I can't believe this is going so well, I think I'm gettin' the hang of this posting thing and I have all of you to thank. Your reviews are helping me a great deal, I'm doing this for you. I send lots of love to everyone, especially to:

Tegan, Ev, Christy, Myst, Liz, Luna, Escobar, Gem X5-416, Silverstar27, Black Angel, Croady's Angel, Natters, Darkone and my biggest thanks to the one and only Lily, aka Kae, you're becoming my inspiration. If you wanna talk some more here's my e-mail: nathaly_rodriguez@hotmail.com.

Anyways, I hope you like this next chapter, it envolves a lil' humor, a lil' angst and more M/L lovin' . I'd also appreciate if you'd gimme ideas about how to finish it.

1 Chapter seven: Son of a Gun



After talking to Logan, Max couldn't concentrate on anything else. He had confessed his love for her and more importanlty she had so too, in spite of all her fears and excuses she felt light-hearted, like she could fly. She recognized that it was time to act on her feelings for him, no more stupid dancing around themselves, next time she saw him she was going to show him just how much she loved him. She grinned at the thought but immediately another thought clouded her mind, Alyssa was in danger of being taken away from the only family she's ever known.

As she though about it she walked towards the room where everyone was sleeping, she tiptoed across it until she reached Alyssa. She was sleeping on her side, her back to Max, in her purple sleeping bag and bright red pillow with yellow polka dots. She sat next to her and smiled at her sleeping face. Even though she was twelve, there was still some of that baby face in her, her beautigul face held a tranquility in it.

She thought about the first time she ever saw her, it was the time she met Logan when she was robbing him. To this day she still didn't know how Alyssa had managed to see her, after all she had used her Manticore built stealth.

Flash back

Max tiptoeing through the living room dumping things carefully in her sack, she felt someone staring at her and she turned immediately assuming her fighting stance. She had expected to find a bodyguard or anyone with a gun, instead she found a remarkably beautiful litle girl with an angelic smile.

" Are you thief? We've never had a thief before, I can see that you know about value, you've taken really valuable things." She said in a soft whisper. Unaware of how to act Max stared at her.

" So? It's what we do, rob valuable things for money." She said with a stern look, she shouldn't be talking to the kid. The girl just smiled at her and closed the distance between them.

" You're beautiful." She said stretching her arms to caress Max's soft cheeks. Max pulled away uncomfortable to the child's touch. " Come on, I'll show where my daddy keeps the really valuable stuff." She said turning around to walk in to the office.

Max was really confused, she grabbed the child's arm and turned her to look at her eyes. " Why are you helping me rob your house? Shouldn't you be like, calling your dad?" The girl's eyes shone with humor.

" No silly, you fascinate me. I want you to teach me to be like you, I'm Alyssa Marie Cale." She said stretching her had to Max.

" Max." She held her small hand and allowed a smile to pose on her lips. " You are gonna be trouble, aren't ya?"

End flash back

It had been two long years after that faithful night and she felt like she'd known her all her life. Alyssa had turned in to the daughter she didn't have, the ally she needed when she conned Logan in to doing something he didn't want to do. She had grown to love her more than her own life and she'd be damned if she was going to let anyone take her away. She caressed her soft hair and kissed her temple, Logan and Alyssa were her family and anyone touching them had a death wish.

She lay next to Alyssa and hugged her waist and fell in to a light sleep. Logan on the other hand was restless, he was worried that Jameson was going to keep his promise, but he wouldn't let him. Alyssa was his daughter, he raised her and gave her all his love and he'd be damned if he let him take her out of his life.



The next day everybody had breakfast and changed in to their clothes, Max and the other women helped clean the house while the girls sat in the garden. Alyssa noticed how the girls envied Max's baby and grinned.

" Hey Alyssa, why don't you ask your...friend if she can take me for a ride. After all, this is my house and I invited you, the least you could do is show a little appreciation." Gaynor said with arrogance.

" Max doesn't allow anyone but me to ride with her, so I highly doubt that she'll let you ride it." Alyssa explained with a smile.

The girl was visibly annoyed with Alyssa and shrieked desperately, she ran inside the house followed closely by the rest of the girls.

Alyssa sat on the grass and allowed herself a victory chuckle. " She shoots, she scores." She muttered to herself. She also noticed a blue SUV park in front of the house, out of it came a man with white hair.

He approached her with a kind smile.

" Hello there young lady, how are you?" He asked extending his hand to take hers.

She complied reluctantly and offered him a shy smile. " Hi...sir."

