AN: It's nearly Babyangel's (and Cale's from Moving On) birthday (and I'm pretty sure she'll eventually pop in and read this chapter – she better since it's her story :-P ) so of course something needs to be posted, not to mention it's been a month and a half since a 'current' chapter of this story was posted.

As has been said for the past several chapters this is still a continuation of what should have been one (and fingers crossed the next will actually be that final one of this little arc).

Storyline related: Lot's of Logan's fam this chapter and a very immature Logan, I'm a firm believer of regression when around family (might be because I get to be the bratty little sis, honestly it's a role of a lifetime :-P).

GO CHECK OUT THE CHALLENGE SECTION OF BLAH BLAH WOOF WOOF if you want to write or help pick a challenge for Xmas (also if you want ones to read!)

Chapter 37

Wake-ups

Her lips twitched up in a smile before her eyes even opened fully.

No panic as to who she was in bed with. No wondering what she had done the night before…

Just a soft smile.

She knew his touch, she knew his scent. There was no other in the world that even breathed like him.

And he was in bed with her.

His arms still wrapped around her, though slightly loosened with sleep. She could feel his breath on her hair.

She smiled.

A cheesy, as wide as she could manage, smile and wondered if the movement that seemed to affect all of her would rouse him from sleep.

It didn't.

She let it fall eventually, into a gentle curve of her lips. Unable to stop it entirely (not that she wanted to); pretty sure she'd probably even been smiling in sleep.

One of the good things about countless hours spent awake as the rest of the world slept, especially since most places had curfews. Not to mention hours, sometimes days hiding away from Manticore and Lydecker, not even including the training she'd been forced to endure as a child. She really didn't need to move much.

Logan would probably laugh at such a comment, always telling her to go sit down or something along those lines. He never really got that she didn't have a problem with that when he was sitting next to her. Hours spent across the dining room table, Halloween when she spent half the day watching cheesy horror films with him, getting up only for designated bathroom and snack breaks in between movies. Things were just more interesting around him.

She could probably stay like this forever. Making it until morning wouldn't even be a challenge…

ooOoo

Her eyes started to drift open the moment she felt him start to stir. She'd awoken and drifted back off countless times during the night, always waking with a smile to realize it hadn't been a dream.

"Good morning," his voice rough with sleep greeted her.

"Morning," she returned it, not really knowing what else to say.

"Please tell me it was a nightmare, or I had too much to drink last night, I fell, cracked my skull wide open and it was all some horrific hallucination?"

"You mean the fact that I think Bennett moved in last night?"

He half whimpered, half groaned, "Maybe it was a shared hallucination."

'Dance with me.'

'I can't.'

'Sure, you can. Mind over matter.'

'See, my problem is I can't walk.'

'I'm not asking you to walk. Just dance.'

'Whose dream is this, anyway... Yours or mine?'

'Don't ask me.'

'You okay?'

'Yeah. I'm just a little dizzy.'

'Do you want to stop?'

'No. Don't let go.'

'I won't.'

'Promise?'

'I promise.'

' Logan...'

The flashback to their shared dream left them mutually stunned as they both decided yet again that the other couldn't have possibly shared it. That moment in the hospital, that confusion, uncertainty had simply been because of the kiss they'd shared earlier. Not some dream so vivid they could remember it over a year later.

"Fraid not," she found herself laughing, playing off the unease that suddenly coursed through her.

"Max, this is one of those moments in which lying isn't wrong. Allow me a few minutes of peace before I'm confronted with reality and trying to figure out how to get my cousin out of my apartment."

She laughed and twisted in his arms so she was suddenly face to face with him, "Okay how's this Logan. You popped in a few of those pain pills you have stashed in the bathroom and decided to mix it with wine in order to drown out Nicky. At which point you hallucinated that you're Brittany's legal guardian in case anything ever happens to Bitsy and Kyle. You were passed out on the couch by the time Marianne and Bennett showed up to pick up Nicky. They had a great time at the wedding by the way."

Logan's eyes closed, " Brittany…I'd forgotten about that."

"Hmm," she murmured rather amused despite the situation, "sorry about that."

He let out a staggered groan as his eyes reopened, "Better that I remember and deal with it. She's going to call me anyhow today. I liked her a lot better when she was in Europe."

"Question," she asked looking into the smoky green eyes, "whose you're favorite cousin?"

"Whose your favorite sibling?" he retorted.

"I asked first," she pointed out.

He thought about it for a second, "I want to say Jeremy."

"Who do you not want to say?" she asked with lips twitching up.

