OK, if you haven't voted on the boys' names, it's too late. I've taken it down and put up the girls' pool name. Go and vote on that! You have until Tuesday and if you don't vote, that's 'cos you is too slow!


First day of work was the following afternoon. Tommy was giving Tobias short, afternoon shifts for a week before putting Tobias in full-time employment- considering Tobias worked well.

Tobias thought he was a brilliant worker- he made nice coffee, talked to and laughed with customers and left tables shining. Of course, Tommy was only around when there was a queue or a table Tobias hadn't cleaned yet.

On the Friday afternoon shift- the last one before the weekend off- things were a little different.

Tobias was serving customers at the counter when someone slightly shorter than him sat on the other side of the counter, his cap pulled low over his shades.

"Alright, Max?" Tobias asked casually, taking his brother's hat off.

"Hey, Tobias." Max sighed, not evening reaching for his heat. Tobias instantly knew something was up- you could never take Max's hat and get away with it.

"Why the shades?" Tobias quizzed, dropping the hat on the counter and setting about to make his brother the strong coffee with three sugars that Max favoured.

"It's nothing." Max retorted shortly, his tone guarded.

"Uh-huh." Tobias said believingly. "People sit inside with shades on all the time."

"Coffee to go." Max muttered.

"Coffee to stay." Tobias smiled over his shoulder at Max, who sighed. Max glared at him from behind the shades. "I guessing you got into a fight at school." Max hesitated. "Yes, you did. And… the shades are to cover up a black eye or something." Max sighed. Tobias set the coffee in front of him. "Stay. I'm gonna get some ice." Tobias disappeared into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Tommy demanded, appearing out of nowhere in front of Tobias.

"Dude, you're a ninja. And getting ice for my brother. I think he's got a black eye." Tommy's expression softened.

"Don't forget you're supposed to be working as well."

"I know." Tobias gave a reassuring smile. "Uh… where's the ice?" Tommy pointed and left. Tobias hurriedly got some ice, wrapped it in a clean white cloth he had found and returned to his brother.

Max did have a black eye, a bad one. He accepted the ice gratefully, covering his injured eye with it.

"You work here?"

"You drink here?" Tobias countered. Max stared at him, unimpressed. "Yeah, kinda. Uh… I'm on a sort of trial week, today being the last day." Tobias set a slice of apple pie in front of Max.

"Tobias-" Max started.

"I'll pay, don't worry." Max sighed.

"Thanks."

"Anytime. Now tell me whose ass I've got to kick." Max smiled weakly, but it fell after a couple of seconds.

"You know Jen, don't you?"

"The latest girlfriend?"

"The latest ex- girlfriend." Max corrected, muttering. Tobias looked at him quizzically. "I went to see her last night 'cos she wasn't in school. Her mom let me in and I went upstairs to find Jen." Max shifted uncomfortably, his grey eyes resting on the apple pie. Tobias recognised the temptation in his brother's eyes, but Max withheld from eating. "The door to her room was locked and…" He trailed off, frowning at the dessert in front of him. "And… I-I heard… heard stuff."

"Stuff?" Max rolled his eyes up at him. "What? She was-?" Max nodded slowly.

"Her and some guy were being a bit too friendly with each other last night." He grumbled.

"I take it you didn't kick the door down?" Max shook his head.

"Went home." He said. "Obviously, she didn't want to see me." Max picked up the fork, relenting under temptation and poked the apple pie- his comfort food. He shifted the bundle of ice over his eye.

"Was Jen in school today?"

"Yeah."

"Did you talk to her?"

"Yeah…" Max sighed.

"How'd it go?"

"She denied it. Told me I was paranoid." Max started eating. "Found out who the other guy was. He turned up shortly after I started talking to her. Asked if they could have a repeat of last night." Max ate another few forkfuls of pie before continuing. "Turns out she had had two boyfriends from the starts."

"You and this other guy?" Max nodded. "Who's the other guy?" Max didn't answer that one.

