Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don't own DA
A/N: Okay, last part...I hope you've all liked this story. Really shipperish, I know...but I suppose that's not necessarily a bad thing :-) Anyway, I should be able to, maybe, get a lot done in the next few days because I'm homebound (I'm sick). Thinking maybe I'll just skip school and hang around in bed Monday...lol
Wind of Change
Max stepped out of the car into the hot, furious sun. The temperature had been rising steadily during the day and rivulets of sweat trickled between her shoulder blades. The humidity had dissipated, making the heat somewhat more bearable, but she could still feel her pulse in her head as blood rushed past her temples toward her brain.
Gillette sprawled out before her across the dusty Wyoming countryside. A heavy feeling settled in the bottom of her stomach as her eyes surveyed the familiar town. The buildings weren't huddled together like in Seattle, in Gillette the houses had big lawns and more than a little elbow room. The whole atmosphere of the place was laid back, sleepy...to Max, it was hell.
"Somehow I imagined more...darkness," Logan announced, coming around to her side of the car to stand beside her. The wind, which never stopped blowing around Gillette, was a gentle Chinook. His scent rode on it over to her, tingling in her nose.
"It's there," Max announced. "You just have to look for it."
Slowly, she started walking down the street, looking down at her feet. The pebbly pavement passed by giving no indication of who or what had come before her. Logan fell into step beside her, his head up and able to face the benign town with no indication of fear. Max, however, felt her heartbeat quicken.
The ground passing below her was the same cement and rock she had looked at years before as she fled. Then it had been filled with sludge from the half melted snow. She remembered the biting pain of the gravel spread across the street under her feet as she ran, the strange sensation of snow mixed with the yellow spray used to melt ice coming up between her toes. Her memory of the experience was strong and clear enough to make her want to vomit out of pure disgust.
"We could ask around about him," Logan suggested.
"Ask around about him only a few miles away from Manticore?" Max hissed. "I don't think so. All the people here are probably involved."
Logan's sharp, intelligent gaze pinned her.
"Max, it's absurd to think that the entire town is part of it," he finally replied.
"Like hell," she whispered, her voice taking on a note of fury with her anxiety. "You honestly think a pissy little town like this thrives on the tourist industry? The people who live here are here because they, or someone in their family, works on the base."
"Considering the clandestine nature of Manticore," Logan whispered back, leaning close to her, "it can be assumed that a good amount of people don't know what their family does."
She looked up at him, biting nervously on her bottom lip. Her mind told her that he was right, that it was safe to follow him, but her instincts told her to run. She was struggling with her resolve when Logan grabbed her arm in a flurry of movement, pulling her up against his side.
"Don't think I've seen the two of you around here," a woman announced, walking up to them. She was taller than Max with rich, chestnut colored hair. The smile crossing her lips was amicable, but Max felt threatened.
"We're just passing through," Logan grinned charmingly, wrapping an arm around Max's shoulders. "Looking for a nice place to stay for the night."
The woman's eyes went back and forth between Max and Logan for only seconds before a blinding smile flashed across her face.
"Lovebirds, huh?" she asked. "There's a small motel about a block away, it's not great but it's comfortable and safe."
"Thank you," Logan replied, allowing his fingers to play with Max's dark, thick hair.
"Oh, well, you're very welcome!" she chirped in return, obviously taken in by his charm. Max had been taught to use her body as a tool to get what she wanted out of people and she recognized the way he was dealing with the situation. She had to admit, she was impressed.
"Back to the car," Logan announced, his face close to hers. He brushed a sweet kiss across her lips before turning around with her and taking long steps away from the Gillette resident. The woman, completely taken in by the act sent a light wave after them.
"Well, that just made everything better," Max rolled her eyes. "In about five minutes the entire town is going to be talking about the horny couple who arrived looking for a place to shack up together."
