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A/n Happy New Year all. Have a great week. Thank you for reading and for commenting.

Max grinned when she opened her door and found Spencer with Michael waiting for her. "Hello," she kissed Spencer and then laughed when Michael said. "Yuck."

"Hello," Spencer said as they entered the living room.

"Hi," said little Michael.

"Hello, Michael," Max stooped down and kissed Michael on the cheek. "I'm glad to see you."

"Uncle Spence said we have spaghetti and meatballs."

Max took his hand and led him to the coffee table in front of her sofa. "Yes, but first it has to finish cooking. Would you like to color for a while?"

"Yes," squeaked Michael. "I like the colors."

Spencer took off his coat and his scarf. He carried it with Michael's coat and boots to the hallway closet. When he returned, Max had set up Michael with a coloring book and a giant box of crayons.

"Oh, look at all those crayons, Michael. I'm jealous."

"You color too, Uncle Spence."

"If Max doesn't need my help with dinner."

Max touched his shoulder and smiled at them. "No, the dinner is under control. All I need to do is put everything together and plate it. It'll be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"Good because I'd rather dive into these coloring books," Spencer said and grinned when Max rolled her eyes.

"Alright, you two have fun."

"We will."

Max wandered off to the kitchen as Michael asked Spencer what color he liked the best.

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Twenty minutes later, Michael was enjoying his plate of spaghetti and meatballs. He had tomato sauce on his face and hands. Luckily the bib JJ had sent with him kept his shirt mostly clean, except for his cuffs.

"Looks like he likes it," Spencer said to Max.

"You too, you have sauce on your chin."

Michael laughed and pointed at his uncle Spence. "You have spaghetti on your face."

Spencer wiggled his eyebrows and said, "Watch out, young man, or I'll eat your last meatball."

"No," said Michael, and he giggled when Max handed Spencer a napkin and said. "Get cleaned up, young man."

Spencer wiped the sauce off his chin and said, "Delicious."

"What 'lishous mean, Uncle Spence."

"It means that it tastes good."

Michael nodded his little head enthusiastically. "I like it."

Max ate a forkful of the salad she'd made. "I'm glad. "

When dinner was over, Spencer said. "Okay, Michael. Why don't we help Max clean the kitchen?"

"Want to draw," Michael pouted.

"How about taking your plate to the kitchen for Max."

"Okay," said the little boy as he picked up his plate and took it into the kitchen.

"Thank you," Max said. "You're a wonderful helper."

"I bring my spoon, too."

"Yes. That's so nice of you, Michael."

Max winked at Spencer as he and Michael cleared off the table. Michael was such a cute little boy, and he loved Spencer.

"Okay," she said after setting the dishwasher and cleaning up pans that needed handwashing. "What is the next activity on the menu."

"I think we should have a game of hide-and-seek," Spencer said.

"Yay!"

"Okay, who gets to be it, first," Max asked.

"I have an idea," Spencer said and reached into his pocket. "I'll flip this coin."

Max grabbed his arm. "No. I've seen you do magic before," she said.

"You don't trust me," Spencer said and pretended to be sad. "Michael, Max thinks I'll be naughty."

Michael shook his head. "Uncle Spence, not naughty."

"Well, I'm not sure about that. Why don't I flip the coin?"

Spencer heaved a huge, fake sigh. "If you must."

"I must," Max said and flipped the coin.

She caught it with a skill that impressed Spencer and made Michael clap his hands enthusiastically. She turned it over underneath her right palm and said. "Heads or tails."

"Wait, there's three of us," Spencer said. "I think an adult should always accompany Michael on this mission."

"Spencer!"

"Heads, he's your partner, and tails he's mine."

"Okay."

"Want to be with Max," Michael said.

"You heard him," Max said when Spencer pouted. "Stop acting like you're his age."

Spencer shrugged and said, "Are you going to show us the coin?"

"Yep."

Max lifted her hand, and Spencer said. "Oh no, it's heads. Guess that means you get to be it with Max."

Michael clapped his hands. "Yay. You go hide, Uncle Spence."

"I will, but first we have to decide how high to count."

"We learned to count to ten at school."

"Okay, that's not much time, so I better hurry. Hide your eyes."

Spencer waited for them to cover their eyes and when Max said. "Let's count together, Michael," He hurried away.

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At ten, Max removed her hands and looked around. "Where do you think Spencer went, Michael?"

"He's under the bed," Michael said as that was his favorite place to hid when he and Henry played.

"Okay, let's go look under the bed

They checked under her bed, in the bathroom, and the closets, but Spencer had seemed to vanish. "Hm," Max said, and then she looked at the living room. "I think I know where he is."

"You do."

"Yeah, I think he's in the kitchen hiding behind the counter."

Max put her finger to her lips and took Michael's hand. She led him to the couch, and they both hurried around the right side and pounced on Spencer, who crouched out of sight. "Got you," said Michael triumphantly.

