Title: Making A Choice
Author: The Peanut Butter General
Genres: Story Angst Alternate universe.
Rating: PG 13
Spoilers: Season Two in general, up to and including "Borrowed Time".
Summary: Max and Logan break-up, leading Logan to Asha and Max to something she never thought she'd do.
DISCLAIMER: All characters who appear in this story belong to their respective creators, including Cameron/Eglee Productions and 20th Century Studios. No money is being made from the use of these characters.
Rain. Is that all it ever does in Seattle? Rain. Man, I hate the rain. So cold, so wet, and yet so purifying.
"Boo." Cindy said, snapping her fingers next to my ear and waking me from my thoughts. "You okay?"
"Yes," I said.
"What's wrong, Max? Logan? Alec? Blondie?" Cindy began to probe.
"Nothin,." I mumbled in monotone. "I've gotta get out of here."
Any other time I've felt like this, I'd go to Logan's. Even if I wasn't honest with him, he'd still be someone to talk to. I can't go to his place now, not after yesterday.
* Yesterday *
"You paged?" I said, bursting through Logan's door.
"Max," he said surprised. "I did page, it's just… now isn't a good time."
"Oh," I said, looking at his disheveled living room. "Everything okay."
"It is." He smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I'm just busy is all."
"You paged," I half snapped, regretting it later.
"I paged two hours ago!" he snapped. "Now, I'm busy. I can't drop everything to be you're go to guy."
"Fine," I snapped, turning to leave. But something caught my eye as I turned. A figure stood in the hallway, shadowed by the door. "Is everything okay?" I asked, nervous that someone else may be there.
"Everything is fine!" Logan shouted. "Would it kill you listen to me and leave! I'll page you later."
"Don't bother," I snapped and opened the door. I pushed it shut with such force that I heard crashing from inside the apartment followed by a high-pitched yelp and a giggle. Being the nosy person I know I am, I quickly climbed outside of Logan's window. Gotta make sure he is okay, after all, I told myself. He was. He was more than okay--laying casually in his untidy bed was a stark naked Asha, covered simply by a white silk sheet. I watched as Logan wheeled himself back to the bed and pulled himself on top of her waiting body. It was all I could stand. I left.
He did page…about three hours later. By then, I was at Crash with Cindy, drowning my sorrows in a pitcher of Seattle's finest brew.
"Boo." Cindy kept saying, "You gotta let go. Obviously, it wasn't just the love bug keeping you apart. Logan's like every other man in the world. A d-o-g dog."
"Ah, do my ears deceive me or is Cindy comforting Max on men?" Alec said, sauntering up to the table. "What's wrong, Maxie? Need a little something that Logan can't give you?"
"Bite me," I snapped and stormed away.
"What was that all about?" Alec asked.
"She found Logan all snuggly with Asha this afternoon," Cindy answered.
"Yea right, Logan and Asha. Max must've misunderstood," Alex said.
"Only if she misunderstood the naked sheet dance," Cindy said.
* Meanwhile *
I drove, I just drove. I didn't care where I was going or when I'd be back. I just drove. All this time, risking myself at every little turn, looking for a cure, reading up on biology, chemistry, physics, talking to sick and twisted scientists, stealing, practically doing everything to find a cure and he's off having a fling with little miss save the world. Well, I can do that, too.
Knock, knock, knock. I pounded on the door.
"Max?" he said, opening the door to reveal his shirtless body. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing." I said, grabbing him to my body before he could refuse. I planted a deep long kiss on his mouth and pulled him into me.
"Max," he breathed. "What about…"
"Shh." I silenced him and began undressing him.
We held each other for hours, hugging, kissing and speaking softly. The night was perfect. The morning was horrible. It was like my brain awoke and I realized what I was doing, what I had done. I looked over at the sleeping body next to me and tried to slip away.
"Max," he called. "Don't go." He wrapped his arms around me. "I'm so glad you came here last night."
I wanted to die. "I had a good time, too." I managed. "But I've gotta get to work."
"Call in sick," he mumbled, pulling me again closer. "Please?" he begged.
I gave in. "Normal!" I snapped into the phone. "Be glad I'm calling this early!" I said. "I'm sick and can't come in."
After convincing Normal that I really was sick, I proved my illness to myself as I cuddled back into the bed next to Rafer.
* Now *
So, now here I am. I can't talk to Cindy about this. I can't talk to Logan. I wouldn't talk to Rafer, even if I could. So here I am, standing silently outside Alec's apartment.
"Max!" Alec said loudly. "It's always a pleasure when you stop by. Let me guess, you need my help."
