DISCLAIMER: Dark Angel characters, and the lines quoted from several episodes included in this ficlet, lovingly borrowed from Cameron & Eglee, or those taking from them. No profits realized.

A/N: Real life has interfered lately with getting new fic produced, and because there were these little one-shots lying around in my computer, I decided to collect some of them here. They've been published elsewhere but not yet on FFN. Just some random, uncommected, M/L sort of fic... and this is the first, written in response to the prompt, "complicated." With apologies to those of you who have already seen them, thanks for taking a look -- and would love to hear what you think.

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COMPLICATED

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Another day ... another moment, or sound, or word... and another memory of Max would dance across his thoughts. In the handful of months since Max had become a steady presence in his life, Logan found it more and more difficult to keep his mind from thoughts of her.

"Why was your friend trying to steal that stuff, anyway?"

"It's complicated..."

His words to Matt were the understatement of the millennium - Max was complicated, her problems were complicated, their relationship and lives and connection were complicated ... they were complicated ... and yet more and more, overriding everything else, even when focused on bringing down evil empires or sleazy politicians, it took all Logan had to not get lost in her smile, her laugh ... her huge brown eyes ... her tantalizing, feline grace...

"So, what is it between you and Max?"

"I don't know. Something. I just don't know what."

Ah, Zack ... the older brother who wasn't really a brother, and certainly didn't see Max only as a sister. Logan frowned a little at the thought. But Max had him firmly in her mind as a tough older brother, and that was where he would stay, for her.

...and where did he stay, for Max, where did he fit? Did he have much of a place in her world? Logan rarely let himself consider it; too easy to get sucked into the hope that there was something between them, more than simply their quid pro quo...

"You know, some guys are willing to rearrange their priorities when they find a girl who moves their furniture. In fact, some guys are even looking for it. Or so I've heard."

Move my furniture? Logan allowed himself to reflect. Great way to say it, Max - move mountains, move heaven and earth, move my soul ... 'move my furniture...' Did she suspect just how strongly she did move him?

"Got a thing for this girl, don't you?"

"Why does everybody keep saying that?"

The sudden memory of Bling's bemused question, catching his infatuation with Max so soon after she popped back up in his life, made him chuckle, softly. He wanted to think it was merely the man's uncanny ability to see inside people - but as he'd responded at the time, it wasn't just Bling who'd seen it...

"Hey Logan!"

The sound of Bennett's cheery voice broke through his latest reverie, and Logan shook it off to smile up at his cousin. "Hey, yourself," he smiled in greeting as the new groom slid into the seat across from him. His smile widened as he considered the beaming face. "Look at you," he added in approval. "Married life seems to agree with you. When did you get back?"

"Wednesday night. Oh - thanks," he glanced up to the immaculate waiter who immediately appeared with a leather-bound menu, and pointed to Logan's glass of wine. "Whatever he has," he ordered. The man nodded silently and disappeared.

"And ... before I forget..." Logan turned to root around in his backpack briefly, then pulled out a slim, white folder. "Your 'papers.'"

Bennett grinned, taking the folder and sliding it into his jacket pocket. "Thanks. And thanks for taking charge of these; with all the craziness after the wedding I just could see them getting lost."

"Well, I think you'd still be married, even if you'd lost the license, but you might have some explaining to do to Marianne." Logan paused as the waiter returned immediately with Bennett's wine, then lifted his glass to him. "Congratulations, Bennett."

"Thanks," Bennett raised his own glass in a returned salute, "and thanks again for being there for us, at the wedding. It was good to have you there."

"I wouldn't have missed it," Logan said, sincerely.

"Best man," Max had drawled, impressed ... and teasing him. But she had come along as his date, willingly, and had truly shined among Seattle's pampered and feted. And he had managed, finally, just that once, to overcome all the hang-ups and issues to tell her so. "You were the most beautiful woman there..."

...and the smile that he had seen in return made him hope that, even if they weren't 'like that,' they could be something...

Logan worked to move his attention away from Max and back to his cousin, as Bennett talked about his honeymoon and Marianne, the flight home and Marianne, getting back to the office and Marianne ... and Marianne...

"...it's really amazing, Logan, you know?" Bennett admitted, smitten. "To have someone to care for you ... good times and bad..."

"I thought ... I was so scared. The ambulance..."

"It's okay..."

Involuntarily, Logan remembered the feeling of Max's arms around him in his worst moments, letting him know just how she felt about the thought of losing him...

Bennett was shaking his head, still sounding mildly surprised that he'd found a woman - especially one as great as Marianne - who found him attractive and witty and charming. "... and someone to care for..." he added...

"What can I do?"

"Stay with me, please?"

"I'm right here."

"You won't leave?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

Bennett suddenly became aware that he'd been mooning again - glad at least this time it was in front of his more sympathetic cousin, Logan - and laughed self-consciously. "But I guess you know all about that."

Logan snorted, "I'm not a very good example of that, Ben. Val and I didn't even make it two years..."

Bennett looked at his cousin and smirked, dryly, "that's not who I meant..." He watched as Logan rolled his eyes, an awkward discomfort surfacing again as it seemed to do whenever the topic was broached. "Speaking of whom ... " Bennett grinned, "how is Max?

Logan dropped his eyes to the pristine linen covering the tabletop, then looked across the elegant dining room. "She's fine," he managed to answer, finally looking back to the other Cale.

"You know, Mom was convinced that all the time you spent talking to Daphne meant that you two might hook up again, but I don't buy it" Bennett had managed to shake off his newlywed reverie to fish around in this still-entertaining new topic from his wedding, unattached Logan and the unattached women around him. "I didn't dare tell her, but Marianne and I are betting on Max."

Logan blinked at his cousin in some surprise at the blatant curiosity his younger cousin displayed, which seemed to cause Bennett's interest to peak even higher - he peered at Logan owlishly, a hopeful smile curling at the corner of his lips. In sudden amusement, Logan rolled his eyes and laughed, shaking his head hopelessly.

"C'mon, Logan, admit it - you and Max...?"

Logan looked back at Bennett, his own smile slowly lifting across his features as he replayed all the moments, all the danger, all the close calls and frustrations, all the pain and the joy ... all the wonder of his moments, with Max...

Eyes dropping away again softly, Logan smiled softly to himself at their complex, crazy relationship, before looking back to his cousin. With a sigh of wry contentment, his mouth quirked up a bit more, and he shrugged, "it's complicated..."

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