Notes/Explanations:

Reason for delay: I moved. Then I moved back. During the time I had moved mine was the lone computer in a house of 3 adults and 2 kids. Hence the lack of writing for those five/six weeks.

Reason for further delay: Man lack of writing really throws you off track. Must get back into it, I promise I'm trying. Feel free to complain when any of the stories sound weird.

Embedded: Yes I know that is the story ppl want updated the most. This one however was mostly done. Not to mention that one is in a weird middle section, the lull before the action is proving difficult to write bc I don't really have any proper direction for it, aside from kill time until the chapters I want to write. :-P

Next new chapter: I'm thinking it's going to be "Falling In." Embedded has a scene done, but needs at least two more so that will take more time.

And finally I'm sorry about the delay, thanks always for reading and I hope you enjoy…And I hope my flashes through time aren't too confusing and yea it's not straight ML, so I apologize to those who wanted that.

Note that's been waiting to be posted….

Oh and Idlehands about the culinary school and not having any free time 'at the moment' think you're EVER going to have free time again missy? My friend went to a really great school, got a really great job and we didn't see him again for the next three years until he changed jobs and stopped being a chef (he now runs a place). 'Free time' you make me laugh.

Chapter 84

Epilogue-Pt.4

Her head popped into the living room expecting to see Logan and Cale chilling on the couch watching tv, but instead she found just the tv on and no one around. Her eyes started to roll as she shook her head, at his age she'd made her bed with military precision, held her breath for as long as Lydecker wanted, did everything she was asked without question, without complaint…Cale couldn't turn off a tv, a light switch…She supposed sheshould be thankful…

He was one decidedly normal little boy. Smarter than others obviously, his reasoning and his memory put more than a few to shame. His physical abilities however no where near where her and her siblings had been, but still…

Billions of dollars of technology had gone into her son, he was primed since his conception to be able to easily infiltrate whatever environment they'd put him into. Take down a nuclear sub, assassinate a president, leap a twenty foot electrically charged fence, all without breaking a sweat and seventy five percent of the time he couldn't manage to turn off the tv when he left it, lights were near impossible for him to ever remember.

She shook her head some more as she walked into the living room, annoyed as she was reassured. He was a normal little boy. Underneath them all, they were normal. It had been the training that had made them different. Kids like Cale and Ronnie wouldn't grow up being outsiders, they might be smarter and a lot more physically able, but that didn't create that divide. It had been their training, their environment…Cale would never go to go through the isolation she'd felt for so long. She still felt on the rare occasion.

So with the tv turned off and a controller tucked neatly back into its hiding spot she stood and turned. Her attention being caught by the gaudy leopard print picture frame Original Cindy had given to her upon her move. Her face frozen at 18 stared at her, the early months of being in Seattle and her friendship with Original Cindy.

Her current face contorted to the side as it tended to do when seeing herself in those gold hot pants. Kendra and OC had seen them as they were poking through some stalls at a flea market and refused to take no for an answer. She wondered about how inappropriate it was for a mother of two to have a picture up of herself in gold hot pants, or worse still have them tucked into a drawer upstairs worn only this past summer.

She smiled remembering how they had led to an early night after spending hours convincing Logan to go out in the first place. As OC repeatedly said, 'There's just something about those shorts.'

Still though, maybe it was something about being pregnant, she just felt a little more matronly and those shorts definitely did not coincide with that feeling. So shaking her head she turned away, but then stopped to laugh as her eye was caught again. In Normal's arms half passed out was the 'Marvelous Monty Cora,' he was flanked by Max and Logan grinning and pointing at him.

They'd run into Normal still outside attempting to load Alec into his car. Logan had taken advantage of her boss's Mia induced good mood and suggested a picture so they could remember that night forever, one of the cops had laughing accepted the task of taking the photo with the camera Logan had magically pulled out of his pocket.

She smiled; still sometimes amazed that rocking, awesome chick had ended up with that beautiful, talented man.

But that time seemed so long ago. She could barely remember the time before being with Logan for good, the time before being a mother sometimes seemed a distant fog.

It wasn't only them though, everyone kept growing and changing. Left sometimes near unrecognizable to the people they had been only years ago.

Cindy had been living with her girlfriend for the past three months. Alec had reverted back to his old ways after Asha and chased anything that moved alongside Sketchy as always putting all of Sketch's efforts to shame, though the older fellow did get more than his fair share of ass playing Alec's wingman and had even picked up a few skills.

Zen and Vida moved into a house three doors down on their street that had actually managed to be in worse shape than Sandeman's had been at the start. Their friends putting in their free time to fix it up, just as they had to theirs. More often than not, Max woke up from a mid-afternoon nap to find her son and husband missing and a note.

