After Zack had met her eyes, he turned away and headed off to another room. Max watched him leave before turning back to Logan.
"You ok?" he asked her.
"Yeah, I'm just worried about Zack, though."
"What for?"
"He…I don't know…I'm just worried 'bout him, that's all."
"Oh," Logan replied, raising his eyebrows like he really understood.
"Can I have some time alone with him?" Max asked Logan, even though she didn't need his permission for anything.
Logan shrugged, not wanting to say that he really wanted Zack to just leave entirely. "Guess so," he answered acting like he didn't care, when he really did.
"Thanks," Max said with a smile. She patted him supportingly on the shoulder. "We won't be gone long."
"You want my coat?" Logan asked her. "It's starting to get chilly."
"No, we'll probably only walk down to the lounge area downstairs."
"Okay."
Max left the room and headed out to the living room area where she found Zack staring out the window. His right hand rested on the left, fingering the gauze wrapped about it.
Lying her hand on his, Max looked up at him. "You want to go downstairs and talk?" He shook his head slowly, continuing to stare out the window. "Well, let's just go anyhow," Max persuaded, wrapping her arm about his and gently tugging. Willingly, he followed her out of the penthouse and downstairs.
"You shouldn't hate him," Bling said to Logan as they watched Max and Zack leave.
"I don't hate him."
"You don't like him then."
"Should I?" Logan asked with a slight smile as he looked up at Bling. The other man could only shrug, not having an answer to the question Logan posed.
Meanwhile, down in the lounge, Max had made herself comfortable on the squishy chairs. Seated next to her, Zack still couldn't look comfortable despite the luxury.
"How bad is it?" she asked him.
"How bad is what?"
"Your injuries. Bling said they weren't good."
"Yeah, well, they're not that bad."
"Seriously, Zack," Max said sarcastically, tired of hearing his lies.
"They're not bad. Just a little burn."
"A little?" Max nearly yelped. "You might not have had any leg!"
"Besides the leg."
"How bad does it hurt?" she asked him.
"It could be worse." He sighed. "I just hate it."
"Hate what?"
"The fact that I can't run, I can't leap…hell, if Lydecker wanted to, he could come after me, and I wouldn't be able to give that hard of a fight! I hate this feeling," he spat, suddenly, displaying his emotions.
"It will get better-" Max began.
"No, that's the thing. This won't get better. Despite the fact that I have super blood that can cure almost anything. Despite the fact I'm a genetically engineered human. Despite everything I am. Despite all that b.s…it just doesn't make it better. I'll always have a slight limp, a slight pain, even if it close to invisible, constantly reminding me. It's something I won't ever forget."
"None of us will."
"Yeah? You can forget about when you sleep or if you're doing something else. Even in my sleep, the fire burns me. And when I'm doing something? My leg gets in the way." He turned away and rested his knuckles over his mouth, blowing air through them. "It's going to be hard."
"Hard to do what?"
"Hard to walk, hard to run…moving."
"Logan could walk after I transplanted some of my blood into him. You'll be able to walk. It's your own blood too, the body's not going to reject it."
"I wish that were so, but I mean right now, my leg's not going to heal just like that," he replied, snapping his fingers.
"Besides, you're not going anywhere, it'll give the leg time to heal."
"I can't stay."
"You're leaving?"
"I want to stay, I really do," he said, turning back to her. "But I can't stay in Seattle anymore."
"Are you coming back?"
"I'll be back, eventually, yes…"
"When?"
"You'll know."
"This is good-bye then?" she asked, feeling a lump rising in her throat, as she realized that he was truly leaving.
He nodded. "I have to. If Lydecker's really alive, he'll be searching for me, thinking I'm still one of his." Zack rose to his feet and walked over to the exit. Max followed, her arms crossed loosely about her chest.
He lingered in the doorway before opening the door to leave. They stared at each other, trying to imprint the memory of each other before he left once again.
Max felt hot tears spring to her eyes. This time was worse than the other time he had left. Those times they had not been so intimate with their thoughts and feelings. Now, knowing how they truly felt about one another just made his leaving so hard.
Turning away from him, she was ready to walk back up to the stairs to Logan and let everything be forgotten. Furiously, she wiped the tears away, reminding herself that it wasn't the time nor the place for weeping.
She felt a hand upon her arm and turned to see Zack, staring at her. Perhaps he had decided to stay. They stared at each other, waiting and wondering. Suddenly, Zack bent forward and fiercely kissed her. His good hand rested on the back of her head, stroking her dark curls. Max's hand found its way to the back of his neck and rubbed it gently. It would be so long before he would see her again, and the knowledge that he was breaking them apart hurt.
After a couple seconds, Max gently pushed him away. He looked at her closely, confused almost. "Zack, not now…I…Logan," she stuttered. He nodded and turned, leaving finally.
She paused before turning away. The thought that he truly did care for he both astounded and confused her. Yet, it was a strange thought nonetheless. And the part where he had told her that she would know when he was coming back. When is that? she asked. When is it, Zack?
