Caleb Hunter

Hearing the little girl speak Issy couldn’t help but smile and it was nice to see her excited about it. Issy smiled as she settled in next to her and she wrapped her arm around her giving her a little hug. Smiling as she looked between her and Caleb now. “Speaking of one big happy family. Cassie and I were talking and.. well… we were wondering if you guys wanted to move in with us?” Issy asked with a big smile now, she knew she hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to Caleb about this yet but she felt like there was no better time than right now to ask. “We’ve got so much room that we’d have a bedroom for the twins and you could have your own room, Max.” Issy said looking over at the little girl now with a smile. “So what do you say?” She said looking back Caleb now.

“Wait- really?” Caleb asked, taken a back and clearly surprised. “You’re sure? I mean- I’d love to. But, we’re kind of a big handful?” He said, glancing back and forth between Max and Issy as if to double check is she meant it. “Really!?” Max jumped off the sofa and practically threw her arms around Issy. “My own room!” She exclaimed in excitement. Caleb let out a little chuckle, knowing he couldn’t afford it on his own and was happy that they were taking this next step. Issy and him were going to be a real family and Max would finally have a home to call her own that they didn’t share with a bunch of other people.

“I’m pretty sure you still have like three of my t-shirts.” She said with a laugh of her own, bringing the glass up to her lips and taking a drink from it with a crinkled nose. “I need those back, by the way. It’s been years.”

“Whose counting? But it’s technically four,” He chuckled grinning over at her. “But they flatter my figure so well,” He said with a pout.

Charlie: did you know yesterday was national kissing day?

Charlie: yesterday was national kissing day and i did not get kissed

Charlie: what has my life come to? that i am no longer celebrating major holidays like this??

Caleb: No I did not?

Caleb: That's a thing?!

“Yes, well he did learn from the best,” Logan said leaning back and looking into the distance. After a moment he realized it sounded like he was talking about himself. “Not me,” he clarified. “No kids for me. I did as much as I could with my nieces and nephews but kids of my own? Nah.” He raised his eyebrows at the amount of work this man did from day to day. “Why so many hats?” he asked. “Me? Oh I’m an entrepreneur of sorts. Lots of networking, traveling, things like that. I have a knack for procuring hard to find items… and more of a knack for losing them again now that I think about it.”

“Yeah I feel that. I mean I’m about to be a dad of three but I don’t know if I’m really that cut out for it though,” Caleb said with a little shrug as he glanced over at Logan with a shrug. “Cause of those three little mouths to feed. That and, I love the Greyson’s, but I don’t know if I want to be living in a communal living situation until I’m a hundred, so,” He chuckled. “Seems like we definitely would have gotten along if I had met you on the road.”

Issy sat watching Max’s expression for anything that might look like disdain and she never found it. The little girl’s question caught her off guard but she couldn’t help but smile. “Like a big happy family. If that’s okay with you?” Issy asked Max, glancing at Caleb now with a small smile as she leaned into his touch. Looking back at Max now she smiled. “What do you say? Can me and these two little ones join your family?” She said placing her hands on her stomach now.

“I always wanted a family,” Max admitted, quietly under her breath like it was a wish she had been too afraid to say out loud for fear it wouldn’t come true until now. “Yes please,” Max smiled hoping off of the couch before shimming herself up onto the seat next to Issy and giving her a great big hug. “One big happy family,” Caleb said lifting Issy and his interlocked fingers to his lips and giving them a little kiss before smiling over at his beautiful girlfriend. “Just the way it was meant to be.”

“With twins, that’s definitely good to hear. I could barely manage one in there. Iss makes it look so easy,” she joked with a smile. “Have you guys decided on any names yet?”

“I honestly don’t know how she does it, but then again I’d be a horrible pregnant woman,” He chuckled, grinning over at Lor. “Not yet. I mean I’ve been spitballing some ideas, but I think I’ll just leave it up to Is or before you know it we might end up with a kid named Bacon or something.”

“Who said I’m not gonna drink it?!” She asked, looking at him through playfully narrowed eyes. “Stop trying to steal my stuff, Craig. You had your chance when you lived with me.”

“You say that like I’ve never stollen any of your stuff before,” Caleb laughed, grinning over at his friend and ex roommate.

Issy smiled at him placing a kiss against his shoulder for his sweet words. She was already starting to become uncomfortable in her own skin so it was a nice reminder that things could be okay. Issy smiled as Max spoke and she looked at Caleb nervously and decided to start. “Well,” she cleared her throat as she squeezed Caleb’s hand. “Your daddy and I, well, we love each other a lot and we love you a lot and when you have a lot of love like that sometimes you make a family and you grow that family. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m gonna have a baby, well two babies actually, twins. Little brothers or little sisters or maybe one of each for you.” Issy rambled running her fingers through her hair with her free hand as she looked at Caleb with a panic expression to help her out. She really wasn’t any good at talking to children and she felt like she might be failing miserably right now. 

“Oh,” Max said, taking it all in, before glancing up at Issy and Caleb sitting on the couch across from them. “So, we’re gonna be like a big happy family?” Max asked, glancing over at Caleb for confirmation. Caleb gave Max a little nod, wrapping his arm around Issy and giving her shoulder a little squeeze to reassure her that she was doing great. Before turning back towards Max and watching the little girl’s eyes light up as she asked quietly as if the news was too good to be true. “Really?”

