"Keeping Secrets"
Chapter 5: And if I go Away Again...
Mochaije

Disclaimer: "Proof of Purchase" spoilers, but other than that the plot is mine. I own Milla's character post-faking-being-Max.
Summary: Max and her gang must evade her captors and get back to Seattle.
Rating: PG 13
A/N: Italics are thoughts, obviously.

Max snapped awake. She was at the cabin, in one of the rooms obviosuly meant for kids. Logan snored in the next bed that was a few feet from hers, which was also a twin size. Milla, Joshua, and Alec slept in the next room. Logan looks so sexy when he sleeps... I bet Alec does too... She shook her head and noticed she was sweating. How many months had it been? Four? No, five by now. She bit her lip, and got up, then raced into the bathroom and turned on the shower. After sh'ed undressed, she got in and let the hot water beat down on her. Now was not the best time to go into heat.

Max opened her eyes and looked at her hands. They ached from digging out of that room - there were scabs and bruises. She'd kept them concealed so far but she would have to steal Milla's sexy leather gloves before her clone awoke. Sighing, she grabbed a bottle of shampoo and washed her hair. She felt cleaner and better the second she began lathering it into her hair. I bet Logan does this too, when he's here... He uses the exact same shampoo and bodywash and sponge and... She closed her eyes tightly and washed out her hair. She finished and clambered out, quickly drying herself off with a towel and catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

She looked squeaky clean like Milla - no makeup at all, lightly tanned on top of her hispanic complexion. She sighed again. She wanted life to be normal, not worrying about clones the excuse she was going to have tro make for them being around, not worrying about being in heat and what she may do... She licked her lips in place of her usual lip balm and redressed, exited the bathroom. Logan was making coffee in the kitchen.

"Good morning," he leaned over for a kiss and got what he wanted. Max wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his, kissing him passionately. He backed out after a (rather wonferful) moment and looked at her in confusion.

"Anyone's cat DNA coming back to bite them in the ass?" he laughed a bit, then backed away completely. "Maybe in a few days, okay?" He went back to making coffee.

"Aww, that hurts my feelings," she wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed his neck. He turned around and put his hands on her arms.

"Max," he said sternly. "I'd love to, but not when your DNA's making your decisions, alright?" She nodded impatiently and stalked off towards the bathroom, bumping into Milla.

"Where you off to?"

"I need another shower."

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After an icy shower, Max walked out in the living room. She'd found a ponytail elastic and pulled her hair back. Logan and the rest of their gang were sitting on couches and chairs in the living room discussing something, and she sat down beside Milla on a two-seater couch.

"So, what's up?" she asked casually, fidgeting and moving around jerkily like a bird. She changed positions a few times. "Anyway."

"We've decided to go back to Seattle, to Sabastien's place - because there's probably bad guys with guns camped at the Towers - and hook me up with a new identity and short hair. Uh, shorter than yours," Max gave a disapproving look to her clone after she said she'd be getting a haircut. Milla continued, looking at the group and then back at Max a few times. "I'd be going to Mexico, 'cause, well, I'm programmed to kill Logan if I touch him or someone presses a button or anything," Milla used her hands to express herself as she spoke.

"Okay," Max shrugged. If Joshua, Alec, and Milla would just go away, she and Logan could...

"Well, let's go," Logan nodded at them and got up.

The trip back to Seattle was long and quiet. Max sat in the very back with Milla so she wouldn't be near Logan. For some reason she wasn't attracted as much to Alec as she was to Logan - maybe because he was trangenic? She had no idea, Zack hadn't been around when she'd be in heat, neither had any of her other brothers.

When they got back to Seattle, their first stop was at Sebastian's. Milla would take the Aztek and check Logan's apartment with Alec, and Joshua and Max would check on Original Cindy, as they'd decided in the car. Logan, who seemed to be what everyone wanted, would be left at Sebastian's house.

Max climbed out of the Aztek after Alec and Joshua and bit her lip as she looked at Logan. Damn he's hot, she thought. Milla dragged her away from the car.

"The bike's at your crib. When the coast is clear, I'll call your beeper with the message..uhh.. 456," Milla said uncomfortably. She had been designed not to go into heat, and seeing herself go into heat was unnerving.

