Monica: Sorry about the format these are in

When Dreams Become Reality (7/10)

By Guardian Angel (eyes_only1@yahoo.com)

Setting: After Beneath the Surface (my fic), and sometime after "Blah Blah, Woof Woof."

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Dark Angel (I only wish I did!)...so please don' sue! :-)

Author's notes: Well, this is the first piece of fanfic I've written that actually has more than the most basic of plots...I usually just write little romantic things. ;-) I have no idea how well this is going to turn out, we'll see how well I can pull of this whole plot idea, please bear with me! I'd LOVE comments/constructive criticism, knowing other people enjoy my work makes the effort seem worthwhile. And thank you to all those people who've emailed me or left reviews, I really do appreciate all the comments! :-)

Rachel, Mandy, Erin: Thank you girls, for all your help with this, you're the best! The insights you gave me were greatly appreciated.

More Author's Notes: All right, all right, I'm trying guys! ;-) It probably woulda taken me longer, except I was worried about BK sending her dogs after me, Jen coming after me with a big stick, or Girle*cherry sending her Logan & Zack clones after me...hm, actually, maybe I should wait for the clones, that could be kinda fun! *smacks self* Ok, ok, my mind's out of the gutter now, I promise...wait, never mind, my mind's *never* completely out of the gutter, and trust me, life is much more fun that way! ;-) Anyway, I'm trying to please my adoring fans. (Do you have any idea how cool that is, to be able to say "adoring fans?" I love you guys!) Ok, enough sappy crap, you guys are probably going, "get on with the damn story!" if you're even bothering to read these. ;-) So, let's see how well I can write on a Sunday morning, just out of bed...

Side note to BK: I think I'm gonna have to start callin' you "Drill Sergeant!" *laughs* Here I thought it was only me you bug about being faster...then I go and read other people's reviews, and you keep poppin' up, threatening people to do more. *shakes head* J/K! *hugs* Anyway, thanks for all your encouragement, and yes, the threats too. ;-)

(Yes, I know, before I'm done with all of this, the notes are going to end up being longer than the damn story! *lol*)

*****

Part 7

Max took her time in the shower, shampooing her hair twice and letting the spray of blisteringly hot water beat out some of the tension in her shoulders and neck. Waking up wrapped around Logan had disconcerted her even more than she had let on. Though I'm willing to bet a week's pay that he knows that, he's too damn observant!

Finally, feeling like a chicken for hiding out in the bathroom for so long, she shut off the water and dried herself off. Wrapping the towel around herself, with the end tucked between her breasts to hold it on, she stood in front of the mirror, combing the tangles out of her hair. She left it to fall in damp curls to her shoulders.

Picking up an eyeliner pencil, she began to outline the shape of her eyes. She hated how much makeup she was supposed to wear while here; she much preferred the few smudges of eye shadow and lip-gloss that she usually wore back home. Much more practical, and much quicker to put on. With a small sigh she began the time-consuming practice of painting her face, blending several shades of eye shadow together to achieve the dramatic effect she wanted, then applying lip liner and lip stick, as well as blush. She carefully covered the barcode on the back of her neck with makeup as well.

Finally finished, she examined herself in the mirror. Good enough for government work. Now, time for clothes. She reached down to grab the clothing she'd picked out for today...only to realize that she hadn't picked out any clothing. She'd been too flustered from her encounter with Logan to even think about grabbing underwear or clothing, or even a bathrobe. Now she was stranded in the bathroom with nothing but a towel. She'd already tossed her sweaty nightgown into the laundry hamper, and there was no way to get it out. The way the hamper system was designed sent the clothes immediately to the laundry room, where they were washed as soon as possible and returned to the owner later that same day. Damn it.

She contemplated asking Logan to bring her clothes, but decided against it. For some reason she couldn't name, she didn't want him sifting through her clothes, especially not her underwear. Never mind the fact that she'd never been a modest person, it was kind of hard to be when growing up in the barracks, with little to no privacy between male and female soldiers. For some reason, the thought of Logan selecting her bra and panties for the day just bugged her. Too personal.

