Chapter Six

The Maneuver

Michael about to buckle over to two extra weights that he was holding sat down on the couch with his twins in his arms. He looked at his two children with an observational eye. His daughter, Devon was the oldest by a full minute and she acted like it. She was a small pixie-like child with his brownish, hazel eyes that had her mother's flecks of green in them. Her hair was blonde and curly at the ends, like her mother's, yet with some of that wild flyaway tendency that his hair had. And she had her mother's button nose, too. He knew as he sat there watching her that one day she would probably look just like her mother. On the other hand, her twin brother, younger by a minute would probably look just like him. Azarian had his father's light brown hair but with natural blonde highlights that always showed up the strongest in the summer. However, his hair was a little more tamed than his father's. Yet, it still had that unique flyaway tendency. His eyes, were the opposite of his twin's, his were green with flecks of brown in them. But, like his sister, he too had a cute little button nose. As Michael looked at both children observationally, he became aware that they were looking at him expectantly.

On the other side of the room, stood Max with his son in his arms. Gabriel was looking up at his father. If one were to see the two on the street you would know that they were related from just looking at them. While his son may have had Liz's eyes, he had some of the similar features of his father. Both males had dark brown hair and those cute little ears that stick out from their heads. They were just alike where all facial features were concerned except for the eyes. As if sensing the gaze of his son, Max looked down at him. "What's wrong, Gabe?"

"Mommy's mad at you, Daddy. She doesn't like what you did last night. And she doesn't even know what you did last night. Auntie Liz is also mad at you, Unca Max because she can't believe that you lost control." Devon answered for Gabe. Then as if know what question was going to be asked next she answered the thought. "Gabe told me to tell you for him." She said looking from her father to Max.

"How did she know that Liz and Maria were mad at you guys?" Philip asked as a knowing glance passed between Max and Michael. Luckily for them, they didn't have to answers because Miguel changed to subject.

"Philip don't try to avoid the subject! Why did you make us agree to clean the living room?"

"I'm not trying to change the subject. And don't you act like you wouldn't have done the same thing. She was practically eating out of my hand. So how could I not agree to clean up? Besides, I would rather have her on my good side rather than mad at me like your wives are at you." He responded.

"I knew that one of them were going to try it. But, I just expected it to be Maria. Who did you think it was going to be Max?" Michael asked as he got up from the couch and placed both of his children on the floor and stood up grasping both of their hands. Max had also placed his son on the ground and was holding his hand.

"No, I was right actually. I thought that it was going to be Chloe." He paused. " Well, actually I thought that it was either going to be her or Kay. But, definitely not Maria. I mean if you think about when doesn't she get mad at you." He answered.

"What are you two talking about?" Philip asked.

"Should we them?" Max asked as he began to walk toward the staircase.

"Yeah, I mean Kyle and Alex warned us about it so I guess that we should return the favor." Michael said as he watched Miguel and Kay's dog, a Huskie walk into the room.

"Yes, tell us whatever secret you two are talking about if it has to do with our wives."

"Daddy, can I go play? I wanna go play with the doggy!" Gabriel said as his father looked down at him.

"Yeah, Daddy, I wanna go play with Gabe, can I?" Azarian asked.

"Me, too. Me, too." Devon replied along with her brother's plead. Michael and Max looked at each other than at Miguel, who simply nodded yes.

Michael kneeled down before his son and daughter. "You guys can go and play with the dog. But, remember that he is just a baby and you have to be gentle with him. And no turning the puppy different colors or anything like that. Don't," he gestured with his fingers a motion that the children used when they used their powers. "Okay?" The children nodded yes before running off to find the dog. And without even saying a word Gabriel looked towards his father for a response and all Max did was nod once and he was off behind the twins.

"Okay, how did you do that?" Philip asked as he too watched Gabriel run, in that cute toddler way to join the Guerin twins. "What, can you guys read each other's minds? Or are you guys witches or something?" Max glanced up at him surprised only to shot a quick look at Michael and Miguel before they all started to laugh. "What? Did I say something wrong?" But, the question fell on dead air as the other men just kept on laughing. "You know I don't get you guys at all you. You are so weird."


The ladies, on the other hand, were in the kitchen holding their own conversation about their husbands.

"Kay, I am so sorry about this. I simply don't know what came over my husband; he never acts so out of control. I can't believe that he created such a mess of your living room." Liz said as she made a pot of decaffeinated coffee.

"Liz I don't know why you're apologizing, Max is a grown man. He can take responsibility for his own messes." Maria said to her.

"I know that I just feel bad about what he did to Kay's house."

"You shouldn't worry about it because, he's not the only one responsible because Miguel lives here and you can see what he did. Besides, that the other husbands have to take some of the blame too." Kay said as she walked over to the refrigerator.

