Creature Comforts TITLE: Creature Comforts
AUTHOR: Empress Vader
RATING: R

Website: http://www.geocities.com/lady_vader21/FanWork.html
e-mail: Lady_Vader21@yahoo.com

Summary: Max feels she must return to Seattle after months on the road with Jondy. But homecoming isn't quite what she expected and Max's relationships with Logan and Zack become even more complex. Meanwhile, Original Cindy and Jondy have problems dealing with their feelings for each other.

Disclaimer: Dark Angel belongs to FOX.
Slash warning: This fic contains an intimate relationship between two women.

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IV: couples

Max walked through the farmer's market beside Bling. Jondy was examining some potatoes. It turned out Jondy was a better cook that Max ever was and could whip something delicious out of almost anything. Max had learned a little about cooking from Logan. Logan, could she go a day without saying his name in her mind?

"So," Max said. "How are things in the Eyes Only Camp."

"Usual, a never ending battle against Evil."

There was a long silence.

"He misses you," Bling said. "I didn't tell him that we--"

Max shrugged. "I wouldn't care if you did."

"I would," Bling said. "It would just cause unnecessary--"

"Yeah, I know," she finished. "Listen, why don't you drop by the crib later on."

"I got Eyes Only business tonight," Bling said. "See you Max."

Bling gave Max a parting hug. It was weird being around Bling, sneaking around with Bling, like they were having an affair. But Bling was her friend and whatever was going on with Logan wouldn't interfere with that. Bling was easy going and friendly, but stern when necessary. Logan had told her once how he threatened to beat on Logan's ass, wheelchair or no wheelchair. Logan, she couldn't escape him. He was always creeping into her head, except when she was engaged in battle with Zack.


*******************





Cindy dropped in her apartment around lunch time and was greeted by the foul smell of male sweat. The room was full of it. She almost stepped out into the hall to make sure she hadn't come in the wrong door.

Then she saw it and him. Zack was there bench pressing. Where he had dug up the machine, she didn't know. The weights on the thing were mismatched colors, she supposed he had dug it out of some junk yard.

"Excuse me Sam, Zack, whatever your name is, this is Original Cindy's place and this thing has got to go."

"Why? It's not hurting anything."

"First of all, this ain't a gym and it already smells like one. Second of all, this place already has enough large cluncky pieces of metal." Cindy pointed to the two motorcycles. "How long are you planning on kickin' it here. Till you brainwash my girls into following your soldier boy lead?"

"Your girls. It's my understanding only one of them is 'your girl'."

"You know what I mean," Cindy told him.

"Understand this, from the day they were born, they were my girls and they always will be."

Zack leaned back and began to bench press again. A disgusted Original Cindy walked off to her room.



Later that night, Original Cindy was still greatly annoyed by Zack's presence. She took her complaints to Jondy, but Jondy dismissed them. Jondy came out the bathroom and entered Original Cindy's room. Cindy was leaned back on the bed looking at a Magazine. Jondy sat down besides her.

"I think you over reacted to what Zack said," Jondy told her.

"Over reacted," Original Cindy replied.

"Zack, he's----he's----he's Zack," Jondy told her.

"What does that mean?"

"In a way," Jondy said. "A part of us will always be his. His soldiers, his sisters, his family. He was raised to be our leader."

"So where does that leave me in your life? This place is becoming X5 central and unless you've failed to notice, Original Cindy's not a part of the Transgenic Soldier crew."

"I've noticed," Jondy said leaning in to kiss her. "And that's the reason I --" she stopped, looked into the other woman's eyes for a long time. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What?"

"Have you ever done the whole monogamy thing?"

"Yeah," she answered casually.

"I don't just mean you were with someone for awhile and decided to kick it one-on-one. Have you ever been in love?"

Original Cindy was silent. She turned away from Jondy.

"Diamond," Cindy answered. "I never loved anybody like I loved Diamond. And she broke this girl's heart over and over again."

Jondy wrapped her arms around Original Cindy and kissed her gently on the side of her face.

"There was a girl here, a girl there," Original Cindy continued. "But Original Cindy's heart wasn't quick to let anybody in, until Max. It was all good because she was straight. We were just two homegirls kickin' it." Original Cindy turned toward Jondy. "Then you showed up and made a girl start opening up all over again."

"Does that scare you?" Jondy asked gently letting her hand glide over the other woman's cheek.

"Yeah," Cindy answered. "But it's all good."

Jondy leaned in and they shared a long sensuous kiss.

****************

Back in the empty warehouse, Zack felt as if his head was going to explode when Max landed a solid blow to his temple. He staggered a bit then gave the signal to quit. Sweat was running over his bare muscled chest. He could have fought some more, the dazed feeling was already wearing off. He just didn't want to continue.