"Kay," Max said, still moving a bit jerkily. Her sister grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Stay at your apartment until this is over, got it? I don't want you embarrassing me," Milla spat with a bit too much force. Max shrugged it off and told her that staying indoors for another day wouldn't be too hard, and Milla drove her home.

Max staggered into her apartment. She'd wanted to see Original Cindy for a long time, but she had to keep on her toes - there could be bad guys lurking.

"Yo, boo!" Max yelled, smiling. Cindy came of out of her room, wearing a funky t-shirt and jeans. She put one hand on the counter and the other on her hip.

"And where were you, boo?" she asked.

"No where much," Max shrugged. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed some peanut butter, then began eating it out of the jar with her bare hands. Original Cindy came over and took it out of her grasp.

"You stressed? And what's with the hair?" She reached over to feel Max's curly locks and Max smiled.

"Straight-haired me ain't me," she said dumbly, licking the peanut butter off her fingers. "It's my clone, Milla. She's programmed to kill Logan and all, and she's the one who can't touch him," Max moved her tongue around her teeth to clean the peanut butter off them. "So after she checks out Logan's digs, she's going to Mexico so no one will press the tirgger to make her kill Logan and stuff. And Logan and Sebastian are making her some false papers. And Joshua is..." Her mind snapped back into focus. Oh yeah, Joshua's with Sebastian.

"Sebastian? Clones? Joshua? Why don't you go clean Logan's apartment of the baddies, you in heat or somethin'?" Cindy followed Max to the couch and they sat.

"Yeah," Max stuttered, "I figgered we'd better get some use of that clone." Her beeper went off in herbedroom and she ran to retrieve it.

"Who is it, boo?" Cindy called.

"It's Lo-" Cindy appeared suddenly and snatched the beeper.

"Tell ya what, sugah. We call up Milla or whatever and Sketchy and our Crash buddies and chill here and not go near Logan, aiight? Don't want you screwin' up a relationship that's barely gotten started," she led Max back into the main area of the apartment and handed her the phone.

Milla dropped silently into Logan's hallway, flitting her head back and forth, keeping her eyes and ears open for anything - microphones, cameras, guys that were heavily armed. Finding nothing after searching the entire apartment, she inspected Logan's fridge and popped open a Diet Coke. The phone rang and the breaking silence shook her a bit. Alec came out of the hallway and shrugged.

"Yeah, sounds like fun. I'll be there in a bit."

-----------

"Aiight boo, truth or dare?" Max, Cindy, Milla, Sketchy, and Alec sat in a circle in Max's living room. Cindy turned to Max.

"Oh hell, dare," she laughed and took another drink of her beer. Cindy took it away from her.

"Okay, I dare you kiss a girl-" Max turned and gave Milla a long, passionnate kiss then turned to her friend while Milla sat, a bit confused. "Gee, I was gonna say a girl you find walkin' on the street, but whatever." The group laughed themselves hoarse.

NEXT DAY

Max reported to her roommate the next morning that she didn't have any smutty dreams and that her heat had ended, and could she go to Logan's now? Original Cindy gave a sleepy "yes" and went back into her bedroom.

Milla dozed on the couch. Max pondered waking her up, then decided against it. Today would be a big day. Milla and Max would go to Logan's, get the fake ID, then head down to the bus stop. Alec had left, apparently.

"Eh... Max?" Milla sat up and threw the blanket off, then stood and ran her fingers through her hair. "Let's go, before I change my mind." Max smiled and the two left.

Max beat Milla to the door and knocked politely, then heard a crash inside. She turned to Milla, worried, then picked the door and let herself in.

Logan lay on the ground, shaking. "Oh my God!" Max rshed to his side and placed her hands on his arms and looked into his eyes, figuring his exoskeleton had simply broken down. "Milla, go get me the-"

"Max," he grabbed her arm. "You didn't kiss her, did you?" Max squinted at him a bit.

"What? How'd you know?"

"Go to... The doctor, did Milla... Tell you? Find him, get the antidote, he'll know which one... Get the papers from Milla too."

"Okay," she stood and almost bumped into Milla, who had snuck up behind her.

"Here," she handed the papers to Max. "I'm sorry. I should've told you. You were careless. Anyway, go, I'll keep him awake." Max looked puzzled, then broke into a run.