This was it.

Logan could barely breathe as realisation dawned. This was finally it. This was what he had been searching for, for so long now- a cure. It had taken over a year, since the night Max had escape Manticore and infected him with the virus for the first time but now, in spite of everything, it was in the foreseeable future. He was down right estastic.

All he could think was that Max was going to live. Logan had saved her. Given, the cure still had to physically be procured, but that was just schematics. He knew Alec would take care of that part competently; the guy may be a bit of an egotistical jerk at times and competition when it came to Max but Logan was aware that Alec was more than loyal to Max, and was more than well trained and competant when it came to this sort of mission.

The underground cyber journalist wasted no time emailing Dix with the news; screw the hazardous chemicals, he wanted to make the announcement himself. He pulled his jacket off the hook , climbing into the exoskeleton that he wore more to compensate for his physical inferiority to the transgenics then because he genuinely needed it. Hurrying towards the door, Logan was so excited he was just about ready to start bouncing up and down or kiss Mole.

Max was going to live. This was it.

---

Max knew she only had a few weeks left. Unless a miracle fell from heaven and landed at her feet ready to beat this bitch, this was it. This was the last few healthy, if not slightly (but only slightly) round days of her all too short life. She had destroyed Manticore, won the battle against White and his freaky terminater gang during the seige and pulled together a nation for her poeple. After all that, she still was not free of the test-tube weilding psycopaths that had created her. She was counting down the days till she died, slowly and painfully, at their hand. Life was so not fair.

Max knew that it was far from fair on Alec, most of all. She would be the one doing the actual dying, granted, but he would have to watch her. Sure he acted like a jerk alot of the time, and he had tried to kill her and her's a few times, but that was past and when she needed him he was there. Even if there was a long line of snide and sarcastic comments along with it, he was there to help. And when she was upset, he was her shoulder. Her rock... Oh, god, Max thought, Mr Subconcious don't you dare go in that direction. But Alec was a friend, a good friend. And he would be the one to watch her die, and his child with her. And he would be the one to pick up the peices and keep Terminal City running in her perminant absense.

It was a weird feeling, knowing with this much notice that she was going to die. Fall into the dark never to return. Would God except a transie with a barcode, if he even existed? Max had no idea. But all she knew was the Alec was looking at her funny as if she had eaten a test sample of Willy Wonka's three course dinner in a stick of gum.

Max smiled, small and weak but reasuringly, and followed him out the door of her office. It was a mystery why Logan had phoned, not a minute after Alec had walked into her make-shift office, sounding like Sketchy would at the prospect of seeing women in the underwear and hitting each other with pillows. She had no idea why he sounded so happy, she only hoped it was good.

Because if it was not the news of a miracle, a genuine miracle than it was all over. This was it.

---

Ames White was pleased with himself. The small piece of information had seemed insignificant back in the good old days when he had an entire unit of special agents to do his cleaner work and being covert meant that no one asked too many questions. Now, however, it was his chance to win back all his former glory and more. It was his chance to swoop in and save the day like the evil world-dominance-seeking cult version of superman.

Ames White knew it was going to be a little harder now then it had been in the past, but it was off to a wonderful start and he still had friends in low and varied places. He still had a few men on his side, and a few connections that would come in handy. This plan was so fool proof it was like honey, and he was going to go home victorious with his flies. It would be steak and red wine for dinner; it would be redemtion. It was on the edge of his finger tips, and if he had the ability to genuinely feel anything then he would be feeling something akin to excitment or even happiness.

Not that there were no other alternatives if this fell through. Ames smiled at that thought. He was on his way back, he had various cards up his sleeve, and he was going to make it. He had to- all he had ever lived for and believed in depended on it. Besides, X5 452 was an annoying bitch and the mascot for his family's shame.

Nothing was going to stop him. This was it.

---

A/N-- Sorry this was so short and whammo! with that last scene. Next chapter will be longer, I promise. I just figured my adoring and rather vocal (at times) readers would prefer a short chapter now, then me sitting around blocked again for another month or so...But more will be up soon. I swear it. Study makes my muse tingle, for some reason... :p

Also PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I need someone to test-read/beta my origonal novel (the one I mentioned earlier) if anyone is interested. Please let me know. You already like my writing, if you've read this far. haha.

well, once again, cupcakes for all reviewers. This time I'll add lemonade. Oh, and I have little, little marshmellows and tiny teddies...... so press that button. You know you want to. If only to say that I'm completely horribly evil.

(Although if you that was evil, you haven't read my 'nightmares of Max' fic.... *insert evil laughter*)