Max slid down the rope into Logan's apartment. Quietly, so as not to disturb him. She wanted it to be a surprise. It had been so long, so many fights to stay alive, and hole. And now, all she wanted to do was see him, to tell him all the things she had never told him, to feel all the things they were always too scared to feel.

Max walked slowly through his apartment, but when she came to his desk there was a woman sitting there. She was young, about the same age as max, and typing away. Suddenly the girl stopped typing and turned her head slightly towards max. When she spoke, max knew who she was, but not why she was there.

"He's not here Maxie. He's never here at midnight. He goes off for an hour, and no one, ever, is allowed to contact him. He hasn't missed a night since you left us."

"Jody, what are you doing here?" Max asked, confused by everything she said as much as her presence.

"When you and Zack were lost to Manticore, someone had to take over looking after the others. Zack left me instructions before he left. I came here to debrief Syl and Krit and that's when I met Logan. He wanted to do something, anything, to make sure the rest of us were safe. It was like he had to protect us, because he couldn't protect you. It was his way of making amends to you. This is base of operations now for the x-5's, for now. Logan has a lot of ideas that could really help us take down Manticore for good, if not, enough to keep us all safe, and make sure we don't lose any more of our family." Max listened to all this, understanding why Logan was doing it all, but still confused how it had all taken place. It also worried Max how much admiration she heard in Jondy's voice.

"If you want to find him, I'm sure you're the one person he wouldn't mind interrupting him." Jondy said with a smile in her voice.

"Where?"

Jody turned her face all the way, so max was finally able to see what the years had done to her friend, and there she saw a plain, yet very pretty young girl, with light skin, and brown eyes. Her hair was shoulder length and straight. Her eyes were warm and there were almost tears in her eyes as she said her next words.

"He never believed in his heart you were dead. He doesn't know this, but I followed him one night, to make sure he was ok, and there he was, on the top of the space needle, crying. It was then that I knew he loved you. Oh Maxie, go, and don't hold back anything. We never know when we'll lose the one's we love."

Jondy looked away then, and a single tear fell down her cheek. "I loved him you know, Zack, and I never told him. Zack didn't love me though, we could have never been together. You and Logan, you love each other."

Jondy stopped, seemingly to get control of herself. then she looked up at max with an enormous smile and said, "And if you don't get your butt out of here and to that space needle right this moment, I'm gonna have to lay the snack down on your @ss, you hear me!"

"Thanks Jondy"

"Don't make me get up!"

Max smiled and ran out of the apartment towards the Space Needle. She was finally going to see Logan, and finally going to tell him she loved him.

Max took the last few steps to the top of the space needle and saw him there, sitting down, looking away from him, down at the city. She wanted to reach out to him, to scream it as loud as she could that she was alive, and that she loved him. But how? It had to be right. Then she remembered the last time she saw him, and she knew.

"Logan" she whispered.

"I hear you max, I know you're out there, somewhere. I can feel it in my heart."

"Logan, I have to tell you something. I should have said something a long time ago, but I was scared."

"I know max, so was I, but that didn't mean I did feel it anyway."

"Logan, I love you."

"I know max, I've always known somewhere, deep down, that you loved me. I knew, but you didn't. You didn't know that I loved you. And now, you may never know." Logan spoke brokenly.

Max realized then that he didn't know she was there, he thought he was talking to a ghost of some sort. Max almost feel to her knees in grief at the site of the proud, strong man she loved, here, in tears, morning her death.

"Logan, turn around."

Max saw his body stiffen, and then, slowly, he turned around. Max kneeled down in front of him. She slowly placed her hands on the sides of his face. He wasn't moving. He couldn't. Logan was in such shock. He couldn't believe she was there, so close, touching him, with tears of her own in her face. Was he dreaming?

"It's me Logan. I'm alive. It's a long story, everything that's happened over the last few months, and I'll tell you everything, but first, can't I just hear you say it?!"

"Max?"

He still didn't believe it was her. So max did the only thing she could do. She kissed him. With all the passion they had always felt for each other, but also the longing, the loneliness, the love, the pain, the fear, the desperation that came from all they had gone through the last few months.

They clung to each other for a long time, kissing, and then just sat there, holding one another. Tears running down both of their faces. Finally, Logan spoke.

"I love you max. I always have, and I can't imagine ever loving anyone else. You are everything to me, my heart, my soul, and I don't ever want to lose you again. I was lost without you."

They stayed there for a long time, just holding each other, whispering words of love, and crying for all they had lost, and all they had found in each others embrace.

But there was so much more ahead, they loved each other, finally, they had admitted it, but was it enough. Could their love save them from all the challenges ahead?

Max and Logan arrived at his apartment in a rush. They were kissing, and touching each other everywhere. Logan stopped, and looked deep into Max's eyes. The question was there. Max looked back at him with all the love in her heart, and the answer was there. Slowly Logan took Max's hand, and lifted it to his mouth for a sweet sensual kiss on the palm of her hand. Their eyes locked, never breaking their hold on the other. Max led Logan to his bedroom. Just as they were about to enter…

"Stop."

Max didn't bother to ask she only looked at him. Logan's answer was to pick Max up, and carry her over the threshold. Just as he was about to put her down Jondy entered the doorway.

"I know this is bad timing, but we have a problem."


Max and Logan walked into his living room, both in work mode, focused, but the moments they'd shared were not far away. Jondy led them to the couch.

"Max, what happened?'

Max looked away. She knew she would have to tell them, about all the tests, about the attempts to brain wash her, about the drugs they pumped into her body, about the lies they told her to control her, but worst of all, she had to tell them that Zack was dead.

"Max, you don't have to yet, you can take your time." Logan tried to comfort her.

"No, she can't." Jondy shot out.

Max and Logan looked at Jondy, both questioning her motives.

"Like I said, we have a problem. Madame X is here, in Seattle. I don't know why, but it can't be just a coincidence that you're here Max, and so is she."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not trying to say anything. Look, you're my sister, and I love you, but I have no idea what they did to you in there, and neither do you. For all we know they put a bug in your head and are recording everything we are saying, just like they did to Zack. I'm not saying they've turned you Max, I'm only saying that you have no idea what they could have done."

"I do know, better then I hope you ever will." Max stood up and they faced each other, strong, angry, and scared.

"I have an idea, a way we can know." Jondy suggested.

"What do I have to do?" Max asked, the worry showing on her face.

"Here's the deal, I can't tell you most of it. You are going to have to trust me." Jondy responded.

"But you can't trust me? Is that how this is going to work?" Max snapped.

"If you want to live..." Jondy threatened.

Max walked up to Jondy. Face to face, they stared into each other's eyes, daring the other to blink an eye. Logan watched, unable to move, the tension in the room was so high. Then, he heard the giggle.

"Oh Maxie, you know I can never beat you at this." Jondy laughed.

"Yeah? Well, you still as good on a computer?" Max asked, laughing too.

"Better." Jondy smiled. Then they both looked at Logan.

"Did I miss something?" Logan asked.

The girls looked at each other, smiled, and Jondy left.

"Max?"

"Logan, Jondy and I will do what we need to be assured that I'm not bugged, but as for me being turned, I'm not. She knows it. She knew me better then anyone else at Manticore, and you know me better then anyone else in Seattle. Don't you think you would know?" Max said, looking at him, the vulnerability in her eyes.

Logan walked slowly over to Max and took her face into his hands.

"Max, I know you, but I don't know Manticore. I'll admit a part of me was scared, but then we kissed, and we laughed, and we talked. And I knew." Logan whispered to Max. Max smiled, and Logan leaned down to kiss her. They were finally alone. The first test had begun.