Disclaimer: Dark Angel is the property of Fox, Cameron and Eglee. VS3 is the property of VS3. This original story is the property of Kasman.
A/N: Well, it looks like Logan’s little family has climbed into my head to stay for now. Ship warning!! Thanks to catherder and alaidh, once again, for the beta.
The Penthouse, Fogle Towers, early April 2034
Logan woke with a start. He put his hand out on the bed, to the place Max usually occupied, even though she slept very little. It was cold and abandoned. She had evidently been gone for some time. He looked over at the crib beside the bed, where the moonlight shone through the window, and sighed. He hadn't heard a thing, but Max obviously had. Casting a quick glance in the direction of the clock, then at the vacant space beside him on the bed, he made his decision. He quickly pushed up to a sitting position, dragged his legs over the side of the bed, and sat there for a moment to allow himself to wake up properly. He quickly transferred into the wheelchair and grabbed his glasses.
Wondering why he had woken, he rubbed his arms, suddenly feeling the chill of the night and finally realizing that was what had awakened him. He grabbed the sweater and pants he'd left hanging over the end of the bed the night before, and quickly pulled them on. He unlocked the brakes and quietly wheeled out of the room. Logan stopped briefly and looked into his son's room in passing. Eleven, almost twelve, year old Ben was spread-eagled across the bed, his dark hair tousled. Logan quietly entered and covered him. As with most kids, the bedclothes had headed for the floor through the night. His father often accused him of fighting tigers in his sleep. Ben stirred briefly and rolled partly over, but didn't wake.
Quietly rolling through the apartment, Logan thought he heard movement in the living room. Max occupied a corner of the sofa, and was gently dozing while baby Eva sucked at her breast. The silvery moonlight illuminated the side of her face and made her hair shine blue-black where it sprayed across her shoulders and neck. She cradled the baby in her right arm and her feet were curled up under the faded red bathrobe, one of Logan’s, to which she had taken a liking some years before, and which she had resurrected from the back of the closet. Her left hand rested on her knee. A stray beam of moonlight also lit the side of the baby’s face. Logan could see her mouth and the fingers of one hand moving as she suckled.
The wheels of the chair hummed on the floorboards as he approached the woman and the swaddled child He was, as always, entranced to witness this most intimate of moments. He drew as close as he could, hesitating, not wanting to spoil the moment and looked at Max critically. She looked tired and thin. The ancient red bathrobe emphasized the pallor of her skin. He gently adjusted the back of the robe where it had fallen down her back. He hadn’t realized how prominent the bones of her neck and shoulders had become, and frowned in worry.
"Hey," he whispered when she looked up at him. "Why don’t you go back to bed?"
"I will, just as soon as this little lady is done," she responded and gave a small smile.
Logan ran his hand through her hair, bringing their foreheads together for the softest of touches. "You look exhausted."
Max, for once, didn’t dispute it. She closed her eyes and drew one of her feet up even further underneath her on the sofa. Eva was a difficult, unsettled baby, and wasn’t sleeping well. Max was only partially recovered from the delivery, and had become much more run-down than she cared to admit, even to herself. The difficult pregnancy, her constant nausea throughout and bleeding in the later stages, had left her worn out. Her robust X5 constitution had taken a beating, and the lack of rest was hindering her normally phenomenal recuperative powers. She had lost a lot of weight, while Eva had thrived, but the lack of rest was starting to tell.
"Too much shark in her cocktail?" Logan smiled at her.
"Yeah, way too much," she wanly smiled.
"You need to rest."
"Well this little girl thought otherwise..." she caught the worried look on his face. "Don’t worry, I will, just as soon as she’s done." Max patted the sofa beside her. "Come and sit beside me."
"In a minute. You want a drink?"
She nodded, "Thanks."
Logan backed up and headed into the kitchen, returning with a large tall glass half-filled with water. "Here you go."
"Thanks," she said again and smiled sweetly. "Thirsty work." She took a long drink, closing her eyes as she did, and set the glass on the table, then nodded her head in the direction of the opposite end of the sofa. "Come on, keep me company." While Logan reversed and circumnavigated the coffee table, she slid in a finger and gently pulled the baby off her breast, which elicited a small cry of protest. She swung her feet round onto the floor and propped Eva up on her knee with a hand cupping her chin. Then she rubbed Eva’s back gently, giving a small giggle at the huge burp that erupted from the tiny child. While she was doing this, Logan, in a smooth, well-practiced move, transferred from the wheelchair to the other end of the sofa.
Max held the baby close and leaned back into him, swinging her legs up on the opposite side, and once again curling them up underneath the bathrobe. He gently wrapped an arm around the two of them. Eva turned her head in toward her mother, greedily searching for the other nipple. Max softly guided the questing mouth. She relaxed into Logan’s shoulder, her free hand finding his. He used his other hand to brush a stray hair out of her face, and smiled down at her.
"Mmm, nice," she said, snuggling harder against him.
"You are most welcome, young lady," he responded, sounding like a gentleman from a period movie.
They remained in a silence, broken only by the sounds made by the feeding baby, until even they ceased and the child slept. Eventually, Logan said, "Why don’t you go back to bed. I’ll take care of her. Go on."
Max slowly uncurled herself from his grasp and carefully handed the child to Logan. Eva, sated, barely stirred as her father enfolded her in his warm embrace. Max dropped a kiss on top of his head, crushing the rumpled, graying hair, then grabbed the tall glass of water and left him. She was soon asleep, while Logan, holding his sleeping daughter, silently awaited the dawn and pondered the changes in his life that Max and his two beautiful children had brought, still wondering what benevolent force had been working its magic to give him so many blessings.
Chapter 2 – Changing the Guard
Max woke, feeling more refreshed than she had in weeks, to find the sun had hit the windows. Looking across at the clock, she could see it was after 8:00 am. Logan’s side of the bed was still empty, as was the crib, and she felt a little twinge of guilt at having slept so long. She emerged from the bedroom stretching luxuriously. Tying the red bathrobe around her, she took a quick peek through the door to Ben’s room and saw that he was already up, and had even made his bed.
Max paused as she entered the living room, enchanted by the tableau. Ben, already dressed for school, was lying on the sofa watching TV, with his head on his father’s leg. An empty cereal bowl and half a glass of milk were on the coffee table. Logan, still holding Eva, leaned slightly sideways into the arm of the couch, looking half asleep, as he watched a cartoon with Ben.
“Hey, guys.”
Ben waved briefly at his mother, not taking his eyes off the TV screen.
“Hey, yourself,” responded Logan. “You look better.”
She smiled in reply. “I feel better. Amazing what four hours’ sleep will do for a girl. What about you?”
Logan shrugged.
“Logan, you’re not an X5...you need to sleep.”
“Yes, and so do you.”
Ben looked up at his mother, catching the sharp tone in her voice, and turned up the volume on the TV.
“Time for school, son,” said Logan, rumpling the boy’s dark hair with his free hand.
“Aww, dad.”
“Now. Go.”
Ben sat up and started to go. “Dad...don’t forget about the play,” Ben looked at him expectantly, and Max again felt a twinge of guilt. Logan caught the expression on her face.
“I won’t. Just go.”
“Have a good day, sunshine.” She hugged Ben to her and kissed the top of his head.
Ben took his bowl and glass into the kitchen. He made a short stop in the bathroom to brush his teeth and hair, and collected his school bag. The door banged loudly as he left. Max looked in the direction of the door with longing.
“You want to go, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do,” she sighed. “Who’d a thunk?”
“So do it.”
“What?”
“Go. I can take care of Eva, you know. Go on...take a break...I think I can handle this little Eyes Only assignment for that long.”
“Are you sure? I could take her with me.”
“Max!”
“But what if she gets hungry while I’m gone?” Eva, with perfect timing, started to cry.
“I’ll be fine, Max. You don’t have to go ‘til one anyway. Plenty of time to sort this little one out.”
Max smiled shyly and sat beside him. “What did I do to deserve you?”
“Unjust profits of a lifetime of crime.” He smiled, as she took Eva from him. “Hungry?”
“She sure is,” Max laughed as the baby immediately started nuzzling her, mouth open.
Logan laughed, “I meant you.” He transferred to the wheelchair. “Can I interest you in a Cale special this morning?”
“What’s a girl gotta do to get a meal in this joint?” she smiled.
Logan grinned and pushed off for the kitchen, but had second thoughts and turned back to her. “I meant what I said. If you want to go to the play, go. I’m quite capable of looking after Eva for a couple of hours. You can take the Ninja, clear the cobwebs...”
“Only if you feed me, then go and get some rest yourself. Can’t have Eyes Only conking out on the job. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“And Logan...thank you.”
“For what?” He looked puzzled.
“For last night...”
“Max, we’re a family...it’s what’s supposed to happen.”
“But it doesn’t in most families, does it?” She hesitated, unsure of her ground. Her knowledge of family life was really only based on her own bad experiences with fostering, and what she had learned in her current existence.
“Sometimes I forget that you never had a proper childhood, no parents, only your siblings for companionship and to care for you.”
“I don’t. Not ever.” Her expression was grim. “Sometimes I hate them for what they did to us. But, then, I think about what my weird little life has brought me...the joys...you, OC, Ben, this little girl, and I think just maybe it was worth it.
“No one is more glad than me that a certain cat burglar dropped through his skylight. I would have been dead a long time ago, if not for you.”
Max’s stomach rumbled noisily, and she looked at him with a troubled expression.
“Let’s get you some food.”
An hour later, Logan was already asleep, catching up what he missed through the night and Eva, wide awake, seemed happy enough. Max had been cooped up at home for several weeks before Eva’s arrival and hadn’t had much opportunity to go out since. She was really looking forward to the afternoon excursion. The apartment, beautiful as it was, had started to feel like a prison. When Logan eventually surfaced just before noon, Max was curled up on the couch with Eva and a book.
