Okay yes I'm aware it's after Thanksgiving (only the first missed day was my fault, the rest FFN)). But well, a half a dozen started challenges and a mostly finish (but not pleasing to me bday fic), led me to decide to finish this late. Though um, don't be expecting anything great. Really more of an other people chapter than an ML.

Things to know…

1) Fits in bw chapters 13 and 14 of this story. So it's more than a couple of months before the current chapter. So ML aren't together yet. Ben and Marianne aren't fighting (also Nicky hasn't been born). OC isn't with the hated GF.

2) The story is going to flip bw the Cale house and Max's apartment, so you're going to get a little more back story and emotions that go into the Cale family.

3) Names that pop up:

a. Sabrina: Becomes Margo's future step daughter in the Christmas chapter. Her father, Chester dates, Margo.

b. Perry: Name I've given the guy that starts the Pacific Free Press. As established in chapter 35, Logan switches jobs in his mid-twenties and makes the move over there from the Times.

c. Natalie: Calvin's fiancé makes a return appearance for this chapter. Because she's a nice girly girl to make comments on ML.

4) Yea lot of nods and shakes in this chapter. I need a thesaurus.

5) We're going with 'Junior' as being more of a nickname to Jonas and not an always used name.

6) Yea so boo boo in the last chapter regarding Logan's and his uncle's last interaction. Faulty memory. Remembered convo, shooting/picture being taken and driving. Failed to remember it was a phone convo. Shall be fixed.

Hope all that celebrated the holiday had a good one and those who didn't had lovely regular day as well. :-P

Chapter 13b

Things to Be Grateful For

Pre-Thanksgiving Eve (Max's apartment):

"Why what are you up to?" Original Cindy heard Max's voice ask. Turning in shock Cindy looked at her best friend, acting as if nothing was wrong and she wasn't about to back out of plans for him, for Logan.

"No, no that's fine, I'll stick around for awhile. Any interest in joining us at Crash for a bit?"

That sounded positive, they might be delayed, but they were still going.

Max smiled.

They were still going, but with company.

"Okay I'll see you in a few," she stopped smiling as she realized OC was watching with interest and hung up the phone.

" Logan?" Original Cindy asked, not letting out the teasing smile she wanted to.

"He's dropping off some stuff for tomorrow and joining us for awhile at Crash."

"Sounds good," she nodded.

Max nodded with severe disinterest, "Yea, I mean sounds fine." She started to walk away, "Stop looking at me like that."

Cindy burst out laughing.

"You're still reading way too much into that scrabble game."

ooOoo

"Hey Logan should be here any minute, I'm gonna go wait downstairs in case he needs any help," Max said poking her head into Cindy's room.

"Should I make room in the fridge? And why's he dropping stuff off today? He trying to bail or something?"

Max frowned, she obviously hadn't thought of that. "Dunno, guess we'll find out soon."

ooOoo

"Isn't it a little cold to be waiting outside?" Logan asked opening his car door to an awaiting Max.

"Doesn't really bother me," she shrugged, "so what's going on?"

He looked confused as he stood, "Dropping off stuff for tomorrow and joining you for Crash?"

"Are you still joining me tomorrow?" Okay when had she become this person, when?!

"Yea, just not as early as I'd have to be, if I was planning on cooking this myself," he said retrieving a large roasting pan with a large bird sealed in a plastic bag surrounded by murky water.

"Is that a turkey?"

"No Max, chickens normally grow to be 23 pounds," he replied sarcastically.

"I thought you were-"

"Box in the trunk," he said referring to everything else he promised to bring, along with the top to the roasting pan, which didn't fit at the current moment. "This wouldn't fit, so I buckled it in."

"Where'd you-"

"I was at the market today and couldn't resist."

"Probably cost you an arm and a leg," she knowingly replied.

"Yes," he said shifting it in his arms, "but you're only ever going to host your first Thanksgiving once."

She smiled, "Thank you," she nodded. "Do you want me to take it?"

