Disclaimer:
Summary:
Spoilers/Timeframe:
Rating: (All as for Chapter One,
nothing has changed)
A/N: You know that this is getting really corny but I love that type of
stuff. So you'll just have to make up your own fanfics if you don't like mine.
I try to stick as closely as possible to character personalities but sometimes
I can be off base. If you think that something doesn't work or sounds a little
of key let me know, I'm still learning. Also I want to thank Kiki for all her
honest reviews. After getting over the initial disappointment in myself, I pick
up and work harder to write better fanfic. Thanks, Kiki for your positive criticisms,
they make me do better.
*****
Croan was getting agitated. They'd spent almost two weeks on this mission now and all they were pulling where blanks.
"If we don't give them something soon, they'll reassign the mission…"
A soldier interrupted his ranting by handing him a picture. "We got this from the local sector police. A dog was reported missing a couple hours ago. Think it belongs to our girl?"
Croan studied the sketch, it was of a wolf with a distinctive dark patch between its eyes. He pulled out his file on the girl. One of the photos stood out. It was of a dog with that same mark, he smiled to himself, "I think we just got a lead. Missing, did you say? Find the dog, it just might prove useful."
******
Logan finished his shower and he got dressed slowly. He wasn't looking forward
to confronting Eva, she was going to be mad. He wasn't crazy about the idea of
being with an angry genetically engineered killer. At best they were
unpredictable, he was anticipating the worst.
Stay in your wheelchair, maybe it might evoke some sympathy before she decides to start beating on you.
Eva was still in the lounge, sitting by Max. There was a small table beside her and it was covered with swabs, damp clothes, two vials, and a syringe.
He had struggled to accept Eva's assurance that Max was fine. She didn't look all right, she look far from her usually feisty energetic self. She was asleep on the sofa, a cloth covering her eyes, the only movement being the steady rise and fall of her chest. Logan wheeled quietly over to them. Eva turned before he reached her.
"Where have you been? You've been gone for ages."
Here goes…It was going to come up soon or later. Somehow he'd been hoping he'd be able to procrastinate just a little longer.
"It might sound really stupid but when Asha and I went to crack down on this smuggling ring we took Snuffy with us." He braced himself for an onslaught; none came. He glanced over at her, she was looking expectantly at him.
"So what happened?"
"…Well, he was with up for awhile, then he just disappeared. We've spent the rest of the time looking for him. I can tell you that it feels like we have looked all over Seattle." Logan hung his head. It had been a really stupid idea to bring the dog. Something whacked out in his brain had thought that the dog would be able to distract the mob whilst he and Asha tried to get their hands on some of their files. Snuffy had been obedient and responsive to him up until the moment they arrived at the warehouse. As soon as they opened the door to let him out, he'd been off like a rocket. Logan had sent Asha to go after Snuffy whilst he tried to get the files on his own. At the end of the day it had been nil return on both fronts.
"He'll turn up, he always does…" She hesitated before continuing, she was still wrestling with the reality that Zack had left. "Logan, could you get me out of Seattle?"
"But you haven't even been here for more than a few days."
"I know and I'd love to spend more time with Max but it's just not safe here. It's a big city with lots of people, I'm sure Manticore is still searching and I don't think this is the best place to stick around." She looked down at Max and then back at Logan. "If I don't want to draw their attention to Max, it will be best to get out of here as soon as possible."
Logan knew she was right and the last thing he wanted was to jeopardize Max's safety. He'd never willingly let her go but if she had to leave to save herself then he knew that he wouldn't stop her.
"I'll see what I can set up." He was about to leave when he realized that he'd held Max and nothing had happened. He was still breathing. "Eva, tell me that I'm not dreaming."
Eva knew without question what he was referring too. So he'd finally caught on. She smiled inwardly, and brushed a stray lock of hair from her sister's sleeping face. "I think that you'll have all the answers soon enough. Goodnight, Logan." She got up and walked toward the guest room.
Logan just watched Max from where he sat, he dared not get any closer. Part of him knew he was awake but the other part of him didn't want to test reality. So many times he'd put his faith in promises and miracles only to have them come crashing down on him. He'd looked for Dr. Eva Tate to help him with his own insecurities, never dreaming of what she could do for both Max and himself. Slowly he wheeled himself over to where Max slept and placed a gentle kiss on her full lips. Then quietly left the room.
