Max had stopped crying by the time that they'd reached the truck, though he still clung to his father.

"Who were they?" he finally asked as Jacob buckled him into his car seat. "Why were they yelling?"

Jacob sighed. "They were people Cassandra and I work with. They had a hard day too. I . . ." And he shook his head, deciding it was a good time for an example to be set. "I didn't tell them something really important, that I should have. They were a bit upset with me."

Max frowned. "Lyin' is bad, Daddy."

Stone, who had spent so much of his life lying, grimaced briefly and cast a look at Cassandra. He'd once thrown stones at her, something he regretted given his own sins. But he looked back at his son. "You're right, buddy. And Daddy is real sorry for it. So they're gonna come over and I'm gonna make it right."

"Even the one who stared at me?"

Cassandra chuckled softly. "That's just Flynn. He didn't mean to. He thought you were really interesting, like how you'd look at a plant or a bug."

"He didn't yell," Max said thoughtfully. "Plus I liked his eyes, they're like yours Andra, nice."

"They all are nice when they're not having bad days. But let's go home." Cassandra said, reaching past Jacob to kiss Max's cheek.

Stone decided not to comment on Cassandra's use of the word 'home.' Up until a few minutes ago, he'd been indulging himself in one of his all too frequent fantasies about life with her. These stolen moments when he could pretend he'd had everything he ever wanted and he'd never break her heart.

She hopped up into the passenger seat and Stone went around to the other side.

"I really didn't want them to find out like that. I should have told them," he sighed, starting the engine. "Go ahead, tell me I told you so. I know you're dyin' too."

"I'm not gonna do that. Though I really hoped it had gone better. Though I didn't expect that."

"They shouldn't have dragged you into this. This was my tale to tell and you kept my secret because I asked you. The very idea that you'd be Max's mother . . . ."

Cassandra felt strangely hurt by that comment, though she wasn't certain why. "That certainly was a weird conclusion to leap to, but it's been a weird day."

He glanced over at her quickly before concentrating on the traffic. After he'd merged safely onto the road he said, "well, I suppose that you're so good with him that it would be a honest mistake for strangers to make. But they should know that you'd never just move halfway across the country from your child. That really annoyed me, Cassie. They should know you better than that by now."

And Cassandra's heart suddenly swelled again and tears pricked her eyes. Luckily he couldn't see them. She just nodded. "You're right. But it's been a weird day. And you know how Ezekiel is. Conspiracy theories are his life."

Jacob just gave an annoyed grunt and went back to concentrating on traffic. On a red light before his place, he sighed. "I'm not lookin' forward to this. But I made my own bed. And I owe it to Max to face the music like a man."

"I'm pretty sure that's part of being a parent eventually." Cassandra said gently. She'd probably never know herself, the tumor in her head made that impossible. And it was the tumor that reminded her that she needed to step back from the Stones. She couldn't let them get too close, only to hurt them in the end. But her own selfishness kept her in their lives anyway.

Max had dosed off during the drive, exhausted by the outburst and crashing from the sugar. Cassandra had gotten a text from Baird saying they'd stopped off for a drink and would be a little bit longer than a half hour. That was fine with Jacob who'd been having a harder time than he expected getting Max settled.

He'd hoped the little boy would just want to go to bed after sleeping in the truck. But that was not the case and he was back to wound up.

"I really don't want to have them upset him again," he sighed to Cassandra as a text came through that their co-workers were down in the lobby and heading up.

"I'll stay in here with him," Cassandra offered. "Unless you need me . . . ."

Jacob looked relieved. "Actually this is the best way to help me. This is my tale to tell. Thank you, I really don't know how to thank you some days."

Cassandra smiled and put a hand on his arm in support as his buzzer rang. "You do. Good luck."

"Thanks." And Jacob turned and headed out of Max's room.

Cassandra clapped her hands. "How about a round of Candyland?"


"Where's Cassandra?" Baird asked after Stone had ushered them into his living room.

"Max is still a bit wound up, so she's playing with him."

"And Max is your son's name?" Baird seemed to have been designated as the one to ask all the questions while Flynn looked around his apartment, doing his usual poking and prodding. Flynn had never been to the apartment and the others had only a few times.

"Yeah, Maxwell after his granddad. We usually call him Max."

"Now we know why you stopped playing host, mate," Ezekiel said as he looked in distaste at the assortment of books, toys and clothes that littered the living room. He pushed a few aside to sit down. Baird slapped Flynn's hands as he was rummaging through a bookshelf and sent him to take a seat. She remained standing, facing Stone, who also stood.

Baird was thoughtful. "Your father's name is Isaac according to your file. So Maxwell was named after your . . . ."

"Ex-wife's father." Stone internally sighed at himself, was he going to be short with all of his answers?

"You're married?" Ezekiel exclaimed.

"Was married. You know thus the ex? And by the way, I still cannot believe you! Why on earth would you think Cassandra was his mother?"

"I told you it's genetically impossible . . ." Flynn's voice was cut off by Baird's glare.

But Jacob was mad about the insult toward his friend and decided to have it out. "I thought you'd know her better than that. Does Cassandra in any way seem like the kind of person who would go halfway across the country from her child? Or just leave her child behind to work for the Library? Even if she didn't have the tumor? And do you realize that the tumor . . . ." Stone stopped talking, thinking about what he almost blurted out. He wasn't sure Cassandra couldn't hear him.

"Well mate, you might have left your kid behind . . . ." Baird stood in front of Stone before he could go for Ezekiel.

"Stop it. Stone's right by the way, Ezekiel. Cassandra wouldn't do that. So let's just get off that train of thought right now. And you can explain why she knew about your son when the rest of us didn't later. Actually I'm curious as to why your marriage and child was not in the file. I read your file."