"Your back on your game," Zack said as he sat down on a crate.

"I was never off my game," Max told him. Max looked down at her knuckles, bruised. Somehow the sight didn't disturb her. She'd seen men look at her a thousand times and mistake her for some gentle, innocent girl, but now her hands looked like the hands of a warrior.

"This is very odd foreplay, "Max told Zack.

"Who said it was foreplay?"

"I think I just did," Max replied with a smile.

Max looked at Zack. Despite carrying such a hard demeanor, he had the most gentle eyes. His biggest flaw was caring to much. And she didn't see how that could be a flaw. You couldn't help but get angry when he sat there rattling off Manticore lessons like scriptures from the Bible. But he always came through in the end, reminding them why they loved him. You had to respect his dedication, his sacrifice. Poor lonely Zack, to afraid to love. He saw the warrior in him, the soldier, that side that wanted more.

"You know Zack," Max told him. "I did miss you. Even when you are being an asshole, I miss you."

He look at her and smiled, that rare Zack smiled. It only happened once every full moon, if you were lucky. So if you were around him when it happened, you truly felt blessed.

"I missed you too Max," Zack replied after awhile. "I know it seems like I'm tough on you, but it's because I know your one of the best."

"One of the best soldiers in your unit?" Max said sarcastically.

"That and one of the best women I know."

"Come here boy," Max said.

With little thought to what she was doing, she pulled his face to her own. Her lips touched his unresponsive lips and she paused. Her hands were at his shoulders and she could feel the tension in his muscles. Why wasn't he kissing her back? What was wrong?

"Why now?" he asked her as she pulled away.

She shrugged. "You know me. I make it up as I go along."

He looked deeply into her eyes, studying her. Then he grabbed her and captured her lips in a strong kiss. And suddenly they were in battle in a new way, their mouths the competitors as they tried to swallow each other up. They were deeply absorbed in each other.

Zack suddenly heard a whimper from Max and not one of pleasure. Her side was in pain from the fight. He pulled away.

"Lets get you home," Zack told her.

She knodded and they got up and left the warehouse.


*************




Jondy and Original Cindy peaked into Max room to confirm that they saw what they thought they saw. Max seemed to be asleep, which didn't happen ever, and her arm was curled around the man beside her, Zack. Zack looked so peaceful, Jondy couldn't help but smile as she and Original Cindy creeped back into the kitchen.

"I'm so happy for them," Jondy said as she got herself a glass of water.

"Why?" Original Cindy asked. "Is Original Cindy mistaken or is this the guy you two always complain about."

"I know he's no Logan, but he's our Zack. All he's ever needed was a little love."

"He is not a puppy," Original Cindy told her.

"You just don't know Zack the way I do," Jondy told her. "He's our big brother, of course he thinks he knows everything. That part is normal."

"Ain't none of this normal. You call him your brother, yet you're glad he's sleeping with you're sister." Cindy sighed. "Plus you never saw Logan and Max together."

"Yes I have."

"Not really. Original Cindy use to see Max around this apartment every day trippin' over that man. You should have seen them eyes when that man was mentioned."

"Yeah, well, Logan ain't around no more and my peps have hooked up, so too bad."

"Original Cindy really don't get you and Max's attachment to the Neanderthal."

"We love him."

"It's that simple huh?"

"It's that simple," Jondy replied.

Max walked into he kitchen.

"You two need to learn how to sneak around better."

"Hey Max," Jondy said. "You wanna tell us what's going on?"

"No," Max said.

"Come on Max," Jondy said. "We have to know."

"You have to know," Original Cindy said. "Original Cindy has to go."

Original Cindy left the room for the bathroom.

"We didn't do anything" Max told her sister.

"Nothing?" Jondy asked with a look of doubt on her face.

"We kissed, that's it," Max told her.

"Same over here," she said with a smile.

"You playin' me. As long as Original Cindy and you have been---?"

Jondy shrugged. "I don't know. I keep trying to tell her I love her and the words keep gettin' caught up. And otherwise things are just incredibly sweet, comfortable, but you know, we haven't."

"I know what you need."

"What?"

"To let off some steam."


*******************




Zack, their leader, stood silent, watching. Jondy had looked at Max like she was insane when she told her why she had come to this spot, the abandoned warehouse. Max noticed Zack didn't seem to mind sharing the place with Jondy. Despite her reluctance, Jondy had quickly gotten into the rhythm of things, throwing punches with expert ease. Jondy had always been exceptionally fast, even among the X5s.