So what if he was stuck in a chair. So what if maybe he'd never walk on his own. Max was here and now there was nothing to stop them from being together. And they owed it all to Eva.
******
Max chanced a peak around her. Great my eyes don't sting! She opened her
eyes and blinked, it was early morning. Shit, I've gotta get to work.
She stood up in a rush and she realized her mistake immediately. The room
tilted and she sat unsteadily back on the sofa, Well, maybe not. Normal
gonna have my ass, I skipped work yesterday and looks like this body's pulling
a sick day.
"Hey."
Funny, she hadn't even realised that someone else was in the room. Logan was standing by the window staring out at what looked to be a clear day. He spoke to her reflection in the glass, "How do you feel?"
"Like, some jack ass kicked me in the head and took a bat to my body. Other than that pretty average."
The situation at present was extremely awkward. For so long they'd been unable to even get close to each other now that Manticore was no longer a threat, they both didn't know what to do next. In spite of everything, it seemed like the virus had been a way of ensure both of them kept their distance. Both emotionally and physically, now that the barrier was lifted they both had to face the truth and Max wasn't sure if she was ready to lay everything out. Where exactly did she fit in the scheme of things? Had anything changed between her and Logan? Did he still feel the same about her and she did for him? So many questions, she felt so unsure to ask.
"Max…"
"Morning."
Eva had chosen that moment to walk into the room. She felt the tension before she even saw the occupants. But she had to leave. The sooner she was on her way, the better it would be for all of them. If she had to stay in the apartment even another hour she was sure that her resolve would weaken and she wouldn't have the will to go through with her plan.
Logan turned from the window. "I got you a new passport and a job at a lab in Alaska. I don't know if you want to take it but my contact there says there's lots of potential for you to work in your own field. They run a small enterprise in organic cosmetics." Logan saw her raised brow. "Yeah I know, she's willing to help you continue your research if that's what you want?"
"Eva, you're leaving?"
Eva avoided Max's sad eyes. She'd understand one day but right now all she could see was a sister leaving her. "Thank you, Logan, for everything." She took the package he held out to her. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "Take care of her, or you'll hear from me."
She sat on the sofa beside Max, and wrapped an arm around her little sister's shoulders. They hugged each other close.
"Promise me you'll try and keep yourself out of trouble. I know that Snuffy will turn up, watch him for me, okay." She released Max and stood up. "I'll check in with you when I get there. I left some medication for you in the kitchen, enough for a week. You won't need more than that. And Max, while I was working on you I found this. What was it?" Eva held out a small piece of metal the size of a bean. Max looked in astonishment at the red implant, what was left of it anyway.
"I never thought I'd ever get that out. How did you?"
"When I put two of the injections in your back I noticed a mark forming on the base of your neck. Before I knew it, it had spread to the base of your skull. At first it was just a purplish colour, when it started getting puffy I decided it was time to investigate. I made an incision near your barcode and found this. The metal must have had a chemical reaction to the solution I'd given you, because it was dissolving. I took this bit out and after a couple of minutes the swelling died down and just the bruising remained. I can tell you it gave me a scare."
Max explained to Eva that she stuck the implant in her head to fight the Reds. The implant was a South African invention to create a series of invincible soldiers, the implant increased strength, speed and caused the subject to feel no pain. Unfortunately it gave you a really short life span.
"It almost killed me."
Logan cringed with the memory, he'd watched helplessly as Max fought for her life against the Red soldiers and then later drop to the ground unconscious. He had brought her back by sending electric pulses through her brain and short-circuiting the implant, something he wouldn't do again.
Eva looked from one to the other, she wasn't wrong when she assumed that these two seemed to be magnets for trouble. Well they've survived this long, I'm sure they can tackle anything. At least they had each other. Snuffy seemed to have abandoned her and well, Zack had shown where his commitments lay. And she didn't blame him, who would want to be tied to her. She was nothing but trouble too. She'd been fine this long because she never let herself get to close to anyone. Now she'd broken the only rule she'd ever made for herself. Never get yourself into something you can't handle. Funny thing was, she still didn't regret, throwing that one rule out the window for a few short hours.
Wherever you are, Zack, just know that some day, we'll see each other again and nothing will have changed for me…I still love you.
