Title: Engagement
Name: Joy
Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com
Rating: PG
Max had lunch over at Fiona's house a few hours after leaving the warmth of Logan's bed. She was greeted at the door with Fi's smart mouth, "So, you really could get out of bed long enough to come over?"
"Sorry I was detained for so long," Max replied entering the house, smelling the wonderful dish Fiona prepared.
"What do you want to drink?" Fiona asked when they got to the kitchen.
"OJ" Max responded.
"All right… Now tell me about this cycle of yours while I get the food."
"No, you tell me your good news first," she demanded.
Fiona rolled her eyes and sat down, "You can be truly unobservant sometimes."
Max sat trying to figure out how she was supposed to know what the good news was when she had only been in Fiona's presence a few minutes. Then it hit her and she looked at her friends left hand. There it was the ring. The ring they had been waiting for months for. "Congratulations! Bling is great. I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks," Fi responded.
"How'd he do it?"
"I never thought I'd hear you utter those words?" Fiona said with a smile.
Max blushed a little, "I'm just curious."
"No. That was genuine interest and a bit of jealousy. You're thinking about it, aren't you? You like the idea of the constant companionship of my brother."
At that point Max was sure her face was redder then an apple. She tried to clear her throat and speak, but no words would come.
"It's OK. I won't tell him… He's thinking about it too, you know… He's talked about it with Bling a few times and me a few times. He's been working really hard to become ready for that sort of commitment to you… You were my major arguing point to get him to see the therapist. He wants forever… Ya think you're ready for that?" she asked gingerly.
Max swallowed and went pale, "I don't know… I love him and it has been amazing just to have him around all the time. I like that a lot. The 'forever' thing is scary."
"It doesn't have to be… The way to look at it is, you're agreeing not to bail on each other for real. When it gets hard, you work even harder. When it hurts too much to go on, you ask for help. It's not going to be easy, but it can work if you're both willing to work together," Fiona spoke from experience.
"Do you think I'm ready for that?" Max asked with trembling voice.
"Not yet, but you're getting there. Partly you have to keep digging deep to remind yourself Logan won't bail on you. Val should show you that. He went through so much crap with her and would have continued if she hadn't cheated on him… Which brings me back to my original question about the heat. Are you attracted to all men or just Logan?"
"I'm not sure anymore. I haven't allowed myself to be near anyone else but Logan during those periods… at least the last few times," Max replied.
"So how does this work?" Fiona asked digging into her casserole.
"Well… um… This is good… I was sort of a test tube baby… I was genetically altered to give me advantages others don't have. Some feline DNA was used on me so I'm in heat occasionally… My blood has more stem cells then other peoples, so when I gave Logan a blood transfusion my stem cells started regenerating normal nerve path ways in him… But now, Logan is sort of in the same boat as me, in that he has developed a sensitivity to my scent, uh… my pheromones. I know its weird."
"So… I don't want this to come out wrong… You're telling me someone…made you. What about your brother Zach?"
"Same deal- created."
Fiona got up from the table and went to Max. "I get it a little better now… If you don't want to talk about it any more that's cool."
Something in Fiona's face showed Max that Fiona's reaction would be one of anger at the doctor's that created Max rather then looking at her like a mutant. "I'll tell you…" Max laid out the whole story right down to the barcode and meeting Logan.
Fiona wrapped her arms around Max and said, "You have come a long way in the last year haven't you? I'm sorry I wasn't here to slap my brother upside the head for manipulating you like that initially. And it is his own damn fault for being in that chair, not yours. So you and Loggie are basically hiding until the next search from Lydecker?"
"Yeah, I guess," Max said simply.
"I'm gonna let you in on a secret: Logan has an emergency kit set up for if you ever have to run again. He has a spare laptop with all his files backed up on it. There is a bag filled with traveling clothes and other essentials. He has no intention of being left behind… He would up root himself and even close down Eyes Only to stay with you. If it gets hot, don't skip out on him. He'll come this time… He told me some about last time. Lydecker was your obsessive military father in his version though, not far off truth be known," Fiona confided.
"Why are you telling me this? Won't Logan be mad?" Max asked.
"Nah... He knows how the game works… He gives my secrets to Bling and I give his to you. If he didn't want me to know he would tell Bling and then may him swear not to tell. It is a tried and true method we used for years… That way I'm in good with you and he with Bling."
"So you think Logan and I could make it despite the age difference and the fact I have the military militia after me?"