" You're just like your mother, except for those annoying blue eyes." He said with a sly smile.

The despective tone he used when he made reference to her eyes made her uncomfortable, add it to the fact that he had apparently known her mother was freaking her to no end. Maxie come out, I need you.

" You're probably asking yourself why I know about your mother. Let me explain please." He sat down next to her and looked her in the eye. " I'm your mother's father, your grandfather. My name's Arthur Jameson and your grandmother's name is Claire, we've waited your whole life to see you but your father prevented it from happening. Your father took you away from us and never let us see you, you didn't even know about us." The man rubbed his head and sighed. " Do you think that what he did was fair for yourself and for us?"

Alyssa pondered her answer but chose to let the question hanging on the air, she was confused and all she wanted was to get home. Max was ready to leave the extremely girly situation and went to look for Alyssa, she found her outside talking with a stranger. She used her enhanced vision and gasped when she recognized the face.

She walked furiously towards them and cleared her throat to get their attention. " Who are you and what the hell are you doin' with my kid?" She asked, her tone alowing no games.

" Your kid? I should be asking that same question to you. You don't look old enough to be her mother, heck you don't look old enough to be legal." He replied avoiding her question.

Max's eyes turned almost black with anger, she had just met the man and she was already hating him.

" I asked you a question, what are you doin' with my kid?" She almost growled.

" I'm her grandfather and I'm interested in knowing why you say she's your kid. It's obvious you're not her mother or even her step-mother." Alyssa watched the interaction silently, she could tell that Max was really angry. And why wouldn't she? The man could be rather annoying.

" I've spent more time with her than you, I've been there for her whenevre she's needed me and I love her like my own. I think that gives me the right to call her my kid, don't you?" She replied sarcastically.

" That is unacceptable! My granddaughter only had one mother and that's all she'll ever had. I won't let a stupid kid who wants to play house decide my own blood's destiny. I'll be gone now but when I get Alyssa's custody you'll never see her again. You can tell Logan that." He said and left in his SUV.

Alyssa was now scared and hugged Max's waist tightly. " Max? I don' t want to go with him. I promise I'll be good from now on but please don't let him take me away from my daddy." She begged at the verge of tears. Max picked her up with ease and held her like she would hold a small child.

" I won't let him take you baby, I swear." She whispered to comfort the child. She seemed so young and fragil like this, most of the time her smart mouth and her cockiness would ruin the image of a tender child heading in to her teenage years.



Logan shut down his computer and rubbed his eyes, he had been through every book of justice he could find in the internet. Apparently there was nothing Jameson could do to get Alyssa's custody but Logan knew better, he was a dangerouns man and he could do whatever he wanted.

He walked to the kitchen and sighed heavily as he opened the fridge and grabbed some ingredients to make himself a sandwich. He looked at the clock, Max and Alyssa would soon be home and he couldn't wait, a whole night without their constant interruptions had made clear that he couldn't live without neither of them.

They were his missing parts, they completed him in every way possible. Alyssa was his creation, his beloved baby girl, his mark in the world. Max was his love, she was his half, his everything. Together he was complete, aprt he was nothing and that was why he couldn't lose Alyssa, not now not never.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door flung open, obviously by a kick, and in came Max carrying Alyssa in her arms and her duffle bag on one shoulder. Alyssa's head was buried under Max's neck and her legs were firmly wrapped around her waist. Logan immediately worried and was ready to take her in his arms but Max's look stopped him.

He nodded softly and watched as Max enetered Alyssa's room and deposited her on her bed. She immediately turned to her side and continued to sleep peacefully, Max placed the bag on the floor and closed the door silently.

" What happened Max?" He asked eagerly, he didn't even ask why she had hung the phone the night before. Right now nothing was as importnat as his daughter.

" She encountered Jameson. I found him talking with her, I don't know what he said because I was inside but Alyssa seemed confused. She just begged me not to let him take her away." Max got even more emotional with every word. " She cried Logan, she cried for you, for us." Max tears were falling and Logan held her in his arms.

" I won't let him take her. Nobody's gonna take our daughter away from us." Max was surprised by his answer, she wasn't sure how to reply.

She looked up at him and but her lower lip, " Do...do you mean it, the daughter part, I mean?" Logan caressed her cheek and smiled.

" Max, no other woman has accepted, taken care or loved my daughter like you did. These past two years you've been our angel, always here helping us move on, making our lives so much better. You're her mother, you deserve to be her mother just as much as she deserves to be your daughter." He kissed her lightly on her full lips licking her lower lip on the way. " And don't do that, bit your lip I mean, it drives me wild." He whispered, his voice husk with desire.