Jondy was good, Zack had told Max. She moved with studied precision. Max sometimes seemed more like a street fighter than a trained killer. It hadn't been that way in Manticore, but recently he'd seen it. Jondy was toying with her. She waited for Max to attack, then pounced and counter attacked. She studied her opponent like a chess player, anticipated the next move. Max never knew what happened, she was on the ground and pinned by her sister before she could evaluate the situation. Jondy took a few moments to gloat and then released Max and helped her up.

"Good fight," she said shaking her sisters hand.

"Yeah," Max said a little unsettled with losing. "Next time I won't be so easy on you."

"Sure Max," Jondy replied.

"She's good," Zack said sitting on a nearby barrel. "Don't be too surprised."

"I remembered Jondy was quick, but--" She sighed and looked down at Zack. "I got some place to show you."

Jondy walked up to them. "I'm going home."

"Not yet, lets stick together today." Max said.

"No, I got to go home. I gotta shower, because I got something to say to my girl that's been a long time coming."

"Aiight, do your thing," Max said. She and Jondy shared a parting hug.


********************




She was rarely inside the space needle. She was usually on top, thinking, feeling alone. She had shared her sanctuary with Jondy and she had never felt so alone. Now, sharing it with Zack, she got that feeling of oneness again of understanding. He sat beside her silently. He's been here before, she could tell, something inside them seeks out that "High Place". But this was the first time they'd been here together.

Zack had a certain nobility to him when he sat silent, thoughts unknown to anyone swerving around in his head. He didn't have to speak, Max felt his presence, that was enough.

"You ever bring Logan up here," Zack asked.

"Stop obsessing over Logan," Max told him.

"Me?"

"Yes you, you're always bringing him up." Max snapped. "Logan's over, Logan's gone, it's all about me and you." Max walked up close to Zack and straddled his lap.

"I have to go Max, I've already stayed too long, I'm letting personal feelings--"

"Shut up Zack," Max said leaning in for a kiss.

She attacked his lips with her own and he responded with the same fierceness. There was nothing gentle in her touch and Max was beginning to wonder if she wasn't in heat again.

"I want you," she whispered next to his ear.

Max pulled his jacket off and undid his jeans. Her mouth traveled down his chest and took little love bites along the way. She heard Zack's sharp intake of breath as she did so. He pulled her up to him, attacked her mouth again and dropped to floor with her legs wrapped tightly around him.

They were possessed by some unseen force, their bodies cried for each other and the need was answered. Zack placed himself deep inside of her, filling her up with him. He growled like some animal. Max's nails dug into his back. She possessed him, he possessed her, fully and completely.

In the aftermath they lay silently together for a long time. Finally Max spoke.

"I'll go with you," Max said.

"What?" Zack replied.

"To do whatever you have to do," Max told him.

"You wouldn't leave Seattle, not again."

"I can always come back. Seattle's not going anywhere."

"Except I may not let you go again, "Zack told her pulling her close to him. "I can't afford to get sloppy now Max."

"But you can't help yourself," Max replied.

They shared a long deep kiss and made love again.

--------------------

The apartment was silent when she got home, as expected. Max said she and Zack were going to be gone awhile and it gave her a chance to be alone with Cindy, not that she hadn't had a hundred already.

She took a shower as planned, washing the sweat from her body. She dug out some sweet smelling lotion she had been hoarding for awhile. She had made her decision, it was time to put it all on the line. All she could do was take a chance. Someone had to make the first move toward intimacy and it looked like it would be her. She slipped silently into the living room area where Cindy had come in. She now lay reading some magazine.

Cindy turned toward Jondy as she approached her. Jondy took the magazine out of her had and tossed it across the room. Then she leaned down and captured her lovers lips with her own. Cindy met her kiss with intensity, like the same need, want, and desires had been burning in her for the last month, not just for a body, but exclusively for the woman in front of her.

Jondy's kiss started at Cindy's lips and traced a slow path down her neck and slowly down to her breast right over the sweater Cindy wore. She ignored the fabric in-between and slowly began to suck and manipulate the soft breast underneath. Her hand cupped it's twin and caressed it until her mouth moved to give the same treatment she'd given the other one.

Cindy's taunt nipples had become tender under Jondy's manipulations and she longed to remove the restrictive fabric, but Jondy stopped her and continued moving downward with her kisses. She slowly began to remove the sweater. Her mouth first made contact with skin at Cindy's belly button and began to move up again from there, except this time on the beautiful bare brown skin of her lover. She finally pulled the sweater all the way off and they both stripped away everything above the waist. Cindy returned the favor and took her lover's breast into her own mouth. Jondy enjoyed this sensation for only a moment and then captured Cindy's lips in her own again as they slowly stretched out on the floor.

