51There's No Such Thing as a Quiet Evening by Maria656
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: see previous chaps
A/N: Misspellings related to Brian are my attempt to convey childish speech, not that my lovely beta or I missed something. Also, thank you to all reviewers!
Even more thanks to all readers for their patience while I had attacks of tendonitis and RL back to back.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Previously on There's No Such Thing:
Arrangements are being made for Max and Logan's wedding and Brian's adoption and their move to Post Falls, Idaho.
And now on to the conclusion of our fluff-fest ...
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Next evening, after dinner and Brian is in bed, Max and Logan are talking in bed.
"Kendra, Jacinda and Omar are definitely going to be here," Max informs Logan. "I'm really glad because I haven't seen them in a long time. OC and I are handling the dresses tomorrow-are you and Brian set?
"Yes, Angel. I got his outfit after we saw Deborah. I have what I'm going to wear. Bling said to let you know he's all ready too. Only bad thing is we don't really get to go on a honeymoon. The closest is an overnight stop at a safehouse on the way to Post Falls, and since our son will be with us it won't be very private."
"We can make it up another time. And if we can't have a quiet evening, there's always the morning and the afternoon." Max straddles his lap and starts kissing him and running her fingers over his shoulders and chest. Logan pulls her shirt off and caresses her as they continue kissing. Suddenly Max abruptly breaks the kiss.
"What's wrong? Do you hear Brian?" Logan asks concerned.
"No. I was just waiting for the interruption. We always get interrupted when we are getting to the good stuff ... Sorry."
"For once we should actually be okay. I turned off the phone. Anyone that wants us can leave a message or page you. Why don't you check on Brian real fast and then we can get comfortable?"
Max gives Logan a gentle kiss. "Thank you for being so understanding. I'll be right back."
She checks on Brian, who is still asleep but restless. She strokes his face and turns on the music box. He gradually settles back down and Max goes back in to Logan. "He's still asleep ..." She looks thoughtful.
"What's wrong Max?"
"Are we doing the right thing? I mean, I did kinda bulldoze my way here."
"It's fine Love. It may not be the usual way, but when have we ever done things the usual way?" Logan smiles at Max and holds her hand.
"I just don't want you to resent that or us later."
"I won't. As irresistible as you are, I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't want to. I feel reasonably sure that we are taking every possible precaution to keep us all safe; I love you and Brian and in a couple days we are officially going to be a family and start a new chapter of our lives together."
Max takes Logan's face in her hands and kisses him long and slow. "I love you Logan. So much." More kissing, etc...
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Several hours later, Max and Logan are asleep; Brian comes knocking on their door.
"Mommy, Daddy, can I come in?"
"Just a minute Baby," Max replies. She quickly pulls on a long t-shirt and makes sure Logan is covered and opens the door. "What's wrong Sweetie?" she asks as she bends and picks him up, noticing the tears on his face. "Did you have the dream again?" He nods his head against her neck. "You want to come in with us?" Nods again. "Okay, but we have to be quiet and not wake Daddy, deal?"
"Deal." Brian hugs Max more tightly.
"Get into bed." They cuddle together till Brian falls asleep.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Wedding morning
Max is awakened by the sound of Brian laughing and Logan shushing him.
"Don't wake Mommy up yet," Logan whispers.
"I want to give her the present," Brian complains.
"Mommy doesn't always sleep well so we need to let her sleep when she can."
"Alright," Brian reluctantly agrees.
Max stretches and yawns. "I'm up, just give me a sec."
"Why don't you freshen up and then hop back in bed?" Logan suggests.
Brian is giggling. "We made you breakfast!"
Logan and Brian bring Max breakfast after she is back in bed. "Surprise!"
"Happy Wedding Mommy!"
Max hugs and kisses Brian. "Thank you Baby, Happy Adoption Day to you!" She kisses him and blows on his cheeks and Logan takes their picture.
"Happy Wedding Day Angel," Logan says and kisses her.
"Happy Wedding Day."
"Can I give her the present now?" Brian is bouncing excitedly on the bed.
"Yes and please quit bouncing before Mommy spills her juice."
