AN: Okay so since it's Logan's Bday this chapter is going up. (It was the only story close enough to Logan's bday---Only had to go back a chapter). A nothing exciting chapter at all. But will probably leave everyone a little less pissy than the last one. :-P I hope you enjoy.

Remember to kiddify Cale's speech in your own mind (oh and yes I'm aware that's not a word).

Chapter Seventy Three

Logan's B-day Bash

November 11, 2023-Logan's House:

He smiled watching from a stool as Max moved around the kitchen with an extra bounce in her step, a smile that seemed to illuminate the whole room. The brown curls held back in a ponytail that too bounced with her step, wearing a fitted black scooped neck long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. The only skin showing on her was her face and neck, her hands covered by sterile gloves as she prepared dinner. He knew without a doubt he'd never seen her more beautiful than in this moment as she scooped a standing Cale into her arms as he was standing on the counter pulling at the cabinets.

"What have we talked about, about standing on the counter?" She asked trying to stay serious, but the happiness just seemed to be pouring out today and Cale giggled in suit as she tickled him. "I'm gonna make you sit on the floor as I cook, if you keep it up mister. And no cake."

The 'no cake' knocked that smile right off his face, "No cake?"

"No cake," she nodded.

The kid look positively horrified.

"You gonna sit?"

He nodded.

She smiled and kissed him on the head as she returned him to the counter, closing the cabinet above him.

"Kid's got your appetite?" Bling asked pausing in his task of peeling carrots that Max had assigned him after only one half-assed dismal of his offering to help. She was going all out tonight, two large chickens waiting to be roasted, the makings of macaroni and cheese still being kept separate before being put in the oven, batter for cornbread and a few other side dishes, most of which he'd been informed were Cale's favorites when he'd looked a little puzzled since none of those things had screamed Logan Cale.

She smiled even brighter, "Only when it comes to desserts, this kid is a sugar fiend."

Bling laughed.

She shook her head as she went back to slicing onions across from him, "Don't laugh, guard your dessert plate."

"Cake," Cale nodded and smiled and joined in the adults' laughter that followed.

-o-o-o-

"No need," OC said a few moments after arriving and cutting off her girl who was about to make introductions. "I remember Bling from the day you got the hunk of metal in your neck. We all got real close, real quick that day." Pursed lips and a shake followed, "Then again that might have been pity since everyone knew the truth about my best girl, 'cept me…Always the last to know everything."

Max rolled her eyes for that statement.

Bling's mind quickly flashed back to that day, arriving to find Original Cindy's eyes darting back into the office as she awaited him in the doorway and being led to Max who was so incredibly still on the floor in Logan's arms. He'd been amazed as he lifted Max into his arms to joint cries of 'be careful' just how small she actually was, so much power in such a tiny little body. "Whatever happened with the implant?" he asked amazed he'd never questioned Logan on it since she came back, then again there had always been other things at hand.

"Good ol' US of A ingenuity. Brains at Manticore actually proved useful on something."

"We just skippin' over those three-four hundred folks I met at TC, little boy in the other room?" a finger flick towards the door. "Yourself?" the finger moved towards Max. "Saving the world?" that was both hands flipped to palms up.

"Why do you and Logan always feel the need to point those things out?" she asked with a quick nod as Bling smiled.

OC smiled, "Gotta keep you in your place. Seeing only bad is guaranteed to make you real miserable, real quick."

Another roll of Max's eyes.

"So," Cindy said turning scanning the kitchen, "where's the stuff for cake? Didn't try to make it without me did you?"

-o-o-o-

"You look good doing this?" Bling said shortly after Cindy left to attempt to get the cake batter out of her hair after turning quickly and whipping her hair into the spoon Max had been holding out for her, but not paying attention as to where she was actually located, which had resulted in a mixture of grumbles and laughter.

Max turned from mid-lick of the wooden spoon covered in chocolate cake batter Cale was trying to keep from her. She looked puzzled as he looked over at her, then smiled. "Did you not think I had it in me to be domestic?"

He laughed, loudly. "Frankly no…Weren't your domestic skills limited to boiling water not so long ago?"

She smiled, "Quick study. Watch Logan long enough and you pick things up. He's even got Cale helping out with dinner." Max smiled thinking of how Cale looking scooped high into his father's arms throwing ingredients into a bowl or a pot.

"I was actually talking about that," he gestured to her and Cale. "You and Logan both look really happy."

"We are," she answered truthfully. She was happier than she had ever expected to be and a hell of a lot happier than most people she came in contact with.

"You know I've got to admit I never expected this out of either of you," Bling nodded. The Max and Logan he had spent the most time with had been ones he'd hoped would one day get their act together, but he'd seriously doubted it. They'd both kept their emotions so bottled up and it caused them to be blind to seeing those emotions in others. He certainly had never expected this much from them.

