Obnoxiously long and still only making it so I've cover about 3/4 of what I meant to cover 5 chapters ago in one. And of course it took on a life of its own and changed the direction of the story. Hope ya don't hate (as apparently Remnants was :-( Oh well at least it confirmed why I rarely update that story). Thanks for reading and the great reviews last chapter.

Chapter 35

Unraveling

"They're never coming back are they?" Logan said hanging up the phone after being sent to his cousin's voicemail, which was at least one up from his call being ignored as it had been before. His cousin was still alive that was a positive sign.

"Can't believe the guy who didn't even flinch being shot, getting chucked off a roof, our wilderness retreat," she tacked on with rolling eyes. "What was that four guys? Five? And you're afraid of little kids."

"I'm not afraid of them."

"Really?" she said shifting Nicky around in her arms. "Could have fooled me."

"I am not," he emphasized, "afraid of children."

"You are aware you're Brittany's legal guardian if anything ever happens to Bitsy or Kyle."

His head shook and he started to open his mouth.

She cut him off with a nod, "Bitsy told me herself."

"That's impossible, she changed that after Valerie and I got divorced."

Max's head shook with a smile, "Got it from Bitsy's mouth herself, she hates Kyle's family."

Who in their right mind would leave a child to him?

She caught the look in his eyes, "According to Bitsy she has faith that if you'd step up to the plate if you had to."

His head tilted as he looked at her with serious eyes praying this would all turn out to be some horrific joke, "And how exactly do you know this?" When had he ever been dumb enough to leave Max alone with Bitsy?

"Had lunch with her the other day," Max smiled, "been saving it up for just the right moment."

"You had lunch with my cousin?"

"She stopped by Jam Pony, said she never properly thanked me for taking care of Brit with the whole fire thing."

"Thanked you? What about me?" Had his little cousin not been staying at his house? Had he not brought her to school, brought her home from school, did her homework with her…

"You didn't have to have lunch with your cousin," Max pointed out.

"Oh." Oh that was right, hmm pretty good reward. "Wait, so what did she say?"

"She didn't really go into details Logan and I was too busy trying not to choke on my burger. All of got to say is you're worrying a little too much about Bennett and not enough about Bitsy."

He sat down on the stool suddenly as horror dawned in his mind. "Bitsy's Nicky's…" Bennett had mentioned updating his will with the arrival of his son; Bitsy was to get her nephew.

Max laughed and rubbed the baby's back, "Okay you just keep worrying about both."

ooOoo

"Thank god," Logan said springing to his feet a few minutes after Max's revelation as he heard the knock on his door.

Max for once was slower as Logan barreled down the hallway, they both stopped though as they heard a near yell come through the door. Eyes widened, there was no disputing the voices of his cousin and wife fighting with each other.

"Hey," Logan said waiting for it to stop before opening his door with an easy smile as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Bennett and Marianne both glared.

"I could close the door and we could try this again," Logan offered.

"No that's okay, less time I spend with him, the better," Marianne said storming into the house towards Max, who had stopped several feet short of the door, not wanting to intrude on whatever was going on.

"Oh real nice Mar, bring my cousin into it after bringing half of our friends into it."

She snatched Nicky away from Max before turning, "Our friends? I brought them into it? Funny I could have sworn it was you who started bemoaning our son's very existence in front of them."

"I did NOT," Bennett's voice raised more than Max had ever heard it, "bemoan our son's existence, I just pointed out that other people have kids and keep their lives."

"What's the point of having a kid if you're not going to spend time with him?" She angrily bounced with their son who had started crying the moment his parents had walked in the door.

"I spend time with him, what do you want me to do with him. He can't even sit up yet. Sit and watch him sleep like you do? I'm 32, I'm too young to sit in our house night after night. You won't even do anything at the club on the weekends except have lunch. I pay how much each goddamn year for that membership and you sit there and eat? The one thing we actually have to pay more for? You remember what a golf club looks like? A tennis racket? How about a pool? That big blue thing filled with water?"

"So what are you saying I'm fat?"

"When the hell did I ever say you were fat?" he bellowed.

Nicky let out a higher pitched scream.

Marianne angrily sighed and bounced once more with him, "I've had enough of you." She turned to Logan, "He's your cousin you deal with him. Where's my son's stuff?"

"Your son? Oh yea that's clever. Half my dna, my last name, I pay for all of his clothing, his house, his endless amount of crap that just sits there…"

"His stuff," she repeated glaring at Logan, another damn Cale.

"Living room, I'll help you-"

"No don't bother, I can do it myself. I'm used to doing everything by myself."

"And whose fault is that," Bennett went chasing after her only to be held back by Logan, he continued shouting, "I begged you Mar, begged to get a nanny. At least a babysitter, anything to give us five minutes alone with each other, but no…No, you just wouldn't do it."