Vida and Zen kept commenting that they were going to think about starting a family once it was completed and they'd gotten in some practice time with the impending Cale arrival.

However, Max was starting to guess that she may have turned her friend off forever to the thought of having kids after watching her for the past few months; she wasn't exactly sure how people went into this willingly.

There were even a handful of kids now at TC. One almost thought impossible pregnancy there. One half-breed they'd managed to swoop in and save in the nick of time. Another one that a really freaked out mom had dropped off, which made Max wonder what exactly she had been doing with a transgenic similar to Mole in the first place and another of an ordinary mom who had no where else to turn with her very un-ordinary baby.

She had no idea what the future held for that part of her clan, Josh was happy spending his days with Luna and the daycare that had been set up for the transgenic offspring, covering them with paint and telling them outlandish stories made up from every fairytale he'd managed to read. His nights he devoted to his art. If he ever wished for more he'd never told Max, she was grateful he'd found a sense of peace in the insane world she'd set him into.

With a sigh she moved away from the bookcase as always wishing there was more she could do, but at the same time not wanting to risk her own sense of peace or more importantly her children's and Logan's.

She paused and zoned out looking at the frames on their mantle…

-o-o-o-

December 22nd, 2024:

Syl made her way up the stairs to Logan's house annoyed with herself for never bothering to find out where exactly Maxie lived. Then again she'd only been in Seattle twice knowing her sister was here. The first time there had been no point in finding out because her sister had been gone. Her blood had covered Logan's crumpled form in the corner of the van.

Her sister who had been going about her life and planning for the next day up until that crow had appeared. She'd heard her sister's cheery voice as she used Logan's cell asking a friend to swing by and pick up her ride before it got jacked. Syl had been amazed she entrusted it to anyone. 'Bling understands,' she'd smiled acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary and she wasn't getting it herself because the place was swarming with folks from Manticore. Long stares at Logan that resulted in long glares from Zack. Zack had muttered under his breath never actually saying anything aloud to her or Krit, but they both knew big brother's opinion of the relationship.

And then it had just been over.

She'd been over and Zack had been recaptured yet again and the third time was almost the charm for the folks at Manticore regarding their brother.

The next time they, the three of them, her, Krit and Brin had stuck around for less than a day after trying to stop White. Brin never said that she wanted to leave, but it was easy to see just how uneasy Terminal City made her and neither she nor Krit were willing to risk undoing all the progress she'd made by keeping her around so much Manticore.

And the last place she'd seen Max was after a ginormous and truly insane dinner had been Logan's. Where Alec continued to drape himself over her at every opportunity and the looks Krit had been shooting the other fellow made her wonder if he was trying to take over the big brother role, Max had taken a less subtle route and occasionally swatted him away in his bad arm, telling him to buzz off her big sis.

That night they'd been careful not to discuss the things they had lost. The two older kids had run around like maniacs happily reunited with each other, momentarily blissfully free of the pain she was sure to follow when Isabelle's death actually hit them. Her sister's kid had been, well interesting. She experienced first hand two temper tantrums within a five hour period, but within moments of them being over the kid would be as happy as a clam. Alec switched between whining and flirting and kept looking for some TLC from her. Brin had been quiet, but that wasn't anything new and Krit, well Krit just kept watching. Spoiling their nephew silly with attention and watching. Trying to make sure everyone really was as okay as they claimed to be.

That was then, this was now and at the moment she continued to be annoyed with herself.

She'd left Jersey, Newark in particular and a rundown apartment above a café. The city had issues before the Pulse and plenty of times afterwards it seemed like chaos was the only thing that ruled it. Then again she wondered if that wasn't the case with most of America. Chaos or dictatorship seemed to be the two choices. She left it mid-day with not much more than the clothes on her back seeking out somewhere sane.

She left Krit a page as she'd hopped on her bike, unsure of where she was heading. She always just seemed to wind up with Krit.

Brin had passed through the hands of just about all of them, but had been with Jondy for the past year somewhere in the Southeast. Zane continued to baby-sit Zack and was therefore off-limits to the rest of them. Diz hadn't been heard from since a sketchy voicemail back in '18 saying she'd be out of touch for awhile. Trace had also left a voicemail a few years back, telling everyone that he and Kat were moving and he didn't want any of them to try to find them. Zack had of course not listened and hit up the last place they'd been and eventually figured out she'd gotten pregnant. They'd taken off, knowing they'd be a hell of a lot safer if the other 10 had no clue where they were. And Nate only seemed to show up when he needed something.

She'd really thought Jason had loved her.

Stupid of her to fall for all that crap Zack preached against. Big brother had been right, yet again.