Max smiled and nodded, "You're not the only one." She ran a hand over Cale's hair; the little boy looked up annoyed that his eating was being disturbed.

Once more the adults just laughed.

-o-o-o-

Logan ran a hand through the front of his hair shaking it up after turning off the ignition, it was getting long, he was either going to have to cut it or start really spiking it again and he wasn't too sure how he felt about a thirty four year old still spiking his hair. What was it about your birthday that you suddenly felt old?

It caused him to knock down his rearview mirror as he leaned over and grabbed a pair of gloves out of the messenger bag/briefcase he used for work. He flashed a quick look into it and ran a hand over his face and down to his chin over the smooth skin, no glaringly obvious wrinkles, that was always a good sign. The small lines were a sign of maturity right? He shook his head in disgust with himself that he was even wondering these things and went back to putting on his gloves. Another shake as he grabbed his bag with one hand and pushed open the door with the other…What the hell was it with birthdays? At least he was just spending it with Max and Cale, there shouldn't be too many comments about it; certainly much less than the hour he'd just spent with Alec and Zen at Doyle's.

A nice quiet evening at home with Max and Cale, he smiled walking up his front steps.

"Daddy," Cale called out as he launched into the hallway and towards his father.

Logan tossed his bag into the corner and hunkered down to catch his son. How many dreams had he had about this? he thought as he caught his son and stood with him still in a hug. Coming home from work, Cale running to great him, the smell of dinner cooking and Max being the one to cook that dinner…Totally chauvinistic, but still…

"Happy Birthday," Cale repeated what his mother had coached him on for half of the day.

"Thank you," he smiled and kissed his son's head.

"We're having cake," Cale said looking up at his father with a greedy little expression.

"Are we?" Logan asked with another smile looking down as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Uh huh," Cale nodded, "Aunt Cyn made it."

Original Cindy? Logan's mind briefly paused on that wondering if she was here or had just topped by to help Max, he was hoping it was the latter as he jumped back in startled surprise since his head had been looking down at Cale as he pushed through the door to screams of "SURPRISE!"

-o-o-o-

"You know you don't look particularly happy to see us," Alec said softly walking up behind Logan as they were being herded into the dining room.

"Just surprised," Logan lied. "Isn't that the point of a surprise party?" he asked. Sure he was surprised; he was also annoyed to all hell. It was his birthday after all, should he get what he wanted on his birthday? Max and Cale. That was what he wanted and all he wanted. Not Alec, not Asha, not OC or Bling, not Zen, Vida or Josh. Apparently what he wanted didn't matter though…

He smiled seeing the paper plates on the table, Max had finally kept good on the promise she'd made repeatedly last year and he was guessing his son had a had at keeping the dishwashing to a minimum because they were bright blue and had a spotted puppy on them. His thirty-fourth birthday was looking a lot like his fourth.

"Oh no one brought gifts," Alec said raising his voice to a normal level, "Max said you'd hate this enough without adding gifts to it. So blame Max if you wanted any."

"Thank you," he nodded in Max's direction who was putting a platter down on the table.

She looked up and smiled.

Be happy for her Logan, he reminded himself.

-o-o-o-

The wine flowed freely around the table, the wine and jokes. Jokes about his age, jokes about the fact that he'd actually made it this far for which Max had frowned at, especially when they went into detail. Cale had gotten annoyed/confused by the lack of attention on him and not understanding most of what was going on and being put in a situation he wasn't used to since there hadn't been any big dinners in quite some time, got cranky and left his seat in between his parents to go to Josh, who was always guaranteed to give him his completely undivided attention.

The attention had thankfully transferred off Logan for a few minutes to Cale who had his plate shifted over and picked at his food from Joshua's knee. Of course as Cale returned to his normal cheery self, the attention returned…

"You know thirty five if you round up is 40." Max said towards the end of her 'why she was doing this, this year instead of next and after he asked why he'd be depressed at 35, which had been her answer.

He stopped laughing and looked across seriously at her over the rim of his glass. How could his eyes always hold her like that? She wondered as they did just that. "You don't round up birthdays."

"Just saying if you did…" she smiled sweetly.

Alec snickered, "Come on, go easy on the man. Thirty-four's gotta be hard enough as it is without throwing 40 into it."

Logan was about to thank his friend before taking a bite of the asparagus he'd just speared until…

"I mean he's been past his peak for over a decade, that's got to be rough enough as it is."

Zen let out an extended "Oh," as he laughed. It wasn't as if this was an uncommon joke amongst them, though the dinner table was a new place for it to happen. Normally Logan gave the dignified response of 'Whatever you need to tell yourself Alec.' It was a good response better than actually saying aloud the various females their age including Alec's girlfriend that had wanted Logan.

