Chapter 11 - Max's POV

I can't help but laugh at the look on his face. Poor Logan, he's so tired and he keeps fighting sleep. Our faces are even on the pillow and his eyes are barely open. Whenever he talks it's slurred or just pure babble. His usual scruffy beard is longer than usual. I glide my hand along it, feeling its texture. He opens his eyes partially at my gesture and smiles. "Oh, Max." It is hard to decipher what he is saying but I know his heart, and I know what he's thinking. "You're so;" I giggle girlishly at his big yawn and wait for him to continue. "So, beautiful." He finally manages to choke out. I haven't forgotten the pain I felt earlier, or the way I hurt him but I have gotten over it and I only hope he has too. Maybe if I pretend to sleep he will think of joining me.

I begin to yawn and stretch making sure he notices. "I'm sleepy," I tell him in my best whiny voice. "I wanna go to thleep." I give myself a slight lisp as I pout like a child. He nods his head slowly to show me that he understands. I gradually begin to close my eyes and slow my breathing. I give him all the signs that I'm sleeping and wait for him to react. He pauses a moment and then snuggles closer to me. His arms tighten around my waist, his face gently rests on my chest and I feel him fall asleep.

I stare down at sleeping Logan, contemplating what he is dreaming about. He looks so happy but then, at the same time, he looks scared and lonely. I touch his sleeping face hoping to get a reaction out of him. He doesn't respond. In the last ten minutes I have changed our sleeping position. Now my face rests on his chest, his arms are still wrapped around me but now my arms enclose him too. As I listen to him breathing I feel sleep catching up to me. I haven't slept well in a week almost. Maybe I will join him; I will join him in his dreams. Or are they mine too?

"Max? Max?!" Logan is standing, not in a room but rather a kitchen, his kitchen. He sets the table and walks around almost happy. He keeps calling her, sure that she will have to come sometime. Just as he leans down to light a candle and as the light from the flame jumps up Max walks out from behind the doorframe. Logan lets out a sigh of relief and they walk towards each other. "I missed you," Logan says. She rolls her eyes and walks past him.

"You saw me ten minutes ago you dolt." Max says playfully to him as she picks up a fork and toys with it, her back is to him. He walks behind her and slips his arms around her small body.

"One second is too long to be away from you, my love." She leans back against his strong frame and tilts her chin upward to see him. Max smiles and turns in his arms.

"Far too long," she responds as she begins to tiptoe to kiss him. Just as her lips are close enough he slips a finger between them and softly puts it to her lips.

"Not now, not yet. I'm sleepy, let me rest. Lets just dream for now..." She pouts at him but backs away. He quickly yanks her back and grins devilishly. "We can do all that later." She still pouts and walks away. "Oh, come on now, Max. Don't be mad, babe." She turns around sharply to face him.

"Do I look like some talking, pre pulse pig to you?" Her voice is challenging but her facial expression is even. He is surprised not only by her reaction but also by her reference to Babe, The Movie.

"Well -- I -- Max... -- I didn't mean it like that I Just--" She smiles at him wickedly as she watches him try to apologize. As he realizes her little trick he too smiles. Her arms quickly drape around his neck and she leans her head against his strong, muscular chest.

"We're okay for now, here I mean. No rush; we have all the time in the world." Max says quietly. He breathes in the scent of her and rests his head on top of hers.

As their bodies rock back and forth in their own natural rhythm their breathing falls in sync, their hearts beat the same. Once again they are one.

After hours of just standing there, holding each other and whispering sweet nothings, Max decides to break the silence. "Logan, this is fun but maybe we should handle things out in the real world?" Logan lets out an exasperated sigh as he sees the look in her eyes and then watches as her image disappears from in front of him.

He lets out a shaky sigh as the room dims then turns dark. "It's not always easier out there." Logan says to the blackness just as his image fades away also.

Logan's POV

As I open my eyes I see Max's body looming over me. She's holding something above me but I can't make it out. My vision is blurred from sleep plus I don't have my glasses on. "Wakie, wakie, loogie." As I turn and groan I feel water pouring onto my face and body. I quickly jump up, surprised at the coldness and sharply face the laughing Max.

"That wasn't nice!" Is all I can choke out as I wipe my face free of water. I put my glasses back on to find her pouting at me with such cuteness that my heart melts.

"You had to wake up. You just had to" Her voice is childish enough to make me laugh. Note to self: In manticore Max learned how to whine...

"uhmmm...."I fall in love all over again as she smiles. Her beauty never ceases to amaze me. To think that I was without her for so long, too long. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Max. Could you ever forgive me?"

"Logan, I already have. The bigger question though is, can you forgive me?" She raises a finger to my lips and shushes my protest. She continues, "I hurt you with the intention of doing just so. That in itself is enough to never see forgiveness." Her eyes plead with me and I can see how hurt she was when she thought I could never forgive her. Words don't seem enough for me at the moment so I just smile at her and kiss her gently on the lips.

"My dear, I forgive you with all of my heart." As we close in for another kiss her growling stomach interrupts us. It's then that I remember that she hasn't eaten in at least a week. "Max, when's the last time you ate?"

"Four days ago." She states matter-of-factly. I can tell that she's lying though so I flash her a look and she caves. "Ok, so maybe six or seven." I raise my eyebrows at her. "All right already! About eight days!" She throws her arms up exasperated and walks out of the room towards the kitchen.