Stupid of her to think she could trust him. At least she'd had enough common sense to test the waters regarding where actually stood about transgenics and while her boyfriend didn't believe as strongly as his friends did that Seattle should just be taken out in one swift nuclear strike, he was okay with the thought of shipping them off to a deserted island and pretending that they never existed. She'd been about to tell him…

She rang the doorbell and quickly heard hurried little feet rushing towards her. The door opened and blue eyes peered up through the large crack, "I don't know you."

More feet, larger feet followed right behind, "Cale what have I told you," then paused in his lecture as he approached the door, "Syl," Logan smiled warmly at her.

"At least someone remembers me," she smiled as sapphire eyes continued to look up at her untrusting, especially when his father opened the door more.

"Hey," Max's voice called out as the kitchen door swung open, "who's at the door?"

"Your sister," Logan replied as he turned his body blocking Syl's from Max's view.

"Gonna have to be-"

"She's having a cupcake!" Cale's voice showed his outrage at the frosted delight in his mother's hand.

"It's me little sis," Syl said moving into sight, a little confused at why her sister was at Logan's so early.

"Syl," Max's face brightened, but she didn't rush forward, just stood and smiled in amazement.

"Hello!" Syl's apparently bratty nephew called out, "She's having a cupcake!"

"Yes I can see that Cale," Logan's face showed annoyance with both of them, "you're going to have one in less than four hours and you can have one after school like I promised." Logan continued to look at her sister annoyed.

Max looked slightly sheepish.

"Where's the book-bag I asked you to get five minutes ago?" Logan asked looking down at his son.

Cale continued to glare at his mother as he stalked into the living room.

Logan continued to look slightly annoyed with Max as she walked towards them. "Lecture later, let me hug my big sis first," she smiled as she went to throw her arms around Syl. "Good to see ya sis," Max said as she continued to hug Syl.

"Good to be seen," she smiled as Max pulled back.

"Want a bite?" Max asked throwing the half eaten chocolate cupcake with red frosting in her face. "Quick though before the kid sees you, he turns evil when it comes to dessert," Max continued to smile.

Syl laughed and took a quick bite, which she had to follow up by a quick wipe of her hand to get the frosting off her nose. Max's other hand reached out, but missed being in time to clean off the gunk.

"Holy shit," Syl said grabbing her sister's hand. "Talk about a rock," she said taking in the emerald cut diamonds floating above a wedding band.

"Technically rocks," Max smiled.

"Didn't know people did rocks like this anymore?" Syl smiled as she turned towards Logan.

Logan looked a little sheepish as he smiled and tilted his head.

"He'd be kicked out of his family for anything less," Max teased. He'd change, but only so much. They might live in the wrong end of town, but the inside of their house put plenty of those in the right end to shame.

Cale sighed walking back into the hallway having repacked his bag and all adults turned to the little boy, who continued to look pissed off.

They all stifled a laugh.

Goodbyes followed, a quick kiss to Max's lips from Logan's, a double checking of Logan picking up Cale from school, Max's fingers ruffled the young boy's hair as she said, "See ya kiddo."

He glared up, more at the cupcake than her as he patted his hair back down, "Bye Mom."

Logan unsuccessfully stifled a laugh that time around, "I'll see you in a few hours Syl," he nodded before shuffling his son out the door.

"Really angry about desserts," Max said with large eyes before she laughed.

"Gotta be easy to bribe though," Syl smiled.

"Eh," Max shrugged and took another bite before offering the end to her sister who accepted, " Logan's anti-bribing the kid." Not that she wasn't too, she was just anti telling anyone and always passed the buck off to Logan.

Syl laughed.

"Come to work with me," Max asked suddenly not wanting to leave her sister, but not wanting to risk Normal's wrath just a little more. He let her take off most of Cale's vacation days, except for the occasional ones Gem was taking off as well that coincided with actual busy days. Those were rare though since Ronnie was more than content to spend the day sitting like the little queen Normal was raising her to be in his chair attempting to copy his barking out of orders, fortunately for her she was cute, so the mini Normal routine while scary was also pretty damn cute.

The guy had softened with his father role to the little transgenic with emerald eyes, auburn curls and a splattering of freckles that ran right across her nose. Softened, but hadn't exactly become what one would call a pussycat. She liked her job, it kept her out of the house, she wanted to keep it. "Times like this make me miss Alec and those brief days of Moto-Pony."

Syl just looked at her sister confused, as if she was supposed to know the story.

"Got to actually play on our bikes during daytime hours," she frowned, " Normal ditched that plan real quick after the stand-off, made us too recognizable."

"Ah," Syl's head fell in a quick nod.

