{Foggle Towers} May 11th
Logan heard a noise coming from outside his door. Getting up from bed slowly, he reached into his bedside drawer, pulling out a gun. Making his way to the door, he opened it abruptly, looking around, gun ready. There was no one there. ((Great, now I'm hallucinating)) he thought. Then he heard a noise at his feet. Looking down in surprise, Logan saw a cardboard box. And it happened to be barking. He lifted the box carefully and carryed it into his penthouse, making sure to close and lock the door.
When he opened it inside, he found 5 very small, very thin, very weak little puppies. They looked to be some sort of Doberman, although he wouldn't bet on it. Logan quickly got a clean basket, and warmed some milk for them. He stopped and stared when he came to the bottle. ((Max....)) Trying to push it to the back of his mind, Logan finished fixing the milk, and came back to the puppies, feeding each one until it could hold no more. Then, deeming that they were safe and sound for the moment, he left the penthouse, locking it behind him. He searched though several stores, looking for puppy replacement milk. The best he could find at the moment was piglet replacement milk. Go figure. When he got back to his apartment, he decided to keep them. For the time being. Maybe he could save a few more souls....
{Foggle Towers} June 6th
Logan was slowing gaining back some sanity. The dogs seemed to be helping with that. They were getting bigger and stronger every day. He had found some puppy replacement milk, and they were devouring it. Logan had grown quite attached to the puppies, and he decided to keep them. For now, and forever. They filled his heart with joy, joy that was late coming.
"...Jasper? Yeah, Jasper" he started naming, pointing to one, then another of the puppies.
"Marek....Bailey.....Dargo....and....." he stumbled around for a perfect name for the one female in the bunch. "Angel." he decided. It was fitting enough.
There was a bump against his door. Getting up from the floor, where he had been feeding them, Logan went to open it. When he did, what he saw left him breathless. Shocked. Unable to speak. For the second time in his life, he was a loss for words. The only thing he could mutter was,
"Max."
She collapsed into his arms, and he carefully carried her into the bathroom. He was able to get off the gown easily, but what he saw underneath was disturbing. Max, his beautiful Max, was beaten almost beyond recognition. She had bruises on top of bruises. Cuts, scraps, needle pricks....it looked like every horrible thing under the sun had been done to her. It most likely had been done to her. He drew a warm bath, and placed her in it, gently washing away the dried blood, opening up old wounds in the process. She had fallen unconscious, and was no help in the washing, or drying, or the coming dressing. He did it all, still shocked beyond words.
When he placed her on his bed, he took a step back and looked at her. Just looked at her. It was Max. Really? He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Really.
{Foggle Towers} June 7th
Max tossed and turned with nightmares all night. Logan could do nothing but sit by her side and try to comfort her. She bolted upright all of a sudden, punching him, her eyes full of fear.
When she realized who he was, and what she had done, she quickly helped him up, and apologized profusely.
"Logan, I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you...I thought...Logan? Oh God Logan!!" Max fell limp in his arms, sobbing hysterically. All she could say was, "Logan, oh God, I love you...I won't ever leave again, I love you so much!" as she soaked his shirt.
They sat there for hours, just hugging and crying, occasionally murmuring pledges of Love.
When things had calmed down a bit, Max leaned back against the pillows, the reality setting in. "The baby....they took my baby!!" she started to cry again, and Logan along with her.
"Shhhh...Max....I love you, you're here, right now, that's all that matters...shh"
"Logan....I couldn't stop them! They just took it! I heard it cry! I didn't even get a chance to hold it....Logan...."
All he could do was hold her, and listen as she recounted the horrible months back at Manticore. His heart slowly melted, the callus that had formed after they took her, gradually melting away. His life had meaning now. She had come home.
