Disclaimer: Don't own Dark Angel, Yada yada… Don't sue… pointless… blaa blaa blaa… All rights and characters belong to Cameron and Eglee (I wonder how much it would take to buy Michael Weatherly?)
A/N: Thanks everyone for the replies… I really appreciate the fact that people actually like this story. I just want to add that the writers were toying with all of us ML fans with the season finale… Arg! Why couldn't they just end it happily?
Anyway… I won't leave you hanging any longer!
Walking on Eggshells
Part 7
~Max's POV~
"NO!!!"
I sat bolt upright and began to sob. I then realized that I was in my bedroom, sitting on my bed. I jumped up and ran into the kitchen. Everything looked the same; my life seemed the same, except I was missing the two people that mattered the most to me.
I sat down, defeated, on the couch and surrendered to the tears that ran down my cheeks. I vaguely heard a board squeak as weight was applied to it and I lifted my head.
"What's wrong, Boo?" Cindy looked at me concerned.
I jumped up, hugging her with all my strength.
Cindy squeaked. "Aiight, Max… I can't breathe."
I let her go and wiped the tears from my eyes. "Sorry. I thought you were dead."
"Say WHAT?!?!" Cindy cried. She put her hands on her hips and looked at me with one eyebrow raised.
"He told me you were dead… I didn't know what to do. I knew it was all my fault! I'm so sorry!" I went to hug her again, but she stopped me.
"One more hug from you and you'll crack one of my ribs." She chuckled and crossed the room to make coffee. I sat back down on the couch and sighed. Then I jumped back up.
"Logan??" I turned to Cindy. "Cindy, after they told me that you were dead, they showed me Logan with a gun to his head." My throat began to constrict from my emotions. "He told me that they would shoot him if I didn't join Manticore again." I gulped loudly and Cindy put a hand on my shoulder.
"Max, it's okay. It was just-"
"NO!" I screamed. Cindy jumped backwards. "It's not okay! I killed him, Cindy. He's dead because of me! What the hell have I done?" I felt my legs give way and I fell to the ground, sobbing. Cindy knelt down beside me and stroked my hair.
"Max, I don't know what you're on… it was probably just a dream." She said soothingly.
I shook my head. "No, you don't understand, it was real. I can't believe it happened. He's… he's… gone, Cindy. Logan's gone." I said between sobs.
"Logan's gone where?" I heard a voice say from behind me. I snapped my head around and gasped. I jumped to my feet and propelled myself into his arms.
"Logan." I breathed. I pulled back and kissed every part of his face.
He stopped my frantic movements by placing his hands on either side of my face. "Max… calm down. It's not like we haven't seen each other in a long time."
"But it was! Lydecker told me that they had tortured and killed Cindy and then they shot you… they shot you, Logan! And it was my fault because I was too selfish!" I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head repeatedly.
I felt his arms circle my waist and he pulled me to him for a hug. "Max, it was a dream… just calm down. All of us are okay. Don't beat yourself up over a dream."
I sighed and kissed his neck. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you."
I heard Cindy groan and shuffle towards her bedroom. "I'm happy for you, Boo, but I can't stand the mushy stuff." She shut her door and Logan chuckled.
I pulled back from the hug and looked into his eyes. "I mean it, Logan. I really don't know what I would do if I lost you."
"Avenge my death." He grinned and I punched him lightly in the stomach. "Hey!"
I ran my hands over his chest and stopped at the waist of the boxers he was wearing. "I'm glad it was just a dream, because we have something we have been waiting to do…" I trailed off.
He grinned and I led him back into the bedroom.
~Logan's POV~
I woke up a few hours later and noticed the sun shining through the window. I didn't know what time it was. I didn't care. I was too elated with what had happened. I let my eyes adjust to the sudden brightness before looking beside me.
I sighed loudly. There was no one there. I closed my eyes and groaned. It was too soon. We'd really only been together for a few days and none of our friends knew except OC and Zack. Bling had his assumptions, but they had never been proven correct. I slowly got up and put on my clothes. Grabbing my jacket that was hanging over a chair near her door, I went out into the kitchen area.
"Good mornin'. There's some coffee there if you want it." Cindy said cheerily from her spot on the couch. Zack was sitting next to her, looking stern, as usual.
I shook my head slowly. "Nah, it's okay. I think I'm just going to get out of here." I headed towards the door.
"And jus where are you headed, Boo? You got some psycho chick on ya ass that, according to Max, is after more than information, if you get my drift." Cindy stood in front of me with her hands on her hips.