“Hey.”
“Hey. You look nice,” she smiled.
Logan had showered and shaved. His uncombed hair damply stuck out every which way, and his face positively gleamed without the scruff.
“Mmm...smell good, too.”
He laughed. “You good to go?”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” they asked simultaneously.
“Yes, Max, I’m sure.”
“’K then. Just allow me to worry a little – mother-love and all that.” She straightened up, dropped the book beside her, and sat Eva up on her knee, rubbing the baby’s back. “I’ll get her changed then go, okay.”
“Sure.”
She stood to leave, then had second thoughts and came back to delicately sit on Logan’s lap, giving him a hug with her free arm. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you.”
“Hey, don’t go all soppy on me. I’ll think I got the wrong woman.”
Max gently clouted Logan’s head, which he ducked, and left the room.
Chapter 3 – One Man and a Baby
Logan held Eva in place on the sofa with one hand while he felt for the damp washcloth. It was about 30 minutes since Max had left for the school play. Aside from anything else, it was a good chance for her to take the Ninja for a quick spin. Those opportunities were far too few these days.
“Are you sure?” she’d asked him several times more before heading out.
“Max, just go. You’ve been pretty much cooped up in the apartment for weeks.”
“I won’t be long...promise.”
“Take your time. We’ll be fine.”
Eva squirmed and arched her back. She still didn’t like being unwrapped much – she was one of those babies who liked to be swaddled so tightly that she was as stiff as a board.
“Ugh, how can something so small make such a big mess,” Logan asked her, lifting her feet so he could wash her thoroughly. He had just grabbed the baby powder when the phone started to ring. He cocked an ear to the answering machine and heard the voice of one of his informants speaking.
“Logan, if you’re there, pick up! It’s Matt, I have something important for you. It’s urgent!”
Logan looked at Eva, torn in two directions at once, before picking up the handset from the coffee table and awkwardly jamming it between his ear and his shoulder.
“Matt, I’m here. What’s up?” He continued what he was doing with Eva as he spoke.
“Can we meet in about 15 minutes? This is really important.”
“Matt, I’m right in the middle of something here. Couldn’t it wait until later?”
“No, Logan, it has to be now.”
Logan sighed and looked at the squirming baby. “Matt, I don’t think I can make it...” He lifted Eva as she started to squall, and slid the clean diaper underneath, then fastened the plastic tabs on the sides.
“Logan, you have to. This is really big time, but if we don’t move now, it’ll slip through our fingers.”
“OK...Pub, Sector 5, in 30 minutes – that’s the best I can do.” He grimaced at the noise Eva had started making and wondered what Matt, at the other end of the phone, made of it.
“I’ll be there.” Matt severed the connection, and Logan put the phone back on the table.
“So, what do we do with you, missy,” he sighed, buttoning up her jumpsuit and proceeding to wrap her again. “Mom won’t be back for another hour...” He held her close until she calmed down, gently rocking the wheelchair with one hand, then set the baby on his lap, lengthwise, and picked up the phone again. He hit the number for Max’s cell phone, only to hear it ringing from the kitchen. “Damn,” he muttered. Next, he tried Original Cindy, but her cell phone was switched off and her home phone unanswered. Finally, in desperation, he tried Joshua. The big transgenic was still in Seattle and making a living of sorts as an artist, painting large colorful murals on schools and office buildings.
“Hey.”
“Hey, big fella, it’s Logan.”
“Oh, Logan, what’s up?”
“Joshua, I need your help. You wouldn’t be able to babysit for about an hour for me, would you? Max isn’t here...”
“Sorry, Logan, I’m working down in Sector 12.”
“OK, sorry to have disturbed you.”
Logan grimaced, put the phone aside, and looked at Eva. “Well, kiddo, guess it’s up to you and me.” Eva clenched one tiny hand into a fist and waved it in the air. Logan headed into the kitchen with the soiled diaper, which he deposited in the trash. His next stop was the main bathroom, where he dropped the washcloth in the bucket, and washed his hands. The final stop was the bedroom, where he pulled the baby bag out of the closet and rummaged through it for a moment, and pulled out the carry pack, which hadn’t been used yet. He looked at Eva thoughtfully and gently brushed the soft brown fuzz on her head with his hand. He lay the baby on the bed while he put the front pack on and adjusted the straps. Unwrapping her, he slid her in carefully, feeding her legs out the two holes. At four weeks, she was too small for her arms to feed out the top holes, but once she was in, she looked snug and secure. Finally, Logan hung the bag of supplies from the back of the wheelchair by its straps, and headed out through the kitchen again, stopping briefly to add a bottle of sterile water to the bag. Max had made sure she was fed before she left, but it didn’t hurt to have something on hand just in case. “OK, let’s go, kiddo.” He picked up his keys and locked the door on the way out.
Eva’s eyes followed Logan’s hand as he reached for the elevator button. Logan caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and smiled to himself. “You don’t miss anything, do you, Ms Shark-in-her-cocktail.”
Once the elevator deposited them at the parking garage, he rolled straight to the car, unlocked the doors and carefully leaned in to free up the removable inner section of the capsule on the passenger side of the back seat. He dropped the capsule on the ground for the moment while he unfastened the clasps and removed Eva from the front pack. He carefully lay her in the capsule and did up the straps. Reaching up, he slotted it back into place and felt around for the belt blindly. After groping for a minute or so, he finally snapped the belt into place and leaned back, rubbing the shoulder he’d over-stretched. He quickly stuffed the bag and Snuggli front pack on the floor, and went around to the other side, where he transferred into the front seat, disassembled the wheelchair and loaded it into the car.
Logan drove out of the building and headed for the English style pub in Sector 5 where he had been meeting Matt Sung on a regular basis for more than 15 years. He thanked his lucky stars that Matt hadn’t suggested a dive like the old Steel Pole Saloon, which was still doing a roaring trade in the seedier part of Sector 9.
This was the first time he’d taken Eva out on his own. Eva had been a surprise package in many respects. No one was more shocked than Max to find herself pregnant again after so long. It had been a bad pregnancy. She’d been ill almost from day one, and it took a lot of trial and error and, at one point, some urgent medical attention, for severe vomiting and nausea, to figure out what she could and could not eat. Max was simply not used to being sick and had been unbearably touchy and irritable. With Ben, she had sailed through the whole process. With Eva, it was the opposite. Toward the end, she also had started to bleed, her blood pressure had gone through the roof, and she had ended up on bed rest. This had been an incredibly difficult time for her. X5s didn’t like sitting still at the best of times, particularly X5s who didn’t sleep.
The final straw was a baby who, even at the tender age of a few weeks, was not sleeping more than your average insomniac adult. It was no wonder Max was exhausted and in need of a break. Logan had been doing everything he could. He was increasingly worried about her because her legendary recuperative powers were taking a long time to kick in. Taking the early morning shift, and giving her the occasional break like this one, were the least he could do.
Right now, however, he almost regretted telling Max to go to the play. Coping with Eva in the apartment was one thing, but having to take her to a meeting with an informant was something else entirely. Other than Matt Sung, none of his contacts even knew he had a family. Even with Matt, it had been a chance meeting in one of the markets when Ben was a toddler. In a way, he was looking forward to the vicarious pleasure Matt’s reaction was going to give him.
Parking the bar, Logan reversed his previous procedure. Eva, like most babies, had fallen asleep for a few minutes in the car. Logan regretted having to wake her, but there was no other way.
Logan eventually rolled into the pub, five minutes late. Matt was already seated at their usual table with two beers in front of him, his back to the door. The years were dealing kindly with Matt. His hair was still shiny black and his face almost unlined. Chasing down crime seemed to agree with him.
“Hey, Matt,” Logan firmly grasped the detective’s shoulder as he came up behind him.
“Log...” Matt started to say, half turning to face him, then stopped, struck dumb for a moment. “Logan...” He seemed unsure how to continue – he was almost gaping. “I’m sorry, Logan, I didn’t know...”
“You weren’t supposed to, Matt. I prefer to keep my private life just that: private.” Logan pulled around to the far side of the table and locked the brakes.
“How’s Max keeping?”
“She’s good.” Logan hesitated for a moment, then took a sip of the beer Matt handed him. “Now, what was so urgent?”
“Thought you might be interested in these.” Matt handed over an unsealed envelope. “And I thought you might want to know that I’m going to be missing for a while...taking a vacation. First time in a few years.”
Logan opened the envelope and pulled out the documents within, quickly flicking through the pages. He looked over his glasses at Matt, then back down quickly. “Thanks, Matt. These are good,” he smiled, still looking through the papers.
Logan became aware that Matt was scrutinizing him closely and looked up. “What?”
“Nothing. Just surprised is all.” Matt paused as if trying to choose his words carefully.
“He’s eleven.”
“Who?”
“Ben. You were running the math, weren’t you.”
“And you waited this long?
Logan shrugged. “Just happened that way. Wasn’t planned...”
“No problem. Just...”
“Surprised? No one was more surprised than me. We didn’t think there’d be more after Ben, but funnier things have happened, right?”
“Yeah, right, like me taking a vacation after ten years.”
“So, why bring the baby here?”
“No choice. Max was out on an errand. I did try to put you off, if you recall.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
“Matt, thanks for this, but I really need to get back. Enjoy your vacation, and call me when you get back.” Logan backed up from the table and headed for the door.
Max entered the quiet apartment pushing the motorcycle, Ben following close behind. Even in the secured building, she didn't trust leaving her sweetheart in the basement, instead parking it in the almost unused rear hallway behind Ben's room. The doorman had given up commenting, and as long as the Ninja didn't drop oil in the elevator, it didn't really matter. Max was puzzled at having to unlock the door – it was seldom locked, and, indeed, often wide open, when they were home.
Ben dropped his bag on his bed and made straight for the kitchen. Other than inheriting his mother's dark good looks (and his father's green eyes), he had also inherited her appetite and, like most boys, was always hungry when he got home from school.
