Leaving her with nothing. She was in the middle of the room when Logan came out of his computer lab, reading something.

"Max?" he said as he looked up, he wasn't expecting her so early. He thought she'd at least think about this adoption thing for a day and night. It was insane really. Fight White legally? He'd sooner put a bullet in her head and take Ray wherever. Max wasn't thinking straight this morning. With the possibility of losing Ray, she jumped at any conclusion she could come too. Logan was really starting to worry about her attachment to Ray. Wendy had wanted him away from White, and that was how it was going to stay. Logan had been busy trying to find a foster home for Ray, and he had found a good one in England. Max would just have to accept it.

"Max? Is something wrong?"

Max snapped out of it. Her worried expression must have shown on her face. What was happening to her? Where did the soldier go? Where was the stuck up bitch that she used to be? But deep down she knew. The bitch had been replaced by someone who learned to care, and the soldier had been replaced by long dormant maternal instincts. Even if Ray wasn't her own, it sure felt like it.

What was she going to say to Logan? She had completely forgotten her perfectly planned speech. What would she tell him 'yeah, Logan, I adopted Ray and then White showed up and then a social worker thought that we were a dysfunctional married couple and now she's sending us all on a family retreat together, I think it's going to be fun, what about you?' As if. He was going to freak out no matter what she told him. 'Yeah Logan, you see Ray's school is planning a camping trip and I have to go.' 'What? Max he doesn't go to school.' This just wasn't going to work. But if he's really that uncooperative I could always just touch him…Whoa! No! Bad, Max. Where had that thought come from?

"Max?"

"Um, Logan…"

"Max, I think we need to talk about Ray…"

"What about…"

"Look I know you were upset this morning and that whole adoption thing with Ray…Look Max, I found him a good home in…"

"What?!"

"Look, we can't keep him here in the city, White's going to find him sooner or later. I found him a good foster home in England he'll be safe there."

"England! You're sending him to England. You can't do that, you…"

"Max, white is going to find him. Where is Ray anyway? I called over to Terminal City just before you got here, they said he was with you."

"Umm…well, Ray's…outside?"

"Why would you leave him outside? You said White was at Carr's office, what if he's still tailing you…"

"I'm taking a week of leave," said Max hurriedly, "I won't be back till next Friday."

"What? Why? Where are you going?"

"Long story, don't ask, gotta blaze."

"Max!" called Logan, but she was already out the door. This was weird, something was going on and she didn't want him to know about it. Hoping that she wasn't using her transgenic speed to get down the building, Logan took off after her.

The X-5 was out of the building and almost to her bike when, Logan actually caught up with her. He purposely got in her way and wouldn't move (AN: Like in Hello, Goodbye)

"Logan move!"

"No, not until you tell me what's going on with you. You're not telling me something and…where's Ray?" asked Logan looking around.

"With Cindy?"

"Max what's going on?" Logan (who was getting even more suspicious by the second) got in her way again when she tried to sidestep him.

"Dammit Logan do you want me to touch you!?"

"Max what happened?"

"God Logan! If you really wanted to know I'm sure some Hover Drone got it all on tape. Ray's with White! He caught up with us and then some freaky social worker thought we were married, and now I have to go on some stupid trip with them. I am not going to lose my son!"

"Okay Max," said Logan as if he were trying to reason with a crazy person, "One: Ray isn't your son and Two: HE'S WITH WHO?!"

"It's not like I let him go! He was the one who pulled White after him and took the papers, and invited me with, and oh that sneaky little brat…"

Realization dawned on Max as she came to the conclusion that this was all Ray's doing. She doubted he was psychically communicating with his father but he was the reason she was stuck going on this trip. Social Workers could be very temperamental in this day and age. If Max and White didn't cooperate, the state could take Ray from both of them. Though the governor of California was a Familiar, Ray would probably just end up back with White anyway, or worse the Conclave. So Max had to go.

"So let me get this straight," said Logan after making Max tell him the story, "You adopted Ray, White showed up, a social worker thought you were fighting over child custody AND that you were married, she then proceeded to make you sign up for a Family Getaway, which you have to go on. Is that it?"

"I'm meeting them both tonight at the house."

"What house?"

"White's."

"Max this is insane and has gone on far enough."

"And exactly what the hell does that mean?"

"Look, the best thing we can do is re-kidnap Ray from White and get him on the first plane to England. See? Done. Nothing more to worry about."

"What do you mean nothing more to worry about?! Are you sure these people are actually going to take good care of him? Dammit Logan I can do all that!"

"For God's Sake Max, White has Ray, how do you know that they aren't half way around the world by now? And once again, you're not his mother!"

"Get out of my way."

"Max..."

"I said move, I'm going to count to three and if you're still standing there I can't be responsible if I accidently touch you."

"Max if you would just listen to reason."

"One."

"If you would just calm down for one minute and listen to me..."

"Two."

"Would you at least tell me where the hell you're going to be then?"

"I told you in Donovan. Three." and with that she walked straight towards Logan, who got out of her way. She wasn't kidding when she said she'd go through him.

"I love you Max," said Logan, but by that time the Ninja was already half way down the street.

