Chapter Three- Logan's Apartment

Max had just finished packing when she heard the sound of a key sliding into the lock and Logan walking in. Max walked out of the bedroom beaming. "Hello." She said as she kissed his stubble-covered cheek. "Hey." He replied as he tossed their mail onto a table.

"Do me a favor." Max said mysteriously.

"Ok, what is that?"

"Go sit on the couch and close your eyes. If you open them, bodily harm is a possibility."

"Oh, gee. I can't wait." Logan muttered as he compliantly sat on the couch. He heard sounds of Max struggling with something in the bedroom. "Max? What are you doing?"

"I'm getting you your Christmas present. Don't open your eyes!" She warned again as she got closer to the couch. "Ok, open up."

Logan popped open his eyes to stare at a large, flat rectangle wrapped in red paper propped up against the table in front of him. He stood and pulled the corner of the paper down.

Max carefully watched the expression on his face, anxiously gauging his reaction. When his face remained still, not moving into the joy she had hoped for, her heart fell. 'He had said he had gotten sick of it, I just thought…' He thoughts trailed off as Logan looked up.

"My mom's painting." He said softly with his lake blue eyes glistening with tears. "I never thought I'd see this again."

"I wasn't sure you would want it back, you said that you got sick of it."

"It broke my heart to sell it. I can't believe you found this." Something suddenly became clear to Logan. "Your bike. That is what happened your bike. You fenced your bike to pay for this didn't you?"

Max softly nodded. "I didn't realize you noticed my bike was gone."

"Of course I did. I couldn't figure out why, but I figured you'd tell me when you wanted me to know." Logan moved to Max and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to him. "This painting means so much to me for so many reasons. My mom left this to me when she died; it was one of her favorites. Plus you gave it to me, and like everything you have anything to do with, I love. And to top it all off, you sold something that meant the world to you to make me happy. God, I love you so much." He said burying his face in her hair.

Max laid her head on Logan's shoulder, feeling completely content and safe. "I love you to." She murmured softly. They stood silently together, their embrace speaking volumes.

Suddenly, Logan pulled back. "Somehow I managed to almost forget. Time for your present." He quickly walked across the room and grabbed Max's jacket. He tossed it to her while he searched the pockets of his jacket. Max was pulling on one sleeve of her jacket when he launched something at her. She snagged it one-handed, inches in front of her face. "Ok, what a way to deliver a present. Hit them with it." Max said annoyed as she looked down at the key in her hand. "If this is one of those retarded 'you have to key to my heart' speeches, I am going to hurt you. Seriously."

Logan laughed as he grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the door. "Wait, you'll see." Max slid her other arm in the second sleeve as Logan drug her behind him into the elevator. "Logan, where are we going?" Max asked. Logan hit the button for the garage floor. "Correction, why are we going to the garage?" He just smiled at her and kissed her hand. "You know, it's cold, and we have a perfectly nice apartment up there. Warm too." Logan continued to grin as the door opened to the garage floor. He linked his hand with hers and walked with her towards his car. "What is it keys to your car?" Max asked, perplexed. Then they got closer to the car and she saw what was on the other side.

Max starred wide-eyed and opened mouthed at the brand new gleaming Ninja for a full ten seconds before Logan commented, "It might not have the same sentimental value as my present, but I thought you might like this." Max walked silently forward, and ran a hand over the handlebar. Then she turned and ran back into his arms, making him lose balance for a moment, stumbling backwards a step. She rained his face with kisses, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She repeated over and over again. Then suddenly she stopped and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Figures you'd give me a bike ten minuets before we have to leave for New York so I can't even ride it for two weeks!" Max exclaimed exasperated.

"I don't care if your genetically enhanced or not. Your still a typical female, never ever happy, no matter what men do."