He chuckled, "I should say Bennett…or even Jon. Bennett's still around, I still see him and talk to him. I hung around more in Jon's circle of friends when I was younger though, I still get the random email jokes from him. I mean aside from certain obnoxious tendencies from him when he's home, he's not that bad."

"Yet you picked Jeremy?"

"He's good, has that younger cousin fear instilled in him, he isn't rude, never asks inappropriate questions, always a thoughtful debate waiting every time I see him." Logan smiled, "You know, I think he must sit up for days scouring the internet before coming to Seattle. I think he felt left out when we growing up, he's always tried so hard to fit in."

She just looked at him for a moment, his expression started to change to a sheepish one, "Ever notice how things that would cause total outrage in you if they existed in any other circumstances, when put into the context of your family are suddenly alright?"

Sheepish turned to bemused, "I'm pretty sure there were days in my family that made Manticore seem like Camp Mohawk or at least it felt that way, now what about your family?"

She stopped for a moment trying to place the name then smiled, a vision of all the little Cales crowded together in green shirts, some looking happy, some looking scared, some looking annoyed at having to take the picture. "The camp you went to with your cousins?"

He frowned looking at her, "How did you…"

"I was gone for a half hour easy before you found me on Christmas," she explained.

Ah finding her in his old room with the photo albums out…. "You really remember that from a photo?" he asked.

She shrugged, "So speaking of family, think you can get in contact with the man formerly known as the Anti-Christ and see what's up with getting Zack out?"

His stomach turned, but he had no choice in the words that followed, "Sure." He couldn't do anything to keep her away from getting her brother back, the only thing he could do was everything in his power to make sure she'd come back to him.

She smiled, "Thanks."

He nodded.

She wondered how long their normal banter could go on in a situation like this, their faces and the majority of their bodies mere inches away, other parts however were still flush. He had no idea how hard it was for her to think while her legs were being bristled, by his coarse leg hair.

"Good morning," he suddenly repeated looking into her eyes with a newfound smile.

"Morning," she smiled back as they apparently restarted their day, "sleep well?"

"Exceptionally. You?"

"Can't complain," she smiled.

His arms pulled her in that final inch and another smile before he bestowed a proper greeting.

"You know," she teased a few minutes later, "this keeps seeming vaguely familiar."

"It does, doesn't it," his arms locked around her and pulled her with him as he sat up. His hands slid along her back underneath her shirt as he continued to show her just how familiar it was.

"You know Bennett's going to come walking in that door any minute," she pointed out.

"It's seven Max," Logan said as his hands had enough of the shirt getting in the way and caught its hem.

She leaned back so he could remove it.

"With all he had to drink last night, trust me he's out until noon."

She leaned back along with Logan's encouraging hands, tilting to give him better access to the flesh he'd just exposed.

"No Bennett," he murmured between kisses, "no Asha, no Bling, no chicken salad sandwiches, no food whatsoever and most importantly it's 7 on a Sunday, anyone in their right mind is sleeping," he pulled her back up to him quickly and joined her for another kiss.

"Hmm, well when you say it like that," she whispered.

ooOoo

"Told you," she said with a mixture of gloating and anguish when the phone rang.

He groaned and leaned with her towards the nightstand, knocking the cordless onto the bed before actually grabbing it. His eyes closed and his head shook, "Margo."

She expected him to answer it, but instead was shocked to instead see his thumb catch the volume on the side and turn it off.

He continued to smile looking at her and grabbed his cell, holding her interest as he pressed the power button.

"Now where were we?"

ooOoo

They both froze hearing the buzzer.

"Ignore it," he said pulling her back into him with another kiss.

"They're not going away," she complained a short time later as it didn't stop.

"It's Margo, she'll eventually give up," he ignored her complaints.

Then all of a sudden over the buzz of the door she heard another door open, "Shit Bennett," she said moving to hop off of Logan.

He grabbed her back to him, "Not even you're that fast."

Sure enough another second later the words, "Mom are you trying to make my brain leap out of skull," were uttered across the apartment.

"Act like you're asleep," Logan said forcefully pulling Max down to the bed with him once he heard the buzzer stop.

She went along with it for a second before a short laugh, "What about my shirt?"

He popped up on my elbow for a minute and looked down at her with a smile, "I don't suppose you'd be willing to go along without it? We might have a better shot at this."

She sighed pushing past him, knocking him flat on his back as she grabbed her shirt tugging it on as footsteps made their way down the hallway despite pleadings from the other man, "Mom, come on Logan's asleep."