"We gotta swing by Alec's grab his bike, since Normal's a tight ass and won't let you use one of the 'company bikes' unless you sign away your soul. You know we should actually blaze if we want to make it to Alec's and get in by his third threat to fire me…After that he just gets pissy," she frowned.

Syl just looked at sister wondering when exactly her sister was going to stop planning their day and give her a real chance to speak. "Or I could actually crash for the next eight hours until you come home since I've slept for about three in the past 5 days." The ride had been long and tedious, avoiding checkpoints where she could, waiting in line at all the rest, spending hours scouring for gas and the few times she'd stopped the pain had sat upon her chest keeping her awake.

"Or you could do that," Max smiled realizing the excitement of seeing her sister for the first time in years had gotten the better of her.

Max lingered for a few more minutes, giving her the lay of the land and what time they'd be home and Syl had meant to crash in the room Max had directed her to after telling her to stash her bike in back, but instead she'd found herself wandering through the house, checking out all the changes that only came from having a female in the house 24/7, even if that female was Max.

Poke through the picture frames that had become more numerous, the photo albums that told the story more in depth.

Like the golden picture frame that held Max in a long white dress, dancing with Logan who was dressed in a suit and a nearly asleep Cale cradled between them. The album told her it had been in their backyard in a white tent and had been attended by many of the people she had met on her last visit into town. She also realized it hadn't been that long ago based on not only how Cale looked, but that convenient little date in the front she'd almost missed due to her impatience.

The lone person in the wooden frame that was Logan standing underneath a banner that read, 'Rounding up to 40' and the evil look that rewarded the photographer.

Logan wearing a white button down with a giant red stain, the cause for that stain obvious since Cale was tucked under his arm sideways looking at the camera with a nearly entirely red face.

Max wasn't lying about the kid and desserts. Then again, she could see where he got it from as she found a photograph in the album of Max placing a dollop of frosting upon Logan's nose when he wasn't expecting it.

'Think that'll be us one day Sylvie?' Jason asked with arms around her waist and a head dropped down to her shoulder. Two grandparents sharing a meal with their grandkids, the grandmother cutting their food as her husband started on his own.

'You have more common sense than to try to eat without me," she replied watching them.

He laughed, 'You know what I mean.'

She smiled, 'I don't know, maybe.'

He turned her around in his arms, 'That didn't sound very enthusiastic.'

'That's another 40 years away Jason,' she pointed out.

'You know,' he smiled, 'you've got to have kids before you have grandkids.'

'What are you saying?'

'I don't know I'm just saying it's something we should probably think about, we've been together for almost three years Sylvie, I'm turning 30 this year.'

She laughed, 'Don't tell me you're having a mid-life crisis already Jase.'

'I'm not, but it makes you think,' he said as he continued looking down at her as her fingers plowed through his short dark waves.

'What are you thinking?'

'That if I were to do that with someone,' his head knocked to the side towards the family, 'I'd want it to be you.'

'I suppose talking about it wouldn't hurt,' she smiled.

'Talking is nice, but practice…that's even better,' he said sealing it with a kiss.

How had it all gone wrong so quickly?

They'd stumbled their way out of the streets and into their apartment, tumbled into bed where they'd made slow and teasing love for one of their last times.

The next day they had lunch over at his parents' house where his sister and her two kids lived as well. His father had made one of his numerous comments about 'settling down for good' meaning get married and have kids and Jason had just smiled and nodded, 'We're talking about it Dad.' His mother had nearly leapt up from the table in joy.

The moment they'd started their short walk back in the freezing air, regretting their decision about not wasting gas for the short trip she'd started in on him, 'Your mother? You had to tell your mother of all people we were thinking about kids?'

'What?' he laughed, 'I just said we were talking about it.'

'You're aware every time I see her now she's going to be asking if I'm pregnant and if not then why and when.'

'My mom isn't that bad,' he laughed and continued walking.

She stopped and stared daggers into his back.

He turned and sighed and then ran back to her, 'Come on Syl,' he said throwing an arm around her along with part of his coat, 'it's freezing, you can yell at me inside.'

Her eyes started to glisten as she continued to barely see the happy family on the pages before her, the fall leaves and the location a hell of a lot more rustic than anything she'd ever seen in Seattle.

She remembered his one track mind as she'd tried to continue their discussion in the apartment, he'd would have none of it. Cold hands had sought out her flesh as layers started to be removed, she'd tried to keep up her side of the argument as she'd pushed away the hands, but they kept returning, lips kept covering hers as she tried to point out the insanity of it.

'I know one sure fire way to keep my mom quiet,' he said as he hastily started discarding her layers of clothing.

'Wow talking about your mom while you're trying to get some, surefire way of having that happen,' she laughed.