Max had gone chasing around the apartment to intercept Marianne in the living room as Bennett started to quiet down. Attempting to talk the other woman down as she heard, Bennett's statements of 'I'm done' filtering through the hallways.

"I can't do this anymore Max," Marianne said tucking in a stray pacifier into the bag. "I can't deal with him."

"You don't mean that," Max attempted to intercede.

"Yea I do," she said visibly calming as Logan was heard in the kitchen pouring Bennett another obviously unnecessary drink. "I screwed up, I didn't listen to everyone when they said we were rushing things. I didn't believe anyone when they said it was too early for us to have a baby. We loved each other," Marianne shrugged, "that was supposed to be all that mattered."

At least you were one up on someone, Max, her inner voice pointed out with a chuckle, that was a rarity. Even she knew better than to believe love was a cure all.

Max suddenly realized Marianne was struggling with everything. "Let me help you," Max said taking over hooking the carrier back in the stroller.

"Thanks," Marianne nodded.

ooOoo

Max returned from the garage she'd escorted Marianne to, to find Logan sitting in the kitchen with his cousin who wasn't nursing a drink like she expected but instead a large glass of water.

"Trying to sober him up?" Max asked dryly.

Bennett turned, "Don't you get started in on me about that too. One of us had to say it. We couldn't keep living like that Max."

"He isn't even three months old Bennett," she pointed out, angered by how he had just let his wife and son leave the apartment.

"This started well before Nicholas," Bennett said following a long sip of water. "We just kept ignoring it. I couldn't take it anymore."

"So you just let them-" her voice turned off as did the lights and they were suddenly engulfed in darkness.

"Dammit," Logan cursed, the first word he'd said upon Max's reentry to the apartment.

Bennett let out a low laugh, "This is just one of those days isn't it…Woah," he said as suddenly a lighter flicked in front of his face, lighting a candle he hadn't even seen appear. "You're fast," he said looking up at Max's angelic face in the candlelight.

"And you're drunk," she returned.

"Come on," Logan said standing, grabbing a flashlight tucked away in a drawer. "I don't want you walking around my apartment with candles burning in this state."

"Are you putting me to bed cuz?"

Logan let out a laugh as he shook his head, Hadn't Bennett been the sane one in their family? "Come on Ben," he nodded as he grabbed the water glass he'd just refilled.

"Think Marianne's alright?" He asked standing.

"She should be fine, streets are pretty empty. I'll call-"

"I've got it," Max said grabbing Logan's cell off the counter.

"Thanks," Logan nodded back apologetically.

"Good night Ben," Max smiled non-too-sweetly.

"Night Max," he muttered. A few steps into his walk following behind his cousin who was lighting the path he asked, "She hates me doesn't she?"

"Yea just a little Ben," Logan affirmed.

ooOoo

"I had to do it Logan," Bennett said stripping down once in the guest room.

"Yea I'm sure that's what you think now," Logan placated.

Bennett's head shook, "This isn't the booze Logan, I'm drunk, but not that drunk. Hell I was pretty decently sober when we started fighting. I just needed to be honest, I couldn't be in another fake polite marriage."

Logan remembered that. Remembered how he'd smile away or simply ignore Valerie's problems just as his aunt and uncle had done his entire life. He remembered the staggering numbness of it.

"I just get so goddamn sick of being fake," Bennett said letting out a smile.

Logan let out a short chuckle as he shook his head, "So why don't you tell me something you haven't if you're being so honest." Curious about what his cousin would say. He expected something along the lines of 'You're an ass, oh wait you already know that,' it had been one of his cousin's favorite lines when they used to drink together. Hell it had been a favorite amongst all of them, more often than not being applied to Jon.

A hand came out and was placed on Log's arm as Bennett looked up into his younger cousin's eyes, "It's okay," was all he said.

Logan just stared at him.

Bennett nodded before falling away from his cousin, Logan caught him with one arm and amazed himself with the progress he'd made with the exo, not long ago he would have fallen with Bennett or at least teetered, but not this time. Instead he caught his cousin up by his side and helped him to the bed.

Bennett willingly plummeted to it. Grabbing the corner of the turned down sheets before looking back up at Logan, "And Max is hot."

Logan couldn't help, but laugh.

Bennett's eyes changed back over to the serious gaze that had accompanied his previous statement, "She loves you," was said softly.

Logan nodded, unable to verbalize a response to that for a moment, not worried about Max picking up on their words. Unless she was listening at the door, the most she'd be able to pick up on was the fact that they were speaking. "I know," he finally whispered back to a cousin who looked rather amused at the confirmation at the same time he was looking at him in pity.

Bennett nodded, "Sorry about your night Logan."

"I'll live," Logan nodded. "You won't if you puke in my bed though. Want a bucket?"

