Shadows of the Past
Chapter 5: Reunion
I know I've taken forever and a day to get this up…but what can I say…I'm sorry. Kat, here's you new chapter…..so stop whining…lol….and stop trying to pump me for info…cause you're not getting anymore….but I love ya sweets! I wanna say thanks to everyone who has reviewed and e-mailed me I love you all! Oh and to all you DA writers who may be reading this…I and some other DA fans have noticed a strange similarity with the shows and our fics…what's the deal with that? All we'd like if you use our stuff is some credit and a chance to meet the cast…we're not asking much……J
I don't own DA…never will…unless I somehow marry into the Cameron family…which is doubtful…so don't bother suing it will do you no good…
***********
Max and Logan got off to a late and reluctant start trying to uncover the master-mind behind the blackmail. It was hard to concentrate on the matter at hand when shameless flirting was taking place three feet away. Logan was at his usual post in front of the monitor and key board while Max had become accustomed to sitting beside him on the desk top with her feet resting on the arm of his chair. Leaning back in his chair Logan sighed, picking up Max's feet and put them in his lap beginning to massage them.
"Okay, so we've determined that it's not Lydecker or Renfro right?" Logan asked looking at Max.
"Yeah," Max smiled, amused with Logan's spontaneous foot rub, "why would they even try it? They don't need the money. And I would think that they'd be a little more creative with whole thing. And they are the "secret government agency" so they can't exactly turn me in…" Max said rolling her eyes.
"You think maybe it could be an old lab tech or a guard? Just a former Manticore employee who could use some cash?" Logan offered.
"That's my guess. Who else would know about Manticore's little projects?"
"But, what worries me Max is how some lab tech found you, and knew who you were." Logan said pausing in his foot massage.
"I don't know Logan, but I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll never find out where the root of this is because I'll be so focused on some flunky trying to ruin my life." Max said sternly, getting a silent nod from Logan in response. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Logan decided to break in.
"Hey isn't it time for you to go see Noah?" he asked looking at his watch.
"Oh jeeze! Yeah, thanks." Max smiled jumping off the desk and running to her room to change. A couple of minutes later she bounced out into the hall grabbing her jacket.
"You coming?" she called to Logan who was still sitting at his computer.
"I figured that you'd want some time alone with your brother." Logan answered, shocked that she wanted him to be there.
"I want him to meet you Logan." Max said squatting down beside his chair. "You're the guy who's letting me stay with him while I'm working with Eyes Only, and you've become a really good friend to me Logan. Maybe more." she added with a smile. "So, you coming or not?"
"You sure it's okay?"
"Please?" Max pouted.
"Alright, just give a minute." Logan agreed slowly rising from the chair.
"Thank you!" Max squealed kissing him on the cheek. "You're really gonna like Noah." Max said loud enough so Logan could hear her in his room. "You're actually a lot alike. You both want to help people as much as you can, you both put up with me and all my issues…" Max trailed off talking more to herself than Logan.
"I do not put up with you." Logan said coming up from behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I like having you around and as for your issues, they're a part of you so, I don't mind. And plus we never have met if it wasn't for your issues." He continued resting his chin on Max's shoulder.
"Good point." Max turned her head slightly so she could see Logan's face. I didn't realize he was this close…I mean I knew that he was there, but I didn't know that he THAT CLOSE….Max you're not making any sense…well how can I have a coherent thought with Logan an inch away from kissing me….and why does he have to smell so damn good…but would kissing him be as tragic as you're trying to convince yourself it would be?…..I think not.
"We should get going. Don't want to be late." Max said before turning to grab her keys. Logan had given her a set the night she came. He said that he didn't want her to feel like a prisoner so this way she could come and go as she pleased. "Ready?"
"Yeah." Logan said a bit deflated. Remember, she probably thinks of you like a big brother. She said that you're a lot like Noah, that can't be good for my chances. But what do you expect with the age difference? But a guy can hope can't he? I've never known anyone like her, and never will after her…stranger things have happened than a guy's dream girl falling for him…just look at Manticore.
Max took Logan's hand from her hip and laced her fingers through his.
"Let's go see my big brother." Max said, her excitement made her eyes sparkle.
*******
Max and Logan sat a table for four in a little café not far from Logan's apartment as they waited for Noah.
"There he is!" Max said excitedly, as she popped up out of her chair. Logan couldn't help laughing at her. She reminded him of a toddler in a toy store.
"Noah," Max said as she trotted over to her brother. It had only been a few days since they had seen each other, but they had been together almost everyday since their parents picked Max up off the street..
"Maxie!" Noah said quickly closing the last few feet between and enveloping her in a massive bear hug that lifted her off the ground. "How you doing?" he asked putting her back on the ground.