"Better than them talking about two suspicious looking people who arrived looking for someone," Logan shrugged. His arm, which was still around her, was oddly comforting. Her nervous heartbeat slowed and was replaced by a warm feeling that sunk deep within her.
"Anyway," Logan suddenly started talking again, his mouth close to her ear and his voice a low whisper, "if Zack is here, he'd need someplace to stay." Max was relieved she had Logan to do the thinking for her. Being in Gillette once again had her so un-nerved that her thoughts were hazy. She was finding it hard to concentrate on the task at hand.
"You're right," she admitted, allowing him to tuck her a little closer to himself. The day was hot, and the warmth from his body rose her temperature to the point of being slightly uncomfortable, but she didn't pull away.
Logan's car was parked along the main street, along with every other car belonging to anyone out of their house. It was something she had noticed about small towns. Everything seemed situated toward one street allowing natives and tourists alike to parallel park along Main and walk safely to every store in town.
Max tossed open the door and climbed in, feeling safer inside the vehicle than out on the street. Logan got in on the other side and, without speaking, started the car and pulled out of the parking spot. They had to drive for less than two minutes before the small hotel came into sight.
She made a quick survey of the parking lot, searching for Zack's motorcycle. She didn't find it, but was determined not to allow her hopes to sink. As far as she knew, he'd just taken a trip to the store for some gum and would be back any moment. All she had to do was wait, and if Logan was right, he would come to her.
"This trip is getting awfully expensive," Logan noted, pulling into the small parking lot.
"I didn't think you'd care," she replied.
"I don't really," he shrugged. "It's just that I only brought along so much money. I think if we have to go up to Canada I'm going to have Bling wire me some more."
"We don't have to stay in hotels you know," Max said. "I don't sleep much, and you could always sleep as I drive."
"Well, what's fun about that?" he asked, not meeting her gaze. They climbed out of the car, grabbing their bags on the way, and strode confidently into the tiny motel. There was a woman at the front desk who had a pair of glasses positioned near the end of her nose which she tilted her head back to look through as she read a thick, well used book. Max leaned slightly to see the cover only to be presented with large, scrawling writing and a large, muscled man leaning over a woman with a suggestively ripped bodice.
Somehow, she'd doubted the volume was something more intellectual.
"Hello," she smiled warmly at them. "Can I help you?"
"We'd like to get a room," Logan announced. The woman smiled at him, setting the book down on the counter. Max's eyes were drawn back to the cover. She looked carefully over the man, the way his muscles were tightly bundled as he held the woman, her back arched and her hips pressed to his own. She looked back up at Logan who was waiting patiently for the woman to retrieve the key to a free room.
She still remembered the feel of his skin against her own, the way they'd cried out for one another. Things between them had certainly gotten out of control. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that their trip would find them in the shower together, or clutching each other on the hotel room floor.
A long shudder passed hotly through her muscles.
"Here you go, number twelve," the woman finally returned. "Pay when you check out."
"Thank you," Logan smiled, taking Max's elbow in his hand. The gesture wasn't purposefully suggestive, but rather casual. However, it made goose bumps spring up all across Max's skin, despite the heat of the day. The sensation was slowly replaced by nervous apprehension as they walked in silence. The air itself seemed to be menacing, closing in around Max with its damp heat.
"I hope he gets here soon," Max frowned up at him. "I want to get out of here."
"If he doesn't show up by morning we'll leave," Logan promised. "I'll check and see if there are any more motels in town."
"This whole place puts me on edge," she announced, looking momentarily over her shoulder. "Feels like someone's following me...or waiting to jump out of some shadow and attack me."
"I think it would be a mistake on their part," Logan replied. "I highly doubt there's anyone here who could get the best of you."
A door with the number twelve loomed in front of them. The numbers were made of a brassy metal, and the two was hanging at a crooked angle. Logan unlocked it with a slight flick of his wrist, allowing it to swing open in front of him on squeaky hinges. Max walked hesitantly inside, almost positive someone would be waiting to jump her. However, as she crept into the room, she found the space filled only with benign sunlight.