"Logan!" Max called from the hallway, setting the bike up on its stand. The response was silence. "Logan!" she called again, thinking he may not have heard. Unconcerned, she wandered through to the bedroom. Max dropped her jacket on the bed and absent-mindedly closed the door of the closet. She cast a quick glance in the direction of the exoskeleton, strapped to its dummy, where it had been gathering dust for five years now. The whole left side was cracked and bent out of shape where it had been damaged from a collision with the stanchions of a bridge. Bessie had been totally written off in the high-speed smashup, and Logan would have died if Alec hadn't been there to pull him from the wrecked car before it exploded into flames. She fingered the cracks and bends, remembering the lengthy recovery…bones cracked like eggshells. It had taken hours of surgery to pin and plate the mess back together, if only for cosmetic purposes. Max shuddered involuntarily at the memory.
"Mom," came Ben's voice from the kitchen.
"Coming," she responded automatically, shaking off the bad memory. "Logan!" she called again, starting to get concerned. She walked through the kitchen, picking up her phone, and noted the unanswered call. The living room was also empty except for Ben, who had a plate of food and his homework on the coffee table. This is getting really annoying, she thought. She banged loudly on the door of the computer room, then opened it and looked in.
"Ben, did your father leave a note or anything?"
"No, mom."
"Damn, and I didn't have my phone…so where is he?"
"Mom, why don't you call him?"
Max gave Ben a blank look and hit Logan's number on the phone, which was still in her hand.
*~*~*~*~
Logan pulled into the downstairs parking garage of Fogle Towers and into his allotted space. Eva was starting to complain. He quickly transferred into the chair and collected Eva from the back seat, once more inserting her into the front pack. As he was doing this, his phone started to ring, but unfortunately, he couldn't reach it because he'd stashed it in the inside pocket of his jacket before getting out of the car. He headed straight for the elevator with Eva still complaining.
*~*~*~*~
Max came back to the living room still holding the phone and glaring at it as it rang. She sat on the end of the couch and clasped her hands around her knees, rocking slightly back and forth. She was getting a little worried. Eva was overdue for feeding and Max was getting distinctly uncomfortable.
*~*~*~*
Logan rocked the chair gently all the way up in the elevator, trying to quiet Eva. He was hoping that Max would already be back when he got there, as it fast became obvious what the problem was. He was a hands-on dad, but there was just one thing he could not do, and he was seriously hoping Max would be back to do it.
Arriving at the penthouse, Logan was relieved to find the door unlocked. He rolled straight through to the living room, looking for Max, who heard him enter and straightened up immediately. Eva still whined softly.
"Where the hell have you been?"
He goggled at her, taken aback by her vehemence. "I tried to call you – you forgot your phone."
"You could have left a note!"
Logan leaned back, stung by her response. "I'm sorry…I got called out urgently."
"Logan, you could have left a note at least…even left a message on the answering machine…anything."
"Have you checked the answering machine?"
"Well, no, but…"
Logan shrugged and started to undo the pack. "Here, she's hungry, I think."
"Logan, where were you?" Max accepted the proffered baby.
"I told you, I got an urgent call to meet an informant. He..."
"And you took the baby along for the ride?" Max raised an eyebrow at him. "Where was this meeting?"
"Look, I got a call from Matt and had to meet him. It was the only time he could make it. We met down in Sector 5. It was okay, really."
Max looked at him, suppressing a smile. "You took Eva to that pub in Sector 5? Logan!!”
"What?" Logan looked astounded at her reaction.
Max started to laugh. "Oh my God, Logan, you took her to a pub to meet an informant…with her in a Snuggli…" Logan started to look affronted at her obvious enjoyment. "Oh, Logan…" she gasped. "I'm sorry…but that's just…"
"What? What else was I supposed to do…"
"Don't get huffy on me…" she giggled, breathlessly.
"Dad, that's just so…dorky…" Ben finally spoke up from the armchair where he was still doing homework.
Logan cast a look in his son's direction. "Hey, what else was I supposed to do? I can't hold a baby and push the chair along the street, up and down curbs, at the same time, 'kay? Don't want her to fall on her head in the gutter. Look, Matt rang up, he had to meet me then or not at all - he's taking some time off. It had to be today…it was important!"
"Oh, Logan, how can you be so clueless?" Max rolled her eyes.
“I’m glad you find it so amusing.” Logan drew himself up straight, still upset that they were laughing at him. He dropped the front pack on the coffee table. “How was the play?”
Max gave one of her dazzling, broad smiles. “It was wonderful. Your son stole the show.”
Ben looked up at his dad, grinned, and shrugged.
“And you wouldn’t be biased, by any chance?” Logan’s mouth twitched into a half-smile.
“I’m totally unbiased,” she smiled back. “He’s been watching OC’s stand-up routine for so long that it’s rubbed off.” Max winked at Ben.
“And he doesn’t have any of that X5 reluctance to stand in the limelight, right?” Logan teased. They had never hidden Max’s roots from Ben. He knew her background and history.
“Dad, it was fun.”
“Well, don’t let it go to your head.” Logan reached around to pull the envelope from the back pocket of the wheelchair. “I need to make a move on this, so if you’re done laughing at me, I’ll go and do some work.”
July 2034
Logan glanced across at Max as she dozed with her head against the window of the Aztek. It had been a long day. They were headed north out of the city for a short break, now that the long summer vacation had arrived, and the traffic through Seattle had been a nightmare. The Cale family cabin beckoned. Bennett, Marianne, and their son, Jonas, would be joining them for the weekend, but in the meantime, Logan was bringing his family for a few days of quiet. They were all looking forward to the break. Even Eyes Only was packed away for a few short days. Logan had buried the laptop among the luggage, having faithfully promised Max that they would all be relaxing.
The car bounced onto the potholed dirt road from the highway. The jouncing of the vehicle woke Max and she stretched and smiled. “Are we there yet?”
“Hey, that’s Ben’s line, not yours,” Logan admonished with a smile.
“Are we there yet?” piped up Ben from the back seat.
Logan suppressed a grin. “Nearly, not far now.”
The SUV bumped up the ungraded road to the cabin. Logan pulled up at the rear entrance near the kitchen where he had arranged the construction of a ramp some years before. He killed the engine and gave a small, satisfied grin. “Well, folks, here we are. Next stop fun, games and relaxation.”
Max peeled herself out of the corner in which she’d been napping and walked around the back of the car to fetch the wheelchair. Logan quickly assembled the chair while Ben ran ahead to the door, key in hand. He opened the cabin up with a flourish and disappeared inside. Logan transferred to the chair in a quick, deft movement, rippling his well-developed shoulder muscles. Max, who was busily unstrapping five-month old Eva from the back seat, cast an admiring glance at her husband’s back, clad in a tight-fitting t-shirt. She grabbed the baby, shut the door of the car and, smiling, dropped into Logan’s lap, hugging him tight with her free arm.
“Thank you,” she said.
“For what?”
“For packing Eyes Only in a box and bringing us all up here.” She gazed deep into his eyes, drinking in their depths, almost nose to nose.
Ben thudded back out of the cabin and rolled his eyes when he saw his parents. “Gees, can’t you guys save that for tonight. Puhlease...”
Max laughed. “C’mon, let’s get the car unpacked and then we can relax.”
Ben had already taken his bag in and tossed it on his bed in the loft bedroom. He was now throwing open doors and windows to air the place out. Logan rolled through with a heavy pack over his shoulder and dropped it on the floor of the bedroom. He pulled the dust sheet off the bed, threw it onto the window seat, and flung the window open, wrinkling his nose at the musty smell of the room.
Max came in with a bag and dropped Eva on Logan’s lap. She sat on the edge of the bed, then flopped back, stretching luxuriously, an inviting strip of abdomen bared. Logan thought for a moment about tickling that inviting strip of flesh, but contented himself with gripping Eva with one hand and bending down to unpack the contents of his bag into a drawer with the other.
“Why don’t you guys go for a walk? I’ll get the rest of the stuff out of the car and make some dinner,” Logan finally said.
“Do you know, I was hoping you’d say that.” She half sat up, leaning back on her elbows and smiled lazily. “Ben,” she called. “We’re going for a walk.”
Logan, looking out the window a few minutes later as he packed Max’s clothes into another drawer, saw the three of them walking toward the lake at the back of the house, the light summer breeze whipping their hair. Ben had his arm around his mother’s waist, and Eva, supported on her opposite hip, had grabbed a handful of her hair and was pulling on it, hard.
*~*~*~
Some hours later, with both children asleep, Logan and Max sat close together on the sofa and touched wine glasses in a quiet toast. The candlelight flickered, highlighting the planes of their faces. It reflected off the windows and Logan’s glasses, where they sat on the coffee table, and bathed the whole room in a soft glow.
“This place is really special, isn’t it?” Max said quietly.
“Yeah, it is.”
“Do you remember the first time?”
“The first time?”
“The first time you brought me here?”
“Yeah, I do. Gotta watch out for the downtrodden...”
Logan, struggling for control, turned away and stared with unfocused eyes straight ahead, out the windscreen of the car. "I'll miss you."
Max fidgeted nervously in her seat, darting quick sideways glances at Logan. Her voice was small, hesitant, worried.
"…I have to go back. Someone has to watch out for the downtrodden. Blah blah, woof woof, right?"
Logan sadly watched Max walk away from the car, her brother Zack already inside the cabin, on the run again. Suddenly, she turned on her heel and came back to the car, leaned in through the window, and kissed him deeply. Then she fled to the safety of the cabin. He thought he'd never see her again.
“Walking away was the hardest thing...” She looked suddenly sad. “All in all, though, this place has some really good memories,” she smiled.
“Yeah, it does.”
“Hurry up,” Original Cindy said, putting the last- minute touches to Max’s hair. She checked her over one last time and stood back, satisfied. “The Justice of the Peace is here.”