"I haven't puked in 6 years." He all of a sudden shook his head, "I guess my dad's genes had to eventually kick in," he smirked.

Logan didn't say anything to that, just a simple, "Night Bennett."

"Night Logan."

ooOoo

She was standing looking out the window, she'd lit just enough candles so he could see slightly more than her outline.

Unable to resist the urge he walked over and wrapped his arms around her, he felt her slight startle, not at his presence, but at his actions. It was only for the briefest of seconds though; she instantly relaxed and placed her hands on his arms as his head dropped to rest against hers.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" she asked.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, "we don't have a particularly good track record when it comes to marriage in my family."

"They were so happy though," she mused remembering seeing them together for the first time.

"I was happy when I married Valerie," he pointed out in a monotonous tone. He felt a sigh quickly leave her chest as he said that. "Bitsy and Kyle were happy for awhile, now sometimes I see them and I see my aunt and uncle."

"They're nothing like-"

Logan's head shook against her, "I was there Max. They were married for thirty-six years, Bitsy and Kyle are only at year eight. They work every possible minute they can so they don't have to face their problems. There was a lack of good role models growing up in my family if you didn't notice."

"Your-"

He cut her off knowing where she was going, "Sometimes I feel like my mother spent most of my life dying and my father spent the rest of it trying to forget she existed."

Her heart ripped in two as she saw the weakening in his eyes in his reflection. How could a childhood that looked perfect to the rest of the world be as damaging as hers?

"Bennett though," Logan's eyes closed. "Bennett was never supposed to be like us. My uncle's joke was he was the least Cale of the Cales."

"Not a particularly nice joke," she pointed out, knowing that it was coming from someone who thought the Cales were the cream of the crop.

Logan's lips twitched up, "Yea, he never saw that," his uncle rarely saw anything that mattered.

"So what happened to Bennett?" she asked.

A puff of breath slid through his nostrils as he eyes were careful to remain transfixed on the city and not Max's reflection, "Me."

She looked up at his reflection.

He caught it and looked down, his head shook a little, "I did this to him."

"It's not your fault what Jonas did," she whispered.

He sat in front of his computer. Staring. He had no idea what was on the screen. No idea about the world going on around him. She hovered worriedly, trying to act nonchalantly as she skimmed a news magazine that had been lying around.

His car was in the shop, not expected out for weeks. Bling was on the hunt for a replacement until then. CI stock had fallen rapidly before all trading of it was frozen. His aunt had been hospitalized from shock. His cousin kept calling going, 'I just don't understand… it can't be true Logan.' Windows had been boarded up and the gossip mill ran rampant.

"Do you think he…" Logan's voice trailed off.

"They said it was quick Logan," she looked up from the magazine to his blank face.

His head shook, that wasn't the question he needed answered. "He didn't, he wouldn't have…"

" Logan, he...just a few minutes from when you hung up the phone to when it happened…He was still your family no matter what, he wouldn't have, he couldn't have."

He looked at her, "He had no problem doing it to others."

"I couldn't let them kill Lydecker Logan, there's no way he would have let anyone hurt you. Let alone order it..."

"He should have never had the power," his eyes closed. "I let him have it; I should have been the one to clean it up, it was my mistake. This was never supposed to be Bennett's life."

She waited, looking up into the empty expression he held.

"Jonas was never supposed to be in charge, it didn't matter that he was older, my grandfather never cared about that. He started grooming my father for the role before he even turned ten. He was older; he knew the company was going to be passed on soon and my father was his choice. My uncle was always jealous about that. My father was running the company before I was even born. Everyone assumed my entire life I would take it over."

"Even with four other cousins?"

His head shook, "Leaving Jon in charge would have made Jonas's actions look like the tooth fairy's. Bennett was just too nice. Bits was a girl and Jeremy…well if you can't figure out my family's opinions on certain things because of Bitsy's gender then I'm just not going to say anything," he smirked.

Ah the bigoted Cale family, how lovely. And not all surprising.

"My dad let me get out of it. I think he thought that if he just let me do something else there for awhile that he could eventually start molding me into a CEO."

"You were supposed to work at CI?"

"I did," he nodded. "Every summer from the time I was 16. My grandfather used to take me on business lunches and introduce me as the next generation of CI."

"So what happened?" This was not Logan. None of this was Logan.

"My father died. Treadmill in his office," his head shook, "he didn't even have the time to go downstairs to the gym, he had it built into his furniture…His assistant heard a bang and came running in. He had a heart attack. He lived, worked, breathed Cale Industries it made sense that he died there too. My grandfather tried to take it back over, but he hadn't been in charge in twenty years and he'd been old when my father took it over."

Who chooses a company over a child?