"I got it, grab the box?" he asked.

She nodded with a blinding smile.

ooOoo

She was smiling at 5:30 am as she walked into her kitchen. Smiling as she saw the Ziploc bag full of utensils and knives large enough to slice through the bird poking out, along with a thermometer, Logan forgot nothing.

Smiled as she walked to her fridge and saw Logan's intellectual script, that always seemed to convey purposefulness in its slants, clarity with speed, forgoing any aesthetic requirements, yet its lines were beautiful to her. Clear directions for her, along with a few jokes. She's already read through it once to know that within the paper bag that had been in the box along with side dishes was a sealed plastic bag containing some overpriced beans from a warm land far from theirs.

Step one was, 'Retrieve coffee from box, use Press. Try not to burn it; it's going to be a long day.'

She continued to stare at the list and turkey magnet that accompanied it. When Logan did things, he did them all out.

The next few things instructed her on the turkey, not that there was much to do besides drain it, toss it in the pan and turn on the oven.

The next step made her smile once again, just as it had when she'd read the list upon her return home last night. 'Drink coffee, eat Danish, not dinner.'

That guy knew her too well. He'd included a snack so she wouldn't be tempted to dive into the goodies he'd sent for all. She looked at both Danishes in the bag longingly before extracting only one, knowing somehow it would manage to come up during the day if she ate the one meant for OC as well as her own.

"Hey Boo," OC said walking into the kitchen, "whatcha doin up so early?" her words slightly slurred from sleep.

"Putting the bird in the oven, go back to sleep for awhile. I got this."

"You sure?"

"Verified Logan Cale instructions," she pointed at this list on the fridge, "pretty much idiot proof."

Cindy smiled. "Call me if you need help."

"Will do," she smiled and settled herself onto a stool with a sip of coffee and let the holiday cheer spread over her.

ooOoo

The Cale House (early afternoon):

"Hey sweetie," Bennett said placing a hand on Marianne's shoulder.

She looked up with a smile from her spot on the couch next to Bitsy.

"I'm gonna go give Sabrina a quick tour," he smiled, "feel like joining?"

She halfway rolled her eyes, "It's going to take a forklift to get me up for dinner. Really think I'm going to go through that twice?"

"Guessing that's a no," he nodded. "Any sights I should show her Bits?"

"The torture chair Mom keeps in the pantry for when she finds a spot on the silver or one of you boys came home drunk?"

"Hmm or the time she found you with Derek Keeley on one of the patio chairs," he goaded back.

"May I remind you, you're both supposed to be behaving today?" Marianne interjected as she shook her head.

"Hmm, that being said, I say we begin our tour upstairs and work our way down and do try to remember while we're in Bitsy's room, you look with your eyes and not your hands, especially when it comes to her dollhouse."

"Let's go before she gives you a Wet Willie," Sabrina said with a smile, placing her hand on Bennett's forearm.

ooOoo

"So are you going to tell me the good guest room to claim?" she asked with a smile as they headed up the stairs.

"Are you going to be needing a guest room?" he asked with a smile back.

"I think we both know the purpose of this visit," she teased as blonde hair whipped over her shoulder.

He sighed dramatically and then smiled.

"Never thought you'd be getting two more sisters at this point in your life?"

"To be quite honest, I don't think I expected any of the last year, what about you? There are a lot of us. Not to mention a new wife for your dad?" The words had not been spoken aloud to the children, but they all knew what it was leading up to.

"Valid point, but my dad's 61, too young to spend the rest of his life alone. He could marry your mom, who's actually been kinda decent these past few months or he can marry someone a few years older than me. Either way…"

"Either way you get siblings and this way we don't get a cut of the estate?"

She smiled, "And your mom seems a lot more sensible with her finances than someone my age, who'll want to put her stamp on everything with hundred thousand lamps."

"Don't worry, we still have those from before the Pulse," he smiled. "Now," he said opening a door, "this is the room you'll want to claim before Sarah," he referred to her younger sister who was off at college.

ooOoo

The apartment:

"So that's Max's boyfriend right?" Natalie asked leaning in close to Sketchy.