Max stood up from kitchen chair Original Cindy had placed in front of the drawers and flicked the creases out of the red evening dress, smoothing it over her abdomen, where she hoped the beginnings of new life didn’t already show. The last time she had worn this dress was at Bennett’s wedding. Now it was being worn to her own. “Will I do?” Max looked at herself in the full-length mirror Original Cindy and she had dragged out of the loft earlier in the day.
Cindy smiled her approval. “Go. They’re waiting for you.” Cindy stood back with her hands on her hips and admired her handiwork one last time. Max hesitated, suddenly shy. Looking at her hands, she could see they were shaking.
Logan was waiting for her in the living room with Bennett. The tux had come out of the back of the closet again, and was cleaned and pressed. He shuffled nervously, the exoskeleton humming. He had never looked so handsome to her...clean shaven, neat and tidy, glasses polished, hair combed...
Max swept into position beside him, a sweet smile lighting her face, nerves forgotten. She couldn’t remember any of the ceremony afterwards, not the words. All she could recall was the conviction that this was the right thing to do, and the firmness with which Logan spoke the words...and then the kiss...
The JP had left straight after the ceremony, driving off in his beat-up car. Bennett and Original Cindy only lingered to take a few snapshots, and then they were gone as well, leaving them to the candle-lit supper Logan had prepared.
“Do you remember...” Max asked softly.
Logan looked at her closely, green eyes almost black in the soft light and smiled. “Yeah, I do. Something about this place, isn’t there?”
“Yeah, there is...well...something ‘bout that big old four-poster bed, anyway,” she smiled.
“So when were we here last?” he asked, coyly. Max smiled back at him. Logan set his glass on the table and gently ran his fingers down the side of Max’s face and into her hair. “And...what about that big old four-poster bed?” he murmured.
“Shut up,” Max said softly and leaned in to kiss him.
A loud wailing suddenly emanated from the bedroom, disturbing the moment. Max sighed and stood up. “Don’t move,” she said, pushing one finger into Logan’s chest. She trailed her hand up and across his shoulder as she delicately picked her way past him, returning a few minutes later with the baby. She leaned back into Logan’s hard chest, her head tucked under his chin, and relaxed again. Eva, while still not adopting normal baby sleep patterns, had improved greatly from the early days. Max had made her a bed in the old basket that fitted neatly into the far corner of their room. It had been used by several generations of Cales at the old cabin. The basket had lurked under a sheet in the attic for many years until Ben and Jonas came along, and now had been put into use again. By Logan’s calculations, at least seven Cale children had used the old wicker basket, and no doubt there would be more to come in future generations.
“Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted...” she smiled. “Oh, I know, big old four-posters?”
“Yeah, big old four-posters...and what about the product of big old four-posters?” Logan smiled and ran his fingers down Max’s arm.
“And that would be?”
“Well, me, for one thing,” he rested his chin on her head.
“Really?”
“My mom liked to think I was conceived in that big old bed.”
“And what do you think?”
“I have no idea. I wasn’t there at the time,” he responded dryly.
“We haven’t been here for fourteen months...you wanna run the math on that one?”
“I know...” he responded, a smug look on his face.
They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the moment. Logan ran his hand up and down Max’s bare arm gently, until Eva reached up and grabbed his finger in one small, soft fist, squeezing it rhythmically.
“Mm,” Max sighed, breaking the companionable silence. Her pajamas rustled as she changed position slightly, swapping Eva around. The baby looked up at her parents and gave a broad, gummy smile before turning her face back to Max’s breast. “This is really nice, ya know.”
“What is?”
“You, me, Ben, Eva...Eyes Only in a box...I’ll be back in a minute...” Max quietly arose and took Eva back to the bedroom.
She returned a few minutes later, kneeled beside him on the couch, and smiling wickedly said, “Now where were we...”
Chapter 6 – Grandma’s Feather Bed
Logan transferred and sat on the edge of the bed as Max crossed the room after checking on the baby. As she sat in front of him, he reached for her, bringing her head close to his for a deep kiss, running his long fingers through her hair. She reached with one hand to undo the buttons on her top, but he stopped her and started to undo them himself.
Max reached behind Logan and pulled his t-shirt up over his head, ruffling his hair, and lightly raked his back with her nails. He pulled Max's top down her arms and threw it behind him, leaning into her, forehead to forehead. Logan ran his hand down the cleft between her breasts, circling her stomach, feeling for the drawstring on her pyjama bottoms, then pulled the knot undone. Max stood, allowing them to drop to the floor. She knelt and removed Logan’s shoes and socks, then pushed his chest gently so he toppled onto his back.
Logan smiled up at her lazily, his face a maze of planes and shadows in the dim light. The only light filtered through from a cloud-covered moon outside and a dim lamp which they’d left turned on in the living room. Max gazed back at him, a slight smile curling her lips. He started to sit up, but she put a hand out and stopped him, pulling his jeans and boxer shorts off, and lifted his legs up onto the bed. She stretched herself alongside him, stroking his arm, his chest, his head. Logan gently pulled her face up to his and kissed her deeply, tongue flicking in and out, holding the back of her head with one hand while he massaged her breasts, her stomach, her back, her buttocks with the other. The touch of his hand burned through her like an electric shock.
Max propped herself up on one elbow for a moment and murmured in his ear huskily, “Damn if you’re not still the sexiest man on this planet.” She laughed quietly, thinking to herself that she was so glad to have found such a considerate, thoughtful lover. While they had their disagreements and conflicts, this was one aspect of their lives where there had never been an argument, right from the first time in Terminal City on the floor of that abandoned building he had called home for a time.
Tickling him gently with her fingertips, Max ran her hand down his belly until she found his shaft and started to massage it gently, running her hand up and down the length. Then she moved further up, tickling his armpit, teasing his nipples. Logan’s hand found her mound and, when she parted her legs, one long finger found her moist, welcome opening.
*~*~*~
Rolling onto her back, she waited for him to climb on top of her, then locked his legs in place with her own, guiding him inside her and rhythmically squeezing as she moved beneath him. She gazed into his eyes, her own eyes black shadows, holding him steady with a firm hand on each shoulder, drinking him in.
“You still have the most singularly beautiful face I've ever seen,” he whispered, leaning down to her ear. Sensing his shoulders starting to tremble with effort, Max gave a flick and a twitch, and they found themselves reversed, with her on top. “All these years, and I still don’t know how you do that,” he whispered. She laughed throatily in reply.
They both came together, Logan’s orgasm rippling through his chest and Max giving a muffled cry, and she collapsed over him, spent for the moment.
“Damn, this place does it to me every time,” she said softly in his ear. “What did you do, bury Bast under the bedroom floor?”
He stifled a laugh. “I think you hid her under the mattress.”
“Big ole’ four-poster bed...” Max slowly rolled off onto her side, dragging him with her. She reached one leg over his and pulled him closer, feeling the different texture of the scars running the length of his thigh against her inner leg. “I know what it is,” she giggled. “Your Aunt Margo put a hex on the place...”
Logan gave a small laugh. “Or maybe it’s just because you still have the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen.”
“Or maybe it’s because you’re the sexiest man on the planet...”
Eva whimpered softly in her sleep. They both turned their heads to look in the direction of the basket, holding their breath. She moved, rustling the covers, then didn't stir again. Max and Logan let out their breaths, relaxing into each other. Max rolled onto her other side, then snuggled her back into Logan's belly where he lay on his side, her head on his arm. She reached for his free hand and twined her fingers with his, resting his palm on her stomach.
"I love you, Max Guevara Cale," he breathed into her ear.
Max gave a small, secret smile to the night, wriggled infinitesimally closer, and relaxed into sleep.
*~*~*~
Logan awoke to the smell of frying bacon – while still not a gourmet chef, Max could at least manage that much. He was alone in the room, which was bathed in bright sunlight from the open window. Some desultory chatter filtered through to him from the kitchen as he pushed up into a sitting position and found himself stuck there – sheets wrapped around his feet like mummy bindings. He briefly wondered how that had happened, then put it down to the fun and games of the night before.
Max had picked up his clothes from the floor and left them within easy reach on the seat of the wheelchair. Logan untangled his feet and shimmied into his boxer shorts, leaving the rest of his clothes on the end of the bed. He headed straight for the shower.
Twenty minutes later, Logan, now showered and dressed, followed the aroma of the food to the kitchen.
“’Morning, sleepyhead,” said Max, who sat on the end of the kitchen counter where it abutted the seldom-used side door, holding a steaming cup of coffee. Ben was overseeing the frypan on the stove, spatula in one hand. One of them had retrieved the bouncer from the storeroom in the loft for Eva, who was on the floor below Max happily banging a rattle.
“’Morning. How long’ve you guys been up?” Logan asked. Eva’s face lit up in a gummy smile when she saw her father.
“Hours, dad,” Ben responded, reaching for a mug. “We’ve already walked to the end of the lake and back.”
Ben handed his father a fresh-brewed cup of coffee then returned to the stove.
“Wow, and you didn’t even wait for me?”
“Not everyone gets to sleep half the day.” Max nodded at the battered clock on the wall, which she had set the night before.
“Would have helped if you hadn’t worn me out and tied me to the bed last night,” Logan winked at Ben, who rolled his eyes.
Max spluttered her coffee. “Excuse me, I did no such thing.”
“Coulda fooled me.” He winked at Ben again.
Max shook her head in amusement. “How’s the food coming, sunshine?”
“Nearly there, mom.” He reached into the lower cupboard for some plates, noisily placing them on the counter.
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Max asked.
“Need to head down to the store and buy some supplies.”
“You mean, you need to go and gossip with Jack at the store,” she corrected with a smile.
“Hey, I don’t gossip, and you don’t tie helpless ordinaries to beds.”