By the time the bedroom door flung open Max and Logan were once more tucked into their tender embrace, feigning sleep.

"Logan Christopher Cale Junior you have five minutes to be out in the living room," his aunt near roared, uncaring about the time or the other person in the room.

His bedroom door slammed shut and both of their eyes flew open, followed by Max of all people breaking out in the giggles a moment later.

He was frowning at her as he sat up, but she couldn't stop herself.

"How old are you?" she asked standing, but nearly falling over from the laughter that refused to cease.

He glared over his shoulder as he lifted his legs over the side.

"That's how Roberta talks to Jason," Max said referring to the family living on the first floor of her apartment; "he's 11."

"Well that's the good thing about family," he said grabbing the exo, "they keep you forever young." He scowled, "Which is really not that convenient because you spend most of your time with them wishing for death."

She laughed as she looked at him, "Why are you putting on the exo?"

"Height is my one advantage here, reminds her I'm not actually 11 anymore."

She laughed again, she knew what was going on was serious, hell it was actually even kind of nice to know Margo was actually concerned about her son's well being, or possibly what her friends were going to think, but a 32 year old man being scolded for a nearly 33 year old man's actions was more than slightly amusing. "I should get dressed; leave you to your family drama."

He turned looking confused as she went to retrieve the clothing she'd left dumped in a pile next to Logan's dresser. "You're not showering?"

"With the she-devil in the next room and my clothing on the opposite side of the apartment?"

He shook his head, "Shower, Bennett's lack of good judgment shouldn't make you freeze. I'll bring some clothing in here," knowing this was all about Max not wanting to deal with Margo's icy, judgmental stares.

She dropped her clothing back down. "Good luck," she said with a smile before heading into the bathroom.

ooOoo

He cringed as he walked out of his bedroom hearing Bennett pitifully trying to defend himself to his mother. He, as silently as he could, moved around the kitchen hoping the whirr of the exo would be drowned out by the voices. He started the coffee and paused each time a step was completed to hear if they had caught on to his actions.

He frowned trying to think of something to feed Max, but everything required a little more movement than he deemed wise and he somehow doubted she wanted to linger any longer than necessary, lord knew he didn't.

He peeled off two bananas from the bunch, easy for her to eat as she made her getaway and poured a glass of milk not doubting he would be caught by the time the coffee was done. He left them on the island for a quick pickup on his return trip and ventured as nimbly as he could towards the guestroom and hoped to god they would be too caught up in their fight to notice him.

" Logan!" the voice shrilled.

He turned casually as if not cursing himself for being caught and this were an everyday occurrence in his home. "Good morning Aunt Margo, I'll be right there I just need to grab something."

"Do not good morning me young man," she said following after him as he walked into the guest room.

His eyes closed briefly in anguish before continuing about his way, no chance of retrieving Max's clothing alone. "I'm sorry Aunt Margo, what would you like me to say?"

"I would like for you to tell me why your cousin is sleeping in your guest bedroom when he has a rather nice house that your uncle and I paid for."

He turned for that to see Bennett looking casually into the air.

His hands, on the drawer he'd pulled open, paused. "He got a house?"

"Oh don't get me started Logan," she waved at him, knowing where the argument would go as all arguments went to sibling rivalry. "You and Valerie did not need a house and your apartment was quite nice. And what are you doing going through these drawers?"

Oh crap, he realized as she moved to inspect.

"Max's clothing I assume?" she haughtily asked.

Bennett laughed, "You that much of a clothes horse Logan that she can't have a drawer in your room."

He randomly grabbed at things as he scowled at his cousin, trying to hold onto the grip of 32 year old man, but instead succumbing to the teenager he was being treated as. Bras, socks, underwear, normally they wouldn't bother him since they got caught up in his laundry on a regular basis, but today it was all just too much.

He quickly shut the drawer and opened the next, grabbing the first shirt and pants he saw all while realizing just how much clothing Max kept at his place.

"A white shirt and a black bra?" Margo asked studying the items in his hands before lifting her gaze to him.

He frowned again, but reopened the second drawer to grab a new shirt, not at all willing to go replace the bra. The black tee-shirt was his only option, but dammit if it wasn't still cold. Where the hell was her sweatshirt?!

Hanging up with her coat by the door, he breathed a sigh of relief knowing he wasn't going to have to riffle through Max's underwear with his aunt studying his every move.

"What about shoes dear? A sweater?" Margo said obviously enjoying this as he turned to leave.

"Accounted for don't worry," he said trying to force his relaxed persona back into place, "coffee should be almost done, help yourselves," he offered as they followed him.