"She said she liked us both. She said something along the lines of me being Doctor Fun times and him being her, uh, friend-with-benefits."

"Slag." Tobias muttered. Max nodded in mute agreement.

"Who was the other guy?"

"Ed." Tobias stared at him, wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Ed." He repeated. "Ed as in the Ed who's your partner-in-crime, fellow sport fanatic and best bud?"

"Not anymore." Max muttered, sipping at his coffee. Tobias grumbled a curse in Ancient Greek before glancing up into Max's eyes.

"You really liked her, didn't you?" Max nodded numbly. "You didn't… do anything with her, did you?" Max hesitated. "Max…" Tobias warned.

"No, not that far!" Max insisted. "But, I-I… uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I guess… I-I was kinda… getting ready for that bit." He admitted quietly. Tobias made to reply, but spotted a customer waiting at the other end of the counter. "Why are you asking anyway, hypocrite?"

"I'm older, shut up." Tobias smiled, moving off to serve the customer. Max attacked the apple pie while he waited for his brother to return. He caught sight of Tobias's boss standing behind the beaded curtain in the kitchen doorway. Tommy's eyes were watching Tobias's every move like a hawk.

Tobias handed over two mugs of hot chocolate and the customer left to sit down. Tobias returned to Max. "So, how did you get the black eye?" He asked as Max adjusted the ice bundle again.

"Got in a fight with Ed." Max said quietly. Tobias looked at him suspiciously. "I won. But I got this." Tobias smiled proudly, lifting Max's spirits slightly.

"That's my bro." Tobias made to go and serve another customer when he thought of something. "You've come straight here from school, haven't you?" Max nodded. "Does Mom know you're here?" Max mouthed a curse and went for his phone. "She's gonna kill you…" Tobias sang teasingly.

"You're so kind."

"I am. I bought you coffee and apple pie and listened to your girl issues." Tobias paused. "And I got you ice as well." Max gave a small, lopsided smile, dialling their mother's number. "She'll kill you." Tobias grinned before moving off to sort out yet another customer.

"Where are you!?" Annabeth demanded.

"At the coffee shop Tobias and Soph work at."

"What are-? Wait… did you just say 'Tobias' and 'work' in the same sentence?"

"Yep." Max glanced at his brother. "He said he was at the end of a trial week or something."

"Why are you there then?"

"Felt like coffee and apple pie." Max said truthfully, shovelling the last of his dessert into his mouth.

"Apple pie…" Annabeth mused. "What's happened?"

"Can I tell you when I get home?" Max asked through his mouthful.

"Wh-?"

"Please Mom?"

"Oh, fine. Don't be out long though."

"I won't." Tobias suddenly appeared, taking the phone from Max.

"I'll walk him home, Mom."

"Good. I need a word with you anyway."

"Coolio. Bye Mom." Tobias handed the phone back while his mother said a grudging farewell. Max said 'bye' as well and hung up.

The bell tinkled as someone entered the coffee shop, catching the attention of the ADHD parts of Tobias's and Max's minds. Max grumbled quietly, quickly and suddenly showing interest in his coffee.

Tobias understood.

Max's ex-girlfriend had just walked in.

She sat at the other end of the counter, not noticing Max at first. Tobias went about working and helping customers, noticing why Jen had appealed to Max in the first place. She was of average height, with a toned body and an even, yet most likely fake tan. She had a kind, heart-shaped face and high cheekbones. Her pale blue eyes glittered as she took in the coffee shop, waiting for service and she continuously flicked her long, light blonde hair over her shoulder. She wore skinny jeans and a sleeveless deep blue T-shirt.

Fredo served her, thankfully, and it was only after she had ordered a low-fat cappuccino and a small salad, did she notice Max.

"Max?"

"Hi, Jen." Max muttered, staring at the dregs in his coffee cup. "Fredo, can I get a refill?" Fredo beamed at him and took his cup away.