"Calm down, Max," Logan said from behind her, one of his hands squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. The door clicked softly shut behind him, followed by the sound of him firmly locking it.
"I don't like this," Max began pacing, anxiety rising it's ugly head in her heart.
"Max, calm down," he repeated, tossing his suitcase onto the bed.
"Damn it...why the hell would he come to this place?" she asked, growing more upset the longer she allowed fear to overtake her.
"Max! You're not listening to me...cool it," Logan demanded. Swallowing, she tried to contain her paranoia. Her legs felt weak and she sat down on the edge of the bed, carefully controlling her breathing.
"Sorry," she apologized. "It's just...this place is my own personal hell. Oh God...I hate being here." She pinched her eyes closed, hating the fact that she had to stay until morning.
"He'll be here soon," Logan sat down next to her, his weight creating a trough in the bed, causing her to lean toward him.
"Lydecker's out there somewhere, Logan," Max announced, looking up at him. "It wasn't even so bad when he was in Seattle because he was on my turf...but this is his home field."
"He'll never know we were here," Logan replied. "Although I still doubt he's still alive. Zack's a much better shot than that."
Max sighed, trying to let go of the feeling that everyone around her was just waiting for the chance to attack. She tried to remind herself of her training, that it was imperative never to show fear. During her time away from Manticore, she'd been able to let go of a good amount of what she'd been taught, and she blamed her current fear on that -- although she wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad thing.
"Maybe I'll call Kendra," she announced. Logan reached into his pocket and handed her his cell phone.
"Good idea, I'm going to check into seeing if there's anywhere else Zack could stay." He stood up and set to getting out his lap top. Max watched him out of the corner of her eye and slowly dialed, putting more thought into the action than was really necessary.
"Hello?" Kendra answered after three rings.
"Hey," Max replied. "How's things?"
"Things are okay," she answered. "How about you? Calling with details I hope?" Max looked across the room at Logan who was sitting on the floor with the small computer in his lap. The details were very fresh in her mind, but they weren't something she wanted to share.
"No, afraid not," she said. "Just calling to chat."
"Just to chat?" Kendra asked. "That's hardly like you, Max...come on, details."
"There's nothing to tell," she insisted.
"Yeah, right..." She could almost see Kendra rolling her eyes. "Well, if you don't tell me I'm just going to have to make them up on my own."
"Kendra...you're wasting your time," Max replied. "I'm just curious how things are back home."
"Well, my date was pretty much a flop," she announced. "Didn't even kiss me. What's up with that? Does the guy think he's some kind of gentleman or what? Anyway, since I don't have any rich boyfriends like you who can afford just to take me out of town on a week long orgy, I got home early. And, before you even ask, the motorcycle is fine."
"I'm sorry it didn't work out for you," Max said, a smile creeping onto her lips. Kendra had a way of making her forget her problems. It had something to do with the fact that she was always referring to Logan as Max's boyfriend, which put wild thoughts into her head and gave her a warm gooey feeling inside. However, it also had to do with the way Kendra viewed life. Everything to her was a game, life wasn't a struggle but a roller coaster ride.
"Yeah well, his name's definitely not making the rolodex," Kendra replied.
"I'm sad to hear that." It was a rare occurrence that a guys name didn't make the rolodex. "He must have really been a dud, huh?"
"You have no idea..." Kendra sighed. "So, where are you?"
"Wyoming," Max answered.
"I thought you were going to Idaho."
"Well, we did go to Idaho, but now we're in Wyoming."
"The two of you have a strange idea of fun," she replied. "Why not go to California or Hawaii next time?"
"Next time," Max smiled. She wondered if there would be a next time, or if as soon as she and Logan set foot back in Seattle everything that had transpired between them would be forgotten. Part of her hoped they could go back to their simple friendship, and another part wanted for the passionate relationship she had discovered.