"My minor became my major. My grandfather was willing to let it pass because I was still working there on all my breaks. Still kept a variety of classes that he deemed worthy in the real world. Then I was graduating…That winter break I was at a party. Dominic Constinou was there, editor of the Seattle Times, hater of my uncle, hated by my uncle. I was by the bar getting a drink at the same time as him, he asked about school. Shocked to find out I was an English major, worked on the newspaper, had an internship while I was in school because I couldn't have one during the summer, but that I would be starting at CI full time once September hit. Next thing I knew it was a couple hours later and he walked over to me with his PDA in hand and asked why I was going to spend the rest of my life sitting behind a desk making polite small talk when I should be out in the real world. He'd had his secretary find my work online and send it to him. He offered me an internship that summer, told me to scrap my summer plans. That figuring out what I should be doing with the rest of my life was a lot more important than backpacking through Europe with my friends. I wasn't even there two weeks before the Pulse and the rest is history," he shrugged.

"Explains a lot about those 'silly little articles," she said still amazed at this whole other life he kept hidden. Hell she hadn't even known he worked for the Times before Pacific Free Press until she uncovered that story Sabrina had been talking about over Christmas.

He smirked and shook his head, "You would have thought he'd be happy that I didn't want the job. I'd never seen him so angry. I let him down. According to Jon, he was sure I'd come to my senses eventually. Every year that passed that I didn't, he got angrier."

Wasn't there something about parents seeing their kids' failings as their own?

"I brought this company down Max and left Bennett to pick up the pieces."

"You didn't, Jonas did. If you hadn't done that broadcast and something else happened…"

"What kind of cousin am I?" his head shook. "I asked Bennett to tell me something true that he wouldn't normally tell me since he was handing it out so freely today and he said, 'It's okay,' Max. Who does that?"

Max didn't question the meaning behind Bennett's words, she knew them as sure as Logan. All of the guilt and the responsibilities that drove Logan… She'd said varying forms of those words to him herself over the years. "Someone that wants you to know you weren't responsible for the actions of others. That what you're doing in the world is right for you."

"Bennett doesn't-"

"I don't think anyone believes you sit up here writing one article a month."

His head shook and his eyes closed and he leaned his head heavier on hers.

She accepted its weight willingly. More than willing to share this unfair heavy burden he carried.

"I just let him take it Max, everything that was supposed to be mine. That was my responsibility from the time I could walk, I let him take it."

"He wanted to take it Logan. He chose this life. You didn't. There were five of you Logan that were the next generation. They didn't get the right to put it all on you."

His head shook in disbelief and she knew there would never be anything anyone could ever say to him to make him believe that.

ooOoo

"Crash here tonight?" he asked sometime later still continuing to look out upon the darkened city with her in his arms.

"Really think I was going to troop it down that many stairs?"

He smirked, "You have on occasion."

"Yea, but I'm normally pissed at you. Right now that's directed at your cousin."

He laughed.

"Marianne's okay in case you're interested," she added.

"I heard you talking as you were unplugging the computer," he nodded, "thank you by the way."

"No biggie, got the tv too and I think I turned off all the lights." He didn't normally unplug anything but his computer in case of a surge when the power came back on, but she figured since she was at it…

"I turned on the guest bath, hopefully Bennett doesn't wake up needing it before power comes back."

"Yummy," she made a face.

He sighed.

"You ready for bed?" she asked.

"Yea," he nodded, "it's been a long day."

ooOoo

They brushed their teeth beside each other in silence, capped by Logan flicking the contacts out of his eyes and into the trash, replacing them with his glasses.

She left him alone to go to the bathroom as she stripped down, tossing on a shirt of his and boxers as always.

He came out, retrieved the wheelchair that he'd moved out of the way as he'd made his bed that morning, placing it within easy reach for the morning. Sat on the edge of the bed and removed his glasses. Boots came off, then his shirt, followed by his jeans before he began to disengage himself from the exo.

Before she realized it, legs had been pulled into bed and covers pulled up. An arm reached out and pulled her in close to him.

Gone were the days of pretenses. Of shirts and pajamas he didn't normally wear. Of sleeping on the opposite side of the bed when all he wanted was to hold her close.

"I'm sorry," were the words he whispered into her hair instead of any others more expected and commonplace given their setting.

"For what?" she asked.

"I don't know, anything, everything," was his answer as he continued to hold her tight.

She didn't know what to say so she just continued to hold his arms tight to her. Oddly enough more pleased with the day's revelations and changes than she would have been if Nicky's babysitter had shown up or Bitsy had picked up the phone.

"Goodnight Max," he said kissing her hair.

"Night Logan."

Got to love Griever who picked up on my boo boo right at the start. Valerie and Daphne really need to sound more different. Because I only got it half right in this chapter.

Damn I guess we'll blame it on that and the fact that I just had Daphne in the last chapter...I did have Daphne in the last chapter right:-