"Actually, I need a friend." I said, swallowing my pride.
His face softened, as did his voice. "Come on," he said, opening his door to let me inside. "I guess you need to talk about Logan and Asha. Cindy told me. She was worried about you today. Said you didn't come home last night."
"I was with Rafer," I said flatly.
"Good," Alec said. "No reason that you shouldn't have been - you know."
I smiled that embarrassed little girl smile. "I needed the release," I said, distancing myself from my actions.
"I understand," Alec said, handing me a glass of scotch. "It'll warm you right up and dull the pain. Trust me." He sighed.
"What am I going to do?" I asked, more of myself than of Alec.
"Max." Alec said, placing his hand on my leg. "I know that you claim to love the guy and think that he loves you. But maybe you couldn't give him what he needed. And he couldn't give it to you. Kiss the relationship goodbye, Max, he's not worth it."
Before I had the chance to speak, my pager beeped. "Logan," I said. "He's been paging me since this morning."
"He came by work looking for you." Alec said. "We told him you were sick. Cindy said he went by your place, too."
"Oh," I said sadly.
"Maybe you should go talk to him," Alec said. "Not that I want to listen to another day of the virus thing, but I think he owes you an explanation."
* Logan's *
I didn't knock, I never do. "You paged," I said, storming through the door. The living room was cleaner and Logan wasn't as sweaty and rushed. "You feeling better." I said, acting caring.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"Yes. You looked sick last night, all sweaty and pale. Either sick or you had just gotten laid," I said, hardly believing words like that would come out of my mouth.
"Yea," Logan grimaced. "I need to talk to you about that."
"Don't worry," I said. "I know all about it."
"I figured you must." Logan said. "Asha said she was in the hallway and you saw her."
"Hallway?" I said. "Oh, yes, the hallway. I thought she may have seen me outside your window when I came back worried that someone was holding you here against your will."
"Oh," Logan said. "So you know that I called you here to say goodbye and it's over."
"Oh, it's way over," I said. "Just one thing before I go." I grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. Holding his face, I kissed him goodbye. His eyes widened with fear as I watched him fall to the floor. "It'll all be over soon enough," I said. "I think I'll wear red to the funeral."
The rain has finally stopped. I love the warm sunny weather.
The End
Author: The Peanut Butter General
Genres: Story Angst Alternate universe.
Rating: PG 13
Spoilers: Season Two in general, up to and including "Borrowed Time".
Summary: Max and Logan break-up, leading Logan to Asha and Max to something she never thought she'd do.
DISCLAIMER: All characters who appear in this story belong to their respective creators, including Cameron/Eglee Productions and 20th Century Studios. No money is being made from the use of these characters.
Rain. Is that all it ever does in Seattle? Rain. Man, I hate the rain. So cold, so wet, and yet so purifying.
"Boo." Cindy said, snapping her fingers next to my ear and waking me from my thoughts. "You okay?"
"Yes," I said.
"What's wrong, Max? Logan? Alec? Blondie?" Cindy began to probe.
"Nothin,." I mumbled in monotone. "I've gotta get out of here."
Any other time I've felt like this, I'd go to Logan's. Even if I wasn't honest with him, he'd still be someone to talk to. I can't go to his place now, not after yesterday.
* Yesterday *
"You paged?" I said, bursting through Logan's door.
"Max," he said surprised. "I did page, it's just… now isn't a good time."
"Oh," I said, looking at his disheveled living room. "Everything okay."
"It is." He smiled, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "I'm just busy is all."
"You paged," I half snapped, regretting it later.
"I paged two hours ago!" he snapped. "Now, I'm busy. I can't drop everything to be you're go to guy."
"Fine," I snapped, turning to leave. But something caught my eye as I turned. A figure stood in the hallway, shadowed by the door. "Is everything okay?" I asked, nervous that someone else may be there.
"Everything is fine!" Logan shouted. "Would it kill you listen to me and leave! I'll page you later."
"Don't bother," I snapped and opened the door. I pushed it shut with such force that I heard crashing from inside the apartment followed by a high-pitched yelp and a giggle. Being the nosy person I know I am, I quickly climbed outside of Logan's window. Gotta make sure he is okay, after all, I told myself. He was. He was more than okay--laying casually in his untidy bed was a stark naked Asha, covered simply by a white silk sheet. I watched as Logan wheeled himself back to the bed and pulled himself on top of her waiting body. It was all I could stand. I left.
He did page…about three hours later. By then, I was at Crash with Cindy, drowning my sorrows in a pitcher of Seattle's finest brew.