I shrugged and she rolled her eyes.
"I have to check on my apartment…" I lied, because I honestly didn't know where I was going to go.
"Sure, Boo, whatever." She turned back around and sat on the couch. I watched as her and Zack became engrossed in the conversation they were having before I had emerged from the bedroom.
"Bye." I muttered as I walked out the door, slamming it shut behind me. I put my hands in my pockets and walked across the street, heading towards Foggle Towers, not knowing where else to go.
Suddenly, it hit me and I changed directions. Max had told me that this place was a great location to reflect and I decided that's what I needed. I headed up the enormous flight of stairs and was breathing heavily when I got to the top. But it was worth it. The city didn't seem as corrupt or dangerous from high up. I stayed away from the edge, content to sit a few feet back.
I took a deep breath and looked out at the horizon. I jumped when I felt two hands come over my eyes.
"Guess who?"
My heart leaped as I heard the voice whisper in my ear. Then I remembered why I had come up here. "What are you doing here?"
Max took her hands away and stood in front of me. "I might ask you the same thing."
"Thinking." I replied, looking down at my feet. She knelt down and put her hands on my knees.
"You okay?" She asked softly.
"I'm fine." I snapped. I saw a look of shock move across her face, and then her eyes became hard with anger.
"Fine!" She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "It's not my problem if you've got a stick up your ass! I just want to know why the hell you're putting yourself in so much danger!"
I stood up and looked down at her. "It's not your concern what I do, Max. You're not my mother!" Thank god, I finished in my head.
"Not my concern?" I gulped and she gritted her teeth. She looked like she was ready to explode. "What the hell do you mean it's not my concern? We've known each other for how long, Logan? How many times have I saved your life? You've butted into my life more than a few times during our friendship and shown concern. I've never told you to butt out because I thought we were honest with each other! Now what the fuck is wrong with you?"
"You want to know what's wrong with me?" I yelled, sure that the rest of Seattle could hear us bickering on top of the Space Needle. "Where the hell were you this morning? I woke up, perfectly happy until I rolled over and met a warm sheet!" I looked down, my rage deteriorating. I was prepared to lift my eyes and add calmer words when my legs began to wobble and I fell. Max's quick reflexes saved me from going over the edge and she caught me in her arms. We were nose to nose and both of us were breathing heavily from the yelling.
She lowered me down so that I was sitting back on the building and she sat beside me. "Logan, I-"
I interrupted. "It was too soon, you don't have to say it. It was too soon, we weren't ready."
She made an exasperated noise and I looked at her. "Can I finish please?" She retorted. I nodded. "As I was saying, I woke up and decided that I was going to make breakfast. I went out to the market to pick up a few things when I realized that I can't cook half as well as you can and I didn't want to kill you the morning after we… did what we did." She blushed. "Anyway, I decided to head back home and wake you up so that you could make breakfast when I saw that blonde girl, J.C. She was talking to some guy with black hair and I heard her say that they were watching your apartment."
I gave her a small smiled. "Are you going somewhere with this?"
She gave me an impatient look. "Yes, let me finish. I heard her say that they were watching your apartment and then it hit me!" She looked me in the eye. "What if she gave you a transfusion? Her blood may work better then mine, I don't know."
I pursed my lips. "It's risky. How would we get her to comply?"
"I could tell her that I would go back to Manticore with her in exchange for the transfusion." She stated simply.
"No. Max, no. That's insane! You said you'd rather die than go back there and I'm not going to send you back there." I said quickly.
She rolled her eyes and moved into my lap. "Logan, I'm not actually going to go with her. We'll just make her think I'm going with her. You're jumping to conclusions."
"Max, my legs aren't important. If this jeopardizes your safety or your life, then it's not worth it. You're too important to me." I cupped her chin with one hand and held onto her waist with the other.
She leaned in and kissed me. When she pulled back, she said, "Don't worry. I can kick her ass anyway." She grinned.
~Zack's POV~
This was the craziest thing I've ever heard. "I thought his legs weren't important." I said simply, forgetting that I wasn't supposed to know that.
Max stared hard at me. "I never told you that… wait a minute. You were eavesdropping, weren't you? Dammit Zack! That was private. You have to be the nosiest person I've ever met! I can never trust you!"
To my surprise, Logan came to my defense. "Max, be logical here. It's pretty damn hard to not hear stuff when you have superhearing. Think about it Max. He's kept secrets that would be impossible for other humans to keep. He's helped you a lot, admit it."
