Chapter 10
"It'll still ring if you turn away."
Logan looked up and saw Asha standing in the hall entrance. "What?"
"You've been staring at the phone for the past five minutes. Probably the reason you didn't even know I was here till just now.
"Oh…sorry."
"S'right. I've already gone through your safe and put your TV and VCR in my car." Asha said nonchalantly.
"You've got a car."
"Joke Logan. Geez, what's got you stuck on stupid."
"I was just waiting for Max to call me." Logan said glumly.
"What's wrong? I thought you'd be on cloud nine since this virus thing is almost done."
"Humph." Logan mumbled
"Tell me."
"She won't talk to me. I've called her countless times these last four days and when I do get a hold of her, the conversation never lasts more than two minutes. I don't understand why she's avoiding me now."
"Why don't you ask her?"
"I plan to if I can get in touch with her much less get her to say more than five words to me. "
"Why don't you go see her. That way, she won't be able to hang up."
Logan shrugged. "Don't know where she is."
"You're in luck. I just came from Crash and she was there. If you leave right now, you can probably catch her."
A grin spread across Logan's face. He quickly got up and headed towards the front door. "Oh Asha, sorry…what is that you came to see me for?"
"Go Logan." Asha said sternly.
"You sure."
"Yeah, it can wait." She added with a smile.
Max watched as Sketchy and Original Cindy battled in a game of foosball. Every once in a while she'd look casually over at the man sitting next to her and smile. The times when Alec would notice, he'd always return her smile.
This was right. This was the way it was supposed to be---here sitting at Crash with her friends.
She came to the realization a day after the treatment for the virus was given to her. She wasn't supposed to be with Logan. Last year, she was given a brief glimpse of what life would offer being with that beautiful man and maybe things would be different if she had seized the opportunity then before she had ruined everything.
She remembered the way Logan had started looking at her after the whole Ben thing. He'd finally seen what she really was. It hurt to see that look in his eyes but instead of walking away; she kept sticking herself in his life. Could she have been more clueless? Did she actually think that someone who murdered her own brother deserved any kind of happiness? Not being able to see Logan was the perfect reproof for her crime. But she didn't walk away from him and so fate stepped in and took her away. She was whisked back to Manticore to be punished for killing Ben and for making Logan think he could love someone like her. And boy was she punished. But damn it if there wasn't a bunch of bullheadedness in her cocktail, cause the second she escaped from Manticore who did she run to…Logan. Now enter the virus. Could the message fate was screaming at her have been any clearer--touch Logan and he dies. But did Max listen? Of course not. She convinced Logan and herself that they could beat this thing. They conned themselves into thinking there was hope. And fate was a spiteful bitch for that one. They were given a temporary cure only to have it ruined by yet another renegade Manticore creation which surprise, surprise, was also her fault that they were let out in the first place.
Now they had an actual cure, but Max wasn't deluding herself anymore. She'd finally figured it all out. It was not a coincidence that Quincy was the man who delivered the promise of a cure. She knew fate was reminding her of what had happened and what could happen again if she didn't get the message this time. She couldn't be angry because at least Logan's life wasn't in danger if she accidentally bumped into him or something.
Yes, everything finally made sense and thank goodness. Since figuring it all out she had slipped into a wonderful sense of calmness. She was perfectly content to spend the days at Jam Pony like she used to and the nights at Crash with her pals. Of course she also knew that fate wasn't letting her off completely. Her crimes were far too great. That's why Alec was in her life now. When she first met him he was assigned to be her breeding partner. That right there should have brought her to the realization that she only recently came to. Having to mate with a man identical to the one she murdered with her bare hands, trumpeted fate's decree that she didn't deserve anything but misery for what she had done. But she had been deaf then. When Alec came back into her life after the escape, he had been nothing but trouble. But these last few days he had been different and she knew exactly why. By giving up Logan and realizing her place, fate had decided to go easy on her. Alec was being sweet and helpful and she had to admit she really liked having him around. Every time he smiled at her, it was like she was being forgiven for what she had done to Ben.