"So, are you having fun at least?" Kendra asked.
"Yeah, actually..." Max replied a little hesitantly. She had been having fun anyway, a lot of fun, until they'd crossed the boarder into Wyoming. Even the name of the state filled her with dread.
"Will you at least give me the details someday?" Kendra pleaded. "You know, so I can live vicariously through you and all."
"I'm not telling you anything," Max replied.
"Oh, so you admit something happened then!" Kendra squealed.
"I didn't say that."
"No, but you implied it," she insisted. "Just tell me one thing...was it good?"
Max swallowed, a hot blush covering her cheeks.
"Yeah," she admitted.
"Ha!! I knew it!!" Kendra's voice rose an octave. "Ugh, I swear, it's not fair! You're off getting some while I sit here with only the motorcycle to keep me company."
"She's pretty good company if you give her the chance," Max laughed.
"Yeah, well...I'd better let you get back to Logan," Kendra announced. "Don't pull a muscle."
"You're awful," Max shook her head. "Talk to you later."
"Bye!" They both hung up at the same time and Logan looked up from his computer.
"How's everything?" he asked.
"Fine, Kendra's bummed about some date that she had," Max replied. "She's pretty sure that if I guy doesn't sleep with her on the first date that they'll never have a future together."
"She doesn't know what she's missing," Logan replied, casting his gaze back down at his computer screen. "This is the only motel in Gillette, a few in the surrounding towns but nothing really close. If Zack's here, this is where he's got to be staying. We've just got to wait for him to show."
"Great," Max sighed. "So, what do we do in the mean time?"
"Something to keep your mind off things," he shrugged, closing his computer. "What do you want to do?"
She looked down at the phone, hearing Kendra's voice all over again: the innuendo and the confidence that she and Logan belonged in a sexual relationship. Of course, in Kendra's mind, everybody belonged in a sexual relationship and it was only by some tragic circumstance that they weren't. She'd often wondered about that aspect of her friend. Why was Kendra so focused on the physical parts of life?
The phone dropped from her fingers, and she looked back up at Logan. Her eyes met his, and for a moment, she didn't care that there was more to life than sex.
"Oh...I think I have a few ideas," she grinned.
***
Zack frowned to himself, hating the way Gillette made him feel. He'd been gone all day, searching until he found the base where he'd grown up. It still looked much the same as it had, an odd amount of trees surrounding Manticore's nest in the middle of nowhere like old, discarded bones. Seeing it, he'd almost been overtaken with terror. The entire place still filled him with tight anxiety. He was working his way up to facing his biggest fear, finding out whether Lydecker was alive or dead.
Underneath him, his motorcycle vibrated. The sensation was somewhat comforting and allowed him to pretend he was in control when he so clearly was not. He lost himself in the movements of the machine that obeyed his every command.
Lurching down the main street of Gillette, he made his way toward his motel. Tomorrow was another day, he could learn to face his fear later. Presently, all he wanted was a hot shower and a few hours of rest. He was very aware of the fact that he smelled awful. Dirt clung to his sweaty skin and in his hair. The day had been unusually hot, the Chinooks having come earlier than normal. The warm wind was still blowing even as a blanket of night covered the countryside.
Exhausted, both physically and emotionally, he pulled into the motel parking lot. His gray eyes peered through the shadows, inspecting each car. None of them looked particularly threatening, none with armored siding anyway. He allowed his eyes to skirt past an oddly familiar shape, attributing the feeling to his weary, paranoid mind.
I don't know how long it takes a person to go crazy, but I've got to be getting close...
He parked his bike, not really comfortable with leaving it outside but not comfortable having it in his hotel room either. Anyway, driving the vehicle into the motel would only cause people to notice him, the stranger, more than they already had. Undoubtedly, the entire town already knew he was there, they just didn't know who he was, or, if they did, they hadn't done anything about it. He didn't particularly feel like giving them a reason to become more suspicious.
