Title: The Fight

Name: Joy

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

Rating: R (Swearing)

Max strolls into the apartment that had become her second home. Logan was in his study working on the latest injustice in Seattle. "Why aren't you wearing your braces? It is better for you to take small steps around the apartment, then roll everywhere," Max said chiding her sweetheart.

"Because, once you got here I thought we would go to the pub and hang out with your friends," Logan responded. He suspected that Max would not want to go out--she never seemed to. He loved spending time with her alone but he knew there was a part of Max he was missing out on: the part of her that went to Crash and hung out with the girls. That part of Max was a mystery.

"Oh, you want to go out?"

Logan knew what he was about to say wasn't fair, or even true, but he knew putting Max on the defensive was the best way to get her to admit the truth. "That is what I just said. Max, I am getting the feeling you are embarrassed by me or being with me while I am in this wheelchair. Maybe you just don't want me hanging out with your friends. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it." Logan stated.

"The wheelchair thing is your issue not mine," Max retorted.

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked Logan.

"You have issues with people treating you different. I could care less," Max said tossing her head.

"Then why don't we do things with your friends? Why am I not allowed to spend time with them too?" Logan stated, frustrated.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The last three times I have suggested us going out with your friends you have changed the subject or just refused. I want to get to know all the parts of you, not just the Supergirl," Logan said, exasperated.

"I don't want to fight, so I am going to go for a drive and I'll come back later," Max offered. Logan rolled directly in front of her path.

"Max, give me a break. We argue about 'work' all the time and sort it out, but because this is about us you go running. That isn't fair."

"Fair. Who said anything about fair? My life hasn't been fair. Your life hasn't been fair. I am just trying to not let stupid stuff get in the way of us," retorted Max.

"The stupid stuff is what builds up and causes real problems later," Logan said annoyed.

"Yeah, you would know right?" snapped Max.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

"God, I hate that. Valerie used to do that. Just tell me…" Logan started to say.

"Yes, Valerie. You're the all wise one with all the answers, because of Valerie… Let me ask you Logan…if you are the end all be all, then why are you divorced?" Max hissed. She headed directly for Logan's ego with that gibe. She knew how much he liked to work stuff out. In some ways, he felt terribly responsible for Valerie's drinking.

"Where the hell did that come from? You're mad about what here? The fact that I mentioned her. That she exists? What?" Logan yelled back. If he had really been listening, he could have heard her insecurity about relationships in her statements.

"No. I hate the way she is used as a re-enforcement to show that you understand relationships and I don't. She is the proof that you have experience. While, even though I lived with a guy, I am this unfeeling monster that can't know anything about relationships," spewed Max. She was never sure she could be close to anyone. Presently, those fears were spilling over into the real world where she was close to someone.

"Why is it that I'm just now hearing about a live in from you? What, I didn't deserve to know? It wasn't important, until it could be used as ammunition?" Logan fumed. He was pissed because this was the first time Max had mentioned she had lived with Darren, even though Original Cindy had told him about it earlier.

"Back to the idea that I am an unfeeling monster, except you use the weapon analogy. I can't believe you are even interested in a bio-engineered killing machine. It must be so hard for you to even conceive of sleeping with me, since I'm not even entirely human. I bet it just turns your stomach," Max spat. There it was: the real fear.

"You said it, not me!" Logan yelled, so hurt and angry about the situation that he said exactly the wrong thing.

Max's teeth clinched. She wanted to break something badly. The walls began to re-brick between herself and Logan. As she stared at him, she could hear Zach talking about phony sentimentality. She'd had enough. She backed away from Logan and headed for the door.

"That's your solution. Run away? I thought I was supposed to be where you ran to, where you felt safe," Logan said a little more calmly.

"Not tonight. You are definitely not a safe place for me tonight," Max said icily as she left the apartment, slamming the door behind her. Logan sped after her, but she was gone. Soon, Logan heard Max's motorcycle speed away.

Logan sat in his living room, rerunning the words of their argument in his head. He began to hear the underlining desperation and fear in Max's words. It took a long time for him to process what had happened. The thought entered his head…the thought that always worried about this day…would she come back? Was that it? Did they just break up? Had he really screwed up that badly? How did the Max system work? How many strikes did you get before being tossed to the curb?

Logan swallowed hard and immediately started paging Max. Logan stopped himself thinking maybe she needed time to cool off…maybe she would leave town? He decided to wait for a while. If they were going to have any shot at a normal relationship, they had to make it through this. Every couple has the big fight before moving forward, he just hoped Max knew that.

Logan wheeled himself over to the window. If Max came back, no when Max came back he would reassure her that she meant the world to him, that she had no need to worry about him thinking she was unfeeling, and that sleeping with her was something he wanted (badly). He would re-assure her in all the insecurities he saw in hindsight. Logan also realized that his request to spend more time with her friends would follow her timetable, because of the way things went down with Darren.

Now, what to do in the meantime? Logan decided to get dinner ready, maybe music and candles. The one thing he had truly learned in marriage was, fighting was awful, but making up was amazing.