Max turned and looked at Alec again, hoping to get one of his smiles. He obliged.
"You okay." He asked.
"Great. Why?" Max answered.
"You've been kinda quiet."
"Just thinking."
"Always a good thing." Alec said before finishing off the last of his beer.
"Alec."
"Yeah Max."
"You ever think about leaving Seattle." Alec shrugged. "I mean with White on our tails and all these rumors buzzing around about mutants and Manticore, it's only a matter of time before the shit hits the fan."
Alec looked at Max with a quizzical expression. "I haven't given it much thought."
"You'd tell me though, right."
"What?"
"You wouldn't just disappear. You'd let me know if you decided to leave."
Alec couldn't help but be puzzled with Max' line of questioning. He was also touched because it seemed like she was basically saying that she didn't want him to leave her.
"Of course I would Max. I could never just leave my favorite Manticore Alum." Max' eyes darkened at Alec's choice of words making Alec curse himself for saying that last part. Alec knew Max would probably be solemn for the rest of the night and it was his fault. Alec searched his brain and instantly thought of the perfect thing to brighten her mood.
"Hey Max, I'm kinda done with Crash what do you say we go race."
"Race what?"
"Your Ninja. I know a place in sector 12 where that's all they do. They've got gas and they're always looking for fresh meat to leave in their dust. Of course they've probably never raced against a genetically engineered vixen before."
"How much could I win?"
"Oh you'd clean up. They won't know what hit them."
"Let's do it." Max said with a grin. She and Alec then made their way over the Sketchy and O.C. and said their good-byes.
Logan pulled into the lot across the street from Crash. He was half way out of the car when he saw Max on her bike and Alec climbing on behind her. He then watched as they rode off into the night. Logan continued to stare down the street after them too stunned to move.
AN: I really want to portray Max' feelings about the rape realistically. But it's hard making her react like a "normal" woman would because she's so not. But I read that a lot of rape victims believe that being raped was a punishment for something they had done in the past. I figured this would be a good chance to work out some Ben issues that the show FINALLY decided to bring up.
"It'll still ring if you turn away."
Logan looked up and saw Asha standing in the hall entrance. "What?"
"You've been staring at the phone for the past five minutes. Probably the reason you didn't even know I was here till just now.
"Oh…sorry."
"S'right. I've already gone through your safe and put your TV and VCR in my car." Asha said nonchalantly.
"You've got a car."
"Joke Logan. Geez, what's got you stuck on stupid."
"I was just waiting for Max to call me." Logan said glumly.
"What's wrong? I thought you'd be on cloud nine since this virus thing is almost done."
"Humph." Logan mumbled
"Tell me."
"She won't talk to me. I've called her countless times these last four days and when I do get a hold of her, the conversation never lasts more than two minutes. I don't understand why she's avoiding me now."
"Why don't you ask her?"
"I plan to if I can get in touch with her much less get her to say more than five words to me. "
"Why don't you go see her. That way, she won't be able to hang up."
Logan shrugged. "Don't know where she is."
"You're in luck. I just came from Crash and she was there. If you leave right now, you can probably catch her."
A grin spread across Logan's face. He quickly got up and headed towards the front door. "Oh Asha, sorry…what is that you came to see me for?"
"Go Logan." Asha said sternly.
"You sure."
"Yeah, it can wait." She added with a smile.
Max watched as Sketchy and Original Cindy battled in a game of foosball. Every once in a while she'd look casually over at the man sitting next to her and smile. The times when Alec would notice, he'd always return her smile.
This was right. This was the way it was supposed to be---here sitting at Crash with her friends.
She came to the realization a day after the treatment for the virus was given to her. She wasn't supposed to be with Logan. Last year, she was given a brief glimpse of what life would offer being with that beautiful man and maybe things would be different if she had seized the opportunity then before she had ruined everything.
