I don't own any part of Dark Angel, except the dvd's.

G is for Gone

Max ignored the way everyone looked at her as she made her way into the office. Her fight with Logan last night had been a bit more vocal than she'd intended.

Max had hoped virus was the root of all evil in their relationship. She had started learning, quickly, that a cure may have been the only thing that kept her trying with him. It had been little things at first, awkward silences when there was nothing they had to talk about besides bad guys. It didn't help that Max was always busy with TC business, or that Logan had started spending so much of his time traveling.

Then had come the night of the date after the cure.

Max had accepted the responsibility of that disaster. She'd been nervous, talked almost the whole time, about TC. Logan had smiled patiently, and changed the subject to the politics of TC, and how the American government was handling the 'transgenic issue.' He had asked about OC and Sketchy.

It had hit Max then. They were having to get to know each other, again. So much had changed between them, and the virus hadn't been the sole cause.

Max's life no longer revolved around hiding out, and keeping her secret. She was a leader now. She liked it, liked helping her people. Isolation, being someone that was cold and heartless, it no longer worked for her.

Logan's world no longer revolved around Eyes Only. His home at Joshua's hadn't lasted more than a few weeks. He'd started traveling after losing his apartment, and he couldn't settle because White was still out there. That was hurting him, being on the run. He couldn't be a part of TC, because honestly, he had no part there, no purpose. The transgenics were still having trouble accepting him. That hurt him too.

The last thing Max ever wanted was to be the reason Logan was hurting.

The dinner had ended in silence. They'd gone back to his hotel room, and wasted no time in their trip to the bedroom.

Afterward, Max had lain next to him, watching him sleep, and imagined a future with him. If things changed, maybe. No need for TC, no one hunting her people, friends, or family, maybe. No need for Logan to travel constantly, maybe. More time spent getting to know each other, maybe.

Max almost cried, because she'd never hoped for maybe. There was no way she was going to sulk right next to him. And if she'd tried to wake him, she wasn't sure he wouldn't be offended.

Strange, she'd once thought she knew how to predict his every action and reaction. Now, she wasn't sure she knew him at all.

What was she doing here?

So she'd scribbled a note, and gone home early. She'd taken a long shower, then sat on her bed. Not tired, not wanting to be alone. Alec's. Definitely. Even if poker night was over, he would hand her a beer, and listen to her complain. Or maybe they could just crash in his living room and watch a movie.

And poker night had just gotten started, and Max wasn't sure she'd ever been more comfortable with a group of people than she was that night.

And that was another thing that had changed. Logan didn't understand how she could be so close to Alec, and not be romantically connected in some way. Or why it was Alec, of all people.

She'd tried to explain. She was so proud of Alec. He'd changed so much since he'd been out in the world. Since he'd decided to stay and 'help' Max rather than go out on his own. He could have, Max knew that, and at one point, had wished for it. Now, she didn't really think TC would survive without him. He'd handled everything himself that night, and really, nothing had gone wrong. He had become her sounding board, and biggest supporter, and even she didn't understand the change, but she was glad for it.

The next day, outside her office, she'd teased him about being left in charge all of the time, and for a moment, he'd looked completely panicked before he realized she was joking.He'd leaned beside her, against the wall, his grin in place. He'd watched the transgenics on the level below them, and she'd watched him. She'd realized already that he was not only a natural leader, but everyone liked him, and trusted him. She'd thought of telling him how proud she was of him.

Then he'd said some smart ass thing, and all her pride in him had vanished as she hit him.

She hadn't known that seconds before she hit him, Dalton had taken their picture.

Last night, a month after leaving him that scribbled note, Logan had asked for the dossiers on all the transgenics, to help him with an Eyes Only broadcast he was planning.

They'd gone to Gem's to get the latest pictures, and Gem had invited them both to a baseball game Dalton and some friends had planned. August had crawled from Max onto Logan's lap. He'd winced.

"You're not afraid of a baby are you," Gem had teased.

Logan had denied it quickly, but Max has seen the flash of fear in his eyes. Without it ever being said, she knew that in that imagined future with him, children were far less than a maybe. She'd looked away from him. Children maybe weren't in her immediate plans, but eventually, why not? August was the first baby she'd really spent time with, but Max loved her. Loved the idea of maybe one day...

"Here they are," Dalton said, handing her the photo album. "These are the most recent ones I've developed."

