Change

Chapter 10

"So I hit my hand against yours, like this, okay?" I held out my hand to Tabitha. Once she nodded, I continued. "Then we clap. And we do this over again until I say roll it. Then you roll your hands together." I demonstrated. She giggled, rolling her hands together. "When I say prick it, you put your fingers together and pull it away from your hand."

"'Ike pinching?"

"Yep. And then I'll say 'mark it with a T' and you draw a T on your hand." I showed her how to draw a T. "Alright?"

Tabitha nodded. "Oh a!"

"Ready?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay." I took a deep breath. "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man…"

Tabitha watched her hands the whole time, trying to get it right. I had to say it slowly so she got it."

Tyler, who was looking at himself in a mirror, looked over at me, Fang's sunglasses on his head. They were too big and he had to hold them to his face. "Shhh!"

I sighed. "What are you doing Tyler?"

"Getting' weady!"

"Tyler, I told you. Fang and I are going out. You're going to stay with Iggy and Nudge."

Tyler, who had still was looking into my mirror, cocked his head in it. "Max, me need wel."

"You're hair doesn't need anymore gel Tyler."

"Yes! Wel, wel, wel!"

"No."

Tyler glared at me as Fang walked into the living room. "What are you doing Ty?"

"Getting' weady. Daddy get wel?"

Fang sighed, walking into the bathroom, returning with the green goop. He opened it and let Tyler get his hands all sticky. He waggled his fingers for effect before running it through his hair, which was already way to over gelled to begin with. He then proceeded to run his hands down Fang's jeans, trying to get off the extra gel.

"Fang! He just ruined your jeans."

Shrugging, Fang laughed. "It'll come out."

"No, go change them."

Fang rolled his eyes. "Max, come on."

"They look bad, Fang."

Tyler picked up his glasses, which had fallen off. He gave himself one last look in the mirror, smiled a toothy grin, before looking at me. "Max! 'ate time!"

I groaned. "Tyler, sweetie, we've gone over this. Me and Daddy are going on a date. You get to stay here with Tabitha and play with Nudge and Iggy."

Tyler smiled at me. "It's oh a baby, wet's go now. No fight it."

I gave Fang a weird look. Sighing, he shook his head. "Iggy and him were watching movies last night."

I rolled my eyes. "Fang, go change."

"Max-"

"If you don't, I'll go ahead and take Tyler's offer."

Sighing as he went, Fang walked out of the room to change his jeans. Tyler walked up to me and, with the greasy hand that wasn't holding up his sunglasses, he grasped my hand.

"Wet's go."

"Tyler, I'm serious. We're not going anywhere." I leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "But, I promise, we'll go somewhere, just you and me, sometime after Thanksgiving."

Tyler glared at me, letting his glasses fall. "No. Go now!'

"No Tyler, sorry."

He tossed my hand away from him, stomping his foot. "No!"

I rolled my eyes. "Iggy! Come here."

"What?" He walked out of the basement, where he was…I really have no idea what he was doing and thinking about it might get weird so whatever.

"We're leaving in a minute so you get to watch the kids."

"Great."

I looked down at Tyler. "Tyler wants to go…"

Iggy smiled. "Why? Max is nasty. Girls are icky."

Tyler shook his head. "Max me girlfriend."

"Tyler-"

"Ready Max!" Fang walked in the room as there was knock on the door. "Good, Nudge is here."

Fang opened the door to reveal Nudge. She smiled, walking in. Tabitha was at her feet in seconds.

"Nub!"

"Hi Tabby!" She picked her up. "You ready to go?"

"Go where?" She asked.

"Me and you are going shopping!"

"Ya!"

"Me?" Tyler asked, looking horrified at the thought.

"Me and you are watching movies again and eating."

Tyler perked at the notion of eating. "Ya!"

"Alright, bye." Fang kissed Tabitha. "I love you Tabby."

"Love Daddy!"

Fang went over to Tyler and tried to his him but Tyler moved away form him. "I love you Tyler."

"Urg! Hate you!"

