Chapter 8 – The Normal Solution
Two Months Later
It has been two months to the day since Max and Logan had returned from Portland. A lot had happened in two months; Max and Jondy had become close again, Logan had proposed to Max, Max had said yes and moved in with Logan, and plans are in place for an X-5 reunion to go along with the wedding of Logan and Max. Life was good for everyone, but there was still something standing in the way of true peace and happiness, the Reds were still out there somewhere. In the two months that Logan and his task force of X-5's have been watching the warehouse in Portland nothing had happened. Logan has been searching the informant net for any news of the Reds but still had not hear or seen any sign of them. Logan was pretty sure that the Reds had given up all hope of using Manticore technology to help the implants last longer, but he was not going to stop looking for the Red until he knew that Max and for X-5 family were safe from them.
When Max's woke up in the morning she had to smile at the sleeping figure next to her. Logan had been working so hard trying to find the Red lately that he had not slept in days. She knew that with their wedding coming up Logan was working harder to find the Reds because he was worried that they would choice the wedding and reunion as a good time to attack. Before Jondy had gone home Max and Jondy had come up with a plan that would take care of the Reds once in for all, but they were keep it from Logan till it was time to act on it, because they knew that Logan would try to talk them out of it.
With only a month and a half left before the wedding/reunion was to happen, Max was trying her best to get ready. The reunion was all planned out; everyone would come in town a week before the wedding. Jondy was taking care of where everyone was going to stay, making sure the Reds were inform of their invited to the event, and she was helping Max finish up the wedding plans. If it was not for Jondy, Max would never be able to pull all this off. On top of have to plan everything she was still working at Jam Pony, and helping Logan out with Eye's Only as much as she could. Looking at the clock Max knew that she should wake Logan up so he didn't sleep all day, but she just could not bring herself to do it. He had been going for three days on only 2 hours of sleep a night. He needed a day of rest and relaxation, and so did she. She got up as quietly as and walked in to the living room.
Picking up the phone she started to dial a number she would never called a few months ago, but now that everything had changed she didn't mind calling it. As she waited for someone to answer she though about how she was going say what she needed to say.
"Hello?" Normal picked up his home phone and looked at the clock to see what time it was.
"Normal, I need the day off." Max said hoping he would not fig out to much.
"There better be a good reason for needing the day off, Max if you are calling me two hours before Jam Pony even opens." Normal didn't want to get up yet so he was not so happy that he was being woken up, and by Max no less.
"Normal I always have a good reason, and sorry about the time. I forget the normal people need sleep. I need to day off because if I don't take it off Logan is going to kill himself." Max knew that Normal had a soft spot for both Logan and her self so she planned on using it for all that it is worth.
"What?" Normal yelled at the phone "Logan is going to kill himself? Why?" Ever since he had helped Max and Logan get rid of the virus, he had grown to really love and respect both of them. They were not his family but they were the closest thing that he has had for a long time.
"Well if he does not take to day off from working on all this Reds stuff he is going to work himself into a grave. I just can't have the man that I love work himself to death over something that will be taken care of here very soon." Max was so glad that Normal knew what she was and was willing to help how he could. He even was working on a shot that would help her bothers and sister get ride of their seizures.
"Are you ever going to tell him about the plan that you have in place for taking care of the Reds?" Jondy had filled Normal in on their plans to take down the Reds when she had ask him to help come up with some kind of virus that would cause the implants to stop working and not be able to be implanted ever again.
"Of course I am going to tell him, but I'm just not sure it is time yet. I am starting to thinking that if I don't tell him sure he will work himself to death. So can I have to day off or what?" Max knew she already had the day off but needed to make sure.
"Of course you can have the day. I am not sure why you are still working, now that you and Logan are together. He has more than enough money for both of you to never had to work again."
"I know he does but I like working, now that you have lightened up on me some. Plus I like being close to my peps all the time."
"Well you know that whenever you want to come in you can but don't feel like you have to all the time. I am going to think of you as more of a specialist from now on. Thanks to all your Manticore buddies I have more than enough help now."
"Thanks Normal. I always knew you had a heart in there somewhere." Max hung up the phone and headed back to the bed room.
Max cuddled back up with Logan and closed her eyes. As she let herself fall back to sleep, she though back to the day Logan had proposed.
Flashback
Logan had made dinner that night like all other nights. Max, Jondy and Logan had been sitting around talking and just enjoying life when Logan had ask Max if she anted to go for a walk. Logan had told Jondy what he was planning to do ask her if she thought that Max would love it. With Jondy's permission and good wishes, Logan set everything in place.
Max and Logan ended up walking to the Space Needle, where Logan asks if she wanted to go up. Max had been confused because she knew how much Logan liked high places, but Logan had insisted. Once on the top Logan wrapped his arms around Max, and pulled her close to him as they looked out of the broke city that they both loved.
