Note: I don't really know what to say, other than I am sorry for the lack of updates. I'm not going to list out any excuses this time. I will tell you that this year hasn't been the greatest, for personal reasons, and I've been actively trying to make changes to my life. Included in this is trying to get back into the habit of writing on a regular/weekly basis. You may be thinking, yeah, we've heard this before. You're right, and all I can do is improve my update schedule.

In relation to this chapter, uh, there's no Mariam. However, there is an OC. I am only bringing this up because I did not make it up alone, AzikaRue394, like usual, was my partner in crime. He's mentioned in two parts of MaxMariam Drabbles, namely the chapters Lovely Luck and Confessions Part 3: A Fitting End, though nameless.

Thank you to Player Zero, Kenrai, MidnightStarr, Dead-bY-N0w, and AzikaRue394 for reviewing! Your continued support really means a lot to me. Also, your patience knows no bounds.

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade.

Indifferent

"Maddox! Can you say hi to Uncle Rick?"

Standing groggily at his door, "Uncle" Rick, as he was apparently called, squinted through the sun's bright rays at the pair in front of him. He eyed his friend Max, who was way too cheery so early in the afternoon, with a look of annoyance. Annoyance soon vanished to confusion when he realized he hadn't seen the blond in some time, maybe almost a year, and here he was on his doorstep unannounced; unannounced and with a new... friend.

"Come on, Maddox. You remember Uncle Rick?"

That name again, Uncle Rick. And Uncle Rick's attention turned to the small bundle Max was holding and shifting in his arms. Big blue eyes stared back at him, making Rick quite uncomfortable. In silence, the small boy watched him curiously, clutching some teddy bear to himself, with a couple of his fingers in his mouth and covered in drool. He had gotten bigger since the last time Rick saw him; after gaping at the toddler for a bit, the boy smiled and snuggled his face into his father's chest.

"Hi...," Rick finally said waving awkwardly. The boy giggled, peeking at Rick slightly, making the All Star feel even sillier.

"Think we could come in?" Max asked, gesturing with a nod. "Maddox and I wanted to visit."

"Sure," Rick said, moving out of the way. "This place isn't exactly kid proof though."

"No problem, I'll keep a good eye on him." Max smiled making his way inside. He tickled Maddox's side and the boy started to laugh gleefully.

To say Rick's home wasn't child friendly was an understatement. Everywhere he looked he saw things he wanted to hide right away, or things the kid could break his head open on. They settled for hanging out in the living room.

"Wow," Max awed, looking around as he flopped down on the couch. He perched Maddox on his knee, who was also looking round his new surroundings with wide eyes. Rick preferred this to the uneasy staring, though he hoped Max would keep Maddox in his arms so that the toddler did not wreak havoc. "Mariah help you out with the decorating?"

"No. We're not dating."

Max quirked an eyebrow at his old team mate. "That's not what I asked." Rick scowled. "Hey, I guess you could always be an interior decorator then, sorry."

Rick glanced over the room. He had records hung on the wall, guitars on stands, as well as any other expensive music memorabilia he could get his hands on. Perfect for drooling kids.

"Where's your better half?" Rick asked. Realizing there was an open beer can on the coffee table in front of Max, Rick grabbed it quickly and set it beside him out of reach. The sudden movement caught Maddox's attention, who had been staring at his own reflection in the big screen television. Rick eyed him back, meeting wide eyes peering out from messy dark blue locks.

"Relaxing. We decided to give Mommy a bit of a break, right?" Bouncing Maddox on his knee, the boy squealed in Max's arms. He fell back into Max's chest, sitting in an odd fashion, as he watched the room and Rick with an inquisitive smile.

"He... looks a lot like both of you," Rick observed. Max grinned at his friend before looking down at a giddy Maddox. "Must've broken your Mom's heart."

"Tell me about it," Max rolled his eyes, a smile still formed on his lips. The boy began to wiggle in his father's lap, Max helping him up as he stood against Max's chest.

"Da'... 'ook..." Maddox mumbled from around his fingers, he pointed with his other hand, leaving his poor teddy bear in a headlock.

Max cranked his head to look up to the side of him. He picked Maddox up to give him a better look at what he pointed at, "That's called a record. Can you say record?"

Maddox smiled pointing again at the record. Rick rolled his eyes. "I can see why you're giving Mariam a break. Do you always talk like that to him?" While Max wasn't speaking babyish, he did have that parental high tone whenever talking to Maddox.

"Mariam talks to him too. What are we supposed to do, not talk to our kid?"

"If you're saying she talks like that too, I'd pay to see it," Rick smirked.

"Uncle Rick is silly," Max sighed, snuggling his son in his arms. The little boy was too entranced by his surroundings to reply, head tipped as far back as possible to look skyward.

Rick sat forward in his chair, arms rested on his knees as he twiddled his thumbs. His eyes went from Max, to Maddox, then to the floor before going back to Max.

"Uh... we didn't interrupt anything, did we?" Max asked concerned, setting his son beside him on the couch. Immediately, the boy used the pillows and cushions on the couch to support himself in his attempts to stand and look at the records. Max had his arm out behind Maddox for support, his attention looking between the two.