His thoughts a far cry from being coherent, he pushed his hands deep into his pockets and wandered drunkenly toward his room. Zack had never been drunk in his entire life, he hated loosing control in any situation, and loosing control of his body and mind scared him almost more than anything. It was just as rare that he allowed himself to become tired enough that his sanity deteriorated. However, laying on his back, looking up at the stucco Gillette motel ceiling, he hadn't been able to sleep.
Sleep was something that, while Zack knew it was essential, took a backseat to his duty. Manticore training still lived deep within him, not allowing him to break with an honor commitment. His brothers and sisters depended on him, he couldn't afford to languish in fanciful dreams that only served to torture him, showing him a life he could never have. He dreamed of having a family, being able to travel to a place and really call it home.
He paused, shutting his eyes and leaning his head back, calling the vivid images of a dream he'd had weeks before back into his mind. The gentle brush of a hand over grass, a delicate, feminine hand; and the smell -- God, the smell -- was of fragrant, lush prairie grass and chilled lake water. The sun had sprinkled down on the heavenly scene, covering his skin with tangy flecks of gold he could almost hold in his hand.
Zack longed to capture that innocent vision and store it in his heart, needing its soft honey to purge his soul of all the darkness it had collected. However, the pain of awaking from that dream, being thrown from Heaven back into Hell, still clung to him.
A long sigh shuddering through the night, he came back to the present, and was immediately aware of a sound behind him. A low breath, a heartbeat...he could almost make out the tension radiating from the person's muscles.
In a movement belying his former gait, he swung around, pulling his followers body up against his own with enough strength to break the average person's ribs.
"Zack! It's me!" Her voice pierced the haziness of Zack's mind, and he immediately released her, aware of her scent clinging to him. Max tumbled away from him, sputtering momentarily before turning her hot gaze on him.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded, coughing.
"Sorry...I'm a little on edge," he shrugged. "Anyway, what the fuck are you doing here in the first place?"
"Looking for you," she replied, waving a hand in the air. She then used it to push her dark hair behind her ears. Zack looked her up and down the length of her for a moment, liking what he was seeing. A pair of jean shorts, sandals, and a forest green tank top composed her entire outfit. Zack felt overdressed in his dark jeans and red t-shirt.
Inhaling her scent for a moment, he wondered if she was really there or if she was some phantom of his overly exhausted mind. As he processed the smell, he noticed something fundamentally different about it that he couldn't quite pin point. He inhaled again, dissecting the aroma two more times before finding the oddity in her odor.
Logan.
The tell-tale signature of his cologne clung to her skin and hair. She fairly stunk of him, letting Zack know just how much time they'd spent together while he'd been gone. Her skin was ruddy in a way it wasn't usually, and her lips were a little fuller than normal, presumably swollen from his kisses.
Pain arched hotly through Zack's battered heart. He hated the thought of a man touching Max, any man. As reluctant as he was to admit it, however, Logan was very near the top of the list of guys who -- assuming Zack could get over the initial disgust -- he would be happy to see his sister end up with. As any man in love, or indeed brother, was concerned other men and the woman concerned simply didn't mix.
"Looking for me?" he finally managed to ask. "Why?"
"You're my brother," she shrugged, scratching the back of her head nervously.
"Your brother?" Zack asked, almost laughing. "You come into the pits of Hades to tell me I'm your brother? Give me something more than that, Max."
"Something more than that?" They seemed to be getting in the habit of repeating one another. "What can be more than that? Zack...am I the only one who doesn't get to have you as the big brother? Am I the only one who doesn't get to be the little sister? Why do you keep walking away from me?" Her eyes, which had been spitting fire moments earlier, dimmed to drum a dull pain.
"You know we can't stay in one place, Max," he whispered harshly, not wanting to draw attention in the middle of the night with a loud argument. "Lydecker's still out there somewhere, and as long as he's still breathing we're all in danger. It's about time you saw that."
