Morning came over Seattle, casting a red-orange light over the dusky, dirty streets and roads. People in the shelters all over town stirred, and winced as the bright radiance streamed in through every crack and window.
Fran pushed her head up to the glass, and stared out at the rising sun. Again, the thought of freedom popped into her head. She looked to that horizon and saw many possibilities for her future, but her past always seemed to catch up with her, in one way or another. Either it was Manticore, Zack or some other problem that she had tried to run away from. Now, another had caught her up, one that she had hoped had gone. Her body shook suddenly, and with a shaky hand she pulled out her Tryptophan pack. She threw down two pills, and fell onto her bed, and drew her knees up to her face. They had been getting worse over the last months, and coping had been difficult, alone. But now, she had Max...and Logan as well.
Fran began to shake so much that she fell onto the floor, making a slight thud. She closed her eyes, and wished herself away. Moments of immense vulnerability were few and far between, but when they happened all the mental barriers Fran had erected around herself vanished.
Footsteps came running down the hall, and as Fran looked up she saw the guy Max had called Bling opening the door. He immediately ran back, and she heard him calling for Logan. She shook more violently, and shut her eyes again. Voices and noises echoed in the background, but as Fran felt her consciousness slip away, they disappeared.
iZack's voice...no, now it was contorting, being warped...something about...a helicopter above...then it was lost. Then two other voices floated in, one indiscernible, the other Brinn's.../i
Then the haziness snapped away, and Fran's eyes focused.
Logan and Max were standing over her bed, deep in conversation. Fran pulled herself up, and Max came over to her side.
"Hey little sister, how are you feeling?" She said, with a concerned look on her face. Logan wheeled over to Fran as well, and furrowed his brow.
"Bad seizures?"
Fran nodded, even though she knew that the seizures were also due to...something else. She wanted to tell Max, but she wouldn't understand, and it wouldn't achieve anything. There was only one person, one place that could fix it, but that was not an option. Winning the fight is was in her genetic make-up, giving up and retreating wasn't.
"Been like that for a while now. Dunno why." Fran shrugged it off. Logan fell for it, but Max wasn't so sure, Fran saw it in her eyes. She got up, and stretched her arms. Max headed toward the door, Fran trotted after her.
"You going already Max?" Logan said to her as she headed toward the lift doors. Fran caught Logan's eye as she followed Max, and he smiled warmly at her.
"Yeah, Jam Pony doesn't run without me!" She joked, and turned to Fran. "Stay here okay? Rest and eat! Logan makes good casserole"
Logan smiled, and wheeled himself into the kitchen, as Max walked out the door.
Late afternoon with Logan was good for Fran; his charm and warmth seemed to make her more comfortable. They ate and made small talk, Fran grew more relaxed every time Logan flashed his smile, and as he cooked more pasta salad for the both of them she probed more into his relationship with Max. After all, it is a sister's job to check out their siblings...Ifriends/I
Fran adjusted her position in her chair, and rested her head on the palm of her hand. Logan brought over another steaming pot of pasta, and dished out another ladleful onto Fran's plate. He took himself up to the table, and Fran looked at him.
"What?!" He asked, trying not to look back at her.
"You like her. Why?"
Logan put his fork down gently and turned head to look uncomfortably at the wall.
"Why'd you ask?" He said.
Fran saw that he was not happy talking about this, but she wasn't going to stop now.
"Because I wanna know your intentions"
Logan couldn't help but laugh and look at her. He was having a personal conversation with a genetically enhanced mutant, but yet, she was a igirl/i being a little too inquisitive.
"We are friends, nothing more. Simply...business partners I guess. So your question," He paused, "really isn't...valid"
Fran grinned, and rolled her eyes.
"Wow. You really know how to avoid answering tricky questions...don't you?"
Logan smiled slightly, and finished off his pasta. Fran stood up, and stretched. Logan cleared the plates away, and wheeled himself into his computer room.
"I got a bit delayed in finding you another alias...you should be on your way by tomorrow" Logan informed her. But when he turned around, Fran had already disappeared. He shrugged, and set up his equipment ready for another Eyes Only broadcast.