Max had opened the album, and when she had tilted it for Logan to see, a photo had fallen out. Max had seen Alec's face before Dalton grabbed it. "Wait," she said softly. "Can I see that?"

Dalton had handed it to her, nervous.

Logan cleared his throat after a moment. "That's really good. Both of you look... happy."

Max heard the jealousy under his words.

Dalton obviously didn't. "It's everyone's favorite. This is actually the copy Alec asked me to make."

Max handed the photo back to Dalton quickly, and turned Logan's attention to the other transgenics in the album.

Later they'd been in her apartment and Logan had suggested someone should think about moving to Washington, to show the transgenics wanted to be represented in the American government. He'd suggested Alec.

"No," Max said without hesitation. "I need Alec here."

"Why?"

"Logan, he's my second in command. I wouldn't be able to run this place without him."

A long silence. Then, "You can run it without me."

Max stared at him a moment. "Logan, please, don't turn this into a you versus Alec debate."

"Oh, I won't," he said angrily. "As far as you're concerned, he'd always win."

Max rolled her eyes, and turned back to her paperwork.

"What made you choose him?" He asked quietly.

"What?"

"When you and I were having problems. What made you choose him?"

"He was there," Max muttered.

"He's always there, isn't he?"

"You want me to send him to Washington so you'll feel better, Logan?"

Logan frowned. "That's not why."

"Yes, it is," Max exploded, suddenly fed up. "You're jealous of Alec! You're being ridiculous... Freaking out...because of a photo!" She frowned. "You're always on the move lately, Logan. There's nothing here you need to be doing. Why don't you go to Washington?"

"Maybe I will," he said coolly, and walked out without another word.

Now Max sat at her desk, glaring at the papers on her desk. When someone knocked, her "What?" came out like a screech.

"Calm down, Maxie, it's just me." Alec came in and slouched in the chair across from her desk. "Everything okay?"

"Of course," she grumbled.

"Yeah, cause you're normally so cheerful."

"Oh, what do you care?" She exclaimed, sitting back in her desk and glaring at him.

"You're our leader, Max. Morale and all that. Also, you're my friend." He looked at her challengingly.

Max sighed, and then it all came pouring out, every issue she had with Logan, from the awkward silences, to the idea of kids. When she was done, she shrugged at him. "I can't deal with him, and hold TC together."

Alec cleared his throat carefully. "Then it sounds like you have to make a choice," he said gently. "You could go with Logan, you know. To Washington. No one would think less of you, for taking the fight to them."

"I can't leave TC!" She said, shocked at the suggestion.

"Yes, you can," he said slowly. "No one is going to hold you here against your will, Max. You make your choice, and we'll stand by you." He smiled at her. "I'll have your back."

Max stared at him for several seconds, realizing he was really serious. "Alec, I'm not leaving TC. I don't want to. Ever."

"Then that's what you need to tell Logan," Alec said quietly.

A few minutes later Max found herself knocking on his hotel door. He opened it warily. "I need to talk to you," she said honestly, and when he held the door open she slipped inside.

The next day Alec found Max at Dalton's game. Joshua was doing commentary from the top of the bleachers and Max was grinning as she talked to the people around her. When she saw him she waved him to sit next to her. "Finish those papers?"

He nodded. "You talk to Logan?"

Max nodded, and when Alec just watched her, she gave a soft sigh. "He's gone."

"Gone?"

"To Washington." She gave a slight shrug. "He still wants to help."

"You okay?" He asked, real concern in his voice.

Max watched as Dalton came up to the plate.

"You want to know the last thing he said to me? He told me that when things get better, when I can leave, he'll come for me."

Alec nodded. "Feels weird. I mean, he's barely here, but this seems final, somehow." He winced. "Sorry."

Max shrugged, watching Dalton get ready to swing. "It's okay, Alec. Want to get a beer when the game's over?"

Alec stared at her. "Your boyfriend is gone, probably for a very long time, if not for forever, and you just want to get a beer?"

Max frowned at him, feeling sadness flowing through her like her blood. "You want to know the worst part? Yeah, he's gone, but the truth is, I think he's been gone, for a long time."

Alec set his hand on her shoulder. "You going to be okay?"

"Yes," she said with a small smile. "I'm working on it, anyway."

And they both cheered at the crack of the bat hitting the ball, Dalton blurring around the bases, and Joshua's voice mimicking a baseball announcer. "And it's going, going, gone!"

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