"Bye." I kissed Tyler's cheek again and smiled at Tabitha. "Come on Fang."

Fang kissed his daughter one more time before we walked out the door.

"Tyler really wanted to go with us."

Fang looked up from the menu. "And?"

"It's just…I kind of feel bad."

Rolling his eyes, Fang flipped the page of the menu. "You're going somewhere with him Friday so why does it matter?"

I sighed, closing my menu. "Never mind."

Fang rolled his eyes, continuing to scan his. "You do like Mexican food, right?"

"You ask now that we're here."

"Well do you?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Are you annoyed with me Max?"

Kind of. He made me listen to this crap he calls music on the way to the restaurant, and doesn't even want to talk. Why do I always have to start the conversation? "No."

"Whatever."

Fine. Be a little-

"Are you ready to order?"

After we ordered, we no longer had menus to pretend to be interested in. Fang was eating the chips on the table, not looking at me. See what I mean about having to start?

"You ordered a lot." I commented.

Fang looked up. "No. I don't want to have to eat when I get home."

"Do the others still eat a lot?"

"Yep." Watching me, Fang asked, "You eat less than Tyler."

"So? I'm watching my weight."

"How much do you-"

"I swear to God Fang."

"What?"

"You do not ask a woman how much she weighs."

"Yeah, I know but, you're like…a girl that doesn't care. Or at least you were."

"Yeah well, I care now."

"Fine, forget that I almost asked."

"I'm trying, trust me."

Fang looked at the chips and then me. "Are you not going to-"

"Chips are all carbs, Fang."

Fang raised an eyebrow. "You've never been fat, Max, no matter how much you've eaten."

"Yeah but I weighed more then."

"Can you still…fight?"

"I've been in a lot of fights since I left."

"Yeah but I mean sober fights."

"You are really pushing it tonight."

"I'm serious!"

"You're a real jackass, you know that?"

Fang leaned back in his chair. "Why are we fighting again?"

"Because you're an idiot."

"Of course. I just thought it was because you think if I'm not focused on you all the time, I'm tired of you. Sometimes, Max, people just want to listen to music."

"That crap is not music!"

"Calm down." Fang sighed. "Let's just…not talk for a little while, okay?"

"Whatever."

Fang reached across the table and grabbed my hand, running his thumb across the back of my hand.

"Seriously, Max, I don't want to fight."

"Fight? What fight?"

Fang smiled at me. "You're cute."

"What?"

"When you're mad…or upset. You get real cute." Fang let go of my hands.

I glared at him, angry that he thought this was funny. "Shut up."

"See? You're so…adorable."

"Stop it Fang."

Laughing, Fang shook his head. "You can't take a compliment, can you?"

"Yes I can."

"Oh, sorry. You can't take a compliment unless it's about how hot your are or sexy or attractive. You know Max, cute and adorable aren't always bad."

"Just shut up." I told him as the food came.

"Seep wid you?" Tabitha asked as Fang picked her up. I looked over at the couch where Tyler had fallen asleep, Bear under his arm.

"I guess…" Fang looked at me and I shrugged, picking up Tyler.

"Night Tabby." Nudge said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Ni-ni." Tabby yawned. Tyler opened his eyes, looked up at me, and laid his head on my shoulder.

"Max?"

"Yes Tyler?" I asked as Nudge walked out the door.

"Miss you."

"Aw." I kissed his head. "I missed you too."

Fang, seeing this, rolled his eyes. "Night Iggy."

"Night." He laid out on the couch, turning the TV down a little. We carried the twins into the bedroom, laying them down on the bed. Tabitha bounced a little as Fang laid down next to her.

"I'm taking a shower." I told him, going over to my bag and getting out what I needed.

Fang didn't seem to hear me. He was on the bed, playing with Tabitha. Tyler was getting under the covers, apparently tired. I took a quick shower and when I went back into the bedroom, Fang had Tabitha on his chest, talking to her. Sleeping next to them was Tyler. Fang smiled at me when I walked out of the bathroom. He sat Tabitha on the bed and stood up.