"You really think I don't see that?" she demanded. "Zack...I think about it everyday, but I'm done running from my problems. Manticore isn't everything, and all they ever gave us is one another. I want you in my life."
"If you want me in your life," Zack asked, "then you're perfectly welcome to come with me."
"That's not what I want," she shook her head. "I want the brother I've never had. You're the only family I have...I need you."
"Need me for what? So I can sit and watch you throw your life away?"
"Need you to be there," Max fired back. "Zack, all this wandering...it's no good for you. Can't you still feel it inside you? Manticore sucks the life out of you, why don't you see it?"
"Why don't you see that this stupid emotional attachment you seem to have with Logan is going to kill you?" he asked in return. "Have you forgotten everything you've ever learned? We're not human, Max, and we never will be. They're not like us, and no matter how hard you try you're never going to be one of them!"
"You know what, Zack?" Max wiped something away from her cheek. "For a long time, you were the only thing that kept me going. I used to sit and dream about what things would be like when I finally found you -- that we would finally be together again and be a family. I thought you'd give me some purpose...some kind of reason for being. When I did finally find you, I found out that you aren't the figure I made you out to be...but you'll still always be my big brother."
"I don't want to be your big brother."
A sharp pain flashed through her eyes.
"Why?"
Zack swallowed hard, unable to say what was really in his heart. Being a brother made her his little sister, made her so much more than a comrade. It meant he had to care more, had to take the chance of laying his heart in someone else's hands. He was frightened of that feeling of helplessness, he didn't want to let down his steely defenses even to let someone as innocent as Max inside.
"We're soldiers, Max," he said.
Damn...don't look at me that way, Max! Oh, God...would it be so bad just to hold her? To be a family and know we're of the same blood...moving in the same rhythm of time? Yes!! Damn....yes...I can't let her in!
"Goodbye, Zack," she smiled wanly. As she turned to walk away, Zack's heart leapt up into his throat and deep panic set in.
Don't let her walk away!! Oh, God...she's going to leave? What have I done?
"Max...don't! Stop!" he pleaded. She kept walking, her back to him as she disappeared into the darkness. Zack's insides clenched, pulling into tight knots.
She's leaving...leaving forever this time. I can't just let her walk away! Would it be so bad? Is she asking so much? Yes...shit...yes, she's asking a lot. Can I give her that? Can I be the brother she wants me to be, hold her hand at her fucking wedding? Watch her throw her life away to screw Logan Cale? What's so great about him anyway? Is it him she's walking back to? God...why can't I just give her what she's asking for?
"Max...please," he was begging now, following her. "I need time...oh shit, God...please, I just need time!"
He was aware of the element lacking in him, of the hole burned through his very core. He couldn't be everything she wanted him to be, not yet. Zack's hauntings were many, and despite his desire to be with Max -- with his sister -- he couldn't let go of the Manticore phantom which haunted his nights anymore than he could toss himself into her arms.
"I'm not asking you to do anything more than be there," Max announced, turning around. "Not even in body if just in spirit. Zack...I've finally found my place, but I need you to make it complete."
Complete...Zack needed her to complete him as well, to help fill the ever present void in his life.
"Logan," Zack sighed. "Isn't he enough?"
"He's not my brother," Max insisted.
"No, he's your lover," Zack nodded, crossing his arms. "You can't expect me to like that...you can't expect me to hold your hand when you give birth to his damn children...but you must know that you're always on my mind."
"In what sense?"
"What does it matter?"
"Will you visit? Talk with me? Not just drop by to tell me someone's about to try and kill me?"
"Maybe," Zack shrugged, unable to make a commitment. He needed time, precious time, to work Manticore out of his system forever before he could move on to the dream he held inside, to the sun-filled meadow by the lake.
"I'm going home, Zack," Max announced. "You know where to find me."