"Okay." Brian stops bouncing and pulls a small box out of the pocket of Logan's wheelchair. "Happy Wedding to you, Happy wedding to you, Happy wedding dear Mommy, Happy wedding to you!" Brian ends his little impromptu song with a flourish and gives her the box. She chuckles at him.
Max opens the box and pulls out "The Locket" and gets tears in her eyes. She kisses Brian then Logan. "Thank you." She puts it on.
"Well eat up. We have a big day ahead."
After breakfast, Original Cindy sequesters Max in the guest room to get ready. Bling, Logan and Brian use the main bedroom to get ready. Brian watches Logan putting shaving cream on to shave.
"What'cha doin'?"
"Mommy's orders-I gotta shave or we don't get married." Logan smiles at him through the foam.
"Maybe I better shave too or she won't adopt me."
Logan laughs. "I don't think you have to worry, but since it's a special occasion maybe you should." He squirts some shaving cream in Brian's hands and hands him an old safety razor with the blade removed. "Now you copy me."
Brian copies Logan, getting shaving cream everywhere. Bling takes a picture of them. He's going to be a great dad. "Alright guys, you need to get a move on. I'm going to go handle the guests and setting up."
"Okay. Thanks Bling."
Bling puts the finishing touches in the living and dining areas and seats guests as they arrive. He gives Max and Original Cindy a 30 minute warning and Kendra goes in and hugs both women.
"I missed you so much! I'm glad you called," Kendra says excitedly.
"I'm glad you could come," Max tells her.
"Well it does have to be seen to be believed," OC adds with a smile.
"I brought you something." Kendra hands Max a small package wrapped in white tissue paper. "It's your 'something blue'."
Max opens it, looking puzzled. She pulls out a light blue satin garter. "Thanks, but I'm not wearing my hair back." OC and Kendra laugh.
Original Cindy takes the garter from Max and lifts her skirt. "It's a garter Boo, for your leg." She stretches it open. "Step through." She slides it up Max's leg to her middle thigh. Max still looks confused. OC explains, "There's this old poem: 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, lucky penny in your shoe.' The old is the locket, the dress is new, my earrings are the borrowed and Kendra supplied the blue. We'll find you a penny in a minute. It's supposed to be good luck to do all the things, but mostly it's for your friends to do something for you."
"Oh. Thank you Kendra."
Brian comes in the room. "Uncle Bling said to tell you 'ten minutes' Mommy."
Max stoops down and hugs him. "Thank you Baby." She turns to Kendra. "Did you meet my beautiful boy?"
Kendra smiles at them. "Yes I did. He's gorgeous."
Max nudges Brian. "Thank you," he replies after the hint.
"Who's giving you away?" Kendra asks.
Max looks perplexed. "Excuse me?"
Original Cindy intervenes. "Little Man here is walkin' her down the aisle, and me and Bling are givin' her away." She signals to Max to 'go with the flow', at least until Kendra isn't around. Kendra was a sweet and loyal friend, but she didn't need any extra information at this point on how different her friend was. "Why don't you go out and get yourself a good seat? We'll be starting soon."
Kendra doesn't catch the subtext of their conversation, so she just smiles. "Alright," she says cheerfully as she kisses Max and Original Cindy on their cheeks. "I'll see you out there." Original Cindy shuts the door behind her.
"I know you give yourself to Logan and no one 'owns' you, but we talked about this. If you can go with a few archaic hetero traditions, you'll be more traditional and less suspicious and avoid awkward questions. So please, Boo, go with the flow."
Max shrugs. "Okay, but some of this is silly. Why should I get sore feet walking on a penny?"
"Well no one would know; it's not like they inspect your shoes. But whether you think luck is real or not you and Logan need to hedge your bets, because you need all the positivity you can get."
Max realizes that her friend is using the penny to tell her that she is worried in spite of being happy and supportive. She places the penny in the side of her shoe. Maybe it won't fall and give me a blister, she hopes. Then she grins at Original Cindy, who grins back and gives her a light cuff on the shoulder.
"Now remember, the judge is also going to ask if anyone objects. Don't Freak Out, okay! No one will say anything, I promise. I will start the music; when you hear it you and Brian should come out at an easy pace. And smile, people will be taking pictures."
Max nods. "I got it." They hear a knock and Original Cindy opens the door.
