Disclaimer: All characters (save J.C, Paws and Sherena Khan) belong to Cameron and Eglee. This story is just a result of being bored. Don't sue me, I have no money.
Author's Note: This is the last chapter (boo hoo), but maybe if you beg, I'll write another story! (just kidding) So without further ado, here is Chapter 9.
Walking on Eggshells
Part 9
~Zack's POV~
I woke up the next morning with a slight pain in my neck. I sat up and stretched, feeling truly free for the first time since our escape from Manticore when we were children. I stood up and walked over to Max's doorway.
"Max?"
There was no reply. I pushed the door open and stepped inside the dark room. I smiled slightly when my eyes adjusted to the dimness. Max and Logan were lying together, fully clothed, in the bed. They had their arms wrapped around each other and both had smiles on their faces.
I retreated from the room, pulling the door shut behind me. I felt happy for them. They had found love in each other and I suddenly wished I had the same thing. I shook my head at that thought and went to make coffee, planning to visit the other X5's to tell them the news. Manticore was gone and we were finally free. No more running.
Cindy emerged from her room ten minutes later, looking cheery as usual. She grabbed a cup of coffee and sat beside me on the couch. "How'd you sleep?"
"Fine." I murmured.
"What's up with you, Boo? You was all fine yesterday and now you're like Ice Man." I let out a laugh and Cindy smiled. "That's better. And I slept fine as well, thanks for asking." She took another sip of her coffee. "So… now that big bad Manticore is gone, where you gonna crash?"
I pursed my lips. "I dunno. This has never happened before. I've always had to look over my shoulder for the black helicopters. And now…"
"Nothing?"
I turned my head to look at her. "Yeah, nothing. It's just… weird, you know? I guess I'll check on the others, tell them the news, then… I don't know."
She patted my arm before getting up. "You're always welcome in Seattle, Boo." She put her cup in the sink and went back into her bedroom. I leaned back against the couch and began the impossible task of planning my future, now that I actually had one.
~Max's POV~
I stretched in my sleep and encountered a warmth beside me. I opened my eyes and saw blue ones staring back at me. "Hey."
Logan grinned back at me. "Hey."
I stretched my arms again before wrapping them around Logan's waist. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long." He reached out and stroked my face. "Did you sleep well?" I saw the anxious look in his eyes and smiled.
"Wonderfully." I thought my answer would erase the worried look, but I was wrong, it remained. "What's wrong? Why do you look so worried?"
"I don't know if you remember what you said last night, but-"
I caught on to what he was talking about and silenced him by putting a finger to his lips. "Yes, I meant it Logan. I love you. Of course I love you, how could I not? You are absolutely perfect." His cheeks went a little pink and I leaned in to kiss him.
"I love you, too, Max. I was worried that you had been so tired that you didn't know what you were saying. I didn't want to be let down." He averted his eyes from my gaze.
I sat up and stretched, yawning. "Mm, do you think you could whip something up for breakfast, Mr. Cale?"
He grinned and moved into his chair. "Sure, I could. The menu depends on what you have in your cupboards, however." He wheeled into the kitchen and I followed. Zack was sitting on the couch with a wistful expression on his face. He jumped when I said good morning.
"Oh, morning. Did you have a good sleep?" I noticed a gleam of amusement in his eyes and smiled.
"First time that I've had a good sleep. It's a weird feeling. I feel so refreshed." I sat on the counter, watching Logan cook.
"So, you two actually slept last night? That's surprising." Zack laughed.
I wasn't sure what to make of his new attitude. It seemed like he didn't mind Logan and I together. Not only did he seem to not mind he seemed happy about it. I resolved to have a talk with him later.
I grinned. "Shut up, Zack." I slid off the counter and leaned over to whisper in Logan's ear. "I'm going to get changed. Don't start without me." I kissed his cheek and went back into my bedroom. I picked up Logan's bag and went through his clothes, wondering what would look best on him. I decided to let him choose his pants, but left the black "wifebeater" on my bed. Then I quickly changed into some clothes and went back into the kitchen. The smell of breakfast cooking taunted me and my stomach growled. "Logan, you've done it again." I said as I approached him. "Why don't you go get dressed?" I leaned towards him and added in a whisper, "I've left something for you to wear on the bed." Chuckling at the look of horror on his face, I ran my fingers through his hair before he went to the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.
I turned to Zack and looked at him apprehensively. "So… you're okay with this? With me and Logan?"
He seemed to think for a moment, and then he smiled and nodded. "You can't help who you love, Max. I'm happy for you two." He got up from his seat and hugged me. "Just remember that I'll always be your big brother, Max." He pulled away and made a gesture towards Cindy's room. "Cindy said I'd be welcome in Seattle if I decided to settle here."
"She's right."
He smiled. "I have to go tell the others the news. I'm sure they'll all want to see you." He went to the door of the apartment and reached for the handle, but turned back to look at me. "Tell Logan that I'm happy for you guys and that I admire him for his courage. Say bye to Cindy for me." With that, he was gone, but I was sure he'd come back.
I heard the bedroom door open behind me and turned around. Logan wheeled out of the room wearing the shirt I had picked out and a pair of khaki pants. I grinned and his cheeks flushed red. "Stop it." He said grinning back at me.
