I think I'm writing another story solely for you Babyangel, so feel free to tell me if you're not liking something.


Chapter Seven

Needs



"Where are you going?" Original Cindy asked through Max's open door seeing the black duffel lying on the bed as Max went through her closet.

"Trying to track down a missing kid with Logan," Max said throwing a dress over to the bed.

"A missing kid requires a dress?"

"You never know. Kid's holed up in a boarding school."

"A missing kid's in a boarding school?" Original Cindy made a confused face walking over to sit on the bed.

"Dad swiped the kid. Tried to make it look like a kidnapping, and then took off with the kid. Logan's been trying to get a trace on him for a few weeks."

"So what am I supposed to tell Normal?"

"I think Cholera sounds good," Max scrunched up her nose and nodded before the smile emerged.

"Maybe diphtheria. I'm never cleaning the bathroom again if you've had cholera."

"So I guess bubonic plague is out?" Max laughed.

"How long you gonna be gone? There's a new club I wanna check out this weekend."

It was Wednesday night now; their meeting was in the morning, scope out the place and then grab back the kid at night so, "Friday morning? What shoes go with this dress?" Max asked holding up a navy blue sheath.

Original Cindy made a face looking at the bland sleeveless dress.

"I'm supposed to be a yuppy wife. I even have a scarf," Max said pulling out the printed scarf that had been tucked into the hanger.

"Ooh girl," Cindy said making another appalled face, "that's just hideous."

"Can you please just find shoes that go?" Max laughed walking over to the bag, " Logan's gonna be here in five minutes." Just then there was a knock at the door, "Or he can be here now. Find me shoes," Max called out as she headed towards the door leaving Original Cindy alone in the room grimacing as she fingered the dress.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

She settled back into Bessie twenty minutes later, her bag thrown in the back along with Logan's, her dresses tucked into the garment bag along with his suit hanging alongside his wheelchair. A travel mug of coffee sitting to the left of her, a couple of bottles of water and snacks resting at her feet, Logan had learned to pack since their last adventure together…

They'd gone out to his cabin this summer, it wouldn't have felt like a long drive if it hadn't been for the fact that he'd grabbed her out of Jam Pony a half an hour before she was gonna take lunch and of course it had been one of those days that she hadn't packed one. The Reds along with Manticore had been after her again, that implant of hers would have made her a sitting duck if Logan hadn't gotten the heads up from some sources Lydecker had put him in contact with.

It had been a very different visit at the Cale family cabin than it had been the first time. There were no desperate kisses between her and Logan though it had taken her a good few weeks to convince Original Cindy that nothing had happened. Nothing had though; they'd done their normal thing mostly. He worked while she bothered, occasionally actually helping. They explored the quiet town together, shot a little pool with better results than the last time they'd tried playing a small town. Played chess, checkers, Monopoly and every single card game they could think of that required only two players.

She talked him into going down to the lake three days into their visit. She'd pleaded, threatened, cajoled and finally just appeared in the living room as he was reading in a golden bikini she'd found in the stash of spare clothing kept at the place and thrown a pair of trunks at him. "I'm going down to the lake, you gonna keep sweating or can you check your ego for a few hours and come with me?" He conceded as he forced his eyes away from her scantily clad body. He even allowed her to slightly help keep the chair out of the water as they navigated over the rough terrain.

She'd asked him on their fifth and final night there the same question she'd asked the first time they were there as they were talking about how lucky they'd gotten a warning of the scan of the area. "If I had to leave would you go with me?" She said if and not when, she didn't know when she had stopped saying when. She knew though she wouldn't leave Seattle without a fight, she wouldn't go unless there was no other way.

"I'd still just slow you down," he answered looking into his wine, unable to face her on that question.

"I still don't care."

He looked over at her and returned her gaze for a moment before speaking, "Can't just walk away Max. You know that."

"Right," she nodded and reached out to grab her glass, "widows and kids." She wanted to turn back to him and tell him she needed his protection just as much as they did, hadn't this weekend shown him that? Who would make sure she ate right? Who would stay with her and calm her as the seizures left her freaked? Who would protect her from herself? Who would just be there, reminding her she wasn't alone in this world?

She hadn't though, she had just taken a long sip of wine and said, "It's so nice, I'm gonna go for a walk." Of course, she'd paid for that midnight walk to blow off steam with seventeen mosquito bites that she thought she was going to die from on the way home, but had refused to mention to Logan out of sheer stubborn pride. Dammit, why couldn't he see she needed him more than Seattle ever would?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Hey Linda, we're here," Logan used her alias, putting the car into park in front of the hotel.

"Hotel Willoughby?" Max said looking up from the file Logan had prepared for their interview with the dean to the sign of the hotel, which was named after the town, "Real creative."

"As long as they have clean sheets and hot water, who cares?" Logan said exiting the car.

She looked around the vacant lot and contained a sigh; there was no way they'd get put in a room with only one bed.