"Uh, I believe the proper term to use is friend useless you want Max to rip off your head."

She watched with interested eyes for a moment as Max speared the final bite of ziti off of Logan's plate and looked away with innocent eyes as Logan looked outraged and started to call her out on it. "No way, they're together."

"I'm not denying that, I'm just saying don't say it loud enough for Max to hear and just a warning, I think she's part bat."

"Looks like a nice guy," she turned back with a smile to her on again off again, currently on fiancé, "not to mention a great cook."

"Yea not to mention his last name is Cale," he said stuffing his face.

"Wait Cale as in-"

"Yea as in that," he nodded with large eyes and a full mouth.

ooOoo

The Cale House:

"And this was my father's study," Bennett said opening the doors.

She walked in, she'd heard rumors about this place. Everything looked fine though, not like…

"We haven't exactly figured out what to do with it yet."

"Bennett," his mother sobbed as he picked up the phone.

"Mom?" he stopped the crossword puzzle he was doing with Marianne as they were sprawled on the couch enjoying a lazy Saturday.

"Oh god Ben, oh god."

"Mom, what happened is it Dad?" he asked standing, not even noticing Marianne fall as he did.

She sobbed louder.

"Jon, Bits-"

"No…" a ragged breath. "Your father…He's been…"

"He's been what Mom?"

"Murdered. Killed in his study. The maid…The maid…"

"The maid what Mom?"

"She said she thought she saw a hoverdrone Bennett, the entire room's been shot up, I don't even know how many bullets, the police won't allow me back in."

"The police are there?"

"I don't even know if we called, they got here so quickly and your cousin…"

"What about Logan, Mom?"

"The only thing missing from that room was a picture of your cousin, Ellen noticed it was missing off the mantle, maybe someone was looking for him, he was just here the other day. We always told him in that line of work…first he gets himself paralyzed and now your father…" another ragged sob.

"Wait Mom, who would…Wait why would a hoverdrone…Hoverdrones don't even have guns."

"I know they don't, I'm just telling you what the damn maid heard."

"Mom, just try to stay calm, I'll be there as soon as I can."

ooOoo

It was late as his cousin's door opened and he was greeted by a weary looking Logan, who looked as if he'd had a similar day to the one, Bennett had just been through.

"Who's," were the first words to reach his ears, not a greeting from his cousin.

The brunette from his wedding, came into view, her mouth just opened at seeing him.

"What happened today?" his words were curt, his voice beginning to shake.

"Bennett," Logan began.

"No, I don't want to hear about how sorry you are, I don't want to listen to you lie and tell me you have no idea, I need answers. Ellen and mother both had to be sedated. The entire room was shot up and there were no witnesses. Just Ellen thinking she heard a hoverdrone, which makes no sense because first off we manufacture them and second they don't have guns and the ONLY thing missing from that room is that damn stupid picture of you…" he shook his head, "I need answers Logan, you were the last one to talk to him and I need answers."

He wheeled back, "Come in."

"You okay?" Sabrina asked as he froze in the doorway staring at the fireplace.

"Yea," he nodded.

"Bad memories. We don't need to be here."

"No," he shook his head, "it's okay."

He walked over and looked at the five remaining pictures on the mantle. Logan had been the only one to have a solo picture on that mantle.

"New picture Dad?" he asked knowing full well it was as he lifted the gold frame.

"Oh yea," he turned with a drink in the hand, "that cute little journalist I met with the other week sent it."

He nodded, "I read Logan's piece this morning, I'm guessing he didn't fall for your little set up and go back to the Times?" His father had invited along his cousin to an interview about the future of Cale Industries, under the guise of wanting an experienced journalist to make sure CI and the family came off well.

"No," he added another ice cube to his drink, "and your cousin's going to get himself killed before long if he stays there."

"I bet you never expected to be trying to talk Logan into going back to work at the Times."