A quick walk past the island grabbing the fruit and milk before heading into his room.

He returned only a moment later to find Bennett pouring the coffee as his aunt looked thoughtfully at the fondue pot resting next to the sink and the empty bottle of the bottle of Gitton Père's, 2018 Loire Sancerre, which he was really wishing was full right about now.

"What no champagne?" she asked turning with a smirk, wondering if there had been strawberries as well.

"They were all out," he smirked back. "Bennett pour me a cup?" he asked not wanting to waste anytime so Max didn't have to go through his whole family trying to leave the apartment.

"Black?" his cousin asked grabbing another mug.

"Yea," was his quick reply going to grab the milk and sugar for his aunt's.

ooOoo

Coffee and two half eaten bananas later they sat in the living room, cups in hand, teeth un-brushed, and Bennett still only in his boxers and a white tee-shirt facing Margo's wrath.

She looked at them carefully, where had she gone wrong? Logan she could at least blame on genetics and the first decade of his life, with Bennett…Well it was obvious there was something flawed in the Cale gene pool. "I am not going through this again," was all she said.

They both just looked at her.

"Huh?" Bennett finally asked.

"We have had enough drama in this family, regardless of the past year," she alluded to the rarely mentioned scandal their family had endured thanks to her late husband. Oh yes without a doubt, there was something flawed in that gene pool. "I will not allow for our family to go through another scandalous divorce."

"Actually the divorce was actually quite pleasant, I think you're referring to the marriage," Logan cockily answered.

She frowned at him, "Do not get me started on your marriage, though at least you had the good sense to marry someone who had at least been involved with our…" she paused considering her words, "world before." She turned to her son, "I warned you about Marianne, you watched Valerie crack and she was used to our world and had at least been involved with Logan for more than a fling."

"Marianne wasn't a-"

She raised her hand, "Three months before you get engaged is not an appropriate amount of time to know someone, 6 weeks to plan the wedding is absolutely absurd."

"We knew each other before-"

Another hand raise as she calmly continued, "Oh that's right she had been dating a fellow for several years…" she gave him a look and Bennett's previously agitated and defensive mood deflated. She turned to her nephew, "Remind me what that's called in the dating world again?"

"Rebound," he felt guilty speaking, but honestly the guy deserved it.

"Ah yes that's right," not that she hadn't known the word, she simply wanted Logan involved and certainly the effect wasn't bad.

"You didn't listen to me about being involved with her," though honestly she hadn't know until it was too late, "you didn't listen to me about getting engaged, you refused a long engagement and then you completely disregard my advice about waiting to have children."

Bennett sat there trying not to look contrite, yes everyone had told him. Couldn't they just be happy with a simple 'I told you so?'

She turned to Logan and watched him for a moment, "I blame you."

What the hell had he done? His eyes widened and he stared in shock wondering how the hell he was to blame for this, he'd at least tried to make his marriage work.

"He watched your example; you married someone completely wrong for you-"

"You loved Valerie," he tossed out.

"That is regardless," her words calm and paced. "You were obviously not a well-matched pair and you were obviously unwilling to compromise in your relationship. The point is Bennett watched you marry and divorce within a matter of years and you got off scot-free."

He inwardly scoffed, what world was she living in?

"He watches as you have a flagrant disregard for life and always land on your feet."

"Have you noticed I'm paralyzed?"

"Yes and I'm aware you know have certain…limitations. However aside from a few obvious things, your life is pretty similar to that of before your accident."

He finally controlled the teenage boy within him, before his head shook and he reminded her he'd been shot, it had hardly been an accident.

"He sees your carefree life, you work when you feel like working,"

"Mom, you know-" her hand raised and silenced his reminder about Logan being critical in them getting the company back.

"And gallivanting around town with a teenager."

"She's actually almost twenty one," he couldn't help himself.

She flinched, her eyes remained shut for a moment longer, "Point being your cousin is not aware of the consequences of one's actions."

"I can show him my checkbook if you like," he offered.

Her eyes closed again. Her nephew could be such a wise ass at times, certainly a Cale trait. "Our family does not get divorced," they had weathered the years in which people married and divorced overnight, she was certainly not about to let it start happening now.

" Logan," Bennett began, forgetting that last night he'd just been thinking about a break.

Logan glared at his cousin.

" Logan never had a child," Margo's voice raised, " Logan at least suffered through hell before she left him. He tried to save his marriage repeatedly, granted his actions were too late."

Logan, whose chest had puffed during the speech his aunt was giving, suddenly deflated towards the end. He went back to glaring at his cousin.