"Daddy!" She reached back out for him. Tyler, who she woke up, grumbled under his breath.

"I've got to brush my teeth and get ready for bed." Fang told her, closing the bathroom door behind him. Tyler yawned, sitting up. I laid down next to him, letting the toddler tuck me in, kissing me on the cheek when he was done.

"Thank you Tyler."

He grumbled again before looking at his sister. "You woud. Keep Max up. Shhh."

"Max, Ty mean."

"No, he's just grumpy." I smiled at her. "You're never grumpy though, are you Tabitha."

She giggled. "Max!"

"What?"

"Max no say Tabby." She told me. "Max say Tab-it-ta"

"That's you're name, sweetie."

"No co-ect Max!" Tyler glared at his twin sister.

"Stop yelling." Fang walked out of the bathroom.

"Daddy!" Tabitha clapped her hands.

"Shh! Ni-ni, now!"

"Tyler-" Fang started, laying down on the bed.

"Ty, let's stop yelling, okay?"

"Oh a Max." He turned to face me. "Ni-ni Max."

"Good night Tyler."

Tabitha giggled, moving closer to Fang. "Hi."

"Hi baby." He kissed her. "Go to sleep."

"No." She smiled at him.

"Yes."

"No."

"Tabby, if you want to sleep in here, you have to actually sleep."

"Mean." She mumbled, moving away from him. Tyler pushed her back though.

"Stay you side, Tabby!"

Smiling at her twin, Tabitha patted his head. "Ty cute."

"No!"

I groaned. "Stop it."

"You're annoying Max." Fang said, pulling Tabitha back to him. "Now tell Tyler and Bear good night."

"Ni-ni Bear." She kissed Tyler's toy.

"What about Tyler?"

"No ni-ni for him!" She giggled.

"Tabby, be nice."

She sighed. "Ni-ni Ty."

"Hate Tabby. Hate Daddy." He cuddled against me. "Love Max."

Fang and I both looked at Tyler. Tabitha giggled, closing her eyes. We waited until they fell asleep before speaking in soft whispers.

"He's a way better boyfriend than you."

"He's two and a half."

"And he's my cute little boyfriend."

"He likes you now, but wait, just wait. He'll start to get annoyed with you."

"I doubt it."

"I don't."

"Why can't I wash the bear though?"

Fang shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why?"

"I just don't, Max."

"Whatever." I laid there for a second. "Hey Fang?"

"What, Max?" He sounded irritated. There must be some sort of secret behind that damn bear and I'm going to find it out. Not now though…the kids are in bed with us…

"I'm not tired."

"Neither am I." He sighed. "You want to…talk?"

"About?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "Okay. Question. Me and you are stuck in a haunted house and hear a noise. What do you do?"

"Why am I in the house?"

"What?"

"What are we doing in the house?"

"I don't know Max, we just are."

"Well I leave."

"You don't investigate?"

"Does it have something to do with the School?"

"No. It's a ghost or monster or demon or something."

"I don't believe in that stuff."

"Really?"

"Nope. It's stupid. Do you believe in it?"

"I guess."

"Well, I believe in God."

Fang snorted. "You believe in God?"

"Yes. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"Isn't there a rule against premarital sex?"

I huffed. "Well, I said I believe, not follow blindly."

"Well then, aren't you still going to hell?"

"You are too!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No. I've only had sex one other time than you and I plan on getting married to you one day so you're basically my wife. That makes it okay."

"First off, I have no plans for getting married."

"Well, I don't want to be in a relationship that isn't going to end in marriage."

I sighed. "Let's not do this right now."

Fang kissed the back of Tabitha's head. "Yeah, okay."

Looking at the clock on the nightstand, I frowned. "It's only 11:30."

"That late? Night Max."

"Fang."

"What? I'm tired!"

I sighed. "Fine."

"Good night Maxie."

"Don't call me that if you want to continue to be able to have kids."

"What? I can't call you-"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't like nicknames."

"Is that why you only call them Tyler and Tabitha?"

No, that's so I don't get too attached. You never know what could happen… "I'm tired too. Night."

"Night."