The tongs dropped back into the bucket with a clank as Jonas let out a harsh sigh. "Logan should be with us over at Cale Industries, but that ship has sailed. Without your grandfather I have no chance of talking any common sense into that boy."

"Well now that he's married, maybe things will change."

"He knew he was going to be married and needed stability before he took that job. I'm not saying what I think happened to Perry's son was something we should just let go, but starting a newspaper over it? He walked in on a drug deal gone bad and now Perry's putting how many lives at risk?"

"He's trying to make sure no parent-"

The scotch in his father's glass nearly swished over the edge as he turned. "So he takes advantage of an orphan? So when my brother's son dies, we're going to be fine? His wife?"

" Logan isn't going to-"

"Junior was in the ER two days ago, he received 11 stitches. He hasn't even been at this paper a year."

"Logan's brash Dad, he's young."

"That's the exact reason he shouldn't be…" Jonas shook his head, "How he thinks he can do more good with this than he could by running a…" his head shook again.

"Is this your grandfather with your dad and your cousin?" Sabrina asked picking a picture off a side table, not really remembering what the man had looked like.

He nodded. That had come out of the meager box of personal effects they'd received from the FBI from their father's office. " Logan's wedding."

"Hasn't he been divorced awhile?" she looked confused.

Bennett once more nodded, "My grandfather died a month later, that's one of the last pictures."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she put it down.

"No," he shook his head, "it's okay. It wasn't like this," his head bobbed at the room. "My grandfather lived a long life, lived past a wife and a son. Attended the weddings of three grandchildren and was around for the birth of a great-granddaughter. Truthfully, we expected him to make it to a hundred, but 93 wasn't too shabby." He'd gone to sleep and never woken up, the most dignified end a Cale had had in years.

She laughed, "No not at all. So what's the deal with this Logan character, my dad said your mom raised him?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I guess. His mom died when he was 12."

"Oh my god that's horrible," a hand raised to her chest.

He nodded, "My uncle didn't die until Logan was in college, but he thought it was best if he lived with us."

"That's horrible, but at least he had your parents and you guys."

"You would think so, but I think he would have preferred being in that empty house with my uncle and the housekeeper."

"That's a lonely way to live."

"That's Logan," he explained.

"What about that girl he was with at your wedding?"

"Max?" he shook his head, "they're just friends. I think Logan swore off all serious relationships after Valerie."

"You know I saw her a few weeks ago," she pointed with finger as she remembered.

"Max?"

"Valerie," she explained.

"Really?" somehow he hadn't expected Valerie to run in any of the same social circles anymore, then again he didn't really expect that of Max, but Max and Sabrina were closer in age, he was sure they occasionally frequented something in common, it was at least more likely than Sabrina and Valerie.

"Yea at this great little spa, found out she was the manager."

"She's managing a spa?" Bennett asked with dry eyes.

"Something we're not telling your mom I'm guessing?"

"Please don't, she'd die of embarrassment and quite frankly I have enough on my hands at the moment without adding that to it."

Sabrina laughed and picked up the picture again, looking at the young, vibrant man she remembered from her childhood, she'd looked away quickly when she'd seen him at the wedding not being able to reconcile the image in front of her with the image of the past. "I have a feeling this family is going to be an interesting experience."

"That is an understatement," Bennett smiled.

ooOoo

The Apartment:

"Look at that body language," Natalie said in a hushed whisper to Sketchy in the kitchen referring to Max and Logan on the couch. Max's legs tucked up into her body, turned towards Logan as she ate the chocolate cream pie Natalie had brought occasionally wafting a forkful under Logan's nose, who had gone for the traditional pumpkin pie. Natalie decided she wasn't going to hold that against the guy.

"Seriously Max will murder you without a second thought, I've seen her pissed off before. It is not pretty," he emphasized.

"Oh hush Calvin," she swatted at her boyfriend. "They're a cute couple."

"Yea up until she's killing you."

"Who are we talking about," Jacinda asked in low tones walking over.