"You married a pleasant woman, who explain this to me again whose only fault is she loves your son too much?" she asked referring to their conversation while Logan had been getting dressed. " Logan," she turned back to her nephew, used to playing the children off each other, "tell me does that seem like a valid reason?"

"I'm not Bennett, I can't answer that."

"Do you think mine and your father's marriage was easy?" she turned to her son, "Your parents?" she asked Logan.

Both men just sat there like boys.

"Of course they weren't because marriage takes work. There were more than a few times when packing up and starting over made a hell of a lot more sense than sticking it out, yet we did and do you know the main reason why we did?"

More sitting.

"Our children."

They looked at her, wiser now that they were more awake and keeping their mouths shut.

"You will make your marriage to Marianne work," she ordered her son. She turned to her nephew, "You will not encourage him otherwise."

All he'd done was baby-sit their kid. Never again being a good cousin!

"That little boy is not leaving our family," her voice firm, her eyes icy.

His marriage wasn't working, not his son.

"I will not have him raised in a middle class lifestyle by a secretary."

"Mom, she-" he tried to point out that the Pulse had hit just after Marianne had finished her freshman year in college, hell considering he knew there were more than a few with post grad degrees working in the cafeteria, mail room and janitorial areas of CI, he was damn proud of her for making it to a secretary. Not to mention she'd always mentioned how she wanted to go back, she had even taken two classes immediately following their marriage.

"If you divorce her, you and Nicholas will be returning to the house to live with Chester and I."

He gave an uneasy laugh, "Come on Mom, you don't want any kids in the house, it took you over 30 years to get rid of us."

"Regardless, a family does what it must."

Logan nearly flinched recalling how plans had been made upon his 'accident' for him to return to the house before he caught on to what they were up to and put his foot down.

"And Sarah will be home for winter and summer breaks. Not to mention Sabrina's been living with me for the past week, you'd know this if you ever called or stopped by."

"Bree's living with you?"

Logan studied his cousin out of the corner of his eye, Bree?

"There was a break in at her building earlier in the week and her roommate recently moved out, she didn't feel safe and seeing how most of Chester's house is already packed up being that we're getting married in less than a week's time," she emphasized to her son. "It made sense for her to come stay with me. It's actually been a delight having her company."

"Mom, I-" Bennett began.

Margo stood, "No, I don't want to hear any excuses. I have plans at the club. I expect you to resolve this. You are not putting this family through anymore drama, especially the week before my wedding. I expect you to make yourself presentable, fetch your wife some flowers and even some chocolates, though god knows she doesn't need them, and throw yourself on her mercy."

"Mom," he stood too.

"No Bennett this is not up for discussion."

Logan stood to see his aunt out.

She turned to him, "Do not encourage any more of this foolish behavior."

Black sheep role was rather annoying today.

ooOoo

He and Bennett glared at each other once the door shut and they were left alone in front of it, especially since Max's sweatshirt and jacket were missing from the hooks.

"Some help you were," Bennett angrily commented.

"I agreed with her," he pointed out, "what the hell did you want me to say? Throw away your marriage of barely a year because your wife cares too much about your son?"

"I'm not throwing away my marriage; we needed to have a healthy conversation."

"Trust me healthy conversations do not include passing out drunk in a guest bed after your wife yells at you that she can't deal with you anymore."

"Oh why do they include a full bottle of vodka being chucked at you?" he heatedly referred to a past 'talk' of Logan and Valerie's.

"I suggested she put down the bottle and she did," granted he probably should have been a little more specific.

Bennett scoffed.

"Point is, you don't just get to walk away from you son and all the promises you made to Marianne."

A remark was on Bennett's lips as the phone started to ring.

Logan shook his head as he headed into the computer room and angrily groaned at his cousin's actions as he saw the Caller ID, Bitsy.

Thanks for reading and all the great reviews (this hasn't been said in awhile, but I'm generally a 'Great story. More please!' kind of reviewer so I really want you guys to know how much little things like: well done, yay, more please, cool, still reading or even the press and letter and submit with your name (as I have previously suggested) really do mean, I love knowing I still have your attention and I haven't completely screwed up the story. I tend to not reply back to most reviews (though I will admit I do on occasion and frequently to Mari whom I like to harass) mostly because I don't want to bother you guys (I don't know why I feel that, since I certainly don't feel that way when I get one). The point is, you guys have been great and yes I'm shutting up now. If you read this much, I'm sorry. I'm a rambler, hence the 6 chapters for one little part of a story.