Big Apple: A Sequel to Friendly Rivalry
By Jacquelyn Arnold
Disclaimer: I need to buy new shoes. If you sue me, I wont be able to get new shoes.
A/N: Hello everyone. This takes place about six months after the end of 'Friendly Rivalry' (F-R). It is about a week before Christmas. This story will actually have an actually plot outside of the shippery-ish-ness-like fluff which was 'F-R'. If anyone has any suggestions, or any comments or criticisms, feel free to email me at princessjaci@hotmail.com mailto:princessjaci@hotmail.com. I write their stories as I go, so if there are any ideas that I like, I might work them into the story.
Chapter One: Sunday, December 22nd, 2019
Logan's Apartment
9:30
No matter what happened, they always spent Sunday mornings together. Max and Logan rarely knew what was going to happen in the week between pissed off drug lords and corrupt politicians, but they had an unspoken agreement that no matter what happened, Sunday mornings were their time. They started the tradition the morning after they had made love for the first time, and now that they were living together six months later, the continued the tradition. Sometimes, Max drug a grumbling Logan out of bed to take a walk along the waterfront, sometimes they just laid around reading the newspaper and eating a Cale masterpiece breakfast.
As was the case this morning. Logan sat upright, scanning the Politics section of the paper, while Max stretched out across the couch, her head in his lap, reading the front page.
"Oh, Look." Max said as she sat up and moved over to she was hip to hip with Logan. She pointed to an article on the lower left hand side of the front page before she started reading out loud. "'Drug bust accredited to the mysterious Eyes-Only.'" She looked up from the paper with mock annoyance. "They make it sound like you did all the work. I'm the one that ruined my shoes getting you that information." With a sigh she continued. "I am so under appreciated."
Logan laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "That evil media, it is all their faults."
"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"
"Absolutely not." Logan tightened his arms and pulled her into his lap. "How could I not appreciate you? Your too pretty." Their mouths met in a gentle kiss that spoke of great love and affection.
When the phone rang, Max moved to answer it, but Logan pulled her back.
"Let…. machine…get…" he murmured between pressing light kisses along the column of her neck.
"You've reached the number that you dialed." Logan's cryptic message floated from the office. "We should change that." Max said as he nibbled along her jaw. "Something a bit more…. friendly." She shivered as his teeth scraped over the sensitive area behind her ear.
When she heard the voice on the machine, she quickly wiggled out of Logan's lap and grabbed to cordless off a nearby table.
"Ben!" She greeted.
Ben Gallagher smiled as he leaned back in his chair. He was sitting in his apartment in New York, looking over the landscape of the Hudson Bay. "Hey Max, I was just going to leave a message."
"Yeah, we were, uh, busy."
"Whatever, I don't want to know." Ben said laughing. "Let me talk to that lucky bastard for a second."
"Ok, hold on, he's sulking."
Ben heard the distinct sound of Max's voice, then Logan's murmured reply, and then Max's burst of wild laughter. There was a loud thump as the phone was dropped. Ben rolled his eyes and waited for someone to get on the line.
"You and your timing." Logan said after he retrieved the phone of the ground.
"Sorry to interrupt your Sunday morning wrestling match. I'm sure you'll resume after I get off the phone with you."
"We'll manage. So, what's up?" Logan asked as he smiled over at Max who was currently digging through the fridge. It was just shy of ten o'clock, and they had had a huge breakfast not more than two hours ago, and she was already making snacks.
"Listen, do you think you could come out to New York for a few days. Bring Max, spend the holidays here?"
"You want us to come to New York for Christmas?" Max pulled her head out of the fridge, a long with a plate a sliced ham. "He wants us to come to New York?" Logan shrugged his shoulders, confused. "Don't you usually go to Boston over Christmas to be with your parents?"
"Julia had her first kid yesterday." Ben said referring to his younger sister. "The whole mob is down in Georgia fawning over the latest grandchild. I put in an appearance yesterday morning and flew back last night. I have to much to do here to take the time off."
"So that is why you're inviting us out there?"
"Well…sort of. Listen I came across some…information that you might find interesting. I don't want to talk about it over the phone." Ben added before Logan could question him. "You're the only journalist I know that still has credentials that I really trust."
Logan lowered the phone. "Ben needs my help with something. He never asks for help unless it is serious. You want to go to New York?" Max looked up from the thick ham sandwich she was building. She took a bite of her sandwich, considering. "Can you get me out of work?" She said, he mouth full.
"Yeah, sure. I can get someone to call Normal with some weird story that only he would believe."
"Great. Let's go. I hear New York is great in the winter time."
"You sure you don't mind not getting to see Cindy and Kendra on Christmas like we had planned?"
"Nah, Kendra will be preoccupied with the pig." They both winced. "And Cindy would just bitch about us being there together and she being single."
Logan picked the phone back up. "Ok, give me a few days to make arrangements. I'll call you when I know what's going on."
When the call was disconnected, Logan turned back to Max, who was still thoughtfully munching on her sandwich. "What is up with Ben?"
"I don't know; he was all mysterious about whatever it is he needs my help with. I guess we'll find out when we get there. Well either way, New York is really nice during the holidays."
"You've been there?"
"One of my better aunt's lived there for a while. We visited her once over Thanksgiving. Saw the old Pre-Pulse parade and so forth."
"Do they still drop that ball thing at New Years?"
"I think so. You want to stay for that?"
"Yeah, lets stay for that. New Years in Seattle is just plain chaos. At least we could see some new chaos and disorder to properly get into the holiday spirit."