"Boo." Cindy kept saying, "You gotta let go. Obviously, it wasn't just the love bug keeping you apart. Logan's like every other man in the world. A d-o-g dog."
"Ah, do my ears deceive me or is Cindy comforting Max on men?" Alec said, sauntering up to the table. "What's wrong, Maxie? Need a little something that Logan can't give you?"
"Bite me," I snapped and stormed away.
"What was that all about?" Alec asked.
"She found Logan all snuggly with Asha this afternoon," Cindy answered.
"Yea right, Logan and Asha. Max must've misunderstood," Alex said.
"Only if she misunderstood the naked sheet dance," Cindy said.
* Meanwhile *
I drove, I just drove. I didn't care where I was going or when I'd be back. I just drove. All this time, risking myself at every little turn, looking for a cure, reading up on biology, chemistry, physics, talking to sick and twisted scientists, stealing, practically doing everything to find a cure and he's off having a fling with little miss save the world. Well, I can do that, too.
Knock, knock, knock. I pounded on the door.
"Max?" he said, opening the door to reveal his shirtless body. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing." I said, grabbing him to my body before he could refuse. I planted a deep long kiss on his mouth and pulled him into me.
"Max," he breathed. "What about…"
"Shh." I silenced him and began undressing him.
We held each other for hours, hugging, kissing and speaking softly. The night was perfect. The morning was horrible. It was like my brain awoke and I realized what I was doing, what I had done. I looked over at the sleeping body next to me and tried to slip away.
"Max," he called. "Don't go." He wrapped his arms around me. "I'm so glad you came here last night."
I wanted to die. "I had a good time, too." I managed. "But I've gotta get to work."
"Call in sick," he mumbled, pulling me again closer. "Please?" he begged.
I gave in. "Normal!" I snapped into the phone. "Be glad I'm calling this early!" I said. "I'm sick and can't come in."
After convincing Normal that I really was sick, I proved my illness to myself as I cuddled back into the bed next to Rafer.
* Now *
So, now here I am. I can't talk to Cindy about this. I can't talk to Logan. I wouldn't talk to Rafer, even if I could. So here I am, standing silently outside Alec's apartment.
"Max!" Alec said loudly. "It's always a pleasure when you stop by. Let me guess, you need my help."
"Actually, I need a friend." I said, swallowing my pride.
His face softened, as did his voice. "Come on," he said, opening his door to let me inside. "I guess you need to talk about Logan and Asha. Cindy told me. She was worried about you today. Said you didn't come home last night."
"I was with Rafer," I said flatly.
"Good," Alec said. "No reason that you shouldn't have been - you know."
I smiled that embarrassed little girl smile. "I needed the release," I said, distancing myself from my actions.
"I understand," Alec said, handing me a glass of scotch. "It'll warm you right up and dull the pain. Trust me." He sighed.
"What am I going to do?" I asked, more of myself than of Alec.
"Max." Alec said, placing his hand on my leg. "I know that you claim to love the guy and think that he loves you. But maybe you couldn't give him what he needed. And he couldn't give it to you. Kiss the relationship goodbye, Max, he's not worth it."
Before I had the chance to speak, my pager beeped. "Logan," I said. "He's been paging me since this morning."
"He came by work looking for you." Alec said. "We told him you were sick. Cindy said he went by your place, too."
"Oh," I said sadly.
"Maybe you should go talk to him," Alec said. "Not that I want to listen to another day of the virus thing, but I think he owes you an explanation."
* Logan's *
I didn't knock, I never do. "You paged," I said, storming through the door. The living room was cleaner and Logan wasn't as sweaty and rushed. "You feeling better." I said, acting caring.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"Yes. You looked sick last night, all sweaty and pale. Either sick or you had just gotten laid," I said, hardly believing words like that would come out of my mouth.
"Yea," Logan grimaced. "I need to talk to you about that."
"Don't worry," I said. "I know all about it."
"I figured you must." Logan said. "Asha said she was in the hallway and you saw her."
"Hallway?" I said. "Oh, yes, the hallway. I thought she may have seen me outside your window when I came back worried that someone was holding you here against your will."
"Oh," Logan said. "So you know that I called you here to say goodbye and it's over."
"Oh, it's way over," I said. "Just one thing before I go." I grabbed his shirt and pulled him close. Holding his face, I kissed him goodbye. His eyes widened with fear as I watched him fall to the floor. "It'll all be over soon enough," I said. "I think I'll wear red to the funeral."
The rain has finally stopped. I love the warm sunny weather.
The End