"Hun, marriages fail because people get lethargic or lazy. Your marriage should be considered an entire separate entity, sort of like a baby. You can say 'Hey I can do that. It won't hurt me' but it is a different story when you ask, 'Will this hurt my marriage?' Team effort is what is required, despite age and military."
"I can't believe I'm talking about this with you."
"Why?"
"Because then it seems real. Like it might happen. I don't want to hope and then be let down…" Max said with a glazed look.
"He won't fail you… He wants you more then anything in the world… Oh, I know you think that marriage is this big public humiliation, years after the wedding. Nothing can be further from the truth. You just have to want it bad enough and be willing to work hard enough," Fiona said with confidence.
"So you never did tell me how Bling proposed."
"All right, here's the story. We went to my favorite Chinese restaurant and celebrated an abbreviated anniversary of sorts. I thought that was it because he hadn't mentioned the marriage thing in a while. When we were leaving Bling said the left overs didn't smell right. He thought it might not be our order, so I opened the top box. I found a small black box sitting in my fried rice. I opened it up and there was the ring. I laughed so hard. Bling handed me my fortune cookie, which said, "Will you marry me?" I hugged him so tight he couldn't get down on one knee. When I let him down I started to cry then I said yes, and pulled him back up to me."
"I love it… That was very creative."
"Yeah he knows I needed a cool story to tell."
"So have you thought about a date?"
"Boy, look at you go with the girl questions. Who'd have thought you were raised by freaky military types… We want to do it as soon as possible so we're going to have the service at the house in a month and a half. I'd like you to do the bridesmaid thing if you're up to it. I'll have Becky, my sister in law from my first marriage as a bridesmaid too. Bling will have Logan and his cousin up there. We just need a minister and a caterer… Everything else is pretty settled," Fiona said plainly.
"Wow… No big fuss?"
"Nah… I did that once… I have a smaller immediate family then before. I'm thinking we're going to do email invites to avoid the waste of paper. My mother would be freaking… As much of a free spirit as she was, my previous wedding was polished and pristine. This will not… Hey, you done?"
"Yeah…" Max said as Fi removed her plate and glass.
"Hey I need back up at the dress shop. Let's go look for a dress for you and me?"
"I'm not ready to look for a wedding dress!" Max stated.
"Not a wedding dress… a bridesmaid dress. Now you have it on the brain… It's OK. He's not purposing tomorrow… Let's go OK!" The women went out the door to Fiona's car and off shopping, something they both hated.
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"Logan? You awake?" Bling yelled into the apartment carefully. Fiona had called to say Max was coming over for lunch, but he still didn't want to walk in on anything.
"Every muscle in my body hurts… How the hell am I going to deal with this three times a year?" Logan yelled from his bathroom. He was generously applying muscle rub to his legs and shoulders.
Bling came in to look at his worn out friend. "I laugh in your general direction… You could have her shower often to get most of the pheromones off…And since when have you become all right with talking to me about Max and your sex life? As I recall, you would freak if I even gave you suggestions for the health of your back."
"Well, I know you know what happened. Especially since Fi walked in on us… My body loves me and hates me at the same time. This slightly sucks… What should I do?"
"Eat a large meal then go to sleep. Sleep as much as possible. Give your body a rest… I imagine that was slightly like running a marathon, except more fun," Bling said with a disarming smile. Logan relaxed.
"Yeah, it was. I don't know that I have experienced anything that overwhelming in my life… I'm going to die when she hits her sexual peak in twenty years… I'm going to be trying to satisfy her as a fifty-year-old… I'm going to die," Logan stated simply.
"You're looking that far ahead, huh?" Bling asked as Logan blushed.
"I can't imagine life without her anymore. I can't even figure out what kept me going those three months after we met and she didn't see me… then again I had you to kick my butt … I don't know."
"Sounds like a man in love… looking for a future."
"Yeah… I'm planning to talk to Max about it later today, where we're going and such. I'm going to tell her about my provisions for if we have to leave… Oh, yeah. What was Fiona's good news?"
"Guess?" Bling said in annoyance.
"That's awesome. I'll get the details from her if you don't mind… So when's the day?"
"Get a minister, then the day. Right now just planning to have it at the house in a couple months."
"That soon?"
"Why wait?"
"Good point… Bling? This is going to sound strange but you once said I wasn't ready. Am I ready now? Honestly," Logan half asked half pled.
