The Setup:

It's a week later and the mood has improved dramatically, tensions that hadn't been fully visible are totally gone. Max doesn't go out of her way to avoid Logan, she had already been doing less of that since she found out Logan knew she spent time with Cale which is how he quickly uncovered her lie about her and Alec.

Chapter 20

Downtime

There was a new baby in the nursery, Caden, he'd been born at 0200 today to Ren, a girl around Max's own age, dark hair and eyes. There was one thing that made Caden special, he was the only one of their now six newborns in Terminal City with a father. Hudson, who worked in keeping water running in this city had been Ren's breeding partner, he'd actually found her at Manticore before going to escape himself. There was no doubt it made the other girls in the nursery envious, he adored her and their son. Only one of the other girls had contact with her breeding partner and he'd just gone about his merry way and said sorry.

Max was sitting on the floor playing with Cale as she watched them coo over the baby taking some time out of the day to just veg after she'd gone in with Cale to change his diaper.

"Hey Maxie, hey Cale" Alec said sitting down and ruffling Cale's still almost non-existent locks.

"Hiding out?" she asked to explain his presence in the nursery.

"Yea Mole's been trying to talk me into breaking into this cigar aficionado's club, scoring him some real stogies."

Max laughed, "Remind me to talk to him and explain to him we're trying not to piss off anymore of the natives."

"Yea good luck with that. So that's the new baby?"

"Yea Caden." Max turned and saw Alec's almost wistful expression, "You okay?"

He snapped out of it, "Uh yea fine."

She laughed, "Alec are you having some paternal longings?"

"Of course not" his eyes swayed over to hers and that easy grin of his returned, "You know, it could have been us doing that."

Max tried to refrain from making vomit sounds, but was finding it hard not to choke. She ended up coughing loudly. She heard laughter and turned.

Gem was standing over them with the baby, "You guys were breeding partners?" the laughter still crept out of her voice.

"Why is that so funny?" Alec was outraged

Max laughed

"Just the thought of you and Max." Gem shrugged her shoulders.

"Me and Max" he said in a huff, "Max would be lucky to have had me."

"I really would have shot you though Alec." Logan had overheard their conversation and finally decided to join in.

"You couldn't even keep the gun up, let alone pull the trigger."

"I would have found the strength," Logan laughed as he sat down with them, "Hey buddy" he said ruffling Cale's hair.

"Don't worry if I'd ever actually been forced to sleep with him, I would have let his head explode."Max smiled

"I'm missing something aren't I?" Gem said shifting the baby in her arms.

Max grimaced, "Let's just say that the siege has actually been a pretty calm point in this year for us."

I want to point out I made Cale the only age of a child that I've ever actually spent time with and I've made him nothing like that…He's the quietest and most well behaved child ever, I'm sure I'll eventually rectify that…For now just assume that while the kid has attention and toys to play with he doesn't need to be talking because he doesn't need anything or maybe X-series are genetically well behaved, he has been a terror, just off screen. Okay I just wanted to point out that I knew that flaw.