I glanced back at Max and she bit her lower lip in concentration. "You're right, Logan. Just try not to hear those kind of things again, okay Zack?" Her lack of anger was a surprise to me. I then realized that it was probably because of her feelings for Logan. I clenched my teeth, then sat down in a chair.
"So, I guess we just go to his apartment and wait." I cracked the knuckles in my fingers and saw Max and Logan wince.
"That's disgusting." Logan said with his lip curled.
"I can't help it. Anyway, you guys go into the apartment, have dinner or something and I'll hide near that big picture window. I can see a lot from there." They both nodded and we got on with our day.
~Logan's POV~
Hours passed and it became dark. Max and I set out for my apartment on her motorcycle and Zack said he would arrive half-an-hour later. I had my wheelchair, so when we got to Foggle Towers, Max pushed me into the elevator.
As I entered my dark apartment, I noticed a small glow coming from the kitchen. "Hey! Who's in here?" I yelled out. Max and I both jumped as Bling's head popped out.
"Logan? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be in Canada by now." He crossed his arms and noticed Max. "And Max? I thought you'd be at work."
Both of us froze and looked at each other. "Oh shit! I totally forgot! Normal's going to kill me!"
I squeezed her hand. "It's okay. I'll forge a doctor's note and say that you were sick."
She smiled and caressed my cheek. "Thanks." We both suddenly realized that Bling was there and stopped our staring contest, blushing.
Bling raised an eyebrow at both of us. "So where's that crazy girl that's supposedly after you?"
"We're waiting for her to join our party." I said, trying to ignore Max's hand running through my hair. I finally broke down and leaned my head back against her hand, sighing. "I think I'll go make us something to eat." I rolled into the kitchen and began to prepare whatever I had in the fridge. I suddenly felt a slight pressure at the back of my neck and I turned around.
"Hey, sugar, did you miss me?" J.C. smiled and I saw her eyes sweep me from had to toe.
"Did you just kiss me, J.C?" I said loudly and Max ran into the kitchen. She eyes J.C. suspiciously before turning to me.
"Everything okay in here?" She sat down on my lap, obviously proving to J.C. that I was taken.
"Since when are you in a wheelchair?" J.C. asked, ignoring Max's blatant possessiveness.
"That's where you come in."
She furrowed her brow in confusion. "Huh?"
We explained my injury and how Max's blood had temporarily healed them. "It's worn off though and now he can't walk anymore. We want you to give him a transfusion." Max concluded.
J.C. crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. "And what's in it for me?"
"Me. You can take me back to Manticore and I won't fight you."
J.C. raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious."
J.C. eyed Max, then nodded. "Alright. Fine, whatever."
We sat at the table and I watched as J.C. began the transfusion, letting her blood flow through the tube that was connected to my arm. She eyed Max, who was sitting in my lap with her head resting against my chest.
"What are you looking at?" Max snapped, cutting through the silence. J.C. pursed her lips.
"You two. You don't fit well. You never would have made it together anyway, so it's just as well that I'm taking you back home." She grinned triumphantly.
"That place will never be my home." Max said softly, raising her head to look at me. "You'll always be my home, Logan." She kissed me softly before plunging her tongue into my mouth. She pulled back after a few moments and glanced back at J.C. "He will always be my home and no one will take that away from me."
I looked back down at the tubes connecting our arms and saw J.C's blood enter my arm. I felt a twinge of pain after a few moments and figured that it was working. But a few moments later, I felt another wave of pain; it was sharper this time. I clenched my teeth and Max looked at me.
"Logan, are you okay? Your muscles are all tense."
I blinked my eyes a few times before feeling a cloud of dizziness fall over me. I felt my head drop to the table and vaguely remembered falling out of my chair. I opened my eyes again and saw blurry figures. I blinked again as another wave of pain exploded through my body and saw Max sitting in front of me with an anxious look on her face.
"Logan… oh God, what's wrong?" Her pleading voice was distant and I blacked out for a minute. I struggled to regain consciousness and when I did, Max was shaking me, tears in her eyes.
"Max… I need to tell you something…. Before…" I clenched my teeth as my legs were being ripped to shreds.
"Logan, don't leave me… you're going to be fine. Bling's here, we'll take you to a hospital! Don't give up, stay with me!" I heard Max yell for Bling and he raced into the room, a stricken look on his face.
It took all my strength to lift my hand and trace a finger across her full lips.
"Max, I love you."
Then everything went black.