Jondy began her journey down the others woman's body again leaving butterfly kisses all the way down her body. It had been a long time and all the shyness Jondy had had months ago when they first made love, when she'd touched and caressed a woman intimately for the first time, was gone. She held nothing back as she removed the other woman's jeans and traveled to Cindy's pleasure center. She knew exactly which buttons to push and she didn't hesitate to push them. Jondy relished in the cries of pleasure as the woman shuddered under her manipulations until her body tensed and exploded. Then the world was at peace.

Jondy shared another long kiss with Cindy before laying on her chest.

"I love you," Jondy finally said softly.

She didn't expect a response or a return of the sentiment. It was a simple truth, she loved her. They were words that had been inside of her for a long time and she was just glad to get them out. And Cindy didn't respond, there was just a long silence. Then Original Cindy kissed her and returned the pleasure she had just received.


*********************




The X5s had bounced out of Seattle with their 'big brother' to help out Zane. Max and Jondy leaned against the car waiting for Zack. Max wondered what had made Jondy decide to bounce with them. She thought Original Cindy and Jondy were back on track, but Jondy had been sullen for the last few days. And finally she had admitted she'd told Cindy "I love you" and had yet to hear it back.

"I don't know," Jondy said. "I thought I would be cool with it, but I just, I don't." Jondy sucked her teeth. "I hate this shit."

"What?"

"Feeling all vulnerable. It was cool at first, like I was floating, but now I feel like," Jondy shrugged. "I don't know. It's obvious she's still feeling me, but--"

"But your exposed and she's not," Max finished. "That's love for you. Almost makes you think Manticore was right about avoiding it."

"Speaking of love, what's up with you and Zack."

"Things have progressed."

"If your trying to tell me your sleeping together, I know," Jondy said. "I'm talking about the relationship, where is it."

"I don't know, right now, it just is." Max smiled. "He can be so tender Jondy. It's so different from the man we know it's scary. But he's afraid, he's holding back inside. And I'm not really looking to get heavy anyway."

"Are you still in love with Logan?" Jondy asked.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Something Original Cindy said"

"Logan's gone, I've accepted that." Max sighed.

Zack came out the building with Zane. Zane was carrying a single bag.

"Wow, this is a surprise," Zane said looking at his sisters. "Max AND Jondy."

"Hey Zane," Max smiled.

They both smiled and gave him a hug.

"Let's go," Zack said. They all climbed into the car. Jondy was about to slip in the back with Zane when Max traded with her. It gave her an opportunity to talk to her long time no-see brother.




Original Cindy was home at the time, laid across her bed, thinking about her last conversation with Jondy. There was no yelling, but there wasn't much else either.

'Zack and Max are bouncing for awhile,' Jondy had said. 'They ask me if I wanted to come with them.'

'Are you going?' Original Cindy had asked her.

Jondy had shrugged. 'I guess so, I haven't seen Zane in awhile. I'll miss you.'

'me too,' Original Cindy had replied.

'I love you,' she had said for the second time.

She'd wanted to say the words back, but something had them caught in her throat. Jondy looked away. Cindy walked up to her, kissed her, and left the room. Jondy had bounced in the middle of the night with her siblings.

Her thoughts were interrupted by insistent knocking at the door. She got up and walked to the door. When she opened it, Logan was standing there with a gift.

"Hey," Original Cindy said.

"Hey is um, Max here?"

"No," Original Cindy answered.

"Do you know when she'll be back?"

"No, She's out of town with her new boyfriend, ex- brother."

Logan looked completely and entirely shocked.

"Yeah, don't ask me how the twisted shit got started. If Jondy was here, you could ask her."

"She's not here either?" Logan asked. "So they're away on X5 business?"

"Don't know," Original Cindy replied. "You want a drink or something?" Original Cindy walked toward the refrigerator.

"You seem a little upset," Logan said as he came in.

"Original Cindy is upset," Original Cindy said bringing back a soda for both of them. "She's upset with herself."

"What's the problem?"

"Jondy," Original Cindy sighed. "She said she loved me."

"And you don't feel the same way?"

"No, that's not even it. Original Cindy's afraid. She's seen some of the shit that's happened to Max and Original Cindy ain't looking for another broken heart."

"I understand. There are times I told myself not to feel the way I did about Max, told myself I was setting myself up for trouble, but sometimes you have to take a chance and just hope for the best."

Original Cindy was quiet for a long time.

"So you here to get your girl back."

"To apologize."

"You get her back, because Original Cindy ain't to fond of that 'Zack'."

"Well, if involved with an X5 girl, I'm afraid he's a part of the package."

"Damn, "Original Cindy smiled. "The price a girl pays for love."

Logan smiled. "How involved are Max and him?"

"Very," Original Cindy replied. "At least physically."

"Damn," Logan replied.





DZ- april/may 2001