“Mind you...you did a pretty good job of tying yourself to the bed. Love to know how you got the sheet wrapped round your feet like that,” she winked.
Logan gave a small, embarrassed laugh. “So would I. What else...hmm...need to do a bit of maintenance around this place before the weekend. Boat could do with a lick of paint and there’s a loose board on the back porch.” He counted his fingers. “Do the loft stairs need a new pull cord?”
“No, dad, the old one’s still okay.”
“Anything else you can think of?”
“Washbasin tap is dripping,” Max looked at him deadpan.
“No it isn’t.” He turned to the table, which was pushed against the wall to allow easier access for the wheelchair, as Ben set a plate of food down, then immediately backed around to the drawers when he realized there weren’t any eating implements.
“When’s Jonas gonna be here?” asked Ben.
“Bennett didn’t say,” responded Logan. “Sometime tomorrow.”
“They bringing the...” Max raised her eyebrows at Logan.
“Think so.”
Ben’s eyes lit up. “They’re bringing the bikes, aren’t they!! Woo-hoo!!” he whooped.
“No, I think they’re bringing Marianne’s grandmother instead,” Logan replied. “Of course, they’re bringing the bikes. What else would we do with you two terrors all day.”
Ben gave him a dirty look.
Max dropped lightly from her position in the corner as Ben put the second plate on the end of the table, bringing her coffee cup with her. “So, you’re off to the store...what are we gonna do with ourselves?”
“Well, you could come with me.”
“I suppose so.” Max replied thoughtfully. She already looked more relaxed than when they had left Seattle.
“Ben, would you be able to go up and see if there’s any of that red paint left?” Logan asked. “Should be in the loft somewhere.”
“Can I eat first?”
“Sure, I’m not going anywhere yet.”
Logan backed up carefully and put his plate in the sink. The kitchen wasn’t very large and he had to be careful to avoid the bouncer in the corner. With Bennett and Marianne there, they would have to pull the table out, which was going to make it very difficult for him to maneuver.
The cabin had originally been a one-bedroom affair, built as a hunting lodge by some Cale in times past. Logan’s Uncle Jonas had converted the loft into a bedroom and proper storeroom during the 1990s as his family of boys started to grow up. The loft entrance was via a pull-down staircase, which was set into the ceiling of the living room, near the front door, accessed by a long cord. Uncle Jonas, and Logan’s parents, until their deaths, had continued the tradition of using the place for both family holidays and as a hunting lodge, taking turns at staying there with all four boys...Jonas had also used it for more nefarious activities. Logan had many memories of family summers with Bennett and his older brothers, and of being coerced into creating havoc with the local wildlife by his uncle, until he eventually refused to go hunting at all.
For weeks every summer, all the boys had crammed into the two sets of bunks upstairs, leaving the grown ups their peace and sanity downstairs at night.
There was a long period where Logan had not come near the place, leading up to and following the shooting. Once Jonas died, however, there seemed to be no reason to stay away. Five years before, with the exoskeleton permanently out of commission, he had finally had the access ramp built. The wood construction in front of the kitchen doorway spoiled the rustic façade of the rear of the building, but when the alternative was to drag himself butt first up five wooden stairs, risking splinters in his hands and butt, practicality won out over aesthetics every time. He seldom ventured into the loft for the same reason, and had only been to the upper floor on a handful of occasions in recent years.
“Logan, will you take Eva?” Max asked, her back to him as she put her plate into the sink with a clatter.
“I guess. Give me a minute.”
Logan headed out of the room and went back to the bedroom for what Ben described as his “dorky daddy” gear – Eva’s Snuggli front pack. As he had found with Ben, it was far and away the easiest and safest way for him to carry her. He leaned down to pick up the baby, straightening himself with a hand on the counter top. “Um, Ben? The paint?”
“Yeah, okay.” He got up and Logan heard him pull the stairs down and clomp up. “No paint, dad. Not even a paintbrush.”
“Thanks!” he responded, tucking Eva into the pack.
Max had sat down again with the chair reversed, leaning her head on her arms.
“You look flushed,” Logan looked at her closely. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She flashed a warning look.
“You’re not...” he raised his eyebrows at her.
“Could be.”
“That would explain a lot then,” Logan smiled grimly. “Hope it’s over before the weekend.”
Max still had heat cycles, although they were lessening in frequency and severity with time. They had learned to cope. Her last heat cycle had coincided with their previous trip to the cabin, which resulted in Eva.
“You weren’t joking about me burying Bast under the floor, were you?” Logan grinned.
Heat cycles were always a matter for concern. They had often resulted in multiple births among X5 females with all the consequent complications, the abnormal hormonal surge tending to cause the release of multiple ova. Considering the frequency of intercourse during these periods, Logan was surprised at how long it had taken Max to fall pregnant again, putting it down to the reduced (in fact, all but non-existent) motility of his sperm – another of the less pleasant consequences of his spinal cord injury. Eventually, he put her first pregnancy down to some lingering effects of the transfusion he had from Joshua. After Eva, though, he wasn’t so sure.
“Will you get outta here, already?” Max sighed, frustrated with herself and her botched genetics.
Logan gave her a reassuring smile, brushed a stray hair from her face gently and turned to go.
Logan carefully parked on the main street outside the general store. The town was about five minutes from the cabin by car, up a deeply rutted track, although it could also be reached the long way round from the highway. He and his cousins had walked there almost every day of their holidays throughout their youth and knew the proprietor, Jack, well. Jack, now in his late seventies, had run the store all of his working life. He was a small-town institution and the fountain of all knowledge for the area. But there were some things even he didn’t know. Logan, unloading Eva from the back seat, grinned to himself at what was about to occur.
Logan stretched up to put the capsule back into the car, having safely inserted Eva into the Snuggli. He slammed the door shut and headed up the sidewalk to the shop entrance, popping a small wheelie over the single step in the doorway.“Hey, there, Jack,” he called, hearing noises from within.
“Be with ya in a minute,” came a gruff voice from the rear. Logan heard a couple of crashes and a muffled curse, before Jack emerged carrying a large box. The old man looked over the glass-topped counter and set the box down on top. He was grayer and more grizzled than Logan remembered, but his body was still straight, and he looked fit and well.
“Jack, how are you?”
“My goodness, Logan, it has been a long time.” Jack walked around the counter to him, a bony hand stretched out, then did a classic double-take at seeing the baby as well. Logan grabbed the hand in both of his, and shook it warmly. “And who do we have here?”
“We have Eva.” Logan smiled.
“Well, what do you know. Hello, Eva.” Jack grabbed one of the baby’s tiny hands in his great fist and shook it gravely. Eva turned her head, looked into Jack’s broad, good-natured face and grinned from ear to ear. "Well, Logan, you’ve done it again, surprised the old man.”
“Jack, you’ll never be old.”
“Let me go and get Rose. Be right back.”
Jack disappeared into the rear of the store again, and emerged again, propelling in front of him a stocky, gray-haired woman of about his age, wearing a floral print dress with a blue apron over it. “Oh, my Lord,” she said. “It’s been such a long time.” The old woman’s voice was sweet. “Give me a hug, you naughty boy.”
“Rose, good to see you looking so well.” Logan reached up to the old woman and gave her a warm embrace, careful not to squeeze the baby between them.
“May I see her, please?”
“Of course you may.” Logan started to unfasten the front pack to release Eva, finally lifting the baby out and sitting her on his lap for a moment. She looked around with curiosity at the new surroundings, and, catching sight of Rose, smiled a broad, gummy grin.
“So, Logan, where’s Max and that son of yours?” Rose held out her arms to take Eva from him, smoothing the baby’s blonde, fuzzy hair with a work-roughened hand.
“They should be here shortly. She and Ben were going to walk…and with the state of that road currently…”
“Ah, you’re still together. That is good news. I feared the worst when we didn’t see you for so long,” Rose smiled. “And aren’t you the cutest thing ever?” Eva reached out and batted Rose’s mouth. “Oh, you’re a cheeky girl, aren’t you?” Rose grabbed Eva’s hand and blew into it loudly, which produced a gleeful laugh from the baby.
“Hey, what d'ya think you’re doing to my kid?” Max walked in, speaking with mock severity.
“Max!” Jack exclaimed and wrapped her in a warm embrace. “And look at this young man! Hasn’t he grown.” Jack enveloped Ben’s hand in his own, pumping it briskly. “Rose, why don’t you put on some coffee?”
“Jack, I was about to do just that. Come through, come through.”
“Logan, I take it you want a few things. Want to give me the list and I’ll get it all together for you?” Jack held out his bony paw once more, and Logan handed him the list he’d written the night before.
“We need a couple of extras...got some loose boards on the porch so I need nails, plus some primer and red paint for the boat, and a couple of paintbrushes." Logan looked up at Max, thinking that, for her to have arrived so soon, she and Ben must have left right after he did.
“Not a problem. Now, go on through the back and I’ll be with you shortly.” Jack gave him a hard pat on the shoulder.
Logan rolled through to the comfortable, familiar surroundings of Rose’s kitchen. This was definitely her domain, just as the shop was Jack’s. Rose already had a plate of cookies on the table and the coffee brewing. Ben was chomping on a home-made chocolate chip cookie with evident enjoyment. “Dad,” he spluttered crumbs as he spoke. “How come your cookies don’t come out like this?”
Logan laughed. “Well for one thing, I don’t make cookies. And for another, wouldn’t that spoil you for when we come here?”
“Don’t you pay any attention to your father,” chided Rose. “He just doesn’t want to admit that someone is better than him at something.” The old lady smiled broadly.
“Rose, I wouldn’t even try to compete.”
Jack walked in. “Where you bin all this time?” he asked.
“Oh, here and there.” Logan and Max exchanged glances. “Family keeps us pretty busy.”
“And where’s that cousin of yours?”
“Bennett? He’ll be down some time tomorrow.
“Haven’t seen him in a bit either.”
