Hey all! This is my first fanfic, so please take it easy...
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...
Chapter 4
Max looked once more in the mirror. Her eyes were strangely haunted now with her realisation. For half an hour she had stood in front of the mirror, trying to come to grips with the new emotion. She had never felt anything like it. Happiness, sadness, longing, aching-all at once, overwhelmed her. She put her hands on her chest. That was what was the most painful. The ache. The thing that scared her most however, was the fear of losing what made her feel this way. Logan. Just looking into her eyes, she had seen everything.
Before, when he had been on the edge of suicide, she had slightly seen this in herself, but not quite so strongly. Admittedly, she had rushed to his apartment when she had guessed at it, but now-it was different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it-but something had switched it to so much more.
For a few more minutes, she debated with herself whether she should even go to dinner at all. She was afraid to look into his eyes and see what she had been seeing so often lately. Fear. Loathing. Disappointment. She was afraid to see only camaraderie. Friendship. Suddenly, friendship wasn't enough.
The thing she wanted most of all, scared her the most. The same passion in his eyes. It was frightening, but it sent excited chills through her. Maybe Original Cindy was right...
But what if she wasn't right? Maybe she was just trying to play matchmaker. What if her didn't care that much-or that way? She gripped the sink tightly again and breathed deeply.
But she couldn't just not go. He would get suspicious, not mention it seemed like he had put so much effort into this surprise of his. That surprise seemed so important for some reason-her mind always seemed to return to it. She shook her head. It felt like it was about to explode.
She looked in the mirror for the last time and saw what she had to do. Taking one more deep breath, she smiled to herself, grabbed her jacket, and left
Logan, still sitting by the window, was thinking about Max; mostly about how late she was and wondering where she could be. He looked at his watch. Seven forty-two. She had been off work since about five o'clock. Almost two hours off...
He was petrified. What if she'd been hurt? What if the sector police had taken her in? What if Lydecker...? He was just about ready to jump out of his chair. He sat poised on the edge of his seat, his mind reeling with images of Max being tortured, abused and brainwashed by Lydecker. He recalled the horrible glint in Lydecker's eyes when he said, "She's not the girl next door." Again, he shuddered.
"Max," he whispered through gritted teeth, "where are you?"
Max steered through the rain soaked streets, her baby purring underneath her. It began to rain harder, and she gunned the gas. She was going to avoid being soaked at all costs.
In her mind, she rehearsed what she was going to say and how she was going to say it.
She seemed to get to Fogle Towers much too quickly, but she didn't hesitate as she walked into the elevator. She pressed the "PH" button, watched the doors close and knew there was no turning back.
It was the worst-and yet later, he said-the best fifteen minutes of his life. His parents deaths, an alcoholic wife and bankruptcy all put together could not compare to this agony. For fifteen minutes he sat, clutching the armrests of his chair until his knuckles had gone far beyond white.
As Max had had a realisation less than an hour before, Logan also had a very similar revelation. He was crazily in love. It was the image of Max's face, contorted with pain, that made him realise he could not lose her.
So engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't hear his front door open, then shut softly. So obsessed by the images in his head, he didn't hear the familiar, firm tread behind him. But he most certainly heard the voice say,
"Logan. We have to talk."
Authors note: Whew! I wrote that in a rush, so if you think it's crap, please tell me so. I was having a little bit of trouble and suffering an acute case of "writer's block," so if it's awful and you think I should change anything, please let me know... Any and all ideas would be welcome!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own them... Please don't sue me...
Chapter 4
Max looked once more in the mirror. Her eyes were strangely haunted now with her realisation. For half an hour she had stood in front of the mirror, trying to come to grips with the new emotion. She had never felt anything like it. Happiness, sadness, longing, aching-all at once, overwhelmed her. She put her hands on her chest. That was what was the most painful. The ache. The thing that scared her most however, was the fear of losing what made her feel this way. Logan. Just looking into her eyes, she had seen everything.
Before, when he had been on the edge of suicide, she had slightly seen this in herself, but not quite so strongly. Admittedly, she had rushed to his apartment when she had guessed at it, but now-it was different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it-but something had switched it to so much more.
For a few more minutes, she debated with herself whether she should even go to dinner at all. She was afraid to look into his eyes and see what she had been seeing so often lately. Fear. Loathing. Disappointment. She was afraid to see only camaraderie. Friendship. Suddenly, friendship wasn't enough.
The thing she wanted most of all, scared her the most. The same passion in his eyes. It was frightening, but it sent excited chills through her. Maybe Original Cindy was right...
But what if she wasn't right? Maybe she was just trying to play matchmaker. What if her didn't care that much-or that way? She gripped the sink tightly again and breathed deeply.
But she couldn't just not go. He would get suspicious, not mention it seemed like he had put so much effort into this surprise of his. That surprise seemed so important for some reason-her mind always seemed to return to it. She shook her head. It felt like it was about to explode.
She looked in the mirror for the last time and saw what she had to do. Taking one more deep breath, she smiled to herself, grabbed her jacket, and left
Logan, still sitting by the window, was thinking about Max; mostly about how late she was and wondering where she could be. He looked at his watch. Seven forty-two. She had been off work since about five o'clock. Almost two hours off...
He was petrified. What if she'd been hurt? What if the sector police had taken her in? What if Lydecker...? He was just about ready to jump out of his chair. He sat poised on the edge of his seat, his mind reeling with images of Max being tortured, abused and brainwashed by Lydecker. He recalled the horrible glint in Lydecker's eyes when he said, "She's not the girl next door." Again, he shuddered.
"Max," he whispered through gritted teeth, "where are you?"
Max steered through the rain soaked streets, her baby purring underneath her. It began to rain harder, and she gunned the gas. She was going to avoid being soaked at all costs.
In her mind, she rehearsed what she was going to say and how she was going to say it.
She seemed to get to Fogle Towers much too quickly, but she didn't hesitate as she walked into the elevator. She pressed the "PH" button, watched the doors close and knew there was no turning back.
It was the worst-and yet later, he said-the best fifteen minutes of his life. His parents deaths, an alcoholic wife and bankruptcy all put together could not compare to this agony. For fifteen minutes he sat, clutching the armrests of his chair until his knuckles had gone far beyond white.
As Max had had a realisation less than an hour before, Logan also had a very similar revelation. He was crazily in love. It was the image of Max's face, contorted with pain, that made him realise he could not lose her.
So engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't hear his front door open, then shut softly. So obsessed by the images in his head, he didn't hear the familiar, firm tread behind him. But he most certainly heard the voice say,
"Logan. We have to talk."
Authors note: Whew! I wrote that in a rush, so if you think it's crap, please tell me so. I was having a little bit of trouble and suffering an acute case of "writer's block," so if it's awful and you think I should change anything, please let me know... Any and all ideas would be welcome!!!
