Maria nice paying attention, there's a reason why I use the export link so frequently on this site (let me sadly point out you caught that after I already did that once).

AN: Okay as asked I'm stretching people.

Chapter 60

Good Things

Cale was sitting in the red booster seat at the table alternating between the foods on his plate, cut up chicken nuggets, plain pasta and half a banana cut up, variety they'd learned that the hard way… The kid ate what he wanted, when he wanted.

Good thing Cale's too young to remember any of this, was all Max was thinking, when she was actually managing thought. The last thing he needed scarring him for life was not only the fact that his parents had repeatedly been kissing and touching as they had been trying to put together his lunch while toting him around since he was attention deprived, but the memory of his mother being pinned up against the white fridge. His mother wearing only a long blue shirt of his father's and her underwear pinned up against the fridge by his father who was equally underdressed in just a pair of gray sweatpants. Their focus on getting their own lunch forgotten.

Of course, Cale, who was used to entertaining himself for long stretches of time while his father worked, had had quite enough of their neglect after awhile and a sticky piece of banana came out of his mouth and connected with his father's back.

"Ugh" Logan said separating from Max and wiping the spot with his hand.

Max chuckled over Logan's face looking down at his hand and gave a look of disgust down to the floor where the banana had landed; she ripped off a piece of paper towel and handed it to Logan to clean up as she moved over to the table. "Are we ignoring you buddy?" she asked with a smile and rubbed her son's head with one hand and popped half a chicken nugget in her mouth with the other.

"Hava cookie?" he looked at her hopefully.

They both laughed at his attempt to get something out of his parents' guilt.

"After you finish your lunch buddy." Logan said as he went back to work on his and Max's sandwiches.

Cale gave a pleading look to Max, "Mommy peez"

"You heard Daddy Cale." Max said returning his pouting look.

"You're aware this is our life for the next twenty years at least."

"Him trying to play one of us off the other?" she said swiping a piece of banana from his plate, "Fun. Okay seriously, I'm starving." She said turning.

"Hold on." He said with a smile as he continued arranging the cold cuts.

Max's attention on the rolls next to Logan that she had been thinking about pilfering was distracted as she watched his back and the subtle changes that occurred with his movements. This is pathetic, she thought to herself as she mentally envisioned placing kisses all along his back, which led to another thought of sliding her arms around his back…

She wondered for a brief moment if it was the time limit that was causing these thoughts, this intense desire, but as she watched the new movements formed by his back and his arms as he cut the sandwiches she was pretty sure even if someone guaranteed her the next fifty years her actions and thoughts would be the same… Of course, I'll never know that for sure, she thought as she turned back to Cale, who was once more happily eating his bananas.

"Whatever it is you're thinking about, stop." Logan ordered placing her sandwich in front of her, noticing her serious face.

She smiled and snapped back to the moment, "Cale" she laughingly cried seeing his full cheeks and pulled away his plate as he tried to stuff more bananas into his mouth, "Swallow." She ordered as she and Logan both laughed over their son's chipmunk-like appearance.

He giggled through his full mouth and went back to chewing.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Do you think it's too cold for the park?" Logan asked as they finished their sandwiches, Cale having switched over to Logan's lap further ensuring he would receive attention after receiving his promised cookie.

"Horsey?" Cale looked up hopefully, the spring-loaded animals his favorite draw at the park back home.

"No horseys here baby." She said touching his cheek, remembering the contents of the park they'd driven past yesterday. "Do you really think that's wise?" She asked looking up at Logan.

He looked puzzled by that, after all he'd just asked if she thought it was too cold.

"Our attention has been a little distracted." She explained.

"Oh" he said as it hit him what she meant. "Good point" he said with a nod. "How about a walk then?"

"Dizzying heights, country air?" she said with a smile.

He nodded with a small smile remembering when they'd originally made those plans, when they'd first come so close to being together. If his legs or his ego had only held out a little while longer… "I'm only a couple years late. We should come back in the summer, do some hiking, there are some easy trails." He said dropping his head in a gesture towards Cale.

She smiled, "Sounds like fun." Won't be the same though.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Within five minutes into the walk, they realized it wasn't their smartest idea ever as Cale kept trying to break away from their grasp to run after something. The cold, uneven ground would lead to only one thing if an energetic two year old was let loose on it and that was disaster. Of course being scooped into his father's arms hadn't done anything to calm him and after several harsh exclamations, he resorted to hitting.

"Okay that's it, we're going inside." Logan said after his shoulder received another blow after calmly reminding Cale that they didn't hit.

The jovial mood that had encompassed them was lost as Cale screamed once more deafening Logan. The terrible twos, there should be a seminar or something on how to survive it. Their son discovering his own identity was enough to make them want to tear their hair out at times. Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, time outs, 30 seconds for each year of his age. They'd heard it all from every parent on the playground.

Max personally liked the advice of a woman they'd met a few weeks back as Cale had thrown a similar tantrum when being forced to leave the park, 'Grit your teeth and pray it's over soon.' From Logan's serious expression as he bounded towards the house, it was more than obvious that wasn't the advice he had wanted to hear. Logan believed he could change the world, the last thing he'd do was sit idly by and allow his son to get away with this behavior without trying everything in his power to stop it.

"There's a reason they make them so cute from the start."

He turned going up the steps and flashed her a grin, it had been a common statement passed between the two of them. Another whimpering cry came from Cale as he placed a final blow against his father as they hit the porch, "Cute and quiet." He said with a shake of his head and his eyes briefly closing.

Max chuckled as she opened the door.

Logan dropped Cale down and the boy instantly cheered up and ran over to his toys, leaving Logan staring after him in shock and Max trying to hide her smile. Logan ruefully grinned turning to Max, oh well he'd just rewarded his son's behavior.

She gave a pitying smile as she completed the space between them and wound her arms around his neck, "He'll grow out of it."

He softly shook his head in defeat and she was laughing as their lips came together.