She swallowed hard as she slammed the book shut. A few well poised questions at breakfast as she flipped through an old magazine with an article about how Seattle had been coping with the transgenics. That's when she found out while he felt sorry for them, much like dogs in the pound, he didn't think they should be in mainstream society, instead forever locked in their little cages.

She'd gone off to work as if everything were fine. She'd tried to talk herself into believing it would be different if he knew she was one of those dogs or cats as the case might be. She almost did, just like she almost had throughout her trip, but when it came down to it she couldn't risk it. At least this way she'd been the one to leave.

She'd feigned illness halfway through the day and walked out of the halls that she'd been a nurse in since arriving in Newark thanks to a few easy to forge documents that had made Jason think she was only a year younger than him.

A note was left as she shoved a few things in a bag:

I'm sorry. I can't do this.

I love you,

Sylvie

She realized now she'd run to Max for a reason and that reason was now gone and her sister had managed to score the dream life. She not only had a family, she had a family that knew the truth and continued to love her. Something Syl was starting to think would never happen for her.

--------

Christmas afternoon:

Syl couldn't exactly figure out if coming to Seattle had been a good or bad idea. She was surrounded by happy family that made it impossible to continuously feel bad for herself, being too silly and neurotic not to mention just plain nice to allow her to wallow for long and not even being aware they were doing it.

Of course Max and Logan kissing every five minutes or possibly more thanks to the mistletoe hung over the living room entry wasn't exactly a fun thing to witness after a breakup.

They were happy though and she was genuinely happy for them, but it helped to have Original Cindy and Alec around so her single status didn't make her a minority. Not to mention Alec repeatedly hitting on her was helping to make her feel wanted once more.

Not that she'd ever do anything thing with him…

He was an oddly nice guy underneath it all. According to Max he was a whore out in the real world, but nestled safe within in family…

He'd thrown a bitch fit, yet he'd let both girls take their own beds instead of forcing them to share. He'd trudged down an old mattress from the attic and bunked in early with Cale who demanded everyone go to bed so Santa could come.

Ha. Santa. Never expected Max to pull that one.

Alec though…He and Cale fought at every turn, yet they were constantly trying to please each other. Cale repeatedly forcing Alec to play a new game or try a new toy, Alec begrudgingly agreeing…

They had a weird family dynamic that couldn't exactly be identified, but everyone seemed at peace with.

"Haha," came from Max as she was muffled by the tree branches she'd crawled under. "Santa," she turned and gave Logan a look, "hid one of Aunt Syl's gifts underneath Cale's mountain."

Max tossed back the gift to her sister, "I think you're going to like it," she said with a sly smile.

Her nostrils flared looking at the think package, great a book. She quickly discarded the wrapping and stared blankly the gift before her after removing the top.

It was Zack, her mind finally realized. Zack smiling with an arm thrown over Zane's shoulders as they sat on the beach at dusk.

She looked up at Max who was smiling, "He looks…"

"Happy?" Max's head tilted.

A half frown, smile as her head shook and she looked down again, "And carefree…I don't know if I've ever…" seen him happy.

"I know," Max sombered for a moment before smiling, "you check out the guitar?"

The guitar in the corner of the picture, halfway resting on her brother's sleeping dog, "Don't tell me-"

"Yup the big bro plays the guitar now."

"Now that's just odd," Syl smiled.

She put the picture to the side a few minutes later, deciding it was impolite to dwell over their past.

----

"That would be Bennett," Logan said standing hearing the doorbell later than afternoon, soon after they'd finished their mid-Christmas meal that even Max was showing signs of looking stuffed from.

"His cousin?" Syl asked even though she knew she remembered correctly from Max's brief mention yesterday.

She nodded, "And his wife Marianne and their daughter, Heather."

"Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas all," Bennett said walking into the room with a Santa hat on his head, Logan narrowly avoided rolling his eyes.

Max smiled and stood, "Merry Christmas guys," Max smiled to the family. "You remember Original Cindy and Alec."

They all smiled and exchanged holiday related pleasantries.

"And this is my sister, Syl."

"Syl, that's an interesting name is it short for-"

"Nope," Syl smiled and stood to accepted the man's outstretched hand, "just Syl, we're an interesting family."

He laughed, "Somehow I don't doubt that. At least now I finally don't have to keep wondering about Cale's looks, it was a little confusing blaming the milkman," he joked.

Syl saw her sister's face fall the slightest fraction as if her lie were about to be exposed, "Yea well the old man was as Aryan looking as they get."

"Ah," he nodded, "still though you and Max."

"Different mothers," Max threw in the truth.

"Oh," Bennett's good manners prevented his lower lip from remaining down as long as he wanted it to and he lifted his lips up in a smile, knowing the polite thing to do would be move on and never mention this to his mother. "Wish I could have claimed that with my brothers," he smiled.

