*Mel was going to do everything that she could to make Liam's birthday fantastic. She wasn't sure how to beat last year at all, though. She knew she shouldn't have started out so strong, because everything else just wasn't going to compare. There was no way that you could ever beat giving someone something that they had been wanting for years. A motorcycle. She had put a lot of thought into it, trying to make sure that every small detail was considered. He would probably tell her that she put too much thought into it, but she knew it was true, so it didn't matter.

She was sitting at a desk in their room at The Family's hideout with Mark on her lap playing with one of his toys.*

Melanie:"Remember to be extra specially sweet for daddy today, okay? Give him lots of hugs and kisses."

Mark:"Hugs...and kisses." *He repeated with struggle without even looking up from his toy. He was catching on the whole talking thing pretty well.*

Melanie:"Yes, because you love him so much, don't you?"

*Instead of giving Melanie a yes or no, or even any sort of real response to the question, he proceeded to stick his toy in front of her face and grin while letting out a short laugh.*



~Mel

*Liam walked through the house, grinning. It was his birthday, and everyone seemed to remember. He was recieving pats on the back and being stopped every now and then when someone he was somewhat closer to had gotten him a gift. Someone shoved a huge obnoxious purple top hat on him and he laughed, opening the door into the room he shared with Mel and Mark* "Hey babe....and hello Mark." *He crossed teh room and picked up Mark and swung him around* "Do you know what today is?"

Melanie:"Of course I know what today is! Mark does too, I made sure." *she jumped off of the bed and gave him a kiss on the cheek before looking at him like he was a lunatic because of the hat he was wearing.*"What in the world are you wearing?"



~Mel

"Jeff gave it to me." *He set mark on the floor and took it off. He put it on mark. It covere the majority of his body. Liam's grin widened.* "Where did Mark go? I could have sowrn that he was here..." *Liam started walking around pretending to look for mark.* "I don't know, do you see him Mel?" *Liam could hear Mark giggling from under the hat.*

Melanie:"I don't know, Liam, I have no idea where he could be." *she started looking for him too.*"Maybe he's under the bed." *Melanie checked there, just for kicks.*"Nope. He must have disappeared."

*Mark lifted the hat off of himself and giggled loudly. Melanie gasped and grinned*

Melanie:"There he is!"

*Mark let the hat fall back over top of him.*

Melanie:"No, he disappeared again!"


*Melanie laughed. She was enjoying their little game.*



~Mel

*Liam snapped his ingers and sat on the bed in mock defeat.* "Well that's too bad.....I was really hoping he'd give me a birthday present.....and I don't know what I'm gonna do with this really wicked present that I got for him....I guess I'll have to go take it back..."

*Mark heard the words 'present that I got for him' and almost immediately took the hat off again. He looked up at his daddy with that expectant, yet somewhat blank look that babies often have.*

Melanie:"See, he responds to presents. Maybe if I told him that water was a present, he'd let me give him a bath."



~Mel