“He’ll be here for the weekend. Want me to deliver him bound and gagged at your door?” asked Max, raising her eyebrows innocently.
~*~*~*~
Logan scooted across the back porch floor on the cushion from his chair and banged a nail into the last of several loose boards. He reached back for the chair, but stayed where he was, watching Max and Ben in the yard. Max, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, was crouched down next to the rowboat, which the two of them had carried away from the house to the cutting stump. They had leaned it there in order to prepare it for painting. Eva sat in the stroller beside them, supervising their activities, her wide-open dark eyes not missing a move. Max was covered in dust from sanding back a few rough patches, as was Ben, and she had a spot of primer on her nose.
Logan caught Max drinking him in greedily with her eyes, and his heart lurched. He, alone, knew how much she hated this insatiable urge she suffered with regular monotony. She flashed him a smile, and turned back to the task at hand. Logan prepared to get back in the wheelchair, his task finished, then paused as he saw Max stop to listen. The next thing he knew, there was a loud pounding of feet through the cabin and Bennett’s son, Jonas, tore out the back door, almost tripping over Logan in the process.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, what’s the hurry?”
“Sorry, Uncle Logan,” Jonas said, ceasing his rush and continuing down the ramp more slowly.
“Logan!” came a voice from within.
“Out here!” he responded, picking up the hammer and box of nails and moving them out of the doorway.
Bennett and Marianne followed Jonas out the door at a more sedate pace. “Who’s this? I was expecting to see my cousin, Logan, not Bob the Builder!”
“Very funny,” replied Logan, once again preparing to climb back into the chair. “Good to see you, Bennett. But weren’t you supposed to come tomorrow?” Logan smoothly transferred himself and placed his feet on the footrest, then leaned down to pick up the hammer and box of nails. Ben and Jonas immediately disappeared back around the front of the house, and Max stopped what she was doing to greet her brother-in-law and his wife.
“Hey, you guys, how come you’re so early?” she asked, dusting her hands on the butt of the oldest pair of cargo pants she owned. She walked to the porch, pushed the stroller up the ramp, and gave them both warm hugs. Marianne, in full holiday mode, was wearing jeans and a t-shirt instead of the usual power suit. Bennett was also in casual attire. “Good to see you.” She shot a slightly alarmed look at Logan, trying not to make it obvious. She was genuinely fond of Bennett and Marianne, but really, their timing could not have been worse, from her point of view.
With a roar, the two boys appeared around the side of the house again, riding a pair of matched trail bikes, heading off in a cloud of dust. “I hope they take pity on the local wildlife,” laughed Logan. “So what are you doing here, anyway? We weren’t expecting you yet.”
“Well,” said Marianne. “My trial finished early, and Bennett decided he wanted out of the office...so here we are.”
“Well, glad to see you, anyway. Come in and I’ll make some coffee,” said Logan, leading the way in the kitchen door.
Logan filled the kettle with water and put it on to boil. One of the comforts the cabin lacked was his expensive coffee machine. “We’re slumming it with instant, sorry.”
“Instant is fine,” replied Bennett, pulling up a chair and sitting down. “Good to get away. Cale Industries is a bit tense right now, but the new operations are almost in place now so I can afford to take a few days off.”
The two women wandered through to the living room with the baby.
“So, who’d you leave in charge?”
“James,” he responded simply. “My big brother may not be the biggest brain in the business, but at least if things get too hot, he’ll call for help.” Bennett indicated his confidence by removing the phone from his pocket and placing it on the table.
Logan nodded and turned to put the hammer and nails back in the cupboard where they belonged. “Just as well I bought plenty of food.”
“Sorry if we caught you by surprise. Thought you’d be happy to see us."
“Bennett, it’s always good to see you. You’re the only Cales I have any time for, and well you know it.”
"What's with the Bob the Builder stuff? You're no carpenter."
"Wouldn't want anyone to fall over a loose board. They wouldn't enjoy the trip."
Bennett laughed. "I tried to call you earlier."
"Got my phone switched off – boss's orders."
"And the phone here?"
"Must've been while we were out."
"And how're Jack and Rose anyway?" Bennett guessed accurately.
"Good. They'd like to see you." The kettle clicked off and Logan turned his attention to pouring. He put the four cups on a small tray with a plastic-covered plate of Rose's cookies and gestured for Bennett to precede him into the living room.
Max and Marianne were quietly talking. When the men entered the room, Max immediately excused herself and went to wash up, leaving Marianne holding the baby. Logan looked at his own hands, covered in grime from the floor and figured maybe he should do the same. He found Max, her face dripping, leaning over the basin, a picture of abject misery.
"You okay?" he asked, coming alongside her.
"Dammit, Logan, I love Bennett and Marianne, really I do, but why'd they have to be early this time?" She thumped her fist on the vanity unit in frustration.
Logan sighed and closed his eyes. "It'll be all right, really it will." He held out his arms to her.
Bennett and Logan were outside on the back porch, Bennett leaning on the railing and Logan beside him, each holding a beer. They had been playing darts and the board still hung from the wall outside the kitchen, Logan's final bull's-eye dart protruding from the center. The evening light was soft, the sun catching the side of the distant peak across the lake. A slight breeze rippled the water. From time to time, the faint murmur of voices and the occasional electronic beep from the upper level indicated that the two boys were engaged in battle with their Game Boys.
Max and Marianne had a meal under control in the kitchen. Spaghetti – good, basic, holiday fare. The gourmet meals were kept for home.
Max walked out the kitchen door onto the porch and came up behind Logan, resting her hand on his shoulder and massaging gently. "Dinner's nearly ready. May as well come in," she said, then went back into the living room through one of the cabin's many external doors to call the boys.
*~*~*~*~
Jonas and Ben were finally in bed, if still awake, and Eva was asleep. Logan and Max sat side-by-side on the sofa with Bennett and Marianne sitting opposite them in the armchairs, each holding a glass of port, the bottle between them on the coffee table. Max was feeling very jumpy: she periodically wriggled in her seat and kept darting quick glances at Logan. She suddenly stretched and yawned expansively. "I'm tired, I think I'll turn in," she said, looking sideways at him.
"I'm pretty beat myself," Logan responded, taking her cue. "Think I'll join you."
Bennett, knowing his cousin and Max well, looked at his watch, then at the two of them in puzzlement. It wasn't even 10:30. He shrugged and looked at Marianne. "We may as well go to bed too," he said.
Logan transferred and headed for the closet to get them some sheets, pillows, and a quilt, while Bennett and Marianne moved the coffee table and put the sofa cushions on the other chairs so they could fold out the bed frame within. Max was already industriously brushing her teeth. He followed her into the bathroom, then took his time.
He entered the bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him, seeing Max already in bed, still fidgeting and wriggling as she waited for him. When he finally lay beside her in the bed, she almost pounced in her eagerness. Logan held up a hand to stop her, saying, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute, don't be in such a rush."
"What?!" she hissed in frustration.
"Just give me a minute here, I need to say something," he said, quietly but firmly
She lay on her back, arms crossed angrily.
"Let me ask you this. Do you want another child right now?"
She looked at him, a frown creasing her brow, and shook her head. "No, not right now. Maybe in a bit, but not right now."
"Max, we had unprotected sex last night. Now, I know the motility of my sperm is not terrific." He grimaced slightly. "But, are you prepared to take the risk? The fact that you're in heat increases the odds, don't you think? And it only takes one super-charged wriggler…" He looked at her, concerned. “We thought it couldn’t happen again...but it did...”
"You're right."
"Don't get me wrong, I'd love more kids, but I don't think I want to go through what happened with Eva again just yet."
"Okay. So…"
“And I’m not in too much of a hurry to have twins, either.”
“Twins? Oh my, I forgot about that.”
"Hold out your hand." He placed a small package in her palm. "Okay?"
"Okay," she smiled. "Now, can we have Max and Logan getting' busy?"
"As busy as an X5 knows how," he smiled.
~*~*~*~
Bennett and Marianne, lying together in the next room, had to suppress their giggles at the noises from the bedroom. Bennett was still trying to come up with a smart comment to make to Logan the following morning when he eventually nodded off to sleep.
~*~*~*~
Logan woke early to find Max sitting cross-legged on the bed, facing him, feeding the baby. The sun was barely up, but the day promised to be warm and sunny.
"Morning, old man," she said facetiously.
"Morning yourself, and who are you calling an old man? I kept up with you last night, didn't I?"
"Guess you're not so old after all," she smiled happily. "Nothin' like scratching that old itch. The edge is off for now."
Logan looked relieved. "Just as well. Still, it was fun while it lasted."
Max leaned forward and smacked his arm.
"Hey, that hurt!"
"It was meant to. That remark was so…male."
"All the same…" Logan looked up at her, admiring her perfect body. She was clad only in Logan's old red bathrobe, which gaped open at the front enticingly as she leaned over the suckling baby.
"What?"
"What? Nothing.” Logan feigned innocence. “Just…ah…admiring the view."
She looked down and wrapped the robe closer around herself. "Go back in your cave, Flintstone."
*~*~*~
Bennett and Marianne were woken when the two boys tumbled down from their loft and ran outside about an hour later. Logan had showered and was engaged in making pancakes for breakfast. Max was still puttering in the bedroom. Bennett wandered into the kitchen in his under-shorts and a t-shirt.
"Morning, cousin. You two kiddies have fun playing indoor sports last night?"
Logan blushed bright red and shrugged. “Well, there’s no TV...”
"Guess you're as good at bed golf as you are at darts." Bennett winked at him.
Logan gave Bennett a smug look. "As long as the shaft is firm, the balls are in place, and the owner of the course gives permission to play through."
"And as long as the course isn't under repair."
"Slow play is definitely encouraged," Logan grinned.
“I take it that you can play the same hole several times over in one match?”
“That would be considered an outstanding performance, provided the course owner gives you permission and you have the correct equipment.”
