This story is for Annie for the Christmas in July Challenge.

Annie's wish list:

1) Sympathetic conversation with Alec and Logan where one or the other or both of them opens up about something serious. They can joke about it

2) A little bit of soul-baring of some kind, Max or non-Max related.

Annie didn't want:

1) No snake cult.

Disclaimer: Cameron owns them, I'm just playing with their minds a bit.

Set between Fuhgeddaboudit and Hello, Goodbye.

AN: This was a little shorter than I initially had planned, but the ending felt just right as it is now. Hope you like it!

Huge thanks to Mari for feedback and much-needed hand holding.

Of Sociopaths and Righteous Men

LOGAN: I'm Logan. Nice to meet you.

MIA: Logan, I think there's something that Alec wants to say to you. *

ALEC: Yeah, Logan, I just...wanted to say that I understand why Max admires you so much. Sometimes I wish I had more of a purpose in life.

MIA*: Logan, is there something you want to say to Alec?

LOGAN: Well, it's just that...I don't know, sometimes I wish I was more of a free spirit, and...it must be nice to be a happy-go-lucky sociopath. Kinda envy you.

*********************

Chapter One

Logan sat in front of his computer, gaze lost as he scrolled aimlessly through the many Manticore files he had been able to recover since the facility had burned down. His mind, however, was elsewhere, focused on a certain brunette transgenic.

The last months had seen one lead after another come to nothing as he searched for a cure for the virus. He had started to despair; he might not have given up, but the delay and endless setbacks had taken a heavy toll on Max's hopes. He knew that he would succeed, he would never give up, even if it took him years. He had had a taste of life without her, and he had vowed to never again let himself be separated from the woman he loved to the exclusion of everything else. That included despair, of course. But he'd had many relationships before, from the casual flings to an ill-fated three year marriage. He knew that what he shared with Max was true love, everlasting, overpowering...but she never had anything like that before. Nothing to compare it with. And he feared that she would give up before they could give it a real chance. Max loved him, yes, but the intensity of those feelings also scared her. He feared that she would run from those feelings if he took too long to cure the virus...

He felt a presence behind him. For a moment he was ecstatic, giddy with joy at seeing Max. It had been months since she had just dropped by to chat, and he missed her terribly: they had seen each other at crash, and she had helped him with several Eyes Only missions, but she was always fidgety and anxious to leave, to avoid making a mistake that could cost him his life. But then, instead of smelling the scent of cherry, leather and well, Max, his visitor reeked of musk, beer and smoke. The cat-like, almost silent steps were also heavier....

"Hello Alec. What can I do for you?"

The figure behind him stilled, and with an amused chuckle Alec came into view.

"Quite an ear you have, buddy. Or were you just guessing?"

"Let's just say that after almost two years of transgenics coming through like they own the place have honed my spider-sense."

"What?"

"Never mind."

Logan stood from his chair, relishing the fact that he was still wearing the exo. It felt good to walk tall. And a small part of him also reveled on being taller than Alec. Childish and petty, yes, but he was big enough to admit it. To himself, at least. Knowing that the chances of getting a straight answer from his 'guest' were slim at best, he decided that he might as well ply him with booze and food to loosen him up. He had skipped dinner...and lunch, as he had grown accustomed to cook for two, or four really. He motioned to Alec to follow and walked to the kitchen.

"Care to join me for dinner? I was going to make chicken for lunch, but I got sidetracked. Everything is ready, should be done in half an hour."

Alec looked at him with an odd expression, face tilted slightly to the side, as if weighing his words for some obscure meaning. A moment later it was gone, and he gave Logan his usual smirk.

"Sure. But I hope you have something strong to drink. I'm not really into wine, like some people."

"Yeah. There's a bottle of 18-year old Glenffidich in the cabinet. Might as well open it, I'm not a big fan of drinking alone."

Once Logan had put the finishing touches on the dish and put it into the oven both men lounged around the kitchen, nursing glasses of single malt. The room felt stuffy, tense. So did the conversation, drifting between inane comments about the weather and the usual complaints about Normal. The highpoint was Logan scolding Alec for trying to put ice on his glass. After a short but heated argument on the etiquette for drinking single malt - straight, no ice! - they settled back into a heavy silence, staring into their glasses. After a while, Logan decided to change tactics.

"So when are you going to tell me what's on your mind? Why did you come? Not that mind the company, but-" he was cut short by Alec's amused snort. "-but you never come by unless you need something. I don't mind that, either-" another snort, this one turned into a few chuckles. "-any friend of Max is always welcome, even happy-go-lucky sociopaths."

Alec's face fell a little at that. It was just a flash, but Logan had spent too many days watching Max to miss it.

'Ah, so it's about Mia...'

Alec stared into his drink a while longer, before looking up to him. Logan sensed the conflict on the younger man; he wanted to ask something, he just didn't know how.

"Just ask, Alec."

"It's just...I was thinking about what you said when Mia played with our minds..."

"Yes?"

"Is that all? All that you see? Am I just a sociopath to you?"

Logan sighed. He was afraid of this. After his revelation that day he had tried to put it behind, to forget it. But Alec's words had shaken him. Alec always referred to his work as Eyes Only as an obsession, ridiculed it as much as his relationship with Max. And then said he wished he had a purpose in life. Logan had never given the young transgenic much thought, beyond what Max had to say about him. Sure, Logan was still a little sore about Alec trying to kill him, and in the dark of night he allowed himself to hate Alec for screwing up his chances to get the cure. But Logan had to admit that even though he would do almost anything to get the cure, he wouldn't kill; not even Alec. Had he been there with Max, he would have made the same choice.

Despite that, he still didn't trust Alec, not really. Max didn't, and he took his cue from her; the only thing Logan knew about transgenic behavior was from his relationship with Max and her siblings, and that was far from the norm.

He realized he knew very little about X5-494, beyond what he chose to show him. And compared to him, Max was gushing with feelings.

"Look Alec...I don't really know you. I know you tried to kill me. I know that you let Max infect me. And I know that you fucked up and got caught by White, and that cost me my only chance so far to be with her. So all I see is a man that would happily kill me, or Joshua, or Max, if it's convenient for you."

"Convenient! That's what you think, that it was just convenient for me? What the fuck do you know about it? Do you have any idea what I went through? What it was like at Manticore?"

"I don't know as much as I'd like. But I do know what happened there. I've read the reports. I've seen training videos. I've talked with Max about it. And while I can hardly comprehend what all of you endured, I do understand more than you think. But you're not in Manticore anymore, Alec. You can't use all the fucked up things they did to you to excuse your behavior. Everything you do outside, it's on you."

Alec stared at him with a disbelieving expression, a mixture of astonishment and anger that gave him a slightly deranged air. Logan forced himself to remain still, knowing somehow that startling Alec would be a bad idea. Finally Alec broke his stare, relaxed and turned away from him.

"You don't know shit."

Putting down his glass, Alec left without another word.

*********************

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