"No, it's just... weird," Rick decided. The boy discarded the teddy bear to grip the couch, and the All Star knew he would have to wash out all the drool later. "You being a Dad. How is it?"

"Great," Max beamed. He watched Maddox with such pride, as if drooling all over Rick's couch was some fantastic feat. Rick was just happy that his records were out of reach. "I can't imagine a day without him now." Max tickled the toddler's side again, causing Maddox to fall into his arms with laughter.

"Having any more?"

Max froze, letting Maddox's laughter stop slowly as he cuddled his father. Max blushed, hugging his son and bringing him back to his lap. "Uh... I... Not planned."

Rick smirked, "So a surprise, like this one."

Max scratched his head, messing up his blond locks. "I guess. We haven't really talked about it. Maddox is a bit of a handful." Grabbing the teddy bear off the couch, Max handed it back to Maddox. "You ever think about having kids?"

Rick stared at Max with a frown and then at Maddox. "I already deal with Michael and Eddy, so, no thanks."

"Well, you'll always be Uncle Rick."

"Doesn't he already have a real Uncle?"

"You're an honorary Uncle. Besides, I'm an only child and... you've always been like an older brother to me."

"Stop right there, I'm not cleaning off kid drool and a grown man's tears off my couch," Rick warned; Max smiled back at his old team mate. "Whatever. I guess you need someone on your side of the family to counteract the insane grandmother."

Laughing, Max nodded. "Thanks."

"'ook," Maddox was pointing again, looking up at his father. Following, roughly, where he was blabbing about, Rick saw one of his prized possessions: an acoustic guitar. Though it didn't seem like the man's tastes, Rick did love music about as much as beyblading. He knew a nice guitar when he saw one, so Rick just about had a heart attack when Max picked himself and Maddox off the couch to get a better look.

The guitar was on a stand not far from Rick. Max sat himself cross-legged on the floor, son in his lap, right in front of the instrument and practically in front of Rick at an angle. Being so close to the child made the All Star sit back; not that he'd admit this to anyone, but kids made him nervous.

"This is a guitar, Maddox." Max smiled ruffling his son's hair as he pointed at the instrument, just out of reach. "Listen," reaching out, Max strummed randomly having no personal experience with music. "Can you say guitar?"

Rick frowned further, never one for people touching his belongings, especially his expensive belongings. Maddox had mumbled some nonsense out in reply to Max, and the blond ran his fingers across the strings again. Practically grinning at this point, Maddox shuffled further out of his father's lap and closer to the instrument.

In response, Rick jerked forward out of instinct. The kid was not going to touch one of his babies; he glared at the boy in an attempt to scare him. But instead Maddox held his teddy bear out as an offering, a smile gracing his features.

"Uh... he wants you to take it."

Rick snapped, "We're not trading!"

"Oh, come on!" Max laughed, he gently took the teddy bear from his son's hands and forced it into Rick's arms. "Uncle Rick says thank you. That was so nice of you, Maddox!"

Rick put the bear beside him before he proceeded to wipe the kiddy drool onto his pants in disgust. Maddox had turned his attention back to the guitar, and with a Cheshire cat smile, his little fingers met the strings. Only a little noise came out, but the toddler's head bopped regardless as he laughed along.

For a moment Rick thought about decapitating his new teddy bear hostage, but Max spoke up. "He really loves music. Doesn't matter what it is, he just starts dancing and stuff. Sings sometimes too." The blond watched his son, mimicking his head bops as he continued to play. "Kind of reminds me of you."

"Hey!" Rick protested. "I don't sing and dance."

"I'm just saying," Max waved him off. "If Maddox still loves music this much when he's older, he'll love visiting you. This place is like a museum." The blond leaned back to get a good look around the room again, still in awe by the very non-Rick decorating.

"Yeah, well, I'll give him the bill for all the drool damage then too..."

"You can call him Maddox, you know? That is his name."

"What are you talking about?"

"You haven't called him by his name this whole time," Max pointed out. Then after pondering for a few moments, he smirked at his friend. "Actually, you haven't talked to him at all, other than that pathetic hello. You wouldn't be... scared of him, would you?"

The grin that was taking over the blond's features made Rick scowl openly. He crossed his arms in defense. "Please, he's a kid."

"Hmm," Max smiled slyly, getting up from the floor, he scooped Maddox into his arms. The boy pouted briefly before giggling when his father playfully set him in Rick's lap. "Sorry buddy, time to see Uncle Rick!"

Rick tensed instantaneously. He stared, wide eyed, down to his honorary nephew. He was so small, with inquisitive bright eyes and pudgy cheeks. Maddox smiled grabbing at Rick's fingers, his arms still crossed across his chest. Slowly, the All Star let his guard down, his arms uncrossing, but a few of his fingers still remained in the boy's soft grasp. Laughing, Maddox fell against his side in an unwanted cuddle.

"Admit it, you think he's cute."

Rick silently continued to look down. He had absolutely no idea how to respond or how to move without breaking the kid. And just looking at him, he suddenly found that he couldn't hate the kid for drooling on anything and everything, including his very own shirt. With frustration, Rick blew a raspberry with his lips, causing the loudest shriek of laughter he had heard all afternoon.

Then with a smile, looking down at Maddox, Rick said, "Those aren't my words exactly."