Stone shrugged. "Actually I'm kinda surprised. Especially since I submitted a copy of my will with the paperwork Charlene had us fill out."

"Your will? What do you have that needs a will?" Jones asked.

"Jones!" came from Baird.

Stone rolled his eyes. "I have some land in Oklahoma . . .you know that's not even the point. Plus he's my life insurance beneficiary. But since you didn't seem to have seen that in my file . . . ."

"Well the Serpent Brotherhood was going after potential Librarians," Flynn mused. "The Library may have been protecting Stone's family by omitting them from the file."

They were all silent for a moment and Stone said softly, "and for that I'm grateful. And honestly guys, I didn't quite mean for this all to happen like this. At first it wasn't an issue, Max was livin' with my ex back home. I used the Back Door every weekend I could to see him. They were used to me traveling for jobs, so it was normal routine for him."

"But he's here now," Baird pointed out. "What happened and where is his mother?"

Stone took a deep breath. "Josie, that's my ex, she was seein' this guy Chuck. I was gettin' concerned cuz she changed, you know?"

Baird, who knew more of the world than anyone should, nodded her head, understanding where he was going. The men didn't, but Baird raised her hand and motioned toward Stone to continue.

"I heard rumors that he might have been hittin' her but I couldn't prove anything. So since I was late for Christmas, I went straight to their place to see my son. And Chuck was about to hit him."

Behind him, both Flynn and Ezekiel gasped. Ezekiel whispered something about no wonder the rug rat was crying.

"Chuck ran and if I didn't have a four year old clinging to my knees I would have beat him to hell. I took Max to my sister's and told Josie that was it. I was takin' him. We have joint custody and I only needed her permission to take him out of state. That's when I knew Chuck was hittin' her. But all she did was tell me to take Max and not look back. Max's bright and I think she knew that there was more to me than I ever let on to her. I want her to come here with us, Max needs his mama. But even though she's safe and away from Chuck now, her head ain't ready to leave. So when I called in sick at Christmas, I was settlin' Max in here."

"Stone . . . ." Baird sighed. "Look, I feel horrible about Josie and about Max. But you do realize that . . ." Baird looked annoyed. "You took chances Stone! I'm your Guardian. Had I know you had a child, I never, never would have let you take some of the chances you have. I kept you around in Slovakia because you could fight, I let you help me be bait for a Minotaur! I couldn't live with myself if I'd left that sweet child an orphan."

"Not to mention the death rate of Librarians," Flynn said softly from the couch. "Stone, we know you have trouble trusting people. But the Library doesn't often pick people with families for a reason."

"Are you gonna fire me?" Stone asked.

Ezekiel hadn't spoken but he looked wide eyed at Flynn, his mouth opening. And Baird shook her head.

Flynn smiled. "The Library chose you, my friend. So no. But your Guardian is going to change how she handles you. Like it or not. And trust me, I didn't like it either. But the Library knew what it was doing when it chose all of us. Even Jones."

"Hey!"

"I'm real sorry, Baird. Honestly. I just, like I told Cassandra once, I was overwhelmed. I suddenly was the only parent to a child who was far away from his mama and the only home he's ever known. I was just trying to keep my head above water and take care of him and the job. I wasn't sure what happened to the paperwork I left with Charlene so there are instructions in an envelope in Jenkins' care. My will, my life insurance, contact information for my sister and Josie."

Baird nodded. "Well, at least you did that much." She took a deep breath. "This job has been weird for all of us and you were trying your best. So now we all know the truth. But like Flynn said, there are going to be changes. No more major risk taking for you, mister. And I'm sure the Library will agree with me."

"So how does Cassandra know?" Ezekiel asked.

"That's a really good question, Jones," Baird added.

"Cassandra does volunteer work with children who have been removed from abusive situations. I enrolled Max in her program. I didn't know she volunteered there and she didn't realize Max was mine. They got very attached to each other. And then one day, well it was a bit like what happened right now. We ran into each other in the grocery store and put two and two together. This has nothing to do with her, she kept my secret only because I asked her too. She's told me many times to tell the rest of you."

"Huh," said Baird. "Well that explains some of the whispering you two are always doing."

"And at that STEM fair when I heard you two talking about sitting. You were talking about baby sitters. So how long have you been dating?"

"Dating? What? Jones, no. We're just friends."

"Uh-huh. You do realize that like you were totally playing happy family right? If you're not dating her then . . . ."

"Jones," Stone growled. "We're friends, best friends probably. But that's all. Max's mama isn't here and Cassandra loves spending time with him. It's good for all of us. So drop it, okay?"

"Yeah," Ezekiel sniffed but fell silent for now.

"Well it's good that things are good now between you and Cassandra," Flynn offered.

"Right, on that note, I think we're going to go for the night. But we'll be talking about making some changes first thing on Monday okay? It's been a damn long day and I want to go home."

"Yeah, and Baird? I'm really glad you're okay."

She quirked a smile at him and patted his arm. Then she ushered Flynn and Jones out of Stone's apartment.

He leaned against the door briefly as it fell shut behind them. He never realized before how much being honest made his stomach roll. Or maybe it was having had ice cream for dinner.

He walked back toward his son's bedroom. Cassandra was sitting on the edge of the bed, where Max was curled up asleep. She smiled when she saw him and got up and joined him in the hall.

"How did it go? He just fell asleep," she whispered. " We put some music on in case it got loud again, I heard Baird once or twice but otherwise it kept him calm."

"Baird was understandably upset that she let me take unnecessary risks. I think I'm gonna be benched on fightin'," Jake sounded sheepish. "But it went better than I thought." He decided to leave out Ezekiel's comments.

"Well, I should probably head home."

"Hey, you want a sandwich? My stomach says it needs real food."

She smiled. "Actually that sounds perfect."