Logan had told Max about how much he had missed her when she had been taken back to Manticore and how the Space Needle had help him feel like they were close again when she got back from Manticore and it was still nice to visit the place that had held so much hope for the future.
Logan turned Max in his arms, so that they were facing each other, and looked deeply in her eyes. "I felt like I had died when I did not have you in my arms, I though that you were died and I felt like I was too. The night when you came back to me was the happiest day I my life because my angel had found her way back. Even with that evil love virus between us I never stopped loving you. I knew, given enough time, we would be together again. I fell in love with you that first night you came to steal from me; it just took me a long time to realize it." Tears were starting to form in Logan's eyes as he wiped the tears that were rolling down Max's face.
Figuring that getting down on one knee could be a bad thing if he lost balance and start to fall; Logan pulled the ring box out of his pocket and nervously started to open it for her to see. "Max, since you have come in to my life I feel like I have started to really live. You have shown me how important freedom and love is. I love you with all my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me Max my angel?"
Max was having problems seeing Logan anymore for all the tears that rolling out of her eyes. This is what she had wanted from the day that she met Logan. "Yes, I will marry you Logan. I love you, always have and always will."
Logan put the ring on Max's finger and then picked her up into a big bear hug. He pulled away enough to set her back on the ground and place and gentle but passionate kiss on her lips.
Max fell asleep with a big smile on her face remembering how happy she was to have Logan and her family back in her life.
ooOoo
Logan woke up around noon that day. When he realized the time he jumped out of bed bad at himself for sleeping away most of the day. He went to the bathroom, and then headed to his office to see if there had been any new leads in locating the Reds. When he got to his office he found Max sitting at a empty desk. Looking around he could not see any trace of his computers and things else, all he saw was Max smiling at him and holding a cup of coffee out to him.
"Good afternoon sexy man." Max said as she handed Logan his coffee.
"Good afternoon to you." Logan took the coffee and started to drink the heavenly drink. "What have you done to all my work? I need to get back to work so that we can find the Reds and protect your family."
"No work today. You will get all your stuff back in a few days. For now, till I say so, you are taking time off." Max walked past Logan on her way to the kitchen where lunch was ready and waiting. "Oh, and don't bother looking for your stuff in the apartment, it is now here." She said with a smile.
"What do you mean that it is not here? Max do you know how many people's personal information is on my computers or stuff as you called it?"
"Logan, calm down. Bling has full control of all things Eyes Only right now. You job for now is to kick back and relax a little. You have been working so hard lately that I am worried if you don't take a break that you are going to work your self to death." Max handed him a plate a food, as he sat down at the kitchen bar.
"Logan I know that you want to take care of the Reds and protect my family, but you have to understand one thing. You are only one man. My family, who are your family too, can take care of themselves, but also we have a plan for how to take out the Reds once and for all."
"Max I know that you all can take care of yourselves but I also know that it is still dangerous out there for you all. I am just trying to help. I want to have the Reds taken care of before the reunion so that everyone can just enjoy being together. What is this plan that you are talking about and why have I never hear of it before?"
"I have not told you about the plan because I know that you would try to fight it. The thing is, everything is set up and taken care of, all we have to do now is wait for the right time." Max didn't want to tell him to much for fear that he would still try to stop them.
"Max if you want me to be able to take time off from working on Eyes Only and finding the Reds you are going to have to tell me more. I need to know what is going on or else I am out of here right now to go work on everything." Logan had not touched his lunch yet, because he could only think about the danger Max could be in at this very moment.
"Logan, I will tell you what the plan is if you promise not to freak out. Can you do that are me?"
"Max, please just tell me. I will try not to freak out but I really can't promise not to freak out at all. You know that I love you and that I will be by your side no matter what happens."
"The thing is that Zack figured out a way to get in touch with the Reds. He has already made contact and started to the ball rolling. He told them that he had some information that could help them stand the implant better. All he needed was one of the implants to try the test on. If it worked then the implants would not fry out peoples brains anymore. Well after a lot of rounds of just send us the information and we will have our scientist test it, Zack was able to get them to understand that these test are not sometime that anyone would be able to do, and that if something was to go bad he would need to be there to fix it. At first they wanted to fly to their labs, but Zack told them that he was in hiding and by talking with them he was putting himself in danger. They finally agreed, with the idea that they would send the implant through a delivery service. Zack had Alec go pick it up like any normal package pick up, but instead of taking it back to Jam Pony he took it straight to our scientist."
"How did Zack know how to get a hold of the Reds and who is this scientist that is working with us?" Logan was confused about those two points but followed the rest so far.
"Lydecker had sent a whole bunch of papers and computer files to Zack right before to went to look at that dig site where we found the breeding cult markings. In the computer files that Lydecker had was all the information about the Reds and how to get a hold of them incase Manticore ever decided that they wanted to work with them. The scientist is the same that gave us back our lives."
"Normal? Are telling me that everyone knows about this plan but me?" Logan was pacing now; he could not longer stay still.
