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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V: The Beginning and the End

They were gone three weeks. Original Cindy was sitting there eating dinner with Logan. They had been keeping each other company off and on. Logan's eyes met Max's and everyone else froze as the room sucked around the two of them.

"Logan," Max said. "What are you doing here"

"Eating," Logan replied lifting his fork.

"Yeah, but of all the places to eat, why would you want to eat where 'things trained to kill' crash."

"I'm sorry about that, I'm sorry about a lot of things, that's why I'm here."

"Well a lot has changed since you've been away," Max replied. Zack stepped forward and put an arm around Max. That scowl, that had begun to disappear, began to reappear.

Logan got up and walked over to Max. "Can we talk? Alone?"

"Maybe she doesn't want to talk to you," Zack told him.

"How do you know?" Logan asked him. "Max, you never let this guy speak for you before."

"This guy?" Max said. "This is Zack. And for all the shit he talks" Max smiled at Zack. "He's never abandoned me."

"That's why I'm here Max," Logan said. "I'm sorry. Don't you know, I loved you, I needed you so badly it hurt. And I'm not talking about for 'Eyes Only'. I needed you so much I began to hate you."

"I know the feeling," she replied. "So what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying I love you" Logan replied taking her hand in his.

Cindy, Jondy, and Zack all noticed the smile that began to beam from her face. Jondy was noticeably ticked off by Logan's presence. Zack almost jumped at him, but Jondy stopped him by grabbing her arm. Original Cindy was pleased by the seeming reunion. Zack still looked like he wanted to break off Logan's head. He snatched Max's hand from Logan's.

"Don't, don't throw us away yet," Zack told her. "You were just beginning to find your true self."

"And what is my true self Zack?" Max asked. It was an honest question, it wasn't laced with sarcasm.

"You know there's something inside of you that he can never understand."

"Maybe I don't want anyone to see that part."

:"Neither do I. That's why it's so scary Max. You get to pieces of me I won't share with anyone else and I bring out the same in you. It's scary, because we're so exposed. But don't run from it, please." Zack pulled her close. "Now that I've had all of you, I couldn't stand to have part of you again. I couldn't just grind my teeth and go away."

"Max," Logan said taking her hand. "You've brought out the same thing in me. That's why I love you. I may not have feline DNA, I may not have grown up in Manticore, but I get it, what it feels like to be different, to be outside. I love you as much as he does."

"No you don't," Zack told her. "Or you never would have done what you did. If you really understood, those words would have never came out of your lips."

"What words?" Logan asked.

"You called us things," Jondy answered. "Things trained to kill. Said you shouldn't even expect humanity from us."

"I was angry."

"You never would have said it if you understood," Jondy told him.

"Come on boo," Original Cindy said stepping into the mix. "He didn't mean it."

"Then why did he say it," Jondy spat back.

"Just stop!!!" Max yelled. "This isn't your fight girls."

"But what he said--" Jondy began.

"I know him," Max said looking into Logan's eyes. "He didn't mean it."

"Whatever then," Jondy shrugged and turned to Original Cindy. "We need to talk anyway, alone. So I say we bounce and give them their space."

Original Cindy and Jondy left the room distanced from each other. Nothing like lovers or even friends.


"Why are you defending him," Jondy asked when they were outside.

"I like Logan, aiight," Original Cindy said. "The same reason you defend that Neanderthal you call your brother. Logan may have said one bad thing. But he loves Max."

"So does Zack." Jondy said. "Obviously more than you love me."

Original Cindy froze. "What?"

Jondy turned to her. "I love you dammit. You have flavor, you have style, and you helped me find my true self. I love you. But if you don't love me back, I gotta bounce. I can't keep torturing myself about it."

Jondy continued to ramble on.

"I love you too boo," Original Cindy said.

"What?" Jondy said as she froze.

"I said I love you."

"Why the hell didn't you say it earlier?" Jondy asked

"Scared."

"Of what?" Jondy asked.

"You," Original Cindy replied.

"I'm scared too," Jondy said. Jondy said. She was nearly in tears as she pulled the other woman close. They shared a long sensuous kiss.

Max sat on the couch. Zack scowled in one corner. Logan sat on the other side of the room looking at the floor. She'd finally just got sick of the yelling, ask them to shut up. It was a hard choice to make, she loved them both. She hadn't known how much she could love Zack, until Logan stepped out of her life. And now she didn't know what to do. She wanted another chance with Logan, but she didn't want to let go of Zack, not now. And why should she operate on Logan's timeline, perhaps it wouldn't last with Zack, but that's where her heart was now. With him, it wasn't that she didn't love Logan, but she was starting to see a whole new man in Zack and if she cheated herself out of that, it would be wrong.

"Zack," Max said.

"Yeah," Zack replied.

"I need to talk to Logan alone. Don't go far."

Zack cast Logan the death look and walked out of the apartment. Logan smiled like he was victorious.

"So, How are you going to break it to him?"

"Break what to him?"

"Us," Logan said. "We share something special Max."

"We shared something special Logan. This thing with Zack, it was on the rebound, so maybe it won't last. But I won't run out on him."

"Max? Please, don't do this. You still have feelings for me. You still love me, I can see it."

He grabbed her face, pulled it close and trapped her in a kiss. She turned to butter beneath him, melted to his kiss. And when he pulled away she was left with this warm feeling inside.

"You still love me," Logan whispered.

"I do," Max said. "But I can't be with you. Not now."

She pushed away from him.

"Maybe we'll get a second chance. But I'm in love with Zack right now. As much as I love you, I'm falling in love with him. I thought it was impossible, but it's happening." Max smiled and turned to Logan. "Remember you said you never forget your first love."

" Yeah, I remember, you said you wouldn't know."

"I was wrong. Lying to myself, I don't know. I loved Zack before the escape. He was so focused all the time. Silent, but caring. I'm starting to see that again. I can't let go of it, not right now."

"You don't mean it Max."

"I do," she shrugged. "I'm sorry Logan. I love you. Good-bye."

Max left the apartment and walked to the Hallway. Zack stood by a back window looking at the sky.

"Come to tell me good-bye," he asked without ever turning toward her.

"Not unless your planning on taking me where your going."

"What?" Zack replied visibly surprised.

"I'm not going to live on Logan's timetable. I'm with you, I'm where I'm suppose to be."

Zack smiled. And the room lit up. For Zack to smile was a truly precious gift.

"You should do that more often," Max said pulling Zack close and capturing his lips in a kiss. She let go of Logan and gave into her love for the man in front of her. Maybe it wouldn't last forever, but right now this was where she belonged.

THE END




DZ- april/may 2001