We ate in silence, only broken when Cindy emerged from her bedroom and wondered why we didn't tell her that we had made breakfast. She grabbed her jacket and went to the door. "Lata."
I looked at the door for a few moments before turning back to Logan. He grinned and I raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"We have the whole apartment to ourselves." I grinned and we went back into the bedroom.
~Logan's POV~
I rolled over on the bed and wrapped my arm around Max's waist. She sighed and placed her hand over mine. "I don't think I could ever tire of doing this with you." She said, smiling.
I agreed and kissed her. Eventually, we got up and I regained some of my normal brainpower. "Hey, where'd Zack go?"
"Oh, he left. But he wanted me to tell you that he's happy for us and that he admires you." She looked at me, surprised.
I was taken aback. Zack always seemed to hate me, and believe me, the feeling was mutual. Recent events, however, changed things. He helped save my life and I couldn't ignore that. I'm just glad that he wasn't hanging around Max anymore. "Well, that's… uh, I don't really know how to reply to that."
She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He left to go tell the others about the fall of Mighty Manticore." She paused for a second before grinning. "God, Logan, I can't believe it! I don't have to run anymore."
"Which means you can stay with me." I said, putting an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me and sighed.
We went over to my apartment and met Bling.
"It's good to see you alive and well, my friend." Bling said as he hugged me. I grinned and looked around the apartment.
"It's good to be back home." I saw Max's face and added quickly, "Not that your place wasn't absolutely heaven, Max. We have some interesting memories, don't we?" I raised an eyebrow and she blushed.
"So, I assume you two have worked everything out?" Bling asked, looking pointedly at Max's hand, which was running through my hair.
"Why, whatever do you mean, Bling?" Max said innocently before sitting down on the couch. I was about to sit beside her when there was a crash and a thud. Both Max and I groaned. "What are you doing here?" Max asked, standing up.
"Just came to pay you back." J.C. said as she advanced on Max and tried to grab her. But Max was too fast and she dodged J.C.'s outstretched arms before stepping on the blonde's foot, pinning her.
J.C. yelled, but Max quieted her by punching her in the face. "Why punch can't you punch leave us punch alone?" Max lifted her foot and J.C. fell to the ground, clutching her nose, which was bleeding.
There were two more thuds and I glanced at the origin of the noise. J.C's friends had obviously been watching from somewhere, and, seeing her in trouble, had come to help her. I wheeled beside Max as the two teens advanced on us.
"Max, we can't handle them alone." I said anxiously.
There was a sudden splinter of wood and a gunshot. J.C's body went limp and the two teens had retreated, eyes wide. I took a deep breath, relieved, as Zack put his gun back in his jacket and kneeled down to check J.C's pulse. "She's dead." He said bluntly as he stood back up. "I'll get rid of the body."
"Thanks Zack." I said, putting out my hand for him to shake. He took it and smiled.
"No problem. I have to go. Maybe I'll check up on you guys sometime in the near future." He grabbed the body and left the apartment.
Max turned to me. "Well, I think that's the last we'll hear out of the Zoomorph 8 group."
All this happened about six months ago. We hear from Zack every few weeks, telling us where he is. He told us that the remaining X5's were happy about the demise of Manticore and even happier to hear that Lydecker was dead. "Jhondy wants to meet the man that captured her sister's heart." Zack said to me on the phone the other day. I wanted to meet them, too. Max talked of them endlessly, obviously hoping that they could all see each other again.
Max continued working at JamPony, even though she complained ceaselessly about Normal. She told me about her heat cycles and how she had been worried about telling me before because she thought it would make our relationship weird. Needless to say, she went into heat about a month ago, and it didn't change anything, except for the fact that we stayed in bed for two days straight.
I loved her more than anything, which is the reason I'm so nervous today. I'm sitting on the couch, waiting for Max to come home from work. I looked at the object in my hands again and took a deep breath.
I hear a noise outside the door and it opens suddenly, everything that I am going to say suddenly disappears from my head. "Hey Max." I say, hiding the object behind me.
She comes over to me and kisses me. "Hey yourself. What have you been doing today?" She says as she sits next to me, massaging my shoulders.
"Just thinking."
She makes a 'hmming' noise. "About what?" Her hands stop massaging and she reaches behind me. "Logan? What's this?"
I turn and look at the box in her hands. "Oh…uh… okay. Can I just try and remember what I was going to say?" I take the box out her hands and close my eyes. I can sense her grinning and I wait a few more moments. I finally open my eyes and she looks down at the box. "Max, you are the most important person in my life. You've saved me from terrorists, humans that can turn into animals, Lydecker and not to mention despair and loneliness. I couldn't stand not having you in my life. Will you marry me?" I open the box and wait for her answer, holding my breath.
I don't have to wait long however, as she practically screams "Yes!" and propels herself into my arms. She kisses me passionately before I pull away to put the ring on her finger. She wipes her eyes and laughs. "I… Logan…" She begins stammering, lost for words, until she sighs. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
~The End~
Author's Note: There you go. It's a happy ending. If this part sucks, it's because I'm not going to be around a computer for the next two weeks, so I had to write this quickly. Anyway, thanks to everyone who read and replied, you kept me going! Hope you enjoyed it!