" Thanks for making me feel like I belong somewhere." She whispered softly.

" I mean what I said last night too, I love you so mcuh Max. You're the love of my life angel." Max thought she was dreaming, his warm breath was all over her and it was driving her mad with desire.

" God I love you too." And it was the last thought in her head before they kissed. It was a kiss full of love and passion, it spoke of all the pent up sexual tension between them and commitment. Their tongues entwined like thier heart and souls dancing to a rythmn old as time.

When the lack of oxygen made it's nasty appearence the both backed away. Max was flushed, her eyes almost too dark with passion and an incredibly sexy grin on her pouty lips, God she was beautiful, he thought. To Max, Logan resembled a greek god with his elegant feautres and imponent body and the best thing was that he was all for her.

" We better check on Alyssa, this maybe too hard for her to handle." Logan said taking her hand in his and making his way towards Alyssa's room.

Oddly enough, Max found in the simple act of joining hands, a certain peace and normalcy she'd never experienced before. I'm really gettin' the hang of this couple thing, she thought with a smirk.

Outside her room they could hear a voice, soft whispering with the intention of not being discovered. Logan opened the door slowly, just a creek and peaked inside letting Max see also.

Alyssa was seating on her window seat, her back to them, looking outsidea and she was also singing. At first her words were too soft to hear, except for Max but then she sang al little louder. She had a strong yet soft, melodic voice and she carried the tune perfectly.

There's a hero

If you look inside your heart

You don't have to be afraid

Of what you are

There's an answer

If you reach in to your soul

And the sorrow that you know

Will melt away

And then the hero comes along

With the strength to carry on

And you cast your fears aside

And you know you can survive

And when you feel that hope is gone

Look inside you and be strong

And you finally see the truth

That a hero lies in you.

Though Max had never the song before she loved it immediately, it was a song written to bring strength and confidence to those who listen to it. Even more in Alyssa's tender voice, she sang it so beautifully it almost broguht tears to her eyes. Logan was proud of his daughter, he knew that no matter what Alyssa would survive and that they'd make it out together.

He squeezed Max's hand and closed the door silently, he kissed her hand and held her very close to him. Breathing in her cherry scent and looking in to her deep chocoalte eyes, he knew that they'd make it. After all, he had two angels with him, two miracles that he would protect with his very life if it was necessary.

" She'll be ok right?" Max wanted to ask if they'd be ok but found it rather hard. He read throguh her torment and smiled in to her lips.

" She'll be fine, we'll be fine. We're a family and no one can tear us apart." She smiled genuinely and kissed him hard on the lips.

She let her tongue play with his own for a while and then backed away with a grin. Logan smiled, she remembered him of a satiated cat.

" So..." She started palying with the buttons on his shirt.

" So..." He tried to follow her but knowing Max, expect the unexpected came o his mind.

" About that sandwich you were making." Her eyes made the suggestion and Logan had to chuckle.

" Come on, let's get you fed before you do something you'll regret." He said dragging her to the kitchen.

Max laughed happily, in spite everything that happened that day she felt light-hearted. " Like what?" She teased.

" Like kick my ass." His reply cause laughter in Max and it attracted someone's attention.

" Looks like you're having a good time, mind if I join the fun?" Alyssa asked from the living room with a genuine smile, the first after the unfortunate encounter.

" Sure squirt, come on, I'll make you the best sandwich you've ever eaten." Logan said hugging his daughter.

" Hey! I thought that was mine." Max teased ruffling her hair.

" Oh, I'll make both my girls the best sandwiches of their lives." He said hugging both Max and Alyssa close.

He knew that the battle for her custody wasn't over, it was just getting started but for now, he had his two greatest loves with him and that was all that mattered. They would give him the strength he needed.

The rest of the day Logan spent it with Max and Alyssa, needless to say that he suffered from food shortage, courtesy of Max. But they were happy and that's what they needed.



Did you like it? I followed your ideas and added a lil' M/L cuteness. Too cute? Nah, I don't think so, I'll never get enough of M/L. Anyways, this is so not over, there's a lot more to come. I'm writing about the Jam Pony gang because I haven't used them and thy're really important. Also Bling will be making a special appearance, I'm thinking about introducing another character, please write and gimme ideas. After all, this story is for you. A million thanks to my wonderful reviewers, you're truly maing this easier. Thanks Lily!