His mouth was opened ready to respond as he first waved the fork towards Alec, but he was stopped by Asha who smiled sweetly, "Baby," she said with a pat on Alec's hand "maybe you're not the person talk about peaks" and kissed his cheek before patting his hand again.

The entire table followed that with a snicker or straight out laughter, most of them stifled it by taking a sip or a bite. "No," Alec turned looking around the table, "no, no." "Ash," he said looking at her, "tell them…" his voice trailed off catching her smile sweetly as she took a bite of pasta. "Fine, fine, think whatever you all want," he said stacking food on his fork, "doesn't bother me a bit."

-o-o-o-

Her hands slid around his back and a kiss was placed against his shoulder blade before her head turned and rested against it allowing her body to lean against his.

"Hey man," Alec said coming up and slamming him on the back and forcing him to open his eyes and see the darkened backyard. "Booze starting to kick in?"

Logan shook his head, though he knew that was a lie. The two beers and shot he'd had before coming home, the wine with dinner, the beer that had been placed in placed in his hand upon standing…Was probably decently responsible for the fact that he was daydreaming about Max. Not that that was uncommon, just with a house full of people...

Daydreams involving Max were nothing new in his life, he'd had them from the moment he met her and assumed he'd have them for the rest of his life. They had taken on a new quality after those 27 hours they had spent together, a realism when before it had just been him speculating. He would bet money now on that would have been exactly what Max would have done as he stood staring out the window, pondering life on his birthday…And even more important he knew exactly what that kiss felt like, the pressure those arms would exert around his waist, the weight of her head…Times like this though he wasn't exactly sure that knowledge was a good thing. He hadn't figured out yet if you missed something more once you've had it or if you hadn't.

"What is it with you and windows man?" Alec asked.

"Would you prefer I stare at a wall?" Logan asked.

"Good point," Alec nodded.

"How's everyone doing?" Everyone meaning all the guests since Max had gone to put Cale down only a few minutes ago after giving his father one final birthday kiss, Logan had gotten distracted getting a new beer from the fridge and found himself staring out the window instead of returning.

"Smashed," Alec nodded, "no one's making it to work tomorrow." It was an overstatement, the X-5s would recover in plenty of time, their bodies were meant to heal and that meant even from alcohol.

"Who drove?" Logan asked, since all cars/bikes had been hidden out of his view.

"I'm gonna take Zen's car, drive them home and Josh. Bling's going to take OC home."

Logan nodded.

"Still pissed we intruded on your little dinner?"

Logan just turned slightly, with the 'what do you think' look.

Alec laughed, "Don't blame us, blame Max. OC tried talking her out of it. I think she still wanted to get back at you for her 21st."

Logan smiled, remembering how Max looked wearing that silver tiara in the middle of Crash.

"I'm gonna go do something with them," Alec said upon hearing a loud cackle come from the living room, "or they're going to wake the kid up."

-o-o-o-

Logan made his way up the stairs after watching Asha almost take a header sideways off the front steps; she'd been saved by Alec who muttered as various others complained that they didn't want to go home yet but out.

He stopped in Cale's doorway.

Her body was curled around Cale's as they slept underneath the dinosaur print comforter, the book she'd been reading him just dropped on the floor as she decided to fall asleep with their son.

"I thought I wasn't getting gifts?" Logan asked as they had moved into the living room and he'd spied the package wrapped in brown paper, but tied with a blue ribbon, making sure it was obvious it was a gift.

Max shrugged, "Least I could do since I subjected you to this."

He smiled over at her as he moved to open it. He pulled open a corner with his finger and peeled apart the paper to reveal two paperback books.

"Was gonna get you something all old and classic…" another shrug, "Figured you'd appreciate something new a little more," she said it all before he even saw the cover of the books.

He smiled and nodded, he'd heard of the author, and as she correctly implied, new books were a hell of a lot harder to come by. "Thank you."

Another shrug. "Hey Cale go get Daddy's gift for him," she said to Cale who was amusing himself rattling on and on to Bling who was trying to keep up as they played on the floor with Asha.

He knew eventually she'd move into a guest room, she wouldn't bother going home tonight. Probably stay long enough for breakfast, where he would remember the feel and taste of her shoulder as she flipped pancakes and it wouldn't be the fault of the booze.

He walked over and pulled up the corners of the blanket around them. Neither stirred.

She slept now. Original Cindy had been the one to share how she used to be, three hours a night were normal to her; she awoke at the slightest of noises. She actually slept now. Almost five hours apparently most nights. It took more than a breath next to her to wake her.

She wasn't constantly on guard now. He brushed back her hair. Stopped the running, the fighting. She wasn't constantly preparing for what was happening next, she was finally able to be in the here and now, content with the moment and life, no longer searching. He smiled and touched the pink nose of Cat, who was tightly wrapped in Cale's arms.

He wondered if Max was aware she'd given him the best gift ever.

A life.

And that was the biggest surprise there ever was.