"I'm good. I'm sooo happy to see you! Come here, you've gotta meet Logan." Max led her brother to the table where Logan was watching the reunion unfold.
"Noah, this is Logan Cale. Logan this is my brother Noah."
"Nice to meet you Noah. I've heard a lot about you." Logan said standing up and shaking Noah's hand across the table.
"All good stuff I hope." Noah quipped as he sat down next to Max.
"Of course it's all good!" Max cut in. "Logan is the guy I've been staying with while working with Eyes Only. And don't worry, he's been a complete gentleman. I know how your mind works when it comes to me and guys." Max laughed.
"Thanks a lot man, for letting her stay with you." Noah looked at Max from the corner of his eye, "I wasn't exactly thrilled when she wrote and told me she was living with a guy, but we didn't have much of choice in the matter. Thanks for treating her with respect. That's more than a lot of guys would these days."
"It's nothing. It's nice having someone else in the house. It can get pretty lonely sometimes. Plus, Max is fun to have around," Logan looked at the woman sitting next to him and smiled, "she's a great person. They broke the mold when they made her." As soon as the words came out of his mouth Logan wished they hadn't. It was just a common phrase, but it had a little more meaning in Max's situation. And Logan had just in essence thrown it in her face that she was in fact made.
I'm sorry. Logan mouthed when he caught Max's eye. I'm so sorry.
It's okay. Don't worry about it. Max replied silently.
"That's for sure." Noah laughed good naturedly at his sister. "What's the deal?" he asked when he noticed that he was the only one laughing.
"Long story. We should probably go somewhere else to talk though." Max said quietly.
"Yeah." Logan nodded in agreement. "I know where we can go." Simultaneously, both Max and Logan stood and put on their jackets.
"Why do we have to leave?" Noah asked, obviously confused. He just followed when he didn't get an answer. "Maxie," he said taking her hand as they walked behind Logan, "are you okay? If you aren't tell me now."
"Noah, I'm fine. I promise. It's just sort of a complicated situation and this isn't the place to talk about it." Max rested her head on his shoulder as they walked down the side-walk. After a five minute walk the trio arrived at a long since forgotten park. Max smiled to herself, she loved this place. She had found it a few months ago when she went on a walk to clear her head. Seeing the small stone wall Max made herself comfortable for the long discussion. Logan sat beside her so he could be there for moral support he knew she'd need.
"You might want to sit." Max said meekly.
"I'm fine standing." Noah said unable to read his sister's expression. Max took a deep breath trying to calm here fears. I know that he's not going to hate because of all this crap, but he'll never look at me the same way again. I'm not gonna be his innocent baby sister anymore. I'll be the poor 'abused' kid his parents picked up on the street, sister the eyes of the world but….NO! Noah loves me for who I am. That's not going just because some questions are answered. It can't.
"Noah, you're my big brother and I love you. You know that." Max said looking him in the eye.
"Of course Maxie, I love you too." Concern filled Noah's eyes as he watched Max struggle with her words.
"I'm not what you think I am." Logan covered Max's hand with his own. "All of those weird abilities that I have aren't just flukes or the result of mother nature. I was, ummm, created by a group of scientists that worked for the government in Project Manticore. I was meant to be the perfect soldier, assassin; the perfect human. The only way that they could have the perfect soldier, flaws like emotion, pain, individuality had to be over come. So they spliced animal DNA and human DNA for the best of both worlds and put the prototypes in military training as soon as they walk. I'm one of the prototypes, Noah. I was from the group known as X5's. In '09, 12 of us broke out after our 'sister' Eva was killed. We didn't even have names really, we had numbers. That's what the bar-code is, my ID. Mom and Dad found me a few days later. I don't know why I can't remember anything that happened back then, maybe it was too traumatic or maybe I just didn't want to so I could try and have a normal life. Whatever that is." Max sighed deeply. Saying it all out made it real, and in this case she wasn't sure reality was a good thing.
Noah knelt down in front of the woman who used to be a lost little girl. Now she was a beautiful grown woman who had had a worse childhood than he could ever had imagined.
"Maxie," he forcing her to look at him, "no matter what happened in your past, or how you came into this world, you are always going to be my baby sister. Nothing can ever change that. I love just as much if not more than if you were blood. I love you little one, never forget that." Noah eyes glistened with tears. How could she ever think that I wouldn't see her as my sister just because of some psycho doctors? She's my little one. Noah gently pulled her into a hug.
*****
The three friends had been talking about random things; from Eyes Only to any progress with the blackmail problem to pollution to chess, for almost two hours in the forgotten park.
"I'm gonna get something to drink. You want anything?" Logan asked heading over towards a vendor across the street.
"Naw, I'm good. Thanks though." Max smiled.
"Noah?"
"No thanks."
Max watched Logan walk away quietly with a smirk on her face.