"Yeah, she's right they're all responsible so they should all have to make it up to us. And they will start by cleaning the mess that they made last night. I don't need to tell you how funny this is going to be when I tell Belle. My husband has lived with servants all of his life, it will be nice to see him clean a mess he made this time." Chloe said as she laughed.

"You are bad Chloe, making your husband clean someone else's house. " Maria said in a faked shocked tone. Then, she fell out laughing.

"Hey, don't laugh yet, this is only the beginning. I am really going to make them pay because it will be so much fun to see." Chloe said as she continued to laugh

"Well, hey I'm all in for it. Anything that puts Michael in a situation where I can get a laugh out of it, I will completely enjoy. And I think I know exactly what we should do." Maria said as she smiled conspiratorially at the other women.

"No, seriously, how did you do that with your son?" he asked as the other men finally stopped laughing.

"He just knew what I was going to say. So he was just looking for my confirmation, I guess. He's always done that. I really don't have any idea where he gets it. Max said as he shrugged and began to pick up trash from off the floor.

"Oh please, Maxwell he gets it from you and Liz. I mean didn't you even notice that while all our wives were a little more vocal. While Liz stopped talking to him and just gave him a look." Philip nodded "Yeah, well that's the way they communicate. They've been doing it since high school. To be honest," he said as a side note. "It kind of freaks everyone else out."

"Okay, I think that, that is enough talking about me. Why don' t we just tell them the secret?" He responded as he attempted to change the subject.

"Yeah, tell me and Philip about the secret." Miguel said.

"Do you want to do the honors or shall I?" Michael asked.

"I'll do it," he responded looking at the men. "Okay, now this is something that has been passed down from man to man. And what I am about to tell you need to watch for when your wife is pregnant." The other men were listening intently to Max as if he were a god. "What Chloe just did is a perfect example of this maneuver in it's finest."

"What do you mean what Chloe just did. Chloe didn't do anything."

"Typical. It always the one who think he knows his wife the best." Michael sighed under his breath and then snorted.

"Philip, man, think about it. Before, Chloe came here today, you were mad that she didn't tell you about the baby. Yesterday, after spending the night with the girls she knows that we were probably going to tell you, inadvertently about the baby. So to get herself out of trouble with you, she applied the tactic." Max said.

"What in the hell is that?" Philip asked.

"It's when your pregnant wife attempts to seduce you, in the hopes of getting you to forget that you are mad at her. And she will, make you think about sex. That's just the way she thinks you'll get your mind of her." Michael explained as he sat down. "Usually it works just like it did today unless you know about the maneuver."

"Normally, you wouldn't catch on to it even than. Unless, a man who has been through this before, like myself, points it out to you. Trust me, she will use this at ever opportunity that she gets whenever she thinks that you will get mad at her. All women use it. But the trick is to know when she's going to use it." Max told them.

"So let me see if I get this right, you guys think that I fell for that?" Philip asked both Max and Michael who both nodded yes. "Why would you think something like that? Chloe wouldn't do that to me. I'm sure that you guys are wrong. She wouldn't do that," he said only half believing it himself. Then, he looked around the room at the facial expressions of the other husbands and realized that they were right. Chloe had completely fooled him so that he wouldn't get mad at her for not telling him about the baby. "I can't believe that she would do something like that. To me, of all people. Damnit, first she leaves me and doesn't tell me that she's even pregnant." Philip began to pace, walking from one corner of the room to another.

"Uh, man Philip, maybe you should calm down. Remember that Chloe's not the only one that lied. Kay lied too. She wasn't honest either, but you just need to calm down. You don't want to anything stupid." Miguel said as he started to walk toward Philip. "You just need to take sometime and cool off a bit. Then, you should go talk to Chloe."

"You're right. I should just go talk to Chloe." And before anyone realized what he planned to do, Philip had walked into the kitchen.

"Oh my god, the man is only going to make things worst." Michael said as he shook his head at Philip.

"You're right, he probably just make her mad at him. Someone should go in and stop him," Miguel said looking at the other men. "You know what this is my house, I'll go in and help him." He went in after Philip.

Max and Michael watched both men go into the kitchen. Miguel after Philip, and Philip after Chloe. But, what they knew was that both of those men obviously didn't have any idea what they were dealing with. "So should one of us going in there and attempt to maintain the situation?" Michael looked at the revolving door of the kitchen. "I guess I'll go. I deal with Maria on a daily basis. So I don't really think that I be that bad off."

"Umm, Michael, did you forget that we're dealing with pregnant woman here. And Maria will be twice as worse."

"Which is why if I deal with her now. You can come in and resolve the situation by working on Liz. She'll be the most rational and anyways you got that thing that always seems to work on her." Michael said as he moved to the doorway of the kitchen and walked in. "Wish me luck."

"He's going to need it." Max said and went off to find the children, he might need a little help because Liz was thoroughly pissed off at him.