Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Original Cindy grinned. She was like the cat that got the canary and what a fine canary it was. That girl could drink! Cindy smiled her new lickety boo was worth jumping back into the dating game. Since Diamond there hadn't been anyone to hang onto Cindy long enough.
This girl—damn! She licked her lips slightly.
Then again maybe it was time. Her best boo was getting married. Logan had let her in on the plan. Sure she wasn't the type of girl to go for those big romantic gestures but Max might be. Then again maybe it was the person offering Max this chance of happiness.
Logan and Max were the perfect pair. Cindy had noticed the way the couple looked at each other. When they were first going out no one could get the middle of Logan and Max. They were always together laughing and enjoying each other if they couldn't touch. They were so in love with each other.
Logan obviously adored Max and Max had been completely in love with Logan. When they had thought that Max was dead, Cindy had seen Logan go into severe depression. She had thought he would never recover from that loss. But when Max return, a weight had lifted off Logan. Of course the virus had forced the two lovers to remain apart but it was no longer an obstacle. Now the pair could be together like they had always wanted.
Something was up with Max though. Cindy had noticed that her roommate wasn't really talkative of late. Cindy had been surprised when refused Max to move in with Logan. She thought her girl would jump at the chance to be with the man she loved. Max had point blank refused. Maybe it was just nerves or the fear of commitment.
Cindy hoped for a quiet night. Max would call her later and tell her the good news. The sound of sobbing was coming inside the apartment.
"Max?"
Cindy stared at her sobbing roommate. Max was sobbing on the floor curled up as a ball. She was rocking herself back and forth trying to hold it together. She couldn't believe that this ngiht ahd happened. She didn't want Logan. She didn't need the normalcy he offered. It was that normalcy—
No it wasn't Logan's fault. He had never treated her differently from anyone else. Even when she had first broken into his penthouse he had treated her as a normal person. Sure she did missions for him but it was a quid pro quo relationship. She helped him out and he gave her information.
His information was never enough and it didn't equal the time that she spent doing missions for him. Her sibs were good at hiding though. Perhaps Logan couldn't find anything. Yeah that was it. He was always reasearching.
But never truly looking for her sibs. She had done more with a P.I. than he had ever done. But he had found her Ben.
Wait a minute Max stopped crying. He had only found her Ben because someone in the police had given him the information looking for answers.
"Max what's wrong?"
Max gazed at Cindy. She didn't even know where to begin. The collapse of her relationship with Logan or the death of her brother?
Luckily for Max the phone rang.
"OC here speak your price."
"Is Max there?"
"Logan?"
"Yes, Max is she there?"
"She's here alright. What happened?" Cindy asked as she watched Max who was washing her face.
"I asked her to marry me and you know what her response was? She didn't say anything. She just ran out of here."
"Well, she don't look too good. I think she needs you to come take care of her. You know that you can always get through to her. She's crying on the floor. I tried talking to her but she ain't responding to me."
"I'll be right there."
About ten minutes later Logan came in still dressed in his tux. He rushed to Max's side immediately. He bent down and tried to pull her into his arms.
Max reacted fast. She was no longer crying but she wasn't happy to see him. She pushed him off her and sent her sprawling into the nearest wall. She turned and looked him in the eyes.
"Don't touch me," she growled.
"Max, I was only trying to help," Logan answered confused at her actions.
Max just narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you know what today is?" she demanded.
"Max, it's been a year and a half since we officially started dating."
"Is there anything else important about today?" Max asked her eyes darkening dangerously.
Logan just stared blankly as far as he was concerned today was only important because it was their anniversary.
"Boo, why don't you tell us," Cindy said trying to defuse the volatile atmosphere. "Why have you been acting so weird? I mean you almost canceled your dinner date tonight. You took off of work today. No one knows where you went. Alec said you didn't show up for a meeting at TC. Girl, that just ain't like you. So what's wrong? What aren't telling us? You're not sick or pregnant are you? Because if you are we can help you girl."
"No, it's nothing like that," Max answered trying not to laugh.
She would never be so upset about such simple things. She could deal with those.
"You're a wolf in sheep's clothing."
I may be but then what are we all? I don't what else we could've been. We had to hide what we were, Ben. You couldn't and that's why…
The tears leaked out of her eyes. She didn't want to think about it.
"Then what is it boo? What's making you act so strange?" asked Cindy.
"You were going to cancel on me?" Logan asked.
"I had a good reason," Max replied.
"Where were you today?" Cindy asked. "And how did you get Normal to give you the day off? You know he ain't exactly your biggest fan girl."
"I told Normal it was an anniversary," Max answered calmly.
"You used our anniversary as an excuse?" Logan asked her incredulously.
Max would never do something like that. She was always so careful about keep their relationship separate from other parts of her life.
"I wasn't talking about our anniversary. I told him I needed to leave town."
"That sure don't explain where you were boo."
"I had things to do."
"Just tell us," Logan said his eyes growing colder.
"I went to confession," Max answered bluntly.
"You're lying," Logan said.
"No, I went to confession. I needed to go."
"Max, you ain't exactly religious boo."
"It was something I needed to do. I knew you wouldn't understand. Now can you both leave me alone?"
"Just tell us why you were crying and why you left without answering me," Logan said.
Max turned her back on him. "I miss my brother."
"What does your brother have to do with anything?" Logan demanded.
"Home girl, I know you miss Zack, but this is a little extreme. I mean you didn't even eat breakfast this morning. Something has got to be wrong for you to do that," OC said.
"I wasn't talking about Zack," Max answered looking down at the floor.
"Who were you talking about then?" demanded Logan. "I mean it has been a while since you've seen any of the others. Hell, it's been a year since you saw Zack. It can't be because you miss one of your brothers. It has to be something else. Your behavior is a recent development. And I don't believe for one second it has something to do with your brothers."
"How would you know? It has been two years since I last saw him. Last year I spent the anniversary of his death alone at the Space Needle. I took some personal time. I remembered him and I tried to make peace with what I had done. I still haven't made peace with it. I know that I never may. I will never accept the fact he is dead. It just hurts too much. So what do you do this year? You propose to me on the anniversary of my brother's death. How could you ask me to marry you on the anniversary of Ben's death?" Max asked Logan in very controlled voice.
Logan looked at Max and horror. "This is all about Ben? It's been two years Max. I forgot the anniversary. You should've just told me. Besides you shouldn't beat yourself up over his death. He was a killer that had to be stopped."
"To you he was a killer but to me he was my brother. He may not been my brother biologically but he was close to me. He was my unit mate and my best friend. How can you think that his death wouldn't affect me? How can you tell me that it is something to accept? I could've helped him."
"Max, he was psychotic. I doubt there's enough professional help in the entire planet that could've helped him. He was hunting people like they were animals. He needed to be stopped. That's why I threatened exposure if 'Deck didn't stop him. And Deck's people finished him off."
"You what?" Max asked her face turning ashen.
To be continued….