"You like him don't you?" Noah said poking her with his elbow.
"What?" Max asked innocently, ripped out of her thoughts.
"Don't pull that crap with me Maxie. I know you too well. You like him don't you?" he laughed.
"Yeah, Noah. I like him a lot." She sighed leaning over on her big brother, never taking her eyes off Logan as he walked back towards them.
"And so what if I do?" Max laughed, "You gotta problem with that?" Max said in her best New York accent.
"Got a problem with what?" Logan asked with an odd look on his face. Were they talking about me? Both Noah and Max burst in a fit of hysterical laughter. "What?"
****
"I'll see you soon baby sister." Noah whispered into Max's hair as he hugged her good-bye in front of his car.
"You know it." Max choked out, trying not to cry.
"I love you little one. Always." Noah kissed Max's forehead.
"I love you too. Drive careful." She said backing up so he could get in his car. "And tell Mom and Dad I said 'Hi' and that I love them."
"Will do. Bye Maxie."
"Bye." She whispered. Logan walked up beside a teary-eyed Max and put his arm around her shoulder.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." She answered so softly it was barely audible.
"Come on sweetie, let's go back to the apartment.."
"Can I have some hot cocoa?" Max said suppressing a laugh as they began walking back towards Logan's penthouse.
"You can have anything your little heart desires." He chuckled.
"Promise?" Max asked looking up at Logan's face with a devilish grin.
"Should I be scared?"
"Depends. Do you like musicals?"
****
Max sat on the sofa later that night curled up in Logan's arms unable to wipe the smile off her face.
"Logan, thank you soooo much!" Max said quickly turning around to face him.
"I can't believe you're this excited about a musical." He said brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face.
"It wasn't just a musical Logan. It was Newsies!" (AN: I happen to personally believe that Newsies is one of the greatest musicals of all time. Anyone who thinks differently can take it up with me. J)
"I'm so sorry. How could I make such an error? Whatever was I thinking?" Logan mocked a caught criminal raising his hands in surrender.
"I don't know but you're cute when you're guilty of musical ignorance." Max said patting his cheek.
"Hey, I have a question." Logan said with a mischievous grin.
"Okay…"
"Were you and Noah talking about me when I went to get something to drink?"
"Maybe." Max said with a straight face. 2 can play this game.
"Were you?" he pushed the subject.
"Actually yes." Ha! Take that hot shot.
"Really?" Oh my God, she was talking about me. But what was she saying? "What about?"
"Noah asked me if I liked you." You might as well get it out in the open. But then there's always the rejection factor.
"And.." Way to pry Logan.
Tell him. Just say yes. It's a three letter word, it's not that complicated. Just breathe, and tell him.
"Yeah," she whispered her eyes falling from his, "a lot."
"Max?" Logan lifted her chin with his index finger so she would look him in the eye.
"Hmm?" Logan slowly leaned in closer getting lost in Max's dark eyes..
RING! What?. RING! Only Noah has this number! RING! Something's wrong!
Max jumped up off the sofa and her hand shot out and grabbed her new cell phone and flipped it open in one fast motion fearing the worst. Logan could see the fear in Max's eyes, but still the disappointment of missing what almost happened hung between them.
"Noah?! What's wrong?" Max asked panicked.
"Nothing." He answered casually.
"You scared the hell outta me! I thought something happened." Max let out a sigh of relief. It's ok,. she mouthed to Logan.
"Sorry, but I had to tell you something before I went to bed."
"What?" Max asked, her curiosity peaked.
"Your big brother has finally met a guy he trusts enough to let his guard down."
"Noah, what are you talking about?" Max asked turning her back to Logan so he couldn't hear her as well. "Are you saying.."
"Yeah, baby sister. I like Logan, a lot. And I trust him with you."
"That says a lot. Thanks." Max commented honestly touched that her brother thought so highly of Logan. Noah's approval had always been important to her.
"Love you sis."
"Love you too. Oh, Noah…" Max stopped in mid sentence when she heard a faint click from the other end of the line and the line went dead.
"Noah?…..Noah!" Max spun on her heal to face Logan once again. "NOAH!" Max screamed before the phone fell out of her hand and crashed onto the floor. Oh God, no! God please no.
"Max?! What's wrong?" Logan asked walking to the frantic woman in front of him.
"I've gotta get to them." Max sobbed.
Before Logan could try to stop her Max grabbed her leather jacket and ran out the penthouse door faster than anything he had ever seen.
"Max, wait! I'm coming with you!" Logan called knowing she was probably too far away to hear him as he grabbed his car keys and jacket, and running out the door.
Oh what is a reader to do? When the author leaves ya hanging like this don't ya just wanna kill 'em? If you do or if you don't tell me. You can review or you can e-mail me : luvvbug101@hotmail.com take your pick, but please let me know what you think.