***
Max looked down at her beeper, aware that it hadn't gone off the entire day. She'd and Logan had been back from their trip for two days, during which time she'd seen none of him. The trip, though not entirely disappointing, had ended on a sour note. Zack wasn't ready for the things she was asking him to give her. It was much the same way she'd felt for so long about her relationship with Logan, and still did to some extent. She couldn't blame him.
"You look 'bout as sour as milk on a hot summer day, Boo," Cindy noted, coming up beside her. "What'cha thinkin' over?"
"It's nothing," Max shrugged.
"You know you can tell Cindy everything, cuz I'm down like that...right, Boo?"
"Right," Max smiled. "Really, it's nothing."
"Whatever you say," she gave up more quickly than usual. "How about you and me hit Crash later and check out the scenery, huh?"
"No...I think I'm just going to head home."
"Whatever you want." Cindy walked away, going up to Sketchy who'd just rode in from his last run. Herbal was busy pushing some piece of infinite wisdom on less than welcoming ears. Seeing her moment to get out without much of a fuss, she turned and climbed on her bike. Normal looked up as she left, but remained oddly quiet.
The steady rhythm of peddling occupied her mind, letting her forget all of her busy and disturbing thoughts. She'd been torturing herself wondering if Logan was regretting what they'd done on the trip, if Zack was ever going to really be a part of her life. She wondered, not for the first time, if maybe sentimentality really was just phony.
The high pitched squeal of her beeper nearly sent her peddling into a wall. Swerving, she lurched to a stop and glanced down to see the number. She wasn't surprised that it was Logan's. Blood pounding hotly through her system, she peddled furiously toward his building, only to hesitate once it came into sight.
What if he's just paging me to tell me it's never going to work out? What if he's paging me because it is going to work out?
Swallowing her fear, she hopped off the bike, discarding it carelessly in the lobby. Only moments later, she was standing in front of his door, working up the guts to either knock or walk in. She decided on the former and gently rapped one tight fist against the strong wood.
The door swung open only seconds after she knocked. Logan sent her a somewhat uncertain smile, and motioned for her to come inside.
"I've got some good news for you," he announced, leading her into his office.
"Oh?" Max hadn't expected him to actually have news, she more expected a long, involved, emotional conversation. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved.
"I found this a a few seconds before I paged you," he announced, pulling up a file on his computer. "Lydecker's military file...look here."
"Deceased," Max read aloud. "Died on active duty..."
"Guess that mean's he'll be out of your hair for good," Logan announced, then gingerly touched the back of his head. "And mine too."
"Can we trust it though?" she asked.
"I don't see why they'd lie about it," he shrugged.
"I guess you have a point." She sighed, running her fingers nervously through her hair, then -- much to her surprise -- yawned.
"You can crash here tonight if you want," Logan announced, noticing her yawn. She waited expectantly for the next line which would invariably follow: in the guest room, of course. When it didn't come, she turned to look at him.
"Crash here?" she asked.
"Yeah," he smiled softly. "Here."
***
Two Weeks Later:
Max flopped down on her bed for the first time in weeks. Her body was well pleased and exhausted from all the time she'd been spending with Logan. The interaction between them had improved her mood, but she still ached from the loss of Zack. Her fingers laced together on her stomach, she sighed and closed her eyes.
Something bothered her, something odd about the room. Rolling over onto her side, she cast her gaze around the room, trying to pin point what was out of place. For a moment, she assumed the oddity of the moment was that for once she was laying on a bed and Logan wasn't on top of her, or somewhere nearby, making her sweaty and breathless.
That assumption faded, however, when she noticed a small, furry object on her pillow above her head.
She leapt up off the bed, thinking it was a rat before her senses kicked in and she realized it was actually a small, black and white teddy bear.
Curious, she reached out for it, picking the tiny, fluffy thing up in her hand. There was a small note attached to it, tucked under a stylish little bow around it's neck...
Max,
I figured a teddy bear is as good of a place to start as any.
-Zack
*I hope that font turned out readable!*