The cheese monster strikes again. Sorry it took so long but I'm over it now I shall help you get over it. Come here. Closer. Closer. A little closer. Perfect. GET OVER IT!! That was pretty spiffy. I left the song out for the most part. I guess this is more exposition but whatever exposition is a lot like cookies; you may not them but nonetheless they are good. This ran a little long but there is no chapter 4 ½ so that will be chapter 5. Good luck and if you don't like where this is going feel free to tell me, it might bring about some change. "Viva La Revolution!" Enjoy.

I can't believe my troubles

"Geese Max, you look like you swallowed a beach ball," leave it up to Calvin to sound like bonehead. Max rolled her eyes and looked at him, "But I can still whoop on your ass."

"Do you have six kids in there?" Calvin came in from behind, carrying his son.

"Sure feels like it." Max rubbed her back again. Cindy looked her husband up and down and proceeded to bombard him with questions as Max struggled to conceal her laughter.

"You are wearing a different shit. Why are you wearing a different shirt? What happened to the other shirt I told you to wear? I picked out that shirt. What did he pee on this time?"

"Don't worry I got it up" Calvin tried to cover his ass.

"I know that look. I will ask you again."

"Just me...the bed spread and the floor."

"I got it up, honey. Because I am super dad, right?" Calvin looked at his son and held his hand out the child high-fived him "I taught him that."

Cindy went to check on the situation. Calvin walked over and hugged Max as best he could then sat comfortably on the coffee table before her, "So..."

"Calvin!!" Cindy yelled from the back room.

"What?" Calvin yelled back.

"Did you even try to get it up?!?! You didn't, did you?" Calvin ignored her scolds from the other room.

"So, Maxie, Where's the little man?"

"At work. We can't all part on weekends. Besides, who would save all of those lives?" 

"Valid point, not me. I have enough problems trying to save my own ass around here."

Cindy entered the room carrying the rug. "Hey Calvin, off the table; tables are made for glasses not asses. Now go get me the sheets"

"I just love it when she yells at me like a child."

"Well, I'm sick of hearing her bitch now go." Calvin handed baby Calvin to Max as he got up to help his wife.

"Hey handsome baby man" Max smiled to baby Calvin, "you look just like your daddy, only daddy needs some sun" Baby Calvin fiddled with the necklace her husband gave her when he found out she was pregnant. He had said something cheesy about beauty, how his mom got it when she had him and something along the lines of a gift for a gift; Max didn't remember, she was throwing up at the time. She sat back and looked at her necklace in the hand of the child, and thinking about the past eight and a half odd months. 'He'd better have fifty necklaces and a ring for each finger for this one and if he wants another a small diamond mine.' Once Baby Calvin had gotten his fill with the necklace he squirmed down and hobbled to his pacifier on the table and finding Ronald on the other end. Ronald could amuse Calvin for hours. Calvin wonderful child, he smiled just like his father but looked like a male version of his sister. 'I wonder who this kid is going to look like?' she stared idly at the two playing. Cindy returned from her cleaning "Hey Max?" Cindy stared at her, "Max? Boo?" Max snapped out of her daydream, "Boo come help me in the kitchen."

"Like a woman? Max whined.

"Yes, like a woman. You are a woman."

"I know that. But why?" Max whined more.  

"But why?" Cindy mocked, "It will give us time to catch up"

"But I talked to you last night?"

"Max. Kitchen. Now."

Max got up from the chair and started for the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen Max found her place in a chair. Cindy continued her mom like preparations. "Cindy. Who in their right mind makes pizza? Just call them and have hem send over about five."

"I wanted to do it myself. Besides I like to cook."

"Aww. Little Cindy Homemaker."

"If you call me that again I will have to hurt you. So changing the subject; how the little mama?"

"Nervous, uncomfortable, angry, when I think of more I'll let you know. So, Cindy, when do we get to see another one from you?"

"When hell freezes over and the devil serves snow cones. Cindy ain't havin' no more children. I got my girl I got my boy she's done for now. So how is the man?"

"Fine...going overboard but excited. He painted the nursery, got me his mother's rocking chair. He even tried to sigh the kid up for little league."

"He did?"

"Yeah, they told him to come back in about five years" Max and Cindy laughed.

"So pizza...Is that all you have?"

"That is what I made for everyone but you of course."

"Chicken? Cindy's famous chicken," Max's eyes got wide.

"Chicken."

"How did you know? I have been craving this since yesterday."

"I'm your girl. I know these things. And a 3 am call from your man."

"He really called you? At..."

"3 am, he said something along the lines of 'my wife made me call and she will leave me if I don't get her some chicken. Did you make him do that?"