"Oh, I had to walk in a coffee shop with you in."

"You could go." She glared at him.

"Why should I?"

"Oh, I don't know." Max said sarcastically. "Maybe 'cos you'd rather go with a friend-with-benefits guy than someone who actually cared."

"Well, I-"

"Here you go, mate." Fredo placed the refill in front of Max.

"Thanks bud." Max sighed. Tobias returned, Sophia with him. "Soph!"

"Hey, Max!" Sophia beamed at him. She moved over and ruffled his hair before stealing his coffee.

"Hey!" Max protested.

"Fredo never puts sugar in people's coffee. You have to do it yourself. Three, yeah?"

"Please." Max grinned. Sophia set about sorting out the sugar in his coffee. Tobias bounced back behind the counter and covered Sophia's eyes from behind.

"My precious…" He hissed in a perfect imitation of Golemn (that's how you spell it, right?)

"Don't do that!" Sophia pulled his hands away and returned Max's coffee.

Max felt Jen's glare on him, but ignored her, asking Sophia how the baby twins were. Sophia smiled ecstatically.

"They kicked the other day!"

"One of them." Tobias corrected. Sophia glared at him. Tobias instantly held his hands up in surrender and went off to clean a table.

"Boys or girls?"

"Don't know." Sophia smiled. "I've got a scan next week though, so hopefully I find out then."

"Let me know, will you?" Sophia nodded. "Thanks."

"You're pregnant?" Jen asked, looking quizzically at Sophia.

"Like you'll be soon." Max muttered darkly. Sophia looked at him quizzically while Jen glowered at him.

"What'd you mean?" She snapped.

"You bloody well know what I mean!" Jen's cheeks tinged pink.

"I didn't do anything! It was you." Max scoffed.

"Coffee to go." He ordered. Sophia looked at him pityingly, but started preparing a coffee for him to take away.

"So you're going to walk away? Very manly." Max pretended he didn't hear her. "And the silent treatment? Aren't you mature?"

"Why don't you go back to fucking Ed, huh?" Max snapped. He grabbed his cap and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Sophia caught Tobias's eye. Tobias was stunned, to say the least, his eyes flicking from Sophia to the door.

Tommy appeared in the doorway.

"Go." He told Tobias. Tobias looked relieved.

"I owe you." Tobias grinned, chasing after his brother.

Max was unsuccessfully hailing a taxi. "Max!" He glanced round.

"What?" He demanded. Tobias grabbed his shoulder.

"Talk to me, bro." Tobias pleaded.

"I told you! What more is there to say?" Tobias put his arm around Max and moved his brother away from the busy road.

"There's something else." Tobias insisted, looking Max in the eye. Max fumed silently, knowing his brother was right. Like their father, Tobias was smarter than he looked.

"She told everyone it was me who cheated and they believed her until I found out that she started all that shit. So I went to talk to her and Ed got involved and everything kicked off." Max cracked his knuckles, like he always did when he was annoyed and trying not to hit something. "Ed was prancing around like he owned the fucking place and I could've ripped his bloody head off. What kind of guy does that to their friend?"

"A messed up one." Tobias said honestly. "Anything else?"

"No." Max growled.

"Sure?" Max's jaw clenched angrily. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"No, it's nothing. Just walk me home." Tobias made to argue, but he had seen that murderous look in Max's eyes before and knew it wasn't a good idea to press him.

"Fine." Tobias sighed. He walked Max home, talking about anything except Max's predicament, trying to lighten the mood, but it didn't work. His little brother remained in a stony silence all the way home, disappearing to his room- Tobias's old room- without a word to anyone. Tobias ended up telling their parents what had happened. "There's something else, Mom, but he's not saying what."

"I'll talk to him."

"Can you let me know how that goes?" Annabeth nodded. "Thanks Mom."


That's all for tonight! I'll update tomorrow, as usual. It might be the baby scan bit, but it might be something else. Depends what I come up with. Vote and review people!