With another frustrated sigh, she tightened the towel about her, making sure that it was secure and covered her decently. Well, as decently as a towel that fell only to the tops of her thighs could cover her, anyway. Straightening her shoulders, her resolve clear on her face, she opened the door...then promptly lost her cool, resorting to peeking through the door crack to see if he was in the room still.

He was still in bed, though he had scooted himself up enough to sit up against the pillows. Of course he is, you idiot, he can't get out of bed without your help! His laptop, which he had conveniently left on top of the nightstand, was now on his legs, and he was typing away furiously. Upon hearing the door open he looked up, meeting her gaze through the small opening.

Damn, damn, and double damn! Her poise was gone, now it looked like she was afraid of him, or being with him, or *something*. With a muttered oath, she shoved the door open the rest of the way and strode into the room, heading directly for the closet. Never glancing at him, she quickly selected a black silk skirt and a sapphire blue tank top. Moving over to the dresser, she grabbed a clean pair of panties and a black bra, before ducking back into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Calling herself every name she could think of, she leaned back against the door. Why does he affect me like that? With any other guy I could just brazen it out, act like nothing was wrong...but not with him. It sucks! With a mental growl, she shoved the thoughts out of her head as she pushed away from the door and began dressing.

***

When she exited the bathroom for the second time, Logan looked up. She looked much calmer now that she was dressed; she met his gaze and crossed the room to stand by his side of the bed.

"Sorry."

By the deep breath she took before speaking, he could tell it was hard for her to apologize. He had no idea what part of the morning she was apologizing for, but decided to leave it at that and not press her. Better that way, definitely. The corner of his mouth tipped up in a lopsided smile. "No big dealio."

As he had hoped, Max laughed at his use of her phrase. The tension between them dissipated, and they both grinned.

With a mischievous look on her face, Max teased him softly, ever wary of the bug in the room. "Lazy bum, hanging out in bed all day..." She shook her head, as if it was a huge travesty. "Ready to get up?"

"Sure thing, Master, just please don't hurt me!" His tone was light and easy, making a joke of his words.

She smacked him lightly on the arm before bringing his wheelchair a little closer and making sure the breaks were on. Giving him her arm, she deftly helped him into the chair.

"Thanks."

"No big dealio."

Logan smiled at her chosen phrase, before grabbing clothes and wheeling himself into the shower.

***

Later that morning, the pair was lounging on the porch of their little cabin. After spending the first few days mainly inside one building or another, Logan had decided he might as well get out and enjoy the place; after all it wasn't every day he was in Hawaii.

The morning sun was bright, and luckily not as stiflingly hot as it would be in a few hours. The air was redolent with the scent of flowers. With the trees surrounding the cabin providing a cover from the outside world, he felt fairly safe, and decided it was as good a place as any to speak freely.

"So, find anything interesting in those files I nabbed for you?" Max was sprawled in a chaise lounge, her feet bare. Sunglasses hid her eyes from his view.

After taking a sip of his orange juice, Logan called up the files on his computer before answering her. "Well, yes and no. There's some interesting gene-research stuff, you might want to read it and see what you can make out of it...that's really more your specialty than mine."

"'K, no prob, I'll take a look when we're done here."

"Good." He shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable. "As for the files about the Brotherhood in general, it was actually pretty interesting...and fairly informative, as well. Though I still have a lot of questions..."

"Did you find out what the deal with Fassbinder is? That boy just *bugs* me to no end." Sitting up slightly, Max reached over to snag a pastry from the basket sitting between them. She relaxed back in her chair and began picking the poor confection apart piece by piece, eating it in small bites.

"Yeah, actually, I did. Or at least I learned more than we did know. Our esteemed Channing is actually the illegitimate son of Davis, born when Jeffrey was only nineteen. Now here's where it starts to get interesting." He grinned slightly, enjoying the curiosity on her face. "Channing's mother was a common hooker. He lived with her until he was thirteen, when she died of a crack overdose. He spent the next two or three years on the street, scrambling to make a living anyway he knew how. Drugs, robbery, there's even hints of prostitution in the file, though nothing substantial."

"So if he's such a bad-ass, how'd he get turned around and become part of the Brotherhood? Did he just suddenly 'see the light' or somethin'?" She raised an eyebrow. In her experience, once a creep, always a creep.