Marianne wandered into the kitchen, curious, having overheard the end of the conversation. “What in hell’s name are you two guys talking about?”
“Oh,” Logan responded airily. “Bennett was just boasting about his golf handicap.”
“Bennett doesn’t play...oh...” She blushed. “Boy talk. I get it.” Marianne laughed, embarrassed. “Well, I better leave you alone. You’re not fit company for a lady.”
“No, it’s okay. Logan was through, er, boasting about his prowess.”
“Aww, Bennett, you know I’m only telling the truth.” Logan stretched back, putting his hands behind his head, and grinning broadly.
Marianne shook her head, amused. “Men!”
“That’s for sure,” added Max from the doorway. “We shouldn’t let ‘em outta their caves. Boys back yet?" Max, leaning against the doorframe, held Eva comfortably on her hip.
“Ah, no, but they shouldn’t be too much longer. In fact...” Logan opened the door. “Looks like they’re coming now," he said, seeing the two figures walking up from the lake. "So, what's on the agenda for today," Logan asked over the small mountain of pancakes he was stacking.
"Well, if it's okay, Marianne, I thought we might take the kids on a hike and leave you two Flintstone types to do some male bonding, or whatever it is you do."
"You gonna take all the kids?"
"Yeah, why not?"
"No reason." Logan paused thoughtfully, then did a mime of casting out a fishing rod. "What d'you think, Bennett?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Okay then."
Max filled the kettle one-handed and started making coffee for them all as the two boys pounded up the ramp and entered the kitchen to a cacophony of greetings.
Logan turned away from the stove with the plate of pancakes on his lap and plonked it loudly on the table, where it joined the maple syrup and other condiments. "Come on, people. Eat up."
“Guys, how would you like to take a hike today?” asked Max a few minutes later. “Marianne and I thought we’d take you up into the hills.”
Both boys turned shining faces in Max’s direction, where she stood near the sink pouring boiling water into coffee cups. “That’d be great,” responded Jonas.
“Thanks, Mom, Aunt Marianne,” said Ben.
They finished breakfast and quickly cleaned up the kitchen. Max and Marianne gathered up the gear they needed for the hike, and bundling Eva into the Snuggli, took off with Ben and Jonas, leaving Logan and Bennett to decide what male bonding rituals they would pursue that morning.
Logan looked up at the cloud-free sky where it peeked between the spreading branches of the trees and cast his line into the stream one more time. The fish weren’t biting, but it was pleasant to be out in the fresh air, enjoying his cousin’s company. They had driven from the cabin to this spot some two or so hours earlier. This had been one of their favorite fishing places when they were young, and still was. The location, with its expanse of pebbly riverside, overhanging branches, and access along a rough track leading gently down to the sloped riverbank, was remote enough to remain private without being too far off the beaten track.
Bennett, his stance relaxed, was about 20 feet upstream from Logan, standing ankle-deep in the water in his waders, and watching the rippled surface where he had just cast his line. He looked over at Logan and started reeling in quickly. He dug the end of his rod into the pebbles of the bank, standing it upright, and walked back, seating himself on the grassy edge where the bank began. “Time for a break,” he said, digging into the fishing basket for the salad rolls and a drink.
Logan hauled in the line quickly, deciding to join him, and forced the chair over the gravel and onto the edge of the grass. Bennett lazily tossed him a plastic-wrapped roll and a can of soda, before stretching himself out on the grass to eat. They enjoyed a companionable silence, broken only by the lapping of the water and the calling of a few distant birds.
Logan’s father held his hands in place on the fishing rod, guiding his movements in a practice cast. “This is the way, son,” he said, “smoothly. Don’t jerk the rod or you’ll get a tangle.” Bennett’s two older brothers snickered between themselves, making Logan flush uncomfortably. He squirmed out of his father’s grasp, determined to do this by himself. Logan Cale, senior, sensing his discomfort, stepped aside and let his son have his way, watching as the line flew out. He gave a satisfied grin and walked back to his nephew, Bennett, who sat on the fishing basket waiting.
Logan’s rod jerked once, twice, three times, as the fish took the hook. “Dad, I got one!”
“Lotta good memories about this place,” Logan commented eventually.
“Yeah,” Bennett responded, rolling onto his back and tipping his hat over his eyes for a nap.
*~*~*~*~
Max slowed her pace to match Marianne’s, aware of the other woman’s lesser capabilities. The two boys had run ahead, down the well-marked hiking trail. They would wait at the next fork in the path. Even burdened as she was with a large pack of food and drinks and a baby, Max barely raised a sweat. Had she needed to, she could have kept up a faster pace than this for a whole day with very little after-effect. Marianne, carrying the baby bag, kept up a reasonable pace here on the level ground, but once they headed into the hills, Max knew she would soon slow down.
Max and Marianne had done this walk with the boys on several occasions, although not in the last fourteen months. Despite the differences in background and occupation, the two women had formed a friendship, particularly once the boys had come along.
Jonas and Ben were as inseparable as their fathers, and from toddlers had left a trail of mischief in their paths. Marianne had returned to work when Jonas was a year old, having eventually decided to set up her own small legal practice. She took on what cases she felt had merit, a lot of them for little or no recompense. She had made a name for herself as being willing to go all-out for the underdog – much as Logan did with Eyes Only, but less clandestinely.
When Max had been terrified at the thought of her approaching motherhood, Marianne had been able to see her through a difficult time when Logan and Original Cindy’s reassurances had failed.
“Every woman is scared by this, Max,” Marianne said, sitting beside her on the sofa. She took Max’s hand and held it to the swelling of her belly, only slightly larger than Marianne’s own.
“Marianne, I never had a normal childhood. I never knew my mother, had a family.”
“Do you love this child?”
“With all my heart.” Max looked at her helplessly.
“Then you’ll do fine,” Marianne smiled. “I’m scared, too, you know, and I had a normal family upbringing. Max, motherhood is something you learn as you go along, and from what I’ve seen, everyone does it differently. There are no hard and fast rules. You may not have had a normal childhood, but at least it’s taught you what it shouldn’t be like. You have so much to give.” Marianne paused a moment. “Max, I really believe you’ll make a great mom.”
Marianne had come to the hospital and stayed in the waiting room with Original Cindy the whole night that Ben was delivered. Logan had held Max's hand, while Aveta, at Max’s request, assisted the doctor, but knowing that Marianne and Original Cindy were there had also helped. Max had to smile at the thought of Original Cindy and Marianne spending so much time in each other’s company – wondering whether they had found any common ground. Their steadfast backing had helped to hold Max’s panic in check. Max had done the same for Marianne some eight weeks later when Jonas was born.
Motherhood had forged a bond between the two women, that strengthened the already strong ties between Logan and Bennett.
“Marianne,” Max asked suddenly, spotting the boys up ahead. “Why haven’t you and Bennett had more kids?”
“Never seemed the right time.” She turned a frank look on Max. “What about you? Why did it take you so long?”
“Wasn’t for want of trying,” Max grinned.
Marianne laughed, thinking of what she and Bennett had overheard the previous night. In a way, she was a little jealous of Max. She and Bennett were happy and settled in their marriage, but after some fifteen years, they had settled into a comfort zone in their relationship, whereas Max and Logan were still obviously deeply infatuated with one another. Maybe it was a result of all they had been through in order to be together in the first place, but the first joy that being together had brought never seemed to wear off. Whatever it was, Marianne envied their closeness.
“We never did anything to prevent it – just never happened. Something to do with my screwy genetics and Logan's...” she hesitated, unsure whether to go on.
“Max...I know a bit about spinal cord injuries...the consequences.”
“Okay, so you know the crazy-ass way it affects things.”
Marianne nodded.
“So...it just took a while...conditions had to be dead right...ya know?”
“Sometimes things are meant to be, and sometimes they aren’t.”
“Right.”
*~*~*~*
“Hey, wake up, lazybones.” Logan poked Bennett’s shoulder.
“Huh? What?”
“You’ve been asleep for hours.”
“I have?”
“Yes, you have.” Logan looked at him and grinned tolerantly. “While you were snoozin’, I caught us some dinner.” He held up half a dozen good-sized fish, already prepared for cooking.
“You crafty pain in the ass. You did that on purpose, didn’t you...let me snooze while the fish were biting?”
“Come on, we'd better get home – there’s a storm coming.” Logan nodded in the direction of a large, black thundercloud, that had rolled into view from behind the mountains.
*~*~*~*~
Max gave the sky a concerned look. The impending storm was closing in rapidly. She upped the pace a bit. “We better get a move on. That’s not gonna hold off for long,” she said quietly to Marianne. They had lunched by a stream, feasting on crusty bread rolls and bottled water, then Max had picked up the change in the atmosphere and she had immediately started scanning the skies. When the first cloud made its appearance, she gathered up their belongings and the baby, and set them on the trail home.
*~*~*~*~
Logan parked the Aztek outside the kitchen just as the first fat drops of rain started to fall. Bennett grabbed the gear and fish from the back of the car, while Logan hurriedly assembled the wheelchair and made a dash for the porch. He spun at the top of the ramp, hearing the first crack of thunder. Turning to enter the living room, he noted with concern that the cabin doors were still closed – Max and Marianne weren’t back. He opened the door and let Bennett in first, turning one more time to scan the strip of lakeshore he could see, then shook his head. He knew Max had enough sense to take shelter, if need be, but couldn’t help being concerned.
He turned and headed inside as the thunder drew ever closer.
An hour later, with the others still not back, Logan was definitely worried. Max had her cell phone, but it was way out of range, and, in any case, reception at the cabin was erratic at the best of times. Every few minutes, he headed out to the porch and scanned the horizon. Bennett had also tried to contact Marianne, but with no more luck than Logan. Eventually, Bennet grabbed a kitchen chair and the two of them sat on the porch, side-by-side, silently watching and waiting.