Sketchy groaned and threw his hands up; luckily the music drowned him out to those in the living room.

"How cute a couple Max and Logan are," Natalie nodded.

"Aren't they, and he's got to be one of the nicest guys ever. I don't know if he's particularly comfortable around kids, but he always tries so hard around Omar, it's been rough on my little guy since Theo, Logan's a good role model. He's polite, he cooks, he cleans-"

"He cleans?" Natalie asked turning.

Jacinda laughed, "Came in one day I think he was doing a week's worth of Max's dishes."

"And what was Max doing?"

"Sitting at the counter, laughing at him, swearing she was getting around to them," Jacinda smiled.

"Aww he does dishes," Natalie looked utterly taken.

"Not to mention, he might not exactly be my type, but certainly isn't bad on the eyes."

"Okay that's it," Sketchy said walking past them, "I'm leaving before I get caught in the crossfire when Max takes you two out."

"What is wrong with him?" Natalie asked looking confused.

"Girl, we've been trying to figure that out for years."

"Join the club," she said shaking her head after him.

ooOoo

"And she's out," Logan said softly as he walked towards Max who was doing the dishes, referring to Original Cindy, who was now gently snoring on the couch.

"Told you that pink wine…" she smiled.

He laughed.

"You know I saw you finish the whole glass," she teased.

"I'll deny that to my last breath," he smiled as he separated the utensils out of the stack of styrofoam plates he'd picked up and tossed them into the soapy water.

"Point is, I'll always know."

He just smiled.

"So glad you skipped out the Cale hoopla?"

"Always." He frowned, "I think I promised to have Christmas dinner with them."

"Oooh," she made a face.

"Yea. Margo invited you though," he nodded.

"Me?" she stopped washing.

"I think Bitsy told her I was coming here today, so she's trying to preempt me from doing that again."

"You know for a family that you claim doesn't like you very much, they certainly seem eager to spend time with you."

He gave her an eyebrow raise, "I don't ever recall saying they didn't like me, disapprove, now that's another story. We're family, no matter what…"

"No matter what?" she asked grinning as he stopped.

"I don't know. That's all I got."

She chuckled. "So good Thanksgiving?" she asked continuing to look at him ignoring the dishes.

"Honestly the best I can remember for a long time. Good hosting experience?"

"Aside from all the cleaning, definitely not bad," she cheesed. It had in fact been spectacular.

"So what about Christmas?"

She laughed at his half mention, which apparently led to her supposed to be answering, a question she wasn't even sure she'd been asked. His family made the guy interesting. "Well my girl said she was going to try to go home that week anyway. Told her I'd get her the sector pass."

"Want me to talk to Matt before you hang out of a tree for hours again?"

She shook her head, "He just hooked you up for Willoughby. I got it."

"Let me know if you change your mind," he nodded, "so about Christmas?" he asked again.

She laughed, "Heaven forbid you'd spend time with your family alone."

"There isn't enough pink wine in the world to make that tolerable," he grinned. "Sooo," he began again.

"Dinner with the fam, sounds like fun," she smiled.

"Not quite, but it shouldn't be too bad," and that was for only one reason, that she would be there.

Thanks for reading and the kick ass reviews last time (I don't expect you guys to always review, so you don't need to apologize, you guys always come through when you need to). I'm sorry the new chapter is taking so long, I truthfully have no idea what the problem is. All my stories just seem to hate me. :-( But I promise I'm trying.

Ooooh yay! Lee has provided a new plotline! See folks it's all about the power of the reader! Hmm I've got a very nice little storyline all lined up for it, works very well with what was going to be coming up soon.

I just want to point out how happy I am that there are more than a couple new DA writers out there. And following that I want to apologize that I have not read them yet because unfortunately my DA addiction kinda led me to be very close to DA overload, so new stories are on hold so I can continue to write. The positive feedback for them has made me happy though that there is a nice list of stuff waiting for me to read when the time is right. Keep up the good work:-P