"Yeah… I'd say so. Therapy is a wonderful thing!" Bling responded with a big smile. "I do suggest getting some premarital counseling this go round… Needless to say you come from two different worlds. There are going to be many things you are going to have to negotiate on… Like when she wants to go steal some over priced coffee and you want to buy it. What are you going to do when one of her sibs is in trouble? What priority are they compared to you? What priority is Max to Eyes Only? If you can't have kids will you adopt a child or buy it on the black market so there will be less interference in your personal lives? Will she keep her job? Will she keep her name? Will she continue to work with Eyes Only? Will you find other operatives to take over more of her duties? When something 'major' comes up, how do you negotiate power since you both hate to be out of control? I love you guy but its going to be tough… You have to really want to make it work. There can't be any halfway stuff… I know you put a lot in with Val, but you have to be more available this go round," Bling stated clearly.
"Gist of it is: I can't bail for any reason. I come to the table everyday showing my cards," Logan said in condensed version.
"That's a good way to put it… Now you realize I want you standing next to me, right?"
"Yes, I realize I will be in my baby sister's wedding party!"
"No. I mean, I want you as my best man," Bling said plainly.
"Really?" Logan said in a slight state of shock.
"Of course… We've been through a lot together."
"Thanks."
"I guess we will skip any thoughts of a work out for a few days. You will need to stretch a great deal in order to not go into complete spasm."
"Yes, sir… I'll let you know how things go with Max later, K."
"Sounds like a plan."
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Max returned to Logan's apartment after a few hours with dress in hand. The dress Fiona had decided on for the bridesmaids were a soft Carolina blue color. There was no elaborate pattern or ornamentation, just fitted gauze like material that went to her ankles. "Logan?" Max called. // I wonder if he'll like it? //
"Hey!" he called coming out of the bedroom. "Where ya been?"
"Your sister asked me to be a bridesmaid, so we went… yuck… shopping. She decides things really fast, I've noticed," Max said removing the plastic from the dress.
Logan covered his eyes, "Isn't this somehow bad luck to show a groomsmen the dress before the wedding?"
She chuckled at him, "I'm not the bride and you're not the groom. This is not that dress so no worries."
"Why don't you go put it on and then come out here and model it?" he asked mischievously.
"Fine… You're weird about things sometimes." She returned moments later wearing the dress that hugged all of her curves but not too tightly. The flutter of the shirt at the bottom as she twirled in a circle made Logan laugh. "Ya like?" she asked, seeking approval.
"You look amazing," he said, gathering her into his arms before depositing her on the couch. "I was wondering if we could talk…"
Max's whole body stiffened. She abruptly rose from the couch and made her way to the bedroom, "I probably ought not to wrinkle this."
"What's wrong?" he asked following her across the room, before having his bedroom door slammed in his face. He heard a great deal of scurrying in his bedroom… "Max? What are you doing?"
"I'm getting my stuff together," she said trying not to cry. She shut her mind to all the words that Fiona had said earlier that day and completely over reacted.
"Why?"
"Uh… Well… You're about to break up with me so I might as well get out of your way the sooner the better," she said emerging from his bedroom with stuffed bag in hand.
In one swift move, Logan grabbed the bag from her hand and walked back to the couch. "Why do you think I was about to break up with you?" he asked, being a very typical male.
"Come on Logan! You used a variation of 'we need to talk' in the last sentence before I got up."
"So?"
"So… I know you're a smart man… You don't ever use those words in a sentence with a woman unless you're ending the relationship!" Max yelled.
"Well, I wasn't!" Logan barked back.
"Then what were you doing?" she demanded.
Logan stated with great frustration, "I was wanting to talk to you about us getting married! I wanted to talk about spending the rest of my life arguing with you, NOT breaking up! I have a bag in my closet set up to leave at a moments notice if you have to run. I'm not being left behind again, I'm going with you."
Silence fell between them as Max finally spoke, "Marriage?"
"Yeah."
"Really?" she said timidly.
"Really," he said calmly putting his hands on both her shoulders before drawing her to himself. "I want to marry you… I also want it to work so we need to find a premarital counselor and talk through a lot of different issues… I want you to be stuck with me…always. I'll be worse then you're barcode for consistently being there."
"What imagery!" she said with sarcasm.
"So… What do ya think?" He hadn't noticed she was crying. "What's the matter beloved?"
"I don't deserve you," she whispered.
"Now that's a joke… I love you and I'm gonna marry you if you let me," he said with a nod of his head.
"I…" Max struggled to find her voice. "I would like to marry you… Just gonna have to give me a bit of time on the forever thing."
He leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "I love you."
"I love you too, Logan."
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A/N: The engagement ring in the Chinese food is how my husband proposed- I'm not that creative.