What's Next? -- Chapter 18

Disclaimer:  The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Alec, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me.  No money is being made off of this fic.  I only own the original characters (Becky/X6-405, etc.).

"I hope that you like the party," Dennis said to Becky a few days later.

"It's fine," Becky said.  "Thanks for throwing it for me and keeping it small."

"No problem," Dennis said.  "Your mother and I figured that your friends and other siblings would publicly embarass you."

Becky rolled her eyes and then and turned to glare at Zack.  "For those of us who don't have enhanced hearing, would you please repeat what you just said?"

"Nothing...daddy's girl," Zack said, once again mumbling the last part under his breath so Dennis, Caroline, and Jenny wouldn't be able to hear him.

"Momma's boy," Becky retorted under her breath.

"I don't know what you two are saying to each other, but please stop it," Caroline said.  She smirked when she saw the surprised looks on the faces of her older children.  "It's a mom thing.  When you have children, you'll know the precise moment they're misbehaving, regardless of whether you're transgenic or not."  She turned to Max.  "You'll be like this too.  Heck, with your abilities, you'll be better or worse depending on your point-on-view."

Max shook her head.  "Nah, the kid's gonna have the same abilities that Zack and I do.  The playing field's gonna be leveled for me there."

"How are you feeling?" Caroline asked.

"Pretty good," Max said.  "I sleep every three or four days at this point, but my morning sickness is gone and my energy is good again.  I haven't gotten any weird cravings yet."  She rolled her eyes when she caught Alec making a 'blah-blah' gesture with his hand.  "I'm sorry about him, Caroline.  He doesn't know his ass from his elbow."

"It's always the ass," Alec said.  "Brin, please ask your younger sister to stop her obsession with my ass."

"Max, stop your obsession with Alec's ass," Brin said, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Why did you invite him?" Becky joked.

"Brin, where's the leash you've normally got on him?" Max added, snickering.

"Do you think it's time for cake yet?" Caroline asked Dennis.

Dennis nodded.  "Yeah, I think now would be a good time for the cake.  Do you want to help me with it in the kitchen?"

"Sure," Caroline said.  She followed Dennis into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator and took out the cake that they had gotten for Becky.  "I'm glad we found the one decent bakery left in Seattle."

"Then again, we won't know that fact for sure until we actually eat this thing, will we?" Dennis teased as he opened the box and carefully transferred the cake onto a plate.  "Can you get the candles for me while I get the serving knife?  They're in the drawer over there."

"No problem," Caroline said.  She retrieved the candles and handed them to Dennis and blushed when his hand seemed to hold hers for a few extra seconds.  "Um...here you go."

"Thanks," Dennis said softly.  He blinked and opened the box and tried to concentrate on counting the twenty candles that they were going to use on top of the cake.  "She'll be nineteen tommorrow.  It's hard to believe, isn't it?"

"Tell me about it," Caroline said.  "And she'll hopefully be starting a major job soon.  I hope she gets that position."

"So do I," Dennis agreed.  He put the last candle on top of the cake.  "There we go."

"Looks good," Caroline said.  "Did Becky tell you that Jeff is also going to be trying for a teaching position at the same school where she's interviewed for the position in the English department?"

"Yeah, she told me that yesterday," Dennis said.  "The kid's going to interview for a position in the physics department for next fall she said."

"Amazing," Caroline said.  "It's starting to make me feel old."

"You still look young to me," Dennis said.  He looked her in the eye.  "And beautiful."

Caroline felt her heart pounding in her chest.  "So do you," she whispered.  She felt herself drawn to Dennis, their lips so close, but the moment was cut short.

"Is the cake coming or what?" Alec's voice said from the other room.  They faintly heard a smack and Alec jokingly complain.

"They're worse than I used to be," Dennis said.  "Let's light these candles and get out there."

"Yeah," Caroline said.  She found some matches and lit the candles and they brought the cake out to the other room.  They all sang 'Happy Birthday' to Becky and waited for her to blow out the candles before Caroline cut the cake and started to hand out pieces.  "First piece for the birthday girl."

"Thanks," Becky said.  She took the small plate from Caroline and grabbed a fork and took a bite of the cake.  "This is pretty good."  Her cell phone rang and she rolled her eyes.  "That sure figures."  She put her plate down and answered her phone.

"Thank you," Max said to Caroline as she accepted her own piece a few moments later.  She waited until Jeff had gotten his piece before she leaned in.  "What was going on between you and Dennis in the kitchen earlier when you were getting the cake?"

"Nothing," Caroline said.

"You sound disappointed," Max observed.

"Maybe a little," Caroline admitted.  "I don't know.  I mean, he is a very handsome man even though he's less than a year from fifty and it's only normal for a woman to be disappointed for something not to happen with a man like him."

Max smiled.  "Are you actually in love with him?"

"He's a good friend," Caroline said.

"Yeah, and how long did it take your son to admit to me how he felt?" Max pointed out.  "He takes after you in more ways than I thought he did."

"Okay, maybe I wouldn't mind if I was more than friends with Dennis," Caroline admitted.

"Wouldn't mind?"

"Fine, I would absolutely love it if I was more than friends with Dennis," Caroline said.  "You're bossy."

Max smirked.  "Takes one to know one."

"True," Caroline admitted.  She shook her head.  "It's not that easy, Max.  We did almost kiss, but maybe Dennis was just caught up in the moment."  She laughed a little.  "I sound like I'm a teenager again.  Wow."

"Wait for the right time," Max said.  "He seems like a great guy."

"I guess so," Caroline said.  "We'll definitely see what happens with him."

"Absolutely," Max said.  She sighed.  "Tonight would have been a great night to out for a ride on my motorcycle."

Caroline smiled.  "I know how you feel.  I wasn't allowed to ride my motorcycle when I was pregnant with Jenny.  I--"

"All right!" Becky said excitedly as she disconnected her cell phone.  "That was the head of the English department at University of Washington-Seattle.  I got the position!"

"Way to go!" Jeff said.

"Congratulations, Becky," Dennis said.  He gave her a hug.  "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," Becky said.

Caroline congratulated her also and then she and Dennis stood back and they watched the others.  "I'm so proud of her."

"Me too," Dennis said.  "We've got great kids, don't we?"

"Yeah," Caroline agreed.  She looked down at their intertwined hands.  I just need to wait for the right time.  She smiled.  "We really do."

TBC