Takes 3 for 33 [Ruby&Jacob]

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He looked at the two who seemed to disagree with his choice for the pup. Well Ruby didn't openly say she disagreed but he could just see it on her face that she wasn't quite approving. "But if I make him a PD dog he'll be able to come to work with me, not fear gunshots, smell drugs and keep you two out of my house." he smiled jokingly at the last part. Of course the puppy was cute and he didn't want to make it some sort of terrifying killing machine. He just wanted to have a companion strong enough to be able to take him around his jobs without fear of watching the dog die. "Don't worry, I won't let the PD brainwash him. I'm the one doing the training for him mostly. That's how you create a pair in a dog/cop team. The cop learns for the dog and the dog listens to his cop." he tried to explain how the PD dog training went. As he learned to be a cop he went through learning to work with dogs, but was never actually paired with one. It might actually save him a lot of time and effort to have a dog able to detect some things like drugs, weapons and hidden people. Jacob and Ruby just gave Max a friend, but also a work partner.

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He chuckled, seeing such a different face from Jacob, a caring one, one that didn't seem to be hidden behind any masks. He was loving it, of course it made him happy. His cheeks muscles were already hurting from smiling so much in a very short time span. "Well if that makes you feel any better, I do appreciate." he wanted to ask him to just stay happy himself, but that would require precising that he shouldn't be murder happy, so Madden just didn't add anything about that. Seeing the ones he cared about happy, that was what made him happy very easily. No need for gifts or anything that was directed to him, a simple smile was enough, and these two were giving him plenty so far.

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Ah the nagging at Ruby's superiority over him. Always there and strangely it often came out of Jacob's mouth, the one who always complained about it. He rose a brow at the man before shooting a look at Ruby. Was there a way he could prove him wrong right now? Probably not without having another failing plan in his hands. "Well_" he was interrupted by the pup jumping onto his stomach, showing how he had both plushed toys in its mouth. "Never mind, you're probably right again. But you're not better, you keep being right about everything about me. It needs to stop." he teasingly pointed a finger at the man and rubbed the pup's head before trying to take the plushes away from him. On the other hand Ruby was being pretty calm, just smiling in her corner. Max noted it, wondering what, precisely made her smile that way.

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"If I know about all of your secrets then you can't do anymore mischief around me and you'll just have to get more creative to make me do anything." wink at Jacob's previous sayings about Ruby able to control him. He doubted the cat book will truly help him on that specific note, but perhaps it will help him on another more specific note: His fear of cats. People say that understanding your fear could help you get through it. Though this book was a joke, not an actual book on how to know if a cat wants to murder you. Now that he thought about it this book pretty much explained his phobia in one title.

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Of course his reaction to the book was making both Ruby and Jacob confused. He had to give them some sort of explanation, even though he felt it hard to get anything out right now. The rub he received in his back from Ruby was perhaps the only push he needed to be able to take down his own wall and give away his wonderland. He clenched his teeth once looking down at the floor, wetting his lips before complying and speaking. He still held the book in his hands, running his fingers across the cover. "I used to read this to my sister. Her name's Alice. Haven't seen her in...15 years? It might be more I don't remember. She was the only person in the world I ever cared about more than my own life. And this book..." he raised the book, a choked smile at the edge of his lips. "It was our running away plan, from our duties and our messed up rich family." he didn't know if anything he said made any sense to the two, but to him in was all he could say without getting too emotional. And by too emotional it meant by shutting down here and now to cry in their arms or the floor. "That's why I call you bunny_" he pointed at Jacob "And you queen of hearts, cat. Even though Harley fits best." he forced out a smile. He didn't want to let his feelings hit him too hard right now. Not today, not now that they were here possibly changing his habit of birthday celebrating forever.
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Cake? Yes cake sounded like a great idea but what was that joke about the Cyanide? A bad joke if they asked Max. He squinted at Ruby, smiling more easily now. He rose a brow and asked in a playful tone "Ruby, did you try to put Cyanide in my birthday cake? What did I do to you this time? Was it all the cat jokes? You can't stand it anymore is that it?"