Bling has Max's flowers. He is stunned. Max has always been one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen, but she is exquisite today. She was radiating pure joy from her entire being. I hope Logan appreciates how blessed he is.
"Two minutes Ladies. Here you go Max." Bling hands her the bouquet. "You look beautiful, Baby Girl." He kisses her on both cheeks. "You're going to knock his socks off."
"Thanks Bling."
Original Cindy gives Max one last look over. "I'm going to take my place." She gives Max a hug and kiss. "I love you."
"I love you," Max replies.
OC turns to Brian. "You hold on to your Mommy's hand real good, aiight?"
"Okay," answers Brian. He grins and giggles when Original Cindy hugs him. She goes out with Bling.
Max sits down and holds out her arms to Brian. "I need a hug squeeze before we go out there." Brian hugs her tight and Max kisses him. "Ready to go?" Brian nods his head vigorously and is bouncing with excitement. "Let's go to Daddy. When the music starts we're going to take a nice walk and someone will take our picture, then you'll stand between Daddy and Bling." She gives him one more kiss. "I love you."
"I love you Mommy."
They walk out slowly when they hear the beginnings of The Wedding Song. When Max comes into Logan's line of sight, he inhales sharply and puts his hand on his chest. She looks radiant in her white halter neck dress with a flowing skirt. Her hair is up in a bun in the front with a few flowers around it, and the back half of her hair is hanging down in curls. She has a simple but elegant bouquet of white roses tied with matching satin ribbon. Her smile gets bigger when she sees his reaction and all traces of nervousness disappear. There is my beloved; we're getting married and adopting our son. I love them more than anything.
Brian is so happy he's all but dancing up the makeshift aisle. He has on a navy blue suit almost identical to Logan's, except the pants are knee length, and he has knee socks and saddle shoes. Logan, Bling and Original Cindy have equally huge grins on their faces as they watch Max and Brian walk toward them. Logan mouths 'I love you' to Max. She gets tears in her eyes but manages to control them and mouths the words back to him. When she and Brian get to Logan, she bends and kisses Brian and nudges him toward Bling, then sits in Logan's lap and hands her flowers to Original Cindy.
The judge begins the ceremony and Max and Logan say their vows and exchange wedding bands. Then the judge turns her attention to Brian. "Now, there's something else we have to attend to today: I understand that someone is getting a new mommy and daddy."
"That's me!" Brian exclaims and the small group chuckles at his enthusiasm.
The judge covers her amusement with a mock serious face. "Max and Logan, do you promise to love and cherish Brian, care, provide and nurture him and treat him with the same care and consideration as any biological children you may have, until he reaches the legal age of responsibility?"
"We do," they reply.
"Brian, do you promise to love Max and Logan as your mommy and daddy and try really hard to do what they say and help them when you get bigger?"
"Yes Ma'am, I do."
"By the power vested in my I pronounce Max and Logan 'Husband and Wife', and I pronounce Brian Margolis the legal child of Max and Logan Cale and he will known henceforth as 'Brian Cale'. May I-"
"Wait!" Brian interrupts. "Daddy gave Mommy a ring and I want to give her one too." Brian reaches his hand out and Bling hands him a ring. Brian takes Max's right hand and places the ring on her third finger.
Max looks at it through the tears in her eyes. It is a thin gold filigree band with 3 stones, an opal, a peridot and a blue topaz.
"Daddy says it's called a Mother's Ring. There's one stone for each of us."
"Birthstones," Logan adds softly. "Topaz for me, opal for you and peridot for Brian."
"It's beautiful," says Max. "I love it and I love you for thinking of it." She kisses Brian and Logan.
"May I present the Cale Family?" the judge finishes. Everyone applauds as Max and Logan kiss happily and thoroughly and then they both kiss Brian.
Lots of hugs and kisses all around. Bling gives Max a bear hug and a kiss. Original Cindy is crying and kisses them all and she picks up Brian and hugs him. Kendra, Jacinda, Herbal and Sketchy come and congratulate the new family while Original Cindy and Bling take turns with Logan's camera, taking pictures.
The judge has Max and Logan sign two sets of papers, one set with their real names to go in her safe and another set in the names of 'Melanie, Lawrence and Brent Coleman" to go with their new identities. She assures them that she'll will protect their identities at all costs.