"Logan, please calm down and let me finish." Max moved into the living room giving Logan more room to pace if he needed to. Logan calmed down enough to be able to sit on the couch with Max so she continued. "In the files from Lydecker, Zack was able to find information on how the implant works. Normal is using that information to design a virus that once given will kill off the implant. We also found out that the implants are all linked in someway, so if we take out one they all go down, no matter where they are around the world. The only problem is that when the implant is killed off it could kill off the person with it implanted in their head. We are working now to keep those that have been implanted alive and still kill the implant. Normal has been amazing in how he has figured out how to work on all this with out killing off the sample implant. It would not be good to kill off the test before we are sure that it will work."
"Wow! So you have figure all this out while keeping me completely in the dark. I have got to say that I am sad that you didn't tell me before but I am glad that you have figure out a way to stop the Reds." Logan was really starting to relax now, which made Max not want to spoil this calm by finishing the story.
"That is not all. If that was the whole of it I would have told you a long time ago, but there is more and this is the point that you are not going to like as much."
Logan turned to Max and took her hand in his. "Max what ever the rest of the plan is I can handle it, please just tell me."
"The problem is that to start to chain reaction that we need to pull this off we have to put the virus into one of the Reds with an active implant." Logan was trying to stay calm but was starting to get the idea that something bad was coming next.
"When we finish the virus and have it working completely Zack is going to call the Reds and get as many as possible to come to Terminal City so that he can give them the virus."
"When are you planning for this all to go down?" Logan was getting more and more worried that Max was going to do something stupid again to fight their guys.
"The plan is for everything to go down while the X-5 reunion is going on. Normal is almost done with the viruses, the virus to help the X-5's with their seizures and the virus to take out the Reds. He is sure that it will be done a ready for use in time for the start of the union. I have already talked to all the X-5's and told them what all is going to happen. They are getting in town and going to get their virus to fix the seizures first thing. Jondy has set up places for everyone to stay and, she and Zack are going to be the last ones to get the virus. They are going to wait till after our wedding to get their shots so that they will be able to help out if anything goes wrong. Syl is going to get the shot first, as soon as Normal gets the shot ready Syl is taking so that we can see how long it is going to take for it recover from it, and plus she is pregnant and we are worried that the baby will not live if she keeps having so many seizures."
"Are you sure that giving Syl the virus is a good idea? What if it hurts the baby or something?" Logan didn't want to see any of his new family hurt but majorly Syl being pregnant.
"Normal thinks that the baby may have the same gene that would give it seizures as it grows up so he wants to make sure that the baby gets the shot as well. The shot is not as much a bad virus as a virus that is going to release our bodies' natural ability to fight for itself. It is the same idea for what he did on me but with out the target on a coded virus. Syl's body will protect the baby from harm at the same time the virus will turn on the genes to produce the right things are make the seizures not a problem anymore."
"I am going to trust Normal that he knows what he is doing, I am not even going to try to understand all the science behind it. What is going to happen if everyone has not recovered in time to take out the Reds?"
"That is why Jondy and Zack are going to wait till after the wedding. If everyone is still out, which should not be the case, and then we will have them and our clones from Alec's class. They don't have the same problems so they don't need to be treated. Alec has already talked to them and they are all willing to help."
"This is a good plan Max. I don't really like the idea of you all putting yourselves in harms way to do this but if it is the only way, I am not going to stand in your way. I will be right there beside you helping as best I can." Logan pulled Max into his arms. He could not wait to marry her and be able to call her his wife.
"Thank you Logan for understanding. I am planning on hanging back just in case anything happens and the Reds get mean. Normal is trying to make the virus with a little delay to it, so that the Reds will have a fails sense that it worked and they are going to be able to live longer, but actually they will be on their way home when the implant is going to stop working and hopefully pop out of the necks causing no damage to the them. If they feel like anything is wrong during the giving of the shots we are going to need all the back up we can get to keep our people from dying."
"Good idea. I will do whatever you need me to do, I want these guys out of our lives forever. Our family has been through enough already it is time that we all have some time off."
Max and Logan fell into comfortable quiet, just enjoying being together. When Logan finally broke the quiet "so what did you have planed for this time off you are having me take?"
"Well to find that out you are going to have to follow me." Max said as she got up and headed to their bedroom. She turned around to see if he was coming and find that he is no longer in the room. When she got to their room he was already on the bed with a big smile on her face.
"How did you do that?" Max was completely shocked that he beat her to their room.
"That is for me to know and you to figure out later, but for now get your sexy little ass in this bed with me." Logan smiled as he pulled down into bed with him.
Author note: Sorry that it took me so long to write this chapter, I lost my flash drive with all my stories on it and I was busy with work at the same time. I finally found the flash drive and work has slowed down some. I hope you like the chapter. I think there is only going to be one more for this story. Thank you for reading.
Again sorry about Grammar and spelling, I just want to get this story finished and move on to another story.