----

"Guessing Logan's cousin is completely in the dark about certain things," Syl said under her breath as she and Max were in the kitchen preparing coffee.

"Understatement, he knows what our neighbors know," she said pulling down some cups.

"Which is?"

"Cale's ours the old fashioned way. We were in a relationship, we broke up, got back together."

"So nothing about Manticore?"

Max shook her head and looked worried.

"Guessing that means they weren't at your wedding," she smiled trying lighten her sister's mood.

" Logan didn't even want to invite them," but she'd forced him to…

"Hello," Max said following a quick scoop up of the phone as she continued about her busy morning.

"Uh," Bennett was caught off guard by a female answering his cousin's phone, "hi, is Logan around?"

"Uh yea, he's just taking out the garbage, who is this?" Max asked frowning as she stepped over a toy making her way down the hallway to the front door.

"Bennett, his cousin," he imparted the information with slight hesitation.

"Oh hey Ben," she smiled, "it's Max."

Surprise once more showed in his voice, "Oh hey Max, how have you been?" Interesting. He hadn't heard Max's voice in his cousin's house in quite some time and even then it hadn't been just after 9am on a Saturday. Which while it had been forbidden previously, he figured it was allowed after Logan's confused sounding message of, 'Give me a call whenever you get this.'

"Definitely can't complain yourself?"

"Good good, the doctor put Marianne on limited bed rest, but everything's going fine."

"That's good to hear," she smiled as she opened the door, Logan smiled as he was walking up the stairs and she nodded at the phone. He jogged up the final few steps. "Hey I've got Logan I'm passing you on," she said into the phone as she mouthed, 'Bennett.'

Logan frowned, but accepted the phone, forcing his lips into a smile as he said, "Good morning."

He patted Max's behind as they made their way back into the house as he ignored Bennett's greeting and a few ramblings about the time as Max smirked over her shoulder.

"Yea no I'm glad you called this early, it's not like Cale let's us sleep past seven anyway."

Max paused and turned back as Logan caught what he said. She smiled, he frowned as he cousin repeated the word "Us."

Logan shook his head, "Yes 'us' Bennett," he said closing the door.

"So let me just get this straight that would be a you and Max, us and not a you and somebody else us, correct?"

"Yea Ben that would be it as in Cale only has one room now."

His cousin chuckled, "So what brought about this change?"

Logan found himself leaning against the staircase watching Max who was watching with a smile making sure the reason behind this phone call was completed, he grinned back, "Turns out we make everyone else we date miserable, so we figured this would be kinder for all."

Max shook her head as she laughed silently.

"And you just realized this after 5 years?"

"Ben…" was all Logan said to his cousin.

"Okay, fine I'm sorry I'm happy for you both. So is this why you called me last night?"

"Uh no actually it was to see if you wanted to come to a wedding next Saturday night," Logan said rather lackadaisically.

"Marianne was on bed rest so Bennett didn't feel right leaving her, obviously they've seen a different album than you."

"You ever going to tell them?"

Max's head shook, "Not unless it comes up or the whole country does a flip on their transgenic opinion."

Syl's eyes fell, "Not likely," she muttered.

"Reason for your sudden visit to Seattle?" Max asked.

A shake of her head as Syl began to lie, "Call me old-fashioned, thought you were supposed to spend Christmas with your family," she smirked.

"Uh huh," Max said disbelievingly.

"Coffee's done," she smiled at her sister.

--------

January 1st, 2025:

She left the city and started heading south, but she didn't get far before pulling off to the side of the road and digging through her pack for the picture frame folded within her clothing.

She'd never seen Zack smile like that.

He radiated a sense of peace. Kinda almost like Max did now. Probably like she had done for years in Newark, but hadn't been aware of it.

She saw it in Zack and Zane though. She'd seen it in Max and Logan, not forgetting Cale who was oblivious to the fact that things shouldn't always be perfect.

She stared at that picture and part of her wanted to turn east and run back to that life she'd left. To regain that sense of peace that had suddenly been ripped away from her. She hadn't even been aware of when it snuck up on her. She'd always been looking over her shoulder, but part of her had actually started to dream of a future. She'd shockingly enough started to think it might just happen.

But the years before Newark were too strong. The words she'd listened to her brother speak time and time again couldn't replace the peace he had found without his memory.

She wondered if maybe she should just turn back to Seattle and settle in there safe within her family. She hadn't wanted to leave last night not as Max would interrupt the near lap dance she was giving her husband who seemed a whole lot happier seated at the bar than out on the dance floor to demand her sister stay in Seattle.