The friends and family assembled enjoy the food and drink provided, offering many toasts and well-wishes for the new family's future. Deborah was happy to see her grandson happy with his new family and Brian started to warm up to her after a bit of time and a couple pieces of cake.
After a few hours of celebrating, Max and Logan get changed to leave. Original Cindy, Jacinda and Kendra are in with Max. She is dressed in black trousers and a soft raspberry angora sweater. Max hugs Kendra and Jacinda.
"I'm so glad you could be here. OC will be able to contact us so you can get in touch with her until we're settled."
"Will do Max," Jacinda replies. "Be happy Sweetie."
"Thank you. You and Omar take care."
Kendra slips a small wrapped package to her. "A little wedding night present. Love you."
"Thanks. Love you too." Kendra and Jacinda leave
Max and Original Cindy are now alone. Both are in tears. "I don't think I can say 'good bye' to you," Max says sadly.
Original Cindy struggles to keep it together. "It's not 'goodbye'- it's 'see you in a few weeks'. You are my best friend and my sister. We will always be a part of each other. I love you Max Cale."
"I love you Cindy." They are crying and embracing. "As soon as Logan arranges a secure phone line, we'll let you know." Max hands OC a sleek cell phone. "It's a secure cell. I'll call you on it and make sure you only use it when you call us."
"I'll be fine. Now you-get your husband and son and go start your life." Original Cindy gives Max another hug and kiss and they leave the room. Brian, now dressed in play clothes sees Max and runs and jumps in her arms. Max kisses him and hands him to OC for a hug. Max goes over to Deborah.
"Did Logan give you a phone?"
"Yes," Deborah answers.
"Good. Make sure you only call on that and we will use it to call you."
Deborah looks a bit hesitant. "Is there a problem?"
"We're just being cautious. Since the kidnappers and their bosses were arrested, we've been concerned about retaliation. I don't anticipate trouble, but you never know." It was as likely a story as any, and safer than the truth. "We'll be in touch as soon as we get settled." Max gives Deborah's hand a squeeze, then goes over to see Bling.
"You take care, Baby Girl, and enjoy your family. Don't let Logan get obsessed and ignore what really matters," Bling advised her.
"I'll take care of it."
"And don't be afraid to talk to him. You can't afford to not talk to each other, especially with your child involved and being further away from your friends."
Max nods her head in agreement. "Thanks Bling, for everything."
"Anytime, Baby Girl. You have a beautiful life." He kisses her on the cheek. "I'll be in touch."
Logan comes up and takes Max's hand. "Quit kissing my wife." he says cheerfully. My wife – I love saying that.
I love it when he says 'my wife', she thinks.
"Hey at least it didn't take me almost a year to get up the nerve," Bling replies with a laugh.
Logan turns his attention back to Max. "We should leave, Angel."
Bling hugs them both and joins Original Cindy, Brian and Deborah.
"Hey you." Logan tugs Max's hand so she bends down to him and he kisses her gently. "It's going to be okay."
"I know," Max says softly. "Change is hard though ... Let's go." She raises her voice slightly. "Let's bounce my men. " To the others she says, "We'll call when we get to the house."
They have one last round of hugs and kisses, and then Max, Logan and Brian leave to start their new life.
-o-o-o- THE END -o-o-o-
A/N-My first fic is finished. Thank you for reading.
A couple of little notes-
1-You folks across the pond may be more familiar with a sixpence in the shoe. In my area it has turned into a penny.
2-I have never been in on a real adoption, so I combined what I've seen on 'Judging Amy' and what I wanted to do.
3-Technically the November birthstone is a yellow topaz, but I can't stand them or too many other things that are yellow so I went with blue to match his eyes. and for those that are about to email me that MW's eyes are green, I'll just say I was too fixated on Bling's pecs and shoulders to worry too much about it :-) though in my many viewings of the DVD's they seemed to fluctuate between blue and grey depending on what he was wearing on every screen I watched.
4-Did anyone catch my little pun? If you did put it in a review. If you didn't-put it in a review after you scroll down for the answer ...
The little boy was supposed to August Weatherly according to the challenge so I gave him the August birthstone-peridot :-) Only amusing to me-that's okay too. Thanks again for reading.