A/N: This is the end of In My Dreams. I've taken it up to the beginning of S1, going by the DT canon for the return and reunion even though I wasn't happy about how it was done on the show and I do truly hate the virus. .I also didn't like their ending conversation but I have tried to make it make some sense. I don't think I was too successful because face it, it really didn't make much sense. Oh well. Enjoy.

Yesterday I said there were three possible endings to my campaign against Manticore. I was wrong. There was a fourth possibility and that's the one that came to pass. Option (d) Max alive and restored to me but farther away from me than ever.

Today has been a crazy kaleidoscope of events shifting from hope to ecstasy to despair back to hope. I came close to dying today, not once but twice. Manticore is gone. Max is back. My life is a shambles. That pretty much sums it all up.

After breakfast I finally connected with Lydecker and we setup a meeting. Setup is the right word. It started with my arriving and being greeted by Deck and a Manticore special ops team. It ended with Deck killing the team and supplying me with the current location of Manticore. In the process I was shot. Given the subsequent events I have to wonder if the shooting was intentional on Deck's part. The man has layers on layers and one never knows exactly whose side he actually is on. Correction, I know whose side he is on – his own. Whatever that may be. In any event he's gone again.

Finished the meeting I headed back to my place and spent the next several hours putting together the cable hack that would finally expose Manticore complete with location for news crews to visit and confirm what I was saying. I don't think I've worked as hard on another hack in my life. This one was my final revenge on the ones who took Max away from me. I figured it was probably also my death warrant. Nothing is more dangerous than a dying beast and that was going to be Manticore after my broadcast. I didn't fool myself; I knew that one of their last acts would be to send an assassin after Eyes Only.

What I didn't expect was who that assassin would be or that they were already on the way.

I stopped briefly for some food and then put the finishing touches on my hack. Of course the satellite feed had to pick tonight to get funky. I gave up for a while and refined the hack a bit then decided to try one last time to upload. If the last upload still wouldn't work I was going to let it go until the morning. I punched in the commands and was sitting back waiting when I became aware of another presence in the room. A familiar presence. For a moment I hesitated then I slowly turned in my chair. I never understood when people used the phrase "time seemed to stop". Tonight it stopped for me. As I completed my turn, for one brief moment I believed that I was actually sleeping and this was some new dream. But my dreams never quite had the reality I experienced just then. I always knew they were dreams.

Max was standing across the room staring at me. She looked just as I had seen her in my dreams, thin, long straight hair, dressed in camo pants and gray T-shirt. But it was her face that almost broke my heart. She looked so hesitant, unsure, as if she was afraid I wouldn't want her to be there.

"Max." It was a whisper, a prayer, a declaration all in one word because it was all I could get out. I don't remember getting there but I was standing in front of her holding her face in my hands.

"We gotta get you out of here. They're coming to get you." I heard her words but I couldn't take them in. I started to pull her face to me but stopped for a second drinking her in with my eyes. Then I pulled her close and our lips met. Everything was just as I remembered it from that last time we kissed. I wanted it never to stop. I wanted to lose myself in her and finish what we began so long ago. For a moment Max returned the kiss but then she stopped and pulled away.

"We gotta go. They're coming to get you." She sounded almost panicked.

My hands were on her shoulders; I couldn't let go of her to save my life. Hers were moving over me, touching my shoulders, my chest, as if to reassure herself that I was alive and standing next to her. I tried to make sense of what is happening but I must have been in a state of shock. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion and to someone else.

"Who? What's going on? How did you—"

"I'll explain later. Come on." She was pulling at me trying to get me to come with her.

I grasped for something to anchor me to reality. The cable hack. I needed to finish the upload and send off the hack.

"No, I have to finish my broadcast."

Max was getting frustrated with me. "Forget it. It's not important." My fogged mind finally registered her urgency and I gave in and started to go with her. That's when it happened. I felt a wave of dizziness and my legs gave out under me.

"Logan, what's happening?" I found myself lying on the floor in Max's arms and she was frantic. I couldn't answer her because the dizziness was increasing, washing over me in waves. Then another voice interjected.

"You killed him. Good job 452. Mission accomplished." The voice went on to say something about Manticore infecting her with a virus targeted to my DNA. If she touches me it infects me and I die. Max hearing that jumps away from me. Ironic that I was right about the assassin. Even more ironic that Manticore chose the perfect person. The one person I would never suspect, who would easily be able to get to me. I am dying but there is one consolation Manticore I'm sure didn't plan. I held Max again for one brief moment and I will die knowing that she is free and alive. I tried to tell her to send the hack, it's even more important now that Manticore be exposed so that they can't come after her again but I couldn't speak. The rest is a blur.

I vaguely remember Max fighting with someone – another X5? Then being in my chair holding a gun on that same person? The next thing that is clear to me is waking up on my couch with Asha hovering over me. My first thought is that it was a dream after all. Max is dead; she died three months ago in my arms.

But Asha turns to someone else and says, "He's going to be all right. Welcome back"

I look over and Max is standing by the windows. Asha walks out of the room leaving us alone and I put on my glasses and say to Max,

"You don't have to stand all the way over there. Come closer"

She refuses. "Better not risk it. We don't know how easy it is for me to reinfect you, and...that was the last of the antigen." I can't stand the sadness in her voice, the despair.

"We're gonna find a way to beat this." I truly believe that. After all I have just been given a far greater gift. Max is alive and here with me. Where there's life there's hope. What's a little matter of a killer virus compared to coming back from the dead? Max doesn't see it that way I but I am still too tired from my bout with death to put together any coherent words.

"Yeah. But you should concentrate on getting better." She pauses " I gotta go."

I try to think of something to say to her but her walls are up again. Finally I come out with "You know, things are different now. Back when you first got out, it was just the twelve of you. Now there's a lot more. " I want to kick myself for being so lame but the words are out.

"If they're smart, they'll lay low." Max tries to be flippant but it only comes across as sad.

"You don't want it getting around that you and yours are out in the world. People tend to get scared of things that are different. Keep your head down." Why in hell are we sitting here talking about escaped Manticore creations? We should be talking about us. There is so much I want to say to her but it is too late.

"I always do" That's it. She's gone.

So here I am shell shocked and reeling. Maybe I should be despairing but I'm not. No matter what, the miracle has occurred. Max is alive and she's free. I kicked myself for months for not making a move to let her know how I felt about her sooner. I told myself if I could do it over I would do it differently. Now I have my chance. Whatever I have to do I'm going to do it. Max may be afraid but I'm not. I've already been to hell. Without her my life wasn't worth living. We may not be able to touch right now but just the fact that she's alive and well is enough for me. I'm going to have to have patience and hope for both of us but I'm determined.

My exhausted body has had it. I feel my eyes closing as I drift off into sleep. Asha is back hovering over me and covering me with a blanket but I don't care. Max is alive and tomorrow I'll start my new quest. Someday we will be together. I believe and now I just need to convince Max. As I drift away I remember what my mother used to say.

The universe is right on schedule.