an.: i don't own DA

an2.: not for Logan fans. you've been warned, if you flame me because of ooc-ness, i'll just point and laugh.

an3.: could anyone suggest a better title? I couldn't come up with a creative one

Logan was on his way to HQ, after he couldn't find Max in her apartment. When he arrived, he knocked on the door that led to Max's office. Well, it wasn't actually hers --she was sharing it with the other higher ranking officers--, but Logan felt that she deserved it. She was the one who freed them, and Logan thought that it was unfair that she wasn't elected as CO.

"I don't have the necessary training, Logan. I can help them adapt, but I can't lead them into a war. Being a CO is Alec's job. And I'm happy to be the SIC," she reasoned when he asked her about her reaction. He could tell that she was happy with the decision. She's accepted that the majority of TC's population still saw her as the 09'er traitor.

"Come in, Logan," came the answer to his knocking, snapping the journalist out of his musings and making him focus on his task. He walked in, he couldn't help but glance warily at the occupants of the room. It unnerved him that they knew it was him at the door, possibly even before he knocked. What he saw after looking around didn't help him relax.

In the past months he'd gotten used to the idea that the transgenics tolerated him only because Alec –no doubt at Max's pressure-- ordered them. So it was frightening to see, that instead of the customary sneers and glares, there were only amused glances.

He quickly gathered his thoughts, and told himself off for being so paranoid. Surely, their good mood had nothing to do with me. I should be happy, he thought. If they were in a good mood, maybe they would tell him about Max's whereabouts without the usual snide comments.

"Hey guys," he greeted them. He briefly noted that Alec wasn't there. Mole, Dix and Luke only nodded in his direction, but Ballard, the X5 in charge of the medics actually responded to his words. The other four transgenic didn't even look at him.

"Hello, Logan. What can we do for you?" he asked, and Logan couldn't help but shiver upon hearing his voice. But not in a good way. The unconcealed amusement in the doctor's voice made him even more nervous, his paranoia kicked in again. They must be laughing at me, he thought, and tried to recall any incidents that could elicit this kind of reaction. He could remember none.

He tried to go back further in his memories, but Ballard interrupted him, when he repeated his question. But this time he was making it sound like he was talking to a retarded two years old. Oh, the good old mocking. That's much better, he told himself.

"Um, I just wanted to ask if you knew anything about Max. I can't find her anywhere."

Not everybody bothered to hide their chuckle. Mole snorted around his cigar, before answering.

"The fearless leader went into heat this morning. She won't be back for another two days," informed him the lizard dryly.

Logan blushed. "Oh... She didn't tell me she was due...," he trailed off, not knowing what else to say. Her heat's always been a sore subject between them, especially after the virus. Mole saved them from the awkward silence by asking an even more awkward question.

"Why would have she told you that?"

"Because I'm her boyfriend?" he replied, but immediately regretted making it a question. He appeared vulnerable, and it usually just fueled the transgenics hostility toward him. It was like a drop of blood in the sea –it was enough to draw all the sharks in a twenty miles radius to him.

And right on cue, Mole spoke up, "Well, what could you have done about it? Scratch her itch while dressed in condom from head to toe?" he mocked Logan. Ballard looked like he wanted to continue where the lizard left off, but was stopped by a small redhaired X5 and her swift kick under the table. The journalist had half a mind to ask if the medic had any shark DNA in his cocktail, but decided against it. Angering morally challenged assassins wasn't high on his to-do list.

"It's not like that. I would've just called up Alec, instead of searching for her," he said, with a still tomato red face.

"He's not available either," informed him Dix, again, unsuccessfully trying to hide a grin. What the hell is so funny? Do I have something on my face?

"Is he out on a supply run again?"

"No, he isn't," took over Ballard. "He's being laid....ouch ...up," he said while rubbing his leg. The woman –Ophelia maybe?-- had kicked him again. But even the pain couldn't wipe the grin off his face.

"Is he injured?" asked Logan with a hint of concern. Even after the siege, and seeing him beaten up, Logan couldn't help but think that the younger man was indestructible. The possibility of him being hurt scared him, because it meant that Max could get hurt just as easily as Alec.

"Nothing serious, just a little heat exposure. A few days in bed, and he'll be good," came the answer, almost drowned out by Mole's coughing fit.

"Heat exposure?" asked back Eyes Only. He's never thought that it could be dangerous to the genetically empowered soldiers, so he asked. It really didn't cross his mind that this state could amuse a group of transgenics this much.

"Yep. Screws with our body. Some functions shut down while the other parts of us become more ...er... prominent. Our hormone system also gets fucked, so our inhibitions fly right out the window," explained Ballard with a with a positively gleeful glint in his eyes. Logan noticed that Olivia –not Ophelia, he remembered-- buried her head in her hands. Logan ignored her and the shaking others, and turned back to Mole.

"How long will his state last, don't you know?"

"I have no desire to know how long he will last. And while we all know that Princess is always ready, I think it would be better if you waited, lets say, two days. What's so important anyway?" replied and asked the shotgun-toting transhuman from behind a grin.

"I just wanted to ask their help for a mission. Eyes Only got some information about a businessman and his connection to a drug-cartel in South America," explained Logan, "but I'm sure it can wait until Max and Alec get better. I wouldn't want to bother them now."

"Oh, that would be a good idea. Who knows what'd happen to you if you did," said Mole with a touch of amused understanding.

Logan heard someone mutter the words "Possibly die from....," he couldn't understand the last word, but the first three was enough to convince him that leaving the two leader alone was really the best thing he could do.

Before leaving, Logan turned once more to the other occupants of the room.

"Please tell Max and Alec that I was here, and that I want them to call me as soon as they're available again. And also, tell them that I wish them the bests. See you later," he said, then left the room.

As he was closing the office door behind him, he heard Mole yell after him, "It's been a pleasure, Logan!", placing a strong emphasis on the last word. But Logan didn't dwell on it for long, his mind moved onto the next topic. The loud laughter that erupted in the office, right after Mole's last words. What did I do?

OoOoOoOoO

A couple minutes after the cyber-journalist's departure Mole was sitting in the office, alone. Everybody returned to his or her respective job. Well, not everybody. Ballard simply dragged Olivia out of the room, after saying something about the importance of research on the topic of heat exposure. Olivia called him an idiot in twelve languages, but followed her mate with an excited grin on her face.

Their departure left Mole with only his cigar as company, but the seven feet tall lizard-man didn't mind it.

"Crazy cats," was the only thing he muttered with an almost fond expression on his face.

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