It was a relief when they saw the four bedraggled figures, one holding a jacket tented across her front, walking up from the north end of the lake. Bennett immediately went inside for some towels, which he handed out to the dripping women and boys as Max handed Eva to Logan and stripped off the backpack. Eva was the only dry member of the group – barely a drop of rain had touched the soft, blonde down on her head. Like Ben, she was a combination of both her parents, showing the promise of Max’s looks with her father’s coloring, except for the dark eyes, which had been almost black instead of the more usual blue when she was born. They had now faded to dark brown.
“Worried?” Max asked.
“No, we always sit out here during thunderstorms,” Logan responded, dryly.
“Sorry...storm came in too fast.” Max vigorously dried her hair with the towel.
“I know,” he replied. “We saw it coming.”
Marianne started to shiver – she was very wet and a stiff breeze had blown up. Bennett took her inside as a large flash of lightning lit the sky. The two boys ran in and headed straight to the loft to get changed, while Marianne went to the bathroom to warm up in the shower. Max, relieved to be back, occupied the chair Bennett had vacated, leaning her elbows on her knees, her hair hanging in damp ringlets.
“Guess we should have checked the weather forecast.”
Logan turned the chair one handed, the other holding the baby in place, edging close to her. “It’s okay. So…what…you're gonna shrink from getting wet?” he smiled.
Max looked at him balefully, choosing to ignore the joke. “How was your day?”
“Ah, brought home the bacon, I did.”
“Really? And this bacon has, what, scales instead of skin?”
“Yeah, it does.”
“So, why aren’t you cooking, then? Don’t know about you, but I’m starving!”
“Me too.”
“Come on,” she said, standing and taking Eva from him. “I need to get changed. I feel kinda like a fish myself.” With that, she turned, and entered the cabin. She headed for the bathroom as soon as Marianne was out, handing Eva to her for safe keeping.
Logan rolled out of the bedroom with the laptop on his knees, looking at Max for approval before he went any further. When she nodded, he headed into the kitchen and set the computer up there. Max was lying on the rug in front of the empty fireplace playing with Eva. Jonas and Ben were upstairs doing electronic battle with their Game Boys again. Bennett and Marianne had left for home an hour before. Jonas was staying the rest of the week with his aunt and uncle. They left the trailer with the bikes behind. The rain still tumbled down outside, not having let up for more than five minutes since the previous afternoon.
While the computer booted up, Logan filled the kettle to make coffee and stared out the back door of the kitchen at the pouring rain. Earlier, he had caught the weather forecast on the radio, hearing that it promised to be a fine day tomorrow.
The computer beeped and he turned and went back to the table, logging in quickly. While his e-mail came in, he made coffee for himself and Max.
He leaned one elbow on the table comfortably and tracked through the incoming mail, eventually stopping at a message from Matt Sung.
Logan
This came in the other day and I thought you'd want to see it.
Matt.
Logan opened the attachment quickly, his curiosity piqued. Matt didn't often correspond by e-mail except to send documentary evidence, and then he usually called first. The detective was cautious about leaving a trail of any kind. They mostly kept in contact by phone.
Detective Sung
I'm sending this to you as I have been told that you know how to contact Eyes Only. Five years ago today, Eyes Only saved my only daughter from disappearing out of the country at the hands of white slavers, saving her and breaking a child smuggling ring. He made sure she was returned to me, and gave us the means to start a new life, far from Seattle.
I have wanted to thank Eyes Only ever since, but was only recently given your name as a possible contact.
I would like you to pass on our heartfelt thanks to Eyes Only. We are doing well. Laren graduated top of her class and is now a pre-med student, hoping to become a surgeon. I am so proud of her and her achievements. She is the first member of my family to have finished high school.
Words cannot express how thankful I am to still have my beautiful daughter. I will always be in debt to Eyes Only.
Profound thanks.
Elli Gladstone
Logan sat in front of the computer, a goofy, satisfied grin on his face, thinking, This is what makes it all worthwhile. He vaguely remembered Elli, quick-moving care-worn woman in her mid-forties, with short graying hair. She had sought out Eyes Only through an advertisement in the newspaper when the Seattle police had been unable or unwilling to help her, following her daughter's disappearance.
He had met Elli Gladstone at a coffee stand in one of the markets in Seattle. She was tiny, barely shoulder high to him as he stood beside her in the exoskeleton. She spoke quickly, recounting her story in a high, anxious voice. Her daughter had gone missing two weeks before on her way home from school. The police had investigated but said there was nothing more they could do, that Laren had probably run away. Her mother was adamant, and was later proved right, that her daughter would never do such a thing.
"My daughter's a good girl, Mr Cale. She wouldn't run away." Elli handed him a photograph of a pretty teenager with straight, brown hair tied into two braids, and wide-set blue eyes.
"May I hang on to this for now?" Logan asked.
Elli hesitated, then nodded.
Three days later, Logan had lost control of Bessie after a tire was shot out, resulting in a high-speed collision with a bridge. Gem and Asha, in another vehicle, had gotten the half dozen or so missing children away, while he and Alec drew off the pursuit in the opposite direction. He vaguely recalled Alec pulling him from Bessie and into the bushes before the car burst into flames. Their pursuers sped past and didn't return, assuming they were incinerated in the car. Logan remembered nothing more until he woke in the hospital 48 hours later with Max holding his hand.
*~*~*~
Max walked into the kitchen, Eva loosely held on her hip. "Coffee? Weren't you making some?" she asked.
"Uh…yeah…I was," he replied, distractedly.
"What's up?"
He leaned back in the chair and smiled up at her. "Look for yourself." Logan unlocked the brakes and backed out of the way.
Max pulled up a chair and sat off to one side, reading quickly.
"Oh, yes, I remember her."
"You should," Logan replied spooning coffee into the cups. "You set up the documentation to get 'em out of Dodge." Logan turned his head and flashed her a grin.
Max gave him a broad smile. "Kinda nice to know it all worked out."
"Yeah."
"So…what's wrong?"
"Nothing…nothing at all…really."
"Logan…spill it."
"Well, it wasn't really Eyes Only, was it?" He picked up a coffee cup and handed it across to her, then handed her a second one for himself.
"Logan, when will you work this out? Eyes Only is more than just you. It's a team effort. You may be the Eyes, but look at the help you have…the backing. You have all the informant net, me, the facilities and usefulness of Gem and Alec," she grimaced at the irony of that. "And Asha's team…Matt…"
"I guess. And I guess if Alec hadn't been around that night, there wouldn't be an Eyes Only at all, not any more."
Max looked at him somberly. "I'm glad he was. Alec may be a total pain in the ass, but he has his useful moments."
Logan looked at her and grinned. "Yeah. Still," he gestured at the computer screen. "This is what makes it all worthwhile – knowing I…knowing we…made a difference."
"Logan, you've always made a difference. You were making a difference when I first dropped through your skylight," she said, turning her head to look out the door. "Hey, rain seems to be easing up."
"Yeah, right, I guess," Logan responded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, right, you've always made a difference, or, yeah, right, the rain seems to be easing up?"
"Both." He looked over his glasses at her and smiled. "Maria." He said the name and watched for Max's reaction. Maria was one of Max's proudest achievements – an abused orphan she'd rescued from Langford Prison. Max looked back at Logan, smiling shyly, then she glanced down at Eva's blonde head where she nuzzled her mother's breast, obviously hungry. Max comfortably rested her left foot on the seat of the chair nearest the one on which she sat and settled herself to feed the baby. Maria had finished her schooling in the care of Logan's friends, and had become a teacher. She was now living somewhere in the midwest with a husband and a crop of growing boys.
"She sure was an EO success story. I don't think you could have found her a better home. I wish I could have done as much for Lucy…way back when…"
"Well, we can't do it all, not all the time."
Max gave a short laugh. "And when did you finally realize this piece of wisdom, Mr Cale?"
"You've been trying to beat it into my head for the last 15 years, Mrs Cale."
"What, you just realized I spoke the truth now?"
Logan responded with an amused smile. "No, I took off the Halloween mask some time ago, Max." He rested his hands on his thighs. Max studied his hands briefly. He had the most beautiful hands she'd ever seen – fine-boned, long-fingered, and strong. Musician's hands.
"Took your time about it," Max grinned.
"Habit of a lifetime," he responded, opening the next e-mail.
"Yeah, I know, with family like yours, yadda yadda. Speaking of Halloween, when we get back home, can we lose the piece of modern art in the bedroom? Five years is long enough."
Logan looked at her in puzzlement.
"Exoskeleton? Ring any bells?"
"Oh, that," he frowned. "What's that got to do with Halloween?"
"Nothing, nothing at all. Just reminds me of one of those weird costumes…just a bit," she smiled.
"Do what you like with it." A look of longing briefly crossed his face.
Max compressed her lips. "Now, don't go all angsty and anguished on me. Done that before, remember?"
"Yes, ma'am." He gave her a mock salute.
She shook her head, amused, then gave him a speculative look. "I feel like kicking your ass at chess. Wanna take me on?"
Logan sighed thoughtfully. "Give me a minute," he said, looking up from his reading.
"No rush. Madam isn't finished yet."
"Well I am," he said, starting to shut down the computer.
"All quiet?"
"Nothing that can't wait."
"Good, then maybe you can put Eyes Only back in the box for the rest of the week."
"I think maybe that could be arranged."
She smiled sweetly.
Logan closed the laptop with a snap and took it back to the bedroom. Rolling into the living room, he grabbed the chess set from the magazine stand and set it up on the coffee table. Hearing Max's footsteps, he turned to see her heading into the bedroom. When she came back out alone, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "Asleep?"
"Yes. Probably be up all night," she sighed.
"Nah – country air. Does it every time."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Now, you gonna kick my ass? Must be all of five minutes since you did that last."
"Don't mind if I do."
She comfortably settled herself on the sofa across from Logan, and girded her loins in preparation for battle.
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