"Well, the details here are a little sketchy, but from what I can tell he finally confronted his father. He was fifteen, sixteen at the most when this happened. With the help of his contacts on the street, he'd spent the past two years gathering dirt on Davis, and so when he finally met him he basically blackmailed him into claiming Channing as his son, at least privately..." His words trailed off as he spotted the man in question, Channing, making his way through the trees towards them. "So, in that case, did you have anything special in mind for today?"

Alerted by the abrupt change of subject, Max sat up and glanced around. Spotting Channing, her mouth flattened into a line for a second, before she forced herself to relax. "No, nothing specific. Though I did overhear some of the gals last night talking about a large brunch being served today...Can we go Honey? I'd kinda like to get out, you know, see people." She smiled sweetly at Logan as Channing climbed the steps to the porch.

"Sure, that sounds good. Whatever you want, Baby. I want you to enjoy yourself." He returned her smile with an indulgent look before meeting Channing's gaze. "Good morning, Channing."

"Good morning, Logan, Maxine. I trust you both slept well?"

Logan couldn't help but wonder if this was a barbed question. With a mental shrug, he decided it was better to be honest. Besides, there was nothing really sinister about what had happened the night before. "We did, thanks, except for Maxi's little nightmare."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear about that...everything's ok, I trust?" Channing had a rather slimy smile on his face as he studied Max. She pretended not to notice, keeping her sunglasses on so that he wouldn't see the angry expression in her eyes.

"Fine, just fine." Logan tried not to sound pissed, but it was hard. He felt like punching the disgusting man in the face for the way he was always looking at Max, and he wanted to be left alone to continue their discussion.

"Good, good. I just wanted to stop by to make sure that you had everything you needed, and were enjoying yourself. Is there nothing I can get for you?"

"No, we're fine, but thanks for the concern."

"Well, all right then, I'll see you two at the brunch in an hour or so. Until then, goodbye." With a slight wave, he trotted down the steps and off into the trees, soon disappearing out of sight.

Max rose from her chair and stalked over to the railing, leaning against the smooth wood as she stared off into the forest, scanning to make sure that they were indeed alone again.

Logan stared at her back. The tension in her shoulders was obvious even from where he was sitting, and guilt swamped him. "Max...I'm so sorry. I should never have asked you to come with me."

She turned to face him, jumping up to sit on the railing. Her eyes were shadowed, but she met his gaze. "Why? It's not your fault that all the men on this island- yourself excluded, of course- are dickless pigs who use women to boost their self-esteem."

"But I'm the one who asked you to come with me. I'm the reason you're here, having to endure this degrading treatment." His expression was pained.

"Logan, you didn't put a gun to my head and force me. You let me know how it was gonna be, and let me make the choice for myself. It's not your fault, I came into this willingly." She absently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Besides, blame it on the doctors at Manticore, they're the ones who made me like this." She stared off into space, lost in thought.

He was surprised. She was always so confident; it was hard to imagine Max being upset about the way she looked. "You're angry at the doctors for making sure you'd be beautiful?"

She sighed, frustrated at her lack of ability to portray her feelings. "Yes, and no. I mean, sure it comes in handy at times, makes it easy to manipulate men when needed, and it's nice to be considered attractive...at least normally. But still, sometimes it just seems to be more trouble than it's worth."

Before he could reply, she shook off her dismal thoughts and quickly changed the topic. "Logan, have you thought of the fact that if you reveal all we're learning about the Brotherhood, and land them in jail where they belong, you probably won't be healed?"

He was caught off guard by her sudden question. His answer was slow in coming as he debated how much of his misgivings and thoughts to reveal to her. He knew it was way too soon for him to reveal the main reason he was so anxious to be healed- to have a chance with her. "Yes...Believe me, I have. I guess that's just something I'll have to live with. I came here knowing it was a long shot, anyway."

She nodded, drifting off into silent thought again. Finally, a few minutes later, she jumped down from the railing, startling him out of his depressing reverie. "We should get ready for the brunch, or we'll be late...we can continue this discussion later."

***

Two hours later, Max and Logan climbed the steps to their bungalow. Well, Max climbed the steps, and Logan used the little lift that the Brotherhood had installed for him, so he could get up the stairs without requiring help. Both were weary, exhausted from spending the past few hours bored out of their minds, stuck in brain-dulling conversation with pompous men and witless women.