Not as she fell hook line and sinker for Alec's charms even though she knew better. It hadn't been all the bs he'd been giving her that all guys gave when trying to get a girl into bed, it was the memory of how he looked with Cale, how he'd go off and do whatever task OC demanded, albeit pouting and complaining the entire time.

He was a good guy and pretty damn good in the sack.

He made her wonder.

Wondered if she just stayed and tried if they could make it work. He had some history, a lost love or something, she knew how that felt.

But still…

The picture once more safely stowed away, her engine started to roar and she ran just like she'd been taught to.

-o-o-o-

Max smiled at the picture from two New Year's Eves ago. Everyone dressed in club attire a few tiaras and hats proclaiming the New Year, noisemakers in hands or between lips. She smiled remembering how Logan had somehow managed to end up drunk. Then again it hadn't really been too shocking since Zen seemed to be goading him into taking shot after shot and at the end of the night she'd been more than pleasantly surprised to find out Logan wasn't one of those fall down drunks, but instead decently hyperactive, she'd barely managed to talk him into taking their activities back to the house.

Of course he made up for it the next morning when he hadn't even stirred as she'd gotten dressed to go pick up Cale from Terminal City, said hello to his son then put the pillow over his head once they'd returned, he finally only stumbled out of the room to say goodbye to her sister.

She sighed looking at Syl. Syl who had Alec's arm draped over her in a casual yet possessive manner. She almost thought Alec had talked her sister into staying. Not that she really wanted Alec as a brother-in-law or anything like that, but he was already always around, it would be nice to have her sister around as well, it would almost make up for always having Alec around.

Man they would have made a cute couple. She frowned at the thought and then looked around to make sure no one was around to see that lapse in case she'd accidentally said it aloud. Each passing year she softened more and everyone always seemed to take pleasure ribbing her for it. Not Logan, Logan of course gave her that bemused look that she could never be angry at no matter how hard she tried.

She shook her head and turned to the next picture to stop dwelling on things she couldn't change.

-o-o-o-

December 14th 2025:

"Ah," Alec said clamping a hand over Bennett's shoulder, "Benny boy, so glad you could join us."

Bennett was quickly ushered into the entrance as Alec moved onto a more enjoyable target, instead of the scowl he was getting from Bennett.

"Mar, you're looking amazing," Alec quickly kissed her cheek, greeting her as if he'd met her more than the handful of times he actually had. "Nice to know this little girl is getting all your looks," he smiled at the almost fourteen month girl in Marianne's arms who smiled back through her pacifier, Alec's charms occasionally irresistible. Brown hair, brown eyes, with a purple and white bow holding her hair up in front due to the slow growth of her hair and Marianne getting sick of hearing, 'What a cute little boy!'

"Afternoon Alec," Marianne smiled back.

"Oooh fresh smelling little girl," he said suddenly taking a step back, his hand falling away from the little girl's back.

Marianne laughed.

As Alec shook his head and called out, "OC…Got a job that requires your womanly skills."

She walked over already rolling her eyes.

"Hey Ben," Alec said with a slap to Bennett's back as he turned the man away from the female chatter taking place, "I need to go run out for a few, but Max and Logan are in the kitchen if you want to say hello," Alec said propelling the other man in that direction.

----

Bennett had a smile on his face as he braced himself for what he was going to encounter. Last year he'd gone searching for his cousin halfway through the party and found Max straddling him on a kitchen chair. Granted their clothes were still on, but he wasn't sure long how long they would have stayed on.

His cousin was a bonafide idiot that was the only way to explain it. Six years…He couldn't believe it had taken the guy almost six years to get his life together, to marry the mother of his child. He was pretty sure that proposal should have come around the 'Uh hey Logan, guess what' statement she must have made, if not before.

At least he'd finally gotten his act together.

"You know seriously, I can do this myself," her voice light, tinged with humor.

"Oh really then why is half of it ending up on the plate?"

"You two are the poster children for 'Get a room'" Bennett said shaking his head seeing his cousin's arms wrapped around his wife as they decorated cupcakes.

"Hey Bennett," Max said turning back in Logan's arms.

"Hey Ben," Logan nodded and slipped away from his wife, "where's Marianne?"

"Your friend, Original Cindy is showing her somewhere to change Heather's diaper."

"Nice being a male and bailing on that Ben," Max nodded.

"Says the woman frosting cupcakes," Bennett teased back.

Logan's eyes rolled for that.

"Did I miss something?"

"Mr. Mom made the original batch yesterday," Max smiled.

"I leave the house for two hours and I come back to find 6 out of twenty."

"It was all Alec I swear," Max shrugged as she tried not to smile. Logan had said they had a few to spare.

"He's owning up to two," Logan shook his head not doubting all of their friends had an equal share of blame in their decimation.