Fran pushed her head up to the glass, and stared out at the rising sun. Again, the thought of freedom popped into her head. She looked to that horizon and saw many possibilities for her future, but her past always seemed to catch up with her, in one way or another. Either it was Manticore, Zack or some other problem that she had tried to run away from. Now, another had caught her up, one that she had hoped had gone. Her body shook suddenly, and with a shaky hand she pulled out her Tryptophan pack. She threw down two pills, and fell onto her bed, and drew her knees up to her face. They had been getting worse over the last months, and coping had been difficult, alone. But now, she had Max...and Logan as well.
Fran began to shake so much that she fell onto the floor, making a slight thud. She closed her eyes, and wished herself away. Moments of immense vulnerability were few and far between, but when they happened all the mental barriers Fran had erected around herself vanished.
Footsteps came running down the hall, and as Fran looked up she saw the guy Max had called Bling opening the door. He immediately ran back, and she heard him calling for Logan. She shook more violently, and shut her eyes again. Voices and noises echoed in the background, but as Fran felt her consciousness slip away, they disappeared.
iZack's voice...no, now it was contorting, being warped...something about...a helicopter above...then it was lost. Then two other voices floated in, one indiscernible, the other Brinn's.../i
Then the haziness snapped away, and Fran's eyes focused.
Logan and Max were standing over her bed, deep in conversation. Fran pulled herself up, and Max came over to her side.
"Hey little sister, how are you feeling?" She said, with a concerned look on her face. Logan wheeled over to Fran as well, and furrowed his brow.
"Bad seizures?"
Fran nodded, even though she knew that the seizures were also due to...something else. She wanted to tell Max, but she wouldn't understand, and it wouldn't achieve anything. There was only one person, one place that could fix it, but that was not an option. Winning the fight is was in her genetic make-up, giving up and retreating wasn't.
"Been like that for a while now. Dunno why." Fran shrugged it off. Logan fell for it, but Max wasn't so sure, Fran saw it in her eyes. She got up, and stretched her arms. Max headed toward the door, Fran trotted after her.
"You going already Max?" Logan said to her as she headed toward the lift doors. Fran caught Logan's eye as she followed Max, and he smiled warmly at her.
"Yeah, Jam Pony doesn't run without me!" She joked, and turned to Fran. "Stay here okay? Rest and eat! Logan makes good casserole"
Logan smiled, and wheeled himself into the kitchen, as Max walked out the door.
Late afternoon with Logan was good for Fran; his charm and warmth seemed to make her more comfortable. They ate and made small talk, Fran grew more relaxed every time Logan flashed his smile, and as he cooked more pasta salad for the both of them she probed more into his relationship with Max. After all, it is a sister's job to check out their siblings...Ifriends/I
Fran adjusted her position in her chair, and rested her head on the palm of her hand. Logan brought over another steaming pot of pasta, and dished out another ladleful onto Fran's plate. He took himself up to the table, and Fran looked at him.
"What?!" He asked, trying not to look back at her.
"You like her. Why?"
Logan put his fork down gently and turned head to look uncomfortably at the wall.
"Why'd you ask?" He said.
Fran saw that he was not happy talking about this, but she wasn't going to stop now.
"Because I wanna know your intentions"
Logan couldn't help but laugh and look at her. He was having a personal conversation with a genetically enhanced mutant, but yet, she was a igirl/i being a little too inquisitive.
"We are friends, nothing more. Simply...business partners I guess. So your question," He paused, "really isn't...valid"
Fran grinned, and rolled her eyes.
"Wow. You really know how to avoid answering tricky questions...don't you?"
Logan smiled slightly, and finished off his pasta. Fran stood up, and stretched. Logan cleared the plates away, and wheeled himself into his computer room.
"I got a bit delayed in finding you another alias...you should be on your way by tomorrow" Logan informed her. But when he turned around, Fran had already disappeared. He shrugged, and set up his equipment ready for another Eyes Only broadcast.