Max stuffed her mouth so she wouldn't have to answer the question and shook her head.

"So..." Cindy touched Max's belly, "Got a name for him?"

"No. I'll name him when I see him." She declared, concentrating on her chicken.

"Damn girl you have got some patience."

"Cindy, that just it I don't. This whole pregnancy thing is driving me up a wall and down another. I know it's all another life type thing but yeah my feet are ten times the size they should be, hell I'm 10 times what I should be. The kid does gymnastics all night. How was it for you?"

"Well, the first time I was nervous as hell every little thing that happened we went to the emergency room but with the baby it was different. I didn't even know I was in labor. Our little Calvin was nearly born in a cab."

"Princess...Tara" Alec's pleaded from the other room followed by a high-pitched squeal and screaming, "Daddy said no. Max??"

"What?" Max yelled back

"She's doing it again"

"What is she doing again?"

"The tantrum thing. Princess, you'll ruin your dress"

"Well, I must go tame Alec's kid."

"Send Calvin in here to help me serve the kids." Max nodded, smiled, and took a deep breath.

"Calvin! Your wife wants you!"

"I could have done that."

"I know but I did it for you."

"Get out of my kitchen, smart ass." Max, still smiling, left the kitchen and began her walk to a screaming Tara.

"Max she really won't stop this time." Alec's face was turning red with strain. Tara was a spoiled brat a child only child and a child Alec truly deserved after all of the crap he put Max through. Although she was just two years old she knew the world revolved around her, many people would call it the terrible twos but little Tara had been that way since before she could talk. Alec and his wife split a few months after their daughter was born 'Max that chick is crazy' he would say over the phone and then ask to sleep on her couch. Max watched Tara scream and cry from across the room 'Heh. The Little Princess strikes again. First tantrum I've seen but I'm sure there have been more. Damn I'm glad this kids gonna be a boy.'

"Daddy loves you, princess," he threw in.

"DADDY NO!" she screamed louder.

"Princess, not right now"

"DADDY NO!" she kicked her face red with anger.

Max let Tara scream for a while longer while she talked to Alec, hopefully it would tire her out a bit.

"What the hell did you do?"

"Me? Why is it always me?"

"Because it always is you."

"Valid point but all I did was tell her the she could not have ice cream right now. And she flipped out. Just like her mother. She doesn't get what she wants, she freaks out. That bit..."

"Hey Alec, Shut up. Besides you haven't had the best of luck with that word," Max sniggered

"Right." 

"Hey Tara! Come here and tell me what happened."

"NO!" she screamed again.

"Tara get your little blonde butt over here." Tara looked up from her tantrum. She knew Max wasn't kidding.

"Max..." she wined shutting off the tears and rubbing her eyes, "I want ice cream."

"And what did daddy say?"

"No."

"Ok since you can't have ice cream how about I make a deal with you?" Tara nodded.

"You go eat with the rest of the kids and you can have..." Max dug around in her purse, "this piece of bubble gum."

"Gum?" Tara's eyes widened as she smiled. Alec tapped Max on the shoulder.

"Uhh...Max her mom said no gum."    

"It's just a little piece of gum."

"The gum that will be stuck in her hair later" Max picked Tara up. Tara stared at her stomach she put her ear to it.

"Max," she said quietly "Max's baby."

"Hey Tara, what was with all the screaming? Are you trying to wake up my baby?" Max teased her, "ok now you have to go eat with the rest of the kids like we agreed to. Why don't you go in the kitchen with Joshua here and get some pizza?"

"Tara come," Joshua bent over picked up Tara tossed her in the air and went into the kitchen Tara laughed and began to tell Joshua a story.

"Who would have thought dog boy would be good with kids." Alec chuckled to himself.

"Hey Alec."

"What?"

"Shut up." Max abruptly doubled over in pain.

"Max! Are you ok?"

"I think the kid just sucker punched me in the ribs."

"Aww, just like mom. Now you know how I feel," Max watched at Alec make an ass of himself.

"Are you done being male? Because you are about to catch a swift kick, if you catch my drift?"

"Yeah. Yes I'm done."

"Good. Now go get your kid some food."

"Right. One more thing," Max rolled her eyes and sat on the sofa.

"What?"

"Well, I..." Tara emerged from the kitchen.

"Daddy! Come! Here! Now!" She yelled punctuating each word with a stomp.

"Coming Princess," Alec nearly ran to meet her, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along.

'That child drives him crazy, and it serves him right, he's been driving me crazy since the day he peeped his head into my cell at Manticore. Mating partner, yeah right, first kill me. If they could see me now... they'd still probably kill me. '

All these things we were searchin'