“Well, I know so.” Logan could tell he’d made the other man cautious but brushed it off when the other Hastings were mentioned. “They’re the best but I’m very biased when it comes to the kids. I could tell you stories about them for days.” He let out a loving sigh and took sip of the drink, not thinking about the fact that it had been out of his sight for far too long anyway. “So Caleb what do you do around here?”

“Yeah. Dash’s is basically the poster child for perfect dad, huh?” Caleb chuckled at the thought. He had shown up at the Hastings household one too many times himself to ask for advice on how to raise his own little girl. “Oh just about everything I’m afraid. I own the tattoo parlor, Permanent Record? But, I also do just about every odd job out there. Janitor, street cleaner, you name it. Anything to pay the bills. You?”

Lorelei couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at Caleb’s words. “Well damn, Caleb, you’re not giving me much hope in the parenting department,” she teased. “I mean considering who their daddy is, did you really expect anything less,” she playfully narrowed her eyes. Hearing about Issy though did make her smile. “I’m really glad to hear things are going so well with the two of you. Issy deserves to be happy, and I know you two will make a great team. How’s she doing in the pregnancy department? Driving you crazy yet? Colton handled it like a champ but I know there were times where I tested that man’s patience,” she giggled at the memories.

“Yeah. She really does,” He couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Still in shock that she had wanted to be with him out of anyone else. “She’s doing great. Nah. She’s a total natural,” He told her with a grin.

Issy tried to give her best smile, she couldn’t shake the nerves though no matter how hard she tried. What if Max didn’t want this? What if she hated Issy? What if she hated the idea of having siblings? Issy would be crushed. Her mind was taken from all of that Caleb scooped her up and she let out a little squeal before a giggle escaped her lips. “Enjoy this now, pretty soon I’m going to be a whale and you’re not going to be able to do this.” Issy joked as he set her down on the couch. She gave a small wave at Max. “Hey,” Issy said nervously before looking at Caleb. “So, your dad and I wanted to talk to you about somethings, well really we wanted to share something with you and I don’t know. I guess to get your blessing?” Issy said looking between father and daughter nervously for a minute. 

“You’ll never be a whale and I have werewolf strength, right? I figure I can still carry you, even when you’re pregnant with twins?” He grinned over at her as he plopped down on the couch beside her, weaving his hand through hers and giving it a light squeeze. “What do you say, Maxie?” Caleb offer up turning back towards his daughter and waiting nervously for a reply. Max hadn’t always been the most reasonable child but as Max glanced up at Is, a small smile formed across her lips as she looked between the two of them. “Okidokie. Whatcha wanna talk about?”

“Oh god does that make me Luke?” she replied with a raised eyebrow, “No, no no no.” she replied with a chuckle.

“Either Luke or Obi Wan or any of the other kids the Jeda kidnapped and brainwashed at a young age,” He chuckled.

“Which makes you the person for me to know,” Logan said with a sly smile. How did he not have small town perks in this place? He’d been around it since it started. “Logan Hastings.” He said holding his hand out for the other man.

“I guess so?” Caleb said, not used to being referred to in such a way. Growing up in town, he had always been the one to avoid, the kid of the town drunkard. “Caleb Hunter,” He said reaching out and shaking the man’s hand. “I know your family. Not a bad bunch.”

“Nah, its fine. My fault for my head all up in the clouds,” she joked, returning his small smile. “Pretty good, Caleb. And she’s great, sprouting like a weed and spoiled as ever,” she joked. “What about you?”

“Welp I think my eight year old might finally be growing out of her terrible twos,” He joked, grinning over at her as he spoke. “And everything checked out with the doctor with Is, so looks like I’ll be doing the whole thing all over again.”

Logan took the seat next to the one that had been his and looked at the glass, amused. “Thank you, but I don’t think you’re allowed to do that. Or maybe you are and I’ve been going about getting a drink the entirely wrong way my entire life!”

“Probably not, but I know the owner,” Caleb said with a little shrug, as he leaned back in his bar stool at Gatsby’s. “She sometimes babysits my kid, so I figure she won’t mind? Small town perks or something, right?”

Issy was nervous but for some reason today she was feeling in better spirits then previously. She was nervous and anxious but she was just happy to have Caleb by her side in this. Taking a deep breath she rang the doorbell and smiled as he hoped the door. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders she placed a brief kiss on his lips. “I’m nervous as shit, but let’s do this,” Issy said with a firm nod of her head.

“Don’t be nervous. I mean I’m nervous. But Maxie already loves you,” He said, wrapping his around around her and giving her a little kiss. “And honestly, I think all she’s ever wanted was to have a family. I’m actually kind of with her with that one too,” He said, giving his beautiful girlfriend a little smile before scooping his girl up in his arms and caring Issy into the living room before plopping her down on the couch beside him. “Max, you know, Is. Issy, Maxie,” Caleb said giving Issy a eased smile. “Sup?” Maxie said, letting out a little laugh as she came in.