^^^

Max had been driving for an hour to clear her head. Logan had upset her, like she knew was going to happen when he found out. She had to drive around, so she wasn't angry and snippy around Ray. The only downside to all this was White's presence, but then again what choice did she have? As she was thinking Logan's voice came back to her 'How do you know they aren't half way around the world by now?'

No, Max was sure. Ray wouldn't let anyone, not even his own father, go anywhere without her. She smiled to herself and continued on her way.

^^^

Fifteen minutes later, Max arrived outside White's house. Getting off her bike she noted that his car was in the driveway, that should be a good sign right? She went up the steps but before she could ring the bell, the door flew open. She was hit in the chest and fell down the steps to land on her back

"Oh, ow..." looking up to see what hit her, she shouldn't have been surprised to see Ray smiling down at her.

"You gotta stop doing that," said Max ruffling his hair.

When Ray finally got off of her, she was able to stand up and let the boy drag her into the house. White was leaning against the doorframe glaring as he did so often. He reluctantly moved aside as they approached. Max stuck her tongue out at him as she went past. White just rolled his eyes and followed shutting the door behind him.



^^^

"And this is the bathroom, and this is my room over here," Ray prattered on, dragging Max into his bedroom by the hand. The littlest White had dragged her all over the house. The living room, the kitchen, the backyard, the basement (which situated most of White's training equipment, punching bags, and weights), and then Ray had dragged her upstairs pointing out unimportant rooms, and then his, which was VERY important. It was great to be back in his house. Back in his room, he hadn't been there for a while. And while his Aunt Rebecca had been nice, it was better to be back with his dad.

Ray jumped on his bed and sat down on it.

"Wanna build a fort?"

"A fort?"

"Yeah, we could put pillows places and the blankets we can stick over in the drawers to make a tent, it'll be fun."

"Sounds good Ray," said Max smiling. She was still a bit upset with Logan when she had arrived but she forgot all about it as soon as Ray jumped on her. The kid was a sweetheart, but how? With a father like White? But Ray hadn't spent anytime in the Conclave except for the initiation, and Wendy must have taken more care of him than White ever did. There was no way Ray could have grown up so good with his father around. No way. No how.

Just as Max and Ray were starting to pull his bed apart, there was a light tap on the open door.

"Hey Dad!" said Ray running up to his father who bent down to hug his son. Max glared at White when she saw him mouth 'don't eat him' to her behind Ray's back.

"I'm going to be working in my study, so I'll see you in the morning right?"

"Yup, what time are we leaving?"

White sighed dejectedly and told him 11:00 before glaring at Max and mouthing 'don't steal him again.' He kissed Ray on the forehead and watched his sone run back to Max. With Ray's back still turned White motioned to himself, slide a finger across his throat, and pointed at Max who just pffft-ed at his silent threat. He had to bite his cheek from telling 452 not to 'contaminate anything' outloud. The boy had somehow developed a strange bond with the creature and was oddly attached to it. White shook his head as he closed Ray's door, this was going to be a looooong week....



^^^

An hour, a pillow fight, and several fort attempts later, Max and Ray sat under their makeshift fort on the floor between Ray's bed and small bookcase. Pillows and extra blankets had been thrown under them to make the floor more comfortable than just the rug.

"Hey Max?" asked Ray.

"Yeah?"

"How'd you meet my dad?"

Max froze, she wasn't expecting Ray to ask about that! what was she supposed to tell the eight-year-old Familiar?

"Uh well, Ray...what do you know about your dad's job?"

Ray shrugged, "He kills transgenics."

Max's eyes widened in surprise. That was definitely NOT the answer she was expecting!

"Uh well, it was two years ago, I had just re-escaped Manticore and was helping some X6's when I got caught by uniforms and brought to your dad."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Can't you tell me everything?"

"How about I tell you a story instead?"

"What kind of a story?"

"A story about a princess and all her brothers and sisters."

"Okay."

Half way through the story, Ray fell asleep, he looked so cute lying there. Max pulled up a quilt and put it over him. Looking around, she started running her hand alone the spines of Ray's books in his bookcase to her left. That was when one of them caught her attention. Pulling the blue binder out of it's proper space she saw it was a photo album.

Opening it up, a small smile played on Max's lips, when she saw baby pictures of Ray. He was just a chubby little ball, and extremely cute. There was one of him sitting up and smiling in a high chair, and another of Ray all curled up, sleeping on a pillow. Max turned the page and stopped. She almost didn't recognize him. It was White. He was crouched down close to the floor, holding a baby Ray by the hands, helping him to walk. But what really shocked Max was his smile. It wasn't a scowl, or his usual smirk, but a full smile. It made him look a lot younger, and kind of...handsome...

NO! She did NOT just think that! Max tossed the book across the room shuddering. Shaking her head and then taking a couple of deep breaths, Max looked back over to Ray. She crawled out of the fort to go and retrieve the album, bringing it back with her, she settled in her original position and opened it to the last page.

It was a picture taken in the fall, Ray looked about 4 or 5, he was playing in a pile of leaves with his father, who was once again smiling. And for the first time, Max actually saw the resemblance between father and son. Looking over at the tiny Familiar sleeping beside her, Max wondered how someone who looked so much like White could be so cute.



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A/N: Next up: Ames in pajama pants, Breakfast, and the car ride to Donovan.

Thanks for all your reviews!