"Oh, you found me," Spencer said and frowned. "I don't think it's right to say you're going to look in one place then surprise me."

"Too bad," Max said and giggled when Michael laughed. "You'll have to hide better next time."

"You're it now," said Michael.

"You're right. Let's play again."

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Two hours later, the trio was sprawled on the sofa watching A Mickey Mouse Christmas Carol. Michael was fast asleep in Spencer's lap.

"He's so adorable," Max said.

"He is," Spencer agreed.

"I glad his mother and father decided to let him come stay over tonight."

"Well, Henry is at a sleepover with a friend, and JJ and Will are spending the night in a Bed and Breakfast that Garcia found. As a matter of fact," Spencer shifted a little and whispered into Max's ear. "I think we should check it out for ourselves next weekend."

"Garcia told me all about it, and you're right. We need to visit."

"Then it's a date."

"Yes."

Spencer grinned at her, and as the movie ended, he picked up Michael and took him to the sleeping bag Will had given Spencer. He tucked the little boy inside and kissed his forehead. "Love you, little man."

"You're so cute with him," Max said as Spencer rejoined her on the sofa.

"I love Henry very much, but I'm glad I got the chance to spend time with Michael alone."

Max snuggled up to Spencer and lay her head on his chest. "I get it. I love spending time with my nephew outside the view of his parents. I like talking to him and learning about his life."

"Yeah. I know what you mean."

Max yawned and looked at her watch, "We have another three hours before midnight. What do you want to do."

Spencer looked at her, and she smacked his chest. "There's a child in the room."

"We can go to your bedroom."

"Spencer!"

"Okay, then I want something sweet."

Max untangled from him. "I still have the chocolate orange you gave me for Christmas. You want a sliver of that or hot chocolate with whipped cream."

'Both," Spencer requested.

"You won't sleep tonight," Max said as she went to the kitchen.

"That's the idea."

"I told you there's a child in the house," she said quietly. "If you're not careful, you'll wake him."

"JJ said that Michael could sleep through anything." Spencer continued when Max returned with his hot chocolate and a sliver of the chocolate orange.

"You have a one-track mind," Max said and pushed him away when he tried to kiss her neck. "Think about next weekend and our trip to the B&B."

"If Garcia can get us in," Spencer reminded her.

"I think we're fine. You've told me all about her computer skills, and I've seen Garcia in action."

"Alright, I give up, for now. After Michael goes home tomorrow –"

Max interrupted him with a kiss. "You're incorrigible."

Spencer tugged her in close and stroked a hand into her hair. "You're beautiful. I can't help myself."

"Come on, let's put in another movie. Then it'll be time to say Happy New Year."

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"So, how did it go," JJ wondered when she and Will picked up Michael after lunch the next day.

"It was fun," Max said. "Michael's amazing."

"Well, I hope he was good," Will said as he picked up Michael and hugged him tightly.

"Yes," Spencer said. "He was perfect."

"I always be good," Michael said.

JJ chuckled and held out her arms. "That's a debate for another time," she said. "You ready to go home, tiger."

"Yep. Want to make a snowman."

"Oh, you do," JJ said. "Well, let's see if Henry wants to help."

"Yay."

"It's tough to build a snowman around here," Max said.

"Don't worry," Will said. "He and Henry already built two over Christmas."

"You did," Spencer said. "I'll have to come to see them."

"You are both welcome next weekend," JJ invited.

"No," Max shook her head. "We have plans to be out of town, but thanks."

"If the weather holds, I'll take them a while to melt," Will said.

"It's supposed to be cold for at least the next ten days and more snow," Spencer said.

"Well, that's fun for the kids, not so much for the adults," JJ said.

"We go now," Michael said, and they all laughed.

"Alright, little man," Will put him down. "Let's get you into your coat."

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Spencer joined Max in the living room as she collected the crayons and coloring books from the coffee table. "I miss him," he said.

"Yeah, me too. Michael's a special little guy."

Max sat with Spencer on the sofa and sighed when he put his arm around her. "I like the quiet, though."

"Yeah, it's nice to see Michael, but better to give him back to his parents," Spencer said.

Max shook her head and chuckled. "You're terrible, and also right."

"I know."

Max pulled away from him and got to her feet. "The sun's out. Do you want to go for a walk."

"It's cold out there."

"I know, but the sun is out," Max repeated.

"Okay, I guess it is a good idea to get out of the apartment and get some exercise."

"Especially after all the chocolate, you ate yesterday."

"You're not funny."

Max slapped his backside. "Come on, let's get our coats."

They put on winter gear, and as they hurried out into the sunlight, Max looked at Spencer, who was putting on his sunglasses. A new year had arrived, and she made a wish on the sparkling snow around her that it'd be full of love and good times for them.