She remembered the way Logan had started looking at her after the whole Ben thing. He'd finally seen what she really was. It hurt to see that look in his eyes but instead of walking away; she kept sticking herself in his life. Could she have been more clueless? Did she actually think that someone who murdered her own brother deserved any kind of happiness? Not being able to see Logan was the perfect reproof for her crime. But she didn't walk away from him and so fate stepped in and took her away. She was whisked back to Manticore to be punished for killing Ben and for making Logan think he could love someone like her. And boy was she punished. But damn it if there wasn't a bunch of bullheadedness in her cocktail, cause the second she escaped from Manticore who did she run to…Logan. Now enter the virus. Could the message fate was screaming at her have been any clearer--touch Logan and he dies. But did Max listen? Of course not. She convinced Logan and herself that they could beat this thing. They conned themselves into thinking there was hope. And fate was a spiteful bitch for that one. They were given a temporary cure only to have it ruined by yet another renegade Manticore creation which surprise, surprise, was also her fault that they were let out in the first place.
Now they had an actual cure, but Max wasn't deluding herself anymore. She'd finally figured it all out. It was not a coincidence that Quincy was the man who delivered the promise of a cure. She knew fate was reminding her of what had happened and what could happen again if she didn't get the message this time. She couldn't be angry because at least Logan's life wasn't in danger if she accidentally bumped into him or something.
Yes, everything finally made sense and thank goodness. Since figuring it all out she had slipped into a wonderful sense of calmness. She was perfectly content to spend the days at Jam Pony like she used to and the nights at Crash with her pals. Of course she also knew that fate wasn't letting her off completely. Her crimes were far too great. That's why Alec was in her life now. When she first met him he was assigned to be her breeding partner. That right there should have brought her to the realization that she only recently came to. Having to mate with a man identical to the one she murdered with her bare hands, trumpeted fate's decree that she didn't deserve anything but misery for what she had done. But she had been deaf then. When Alec came back into her life after the escape, he had been nothing but trouble. But these last few days he had been different and she knew exactly why. By giving up Logan and realizing her place, fate had decided to go easy on her. Alec was being sweet and helpful and she had to admit she really liked having him around. Every time he smiled at her, it was like she was being forgiven for what she had done to Ben.
Max turned and looked at Alec again, hoping to get one of his smiles. He obliged.
"You okay." He asked.
"Great. Why?" Max answered.
"You've been kinda quiet."
"Just thinking."
"Always a good thing." Alec said before finishing off the last of his beer.
"Alec."
"Yeah Max."
"You ever think about leaving Seattle." Alec shrugged. "I mean with White on our tails and all these rumors buzzing around about mutants and Manticore, it's only a matter of time before the shit hits the fan."
Alec looked at Max with a quizzical expression. "I haven't given it much thought."
"You'd tell me though, right."
"What?"
"You wouldn't just disappear. You'd let me know if you decided to leave."
Alec couldn't help but be puzzled with Max' line of questioning. He was also touched because it seemed like she was basically saying that she didn't want him to leave her.
"Of course I would Max. I could never just leave my favorite Manticore Alum." Max' eyes darkened at Alec's choice of words making Alec curse himself for saying that last part. Alec knew Max would probably be solemn for the rest of the night and it was his fault. Alec searched his brain and instantly thought of the perfect thing to brighten her mood.
"Hey Max, I'm kinda done with Crash what do you say we go race."
"Race what?"
"Your Ninja. I know a place in sector 12 where that's all they do. They've got gas and they're always looking for fresh meat to leave in their dust. Of course they've probably never raced against a genetically engineered vixen before."
"How much could I win?"
"Oh you'd clean up. They won't know what hit them."
"Let's do it." Max said with a grin. She and Alec then made their way over the Sketchy and O.C. and said their good-byes.
Logan pulled into the lot across the street from Crash. He was half way out of the car when he saw Max on her bike and Alec climbing on behind her. He then watched as they rode off into the night. Logan continued to stare down the street after them too stunned to move.
AN: I really want to portray Max' feelings about the rape realistically. But it's hard making her react like a "normal" woman would because she's so not. But I read that a lot of rape victims believe that being raped was a punishment for something they had done in the past. I figured this would be a good chance to work out some Ben issues that the show FINALLY decided to bring up.