By Jacquelyn Arnold
Disclaimer: I need to buy new shoes. If you sue me, I wont be able to get new shoes.
A/N: Hello everyone. This takes place about six months after the end of 'Friendly Rivalry' (F-R). It is about a week before Christmas. This story will actually have an actually plot outside of the shippery-ish-ness-like fluff which was 'F-R'. If anyone has any suggestions, or any comments or criticisms, feel free to email me at princessjaci@hotmail.com mailto:princessjaci@hotmail.com. I write their stories as I go, so if there are any ideas that I like, I might work them into the story.
Chapter One: Sunday, December 22nd, 2019
Logan's Apartment
9:30
No matter what happened, they always spent Sunday mornings together. Max and Logan rarely knew what was going to happen in the week between pissed off drug lords and corrupt politicians, but they had an unspoken agreement that no matter what happened, Sunday mornings were their time. They started the tradition the morning after they had made love for the first time, and now that they were living together six months later, the continued the tradition. Sometimes, Max drug a grumbling Logan out of bed to take a walk along the waterfront, sometimes they just laid around reading the newspaper and eating a Cale masterpiece breakfast.
As was the case this morning. Logan sat upright, scanning the Politics section of the paper, while Max stretched out across the couch, her head in his lap, reading the front page.
"Oh, Look." Max said as she sat up and moved over to she was hip to hip with Logan. She pointed to an article on the lower left hand side of the front page before she started reading out loud. "'Drug bust accredited to the mysterious Eyes-Only.'" She looked up from the paper with mock annoyance. "They make it sound like you did all the work. I'm the one that ruined my shoes getting you that information." With a sigh she continued. "I am so under appreciated."
Logan laughed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "That evil media, it is all their faults."
"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"
"Absolutely not." Logan tightened his arms and pulled her into his lap. "How could I not appreciate you? Your too pretty." Their mouths met in a gentle kiss that spoke of great love and affection.
When the phone rang, Max moved to answer it, but Logan pulled her back.
"Let…. machine…get…" he murmured between pressing light kisses along the column of her neck.
"You've reached the number that you dialed." Logan's cryptic message floated from the office. "We should change that." Max said as he nibbled along her jaw. "Something a bit more…. friendly." She shivered as his teeth scraped over the sensitive area behind her ear.
When she heard the voice on the machine, she quickly wiggled out of Logan's lap and grabbed to cordless off a nearby table.
"Ben!" She greeted.
Ben Gallagher smiled as he leaned back in his chair. He was sitting in his apartment in New York, looking over the landscape of the Hudson Bay. "Hey Max, I was just going to leave a message."
"Yeah, we were, uh, busy."
"Whatever, I don't want to know." Ben said laughing. "Let me talk to that lucky bastard for a second."
"Ok, hold on, he's sulking."
Ben heard the distinct sound of Max's voice, then Logan's murmured reply, and then Max's burst of wild laughter. There was a loud thump as the phone was dropped. Ben rolled his eyes and waited for someone to get on the line.
"You and your timing." Logan said after he retrieved the phone of the ground.
"Sorry to interrupt your Sunday morning wrestling match. I'm sure you'll resume after I get off the phone with you."
"We'll manage. So, what's up?" Logan asked as he smiled over at Max who was currently digging through the fridge. It was just shy of ten o'clock, and they had had a huge breakfast not more than two hours ago, and she was already making snacks.
"Listen, do you think you could come out to New York for a few days. Bring Max, spend the holidays here?"
"You want us to come to New York for Christmas?" Max pulled her head out of the fridge, a long with a plate a sliced ham. "He wants us to come to New York?" Logan shrugged his shoulders, confused. "Don't you usually go to Boston over Christmas to be with your parents?"
"Julia had her first kid yesterday." Ben said referring to his younger sister. "The whole mob is down in Georgia fawning over the latest grandchild. I put in an appearance yesterday morning and flew back last night. I have to much to do here to take the time off."
"So that is why you're inviting us out there?"
"Well…sort of. Listen I came across some…information that you might find interesting. I don't want to talk about it over the phone." Ben added before Logan could question him. "You're the only journalist I know that still has credentials that I really trust."
Logan lowered the phone. "Ben needs my help with something. He never asks for help unless it is serious. You want to go to New York?" Max looked up from the thick ham sandwich she was building. She took a bite of her sandwich, considering. "Can you get me out of work?" She said, he mouth full.
"Yeah, sure. I can get someone to call Normal with some weird story that only he would believe."
"Great. Let's go. I hear New York is great in the winter time."
"You sure you don't mind not getting to see Cindy and Kendra on Christmas like we had planned?"
"Nah, Kendra will be preoccupied with the pig." They both winced. "And Cindy would just bitch about us being there together and she being single."
Logan picked the phone back up. "Ok, give me a few days to make arrangements. I'll call you when I know what's going on."
When the call was disconnected, Logan turned back to Max, who was still thoughtfully munching on her sandwich. "What is up with Ben?"
"I don't know; he was all mysterious about whatever it is he needs my help with. I guess we'll find out when we get there. Well either way, New York is really nice during the holidays."
"You've been there?"
"One of my better aunt's lived there for a while. We visited her once over Thanksgiving. Saw the old Pre-Pulse parade and so forth."
"Do they still drop that ball thing at New Years?"
"I think so. You want to stay for that?"
"Yeah, lets stay for that. New Years in Seattle is just plain chaos. At least we could see some new chaos and disorder to properly get into the holiday spirit."