"He and OC," Max smiled as she turned mid-icing of a cupcake, "spent half the morning trying to find more icing."

"How many people are coming?" Bennett asked with a nod seeing the brightly decorated cake sitting out on the counter. Certainly looked big enough.

"You remember what kids looked like with cake last year?"

"Oh," his eyes widened, "yea."

"Hence the cupcakes."

"Ah," Bennett once more nodded.

"Why don't you go drop that off," Max nodded at the gift in his hands, "grab some snacks and take this one with you, will ya," she gestured at Logan.

Logan laughed, "I've got to grab some more folding chairs, I'll meet you in the living room Ben."

----

"Happy Birthday Mikey," Bennett said walking over with the dinosaur wrapped box containing an ridiculously large steel working backhoe that he had the toy store owner looking for since his last birthday and had only come up with one this past September. "How does it feel to be six?"

"I don't know," the blue eyes looked up paused in his monumental lead in the video game he was playing against Bling who had sat down against his better judgment a half hour ago and had found himself unable to get up. "My birthday isn't until Friday."

"Ah," Bennett said with a shake of his head, "no question who your father is."

Bling laughed.

"Nice to see you again Bling," he nodded with a smile.

"You too," the older man smiled. "Ahh damn!" Bling suddenly cursed realizing his momentary distraction had cost him the game, again.

Cale gave him the same look Logan gave when something was done noticeably wrong, "My dad's not allowed to say that anymore."

"Haha," Bling said standing, "Max tamped down on that word too? What is your dad still allowed to say?"

"If she's anything like Marianne, not much," Bennett smiled.

Bling laughed and started to stand, a knee injury causing him to wince, "Oh to be six again…Sorry sorry five years and 359 days?"

"I see we're still on that," Logan said walking up behind them with the clattering chairs.

"I don't think we're leaving it anytime soon Logan, we should probably put up signs to save people the trouble."

Logan laughed and shook his head, six might even prove to be more interesting than 5. "You say hello to your Uncle Bennett?" He asked his son as he leaned the chairs against the wall.

"You know I think we actually missed that step," Bennett smiled. Like father like son.

"Hi Uncle Ben, is that for me?" he nodded at the gift as he stood.

Logan sighed, "We're working on that too."

"Haha," Bling fluffed up the back of Cale's hair, "ignore him Cale, today's your day."

Logan laughed as Bennett looked confused, expecting Logan to be annoyed that someone was undermining his parenting.

Cale continued looking at the gift.

"Happy…Almost birthday?" Bennett offered out the gift, "Be care-" his words got caught in his throat as the young boy easy took the gift whose weight had caught him off guard when he first picked it up.

"Thanks Uncle Ben," he smiled down at it, resisting the urge to shake since it had been yelled at him twice already.

"You're welcome," he nodded.

"Why don't you go put that with that with the other ones," his father suggested.

"Can I go wait outside for my friends?" he asked turning around.

"If you can track down Alec and talk him into staying outside with you," Logan nodded.

Cale scowled knowing the older male would make him work for it. "I'm gonna go ask Mom."

Logan laughed once more.

"So when exactly did Alec become his older brother?" Bling asked after watching the bickering interplay between the two youngest males in the house earlier in the day, more noticeable than even the bickering between Max and Alec.

"I think older is pushing it," Logan shook his head with a smile.

-o-o-o-

She stared at the picture of Cale dangling in front of Alec by his feet. She remembered snapping it as the two made their way inside after Alec having bought his way into Cale's good graces with a few sparklers he'd kept stashed since the summer.

She and Logan had watched for a few minutes from the window as the two had written their names in the night sky before returning to the adult guests who remained into the early evening.

Alec and Cale had of course entered the house roughhousing as always, the little boy being swung in every direction by the only physically, definitely not mentally, older boy.

'Uh Alec,' had just passed Logan's lips as Alec started to swing Cale over his shoulder, which Cale followed by a quick burst of vomit.

'The kid just yuked on me,' was said with a stunned face as Max and Logan both rushed forward as everyone else jumped back.

'Asshole,' Max said reaching Alec first, who gently lifted Cale from over his shoulder to his mother.

'Mommy-' the little voice began.

'Are you okay baby?'

'You said a bad word,'

'I know I'm sorry,' she said as she carried the little boy out of the room.

She rolled her eyes at the memory, quickest end to a party she'd ever seen and she was pretty sure they'd continue to get even more eventful with each passing year.

That thought for some unknown reason made her happy as she went to leave the room.

Okay let me point out I am sooo aware there are a multitude of mistakes in this chapter, but at over 7000 words I think my eyes just glaze over them when reading (and yes I do reread several (dozen it seems) times). I apologize as always and hope they didn't bother you too much.

Once more thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.