Chapter Two- Monday December 23rd 5:00 PM

Logan was able to book two first class plane tickets on ridiculously short notice, Max was pretty sure there was some bribery going on there. Logan waved Max goodbye as she walked out the door carrying a foil wrapped box. He was on the phone making arrangements to have Bling take care of their apartment and the informant net while they were gone.

"Hey, Boo!" Cindy smiled when she opened the door to the apartment they used to share. Though Max had moved out more than a month before, Cindy had yet to find a new roommate. Though Max had not liked Cindy staying alone, even though they hadn't had any problems with the Reds since the implant. Cindy had reassured Max saying that she was fine living alone, plus, she would never be able to find a roommate as good as Max.

"Hey Cindy. God, this weather sucks!"

"Well, we are in Seattle. What brings you out here? According to Normal, your under quarantine"

Max laughed as she shook her wet hair back off her face. "Yeah, I'm going to have some strange African skin eating disease for the next week or so. That is why I'm here. Remember Ben, Logan's friend, visited a couple of months ago."

"Yeah, right around the time you and Moneybags cut the crap and hooked up, am I right?"

"Yeah, so anyways, he called us up last night, wants us to come out there for New York for Christmas."

"Ahh…I see. That is why you're quarantined."

"Exactly, you don't mind do you? I know we were going to hang on Christmas…"

"Oh, boo, don't worry about it. Sketchy, Herbal, and I are all going to get together and bitch about singleness, and you and Logan there playing kissy-face totally ruins the mood."

"Well, in that spirit, here is your present." She handed Cindy to brightly wrapped box. "Don't open it before Christmas, aiight?"

"Aiight. Here is yours." Cindy grabbed a small decorative bag from next to the tacky ceramic Christmas tree. "Same goes, open it in New York."

"Hey, I'm grabbing Logan's present while I'm here. Since it is obviously to big to take with us, I'm giving it to him before we leave tonight." Max stepped towards the room she used to occupy, but Cindy jumped in front of her. "I'll get it for ya." Before Max could protest, Cindy had slid into the room. Moments later, she emerged, struggling with the large package. "Did Logan notice that your bike is gone yet?" Cindy asked as she transferred the package into Max's waiting hands. "Nah, if he did, he never mentioned it."

"I still can't believe you fenced your baby."

"It actually wasn't as hard as I thought I was going to be. I was just lucky I found this when I did." Max said as she pushed the package towards the door.

"Your not carrying that overgrown, overpriced piece of shit all the way back to Logan's are you?"

"Oh God no, I borrowed his car." She propped the package against the doorframe and turned to give Cindy a hug. "I'll call you when I get back, ok?"

"Aiight, boo. Have a good time in New York."

After Max had gone, and the door was firmly shut behind her, the first thing Cindy did was grab her present off the chair. Of course, she realized that she had promised Max that she wouldn't open it, but she could never resist a present. She made quick work of the paper, and then tore open the box with equal fever. When she saw what was nestled inside tissue paper, she snorted. It was an old pre-pulse book, Dating for Dummies. She was still laughing when there was another knock at the door.

Logan stood there, rubbing his freezing hands together. "Hey Cindy, this weather sucks."

"Well, you just missed Max who also made that stunning observation. Now you two can be the queen and king of Obvious-land."

Logan, who was now used to her sarcasm, went on. "Yeah, she said she was coming by to give you your present. She told you about New York, I assume."

"Yep, picking up her present?" Logan nodded as he walked into Max's old room. What both Max and Logan did not know what that the other was also hiding their presents at Cindy's.

He came out a few minuets later pushing Max's present. "You're not riding that thing home are you?"

"Er, no. I'd rather be alive and in one piece to give this to her. I'm doing the most sensible thing I have probably ever thought of. I am pushing it."

When the door closed for the second time that day, Cindy dropped into a chair to read her new book. She thought she might be able to get a few pointers for tonight at Crash. 'All I want for Christmas is a new lickety-boo, or maybe two. Or seven.