With a tired sigh, Max plopped down on the bed, lying on her stomach. She propped her chin on her fists, watching Logan.

After a moment, she rose from the bed long enough to snag Logan's laptop, before sprawling back on the coverlet. She glanced at him, making sure she had his attention, as she flipped the machine on. "Sugar, where are those magazine articles I wanted to read?"

It took him a minute, but he soon realized that she was really asking him to pull up the genetic research files. Wheeling himself over to the edge of the bed, he leaned forward as she scooted the computer closer to him. "Right here, darlin'." He accessed the first file, and showed her where to find the others when she was done.

She smiled her thanks as she settled down to read.

***

Logan prowled around the front room, trying to think of something to do. It had been several hours since Max had started to read the files, and she was still sprawled across the bed, hogging his computer. He had already gone to use the gym in the main hall, putting himself through a punishing workout. Now his arms and shoulders ached, and his legs *would* have ached, if he could actually feel them.

He had just put on some music when Max dashed into the room, unable to conceal her excitement. She hardly paused, just shot him a look and practically shouted, "Honey I need some sun," before running out to the porch, leaving him to follow.

Either she's just been struck by lightning, or she's found something. Her excitement was contagious as he eagerly waited to hear what she had discovered.

As soon as they were out of earshot of the bugs, she started talking, her bubbly words tumbling over each other in her frenzy to share her news. "Logan, I found it. It's all there! All of their research, all of their studies. Everything we could possibly need. With those files, you could bust their collective asses from here to kingdom come, and with the right specialist, you could still end up walking. All the specialist would need to do is tie up a few loose ends, and perform the procedure. Hell, with those files and enough time, *I* could probably heal you!"

"That's fabulous!" The widest grin she'd ever seen split his face. He laughed as she enveloped him in an enthusiastic hug. "Now all we have to do is finish gathering our evidence, and make it out of here without being caught."

Max grinned wickedly, her flagging spirits buoyed by her discovery. "Piece of cake!" She tossed her head, shaking her hair out of her eyes with the movement. "Speaking of which, was there anything pressing I should know in those other files? We never did finish our conversation after Channing interrupted us."

He shook his head, shrugging. "Basically, the gist of the whole thing is that Channing has some dirt on his father, and is holding it over his head to keep his position as co-founder of the Brotherhood. I have no idea what the evidence is, though." His expression lost some of its happiness as he contemplated the problem. "I think we need to get into Channing's office, do a search for the evidence. He'd keep it someplace handy, his office seems as good a place as any."

"It's all good. His office is on the side with all the nice trees, it'll be simple to climb one and let myself in through the window."

"That might work...but what if the information we need is in the computer? If it is, I can guarantee that it'll be a hell of a lot harder to find than your last mission was." He studied their options. "Can you think of anyway to get me into the office? It would make things a lot quicker, I could work with the computer while you search the rest of his office."

She thought for a moment, trying to work out a plausible plan. "There's a farewell dinner party tomorrow night, right? We definitely don't want to attempt this before then, since we have no way off this island except by their planes. So we want to wait until the last possible minute." At his nod of confirmation, she continued to mull aloud over the ideas in her head. "If the party yesterday is any example, they'll have pulled most or all of their guards down from the offices to man the downstairs area, make sure no one gets drunk and out of hand. That sort of thing." She nibbled on her lip. "We could probably sneak upstairs under the pretense of looking for someplace more private. If there's no guards in the hall we're good, but if there is..." She shrugged. "If there is, we'll probably have to backtrack and I'll have to go in alone."

"Probably as good as it's going to get. We'll just have to improvise if stuff doesn't go according to plan." It was less than perfect, but he knew they'd have to settle for it.

She smiled. "Hey, that's what I'm good at- making it up as I go along."

*****

Ok, so I know this isn't the most exciting part, sorry guys! That's what I get for writing it in the morning, instead of waiting until I'm more awake. ;-) Anyway, there were some loose ends I needed to deal with, so oh well…next part will be MUCH better, I promise…*evil snicker* Oh, and BTW…"Dreams" is completely done now, so the last 3 parts should be up this weekend. Enjoy!