A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are all so wonderful with your reviews that I can't thank you enough. Seems every review this story receives, I suddenly find the will to write another paragraph or two; amazing how the psyche works, isn't it? Thank you all for being the lifeforce upon which my muse feeds.
The next part will take a bit longer to get out: seems I'm stalled a bit half way through, but we'll see what happens.
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.
Fight or Flight
Part Four: A Thousand Words
By: Danae Bowen
Email: logansfox@rogers.com
Max and Original Cindy waited until they got back to their apartment before turning their attention to the package that now rested on the table in front of them. Max peered at it apprehensively, reaching a hand out and then drawing it back just as quickly.
"I'm not sure I really want to know what's in this."
Cindy shrugged and leaned back against the sofa. "How bad can it be, boo? Worst thing can happen's it's an engagement ring."
Max groaned and brought a hand to her forehead. "You had to say it didn't you? What'm I supposed to do if it is a ring?"
Original Cindy grinned and nudged Max with her shoulder. "Marry the boy 'n live the high life in his tower in the sky?"
"So not funny."
Cindy's laughter was loud as she leaned forward and picked the box up off the table, tossing at Max who had no choice other than to catch it unless she wanted it dropped on the floor. Max glared at her friend as Cindy continued to laugh before finally taking in a deep breath. "Just open it, Max. Think the waitin's worse than findin' out. 'Sides, boo, the box's too damn big to be a ring."
Max sighed, finally finding the courage to begin slowly tearing away the brown paper that wrapped the box. Below that paper she was frustrated to find yet another layer of wrapping paper, only this time the paper was lightly decorated with a mixing of white, pink and red swirls of color. Max snorted at the whimsical design while Cindy continued to laugh harder.
"Can't say the boy ain't love struck now, sugar."
"Whatever." Max's eyes darkened, but even Original Cindy couldn't miss the sudden glint of girlish pleasure that softened her younger friend's gaze.
Contrary to her nature, Max opened the colorful paper with a delicate touch, careful not to tear the expensive piece of wrapping as she fought to remove the small box inside. Finally, however, her gift was freed from its confinements and the only step left was to slip it out of the small white box that sat in her lap. She breathed in deeply, bracing herself for whatever Logan had cooked up, and slid the top off the box. Her gasp filled the room and Cindy snapped her head up, reading Max's expression expertly.
"Boy did good, eh, boo?"
Max blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears that suddenly misted her vision as she nodded silently. Cindy moved closer to Max, bumping shoulders with her as she peered into the box. Rested amongst soft pieces of pink, white and red tissue paper was a delicate silver frame encasing a single five by seven photograph. Cindy frowned, cocking her head to the side.
"When was that taken?"
"The wedding Logan dragged me to last year." Max continued to blink quickly as she stared down at the picture, remembering the happier moments that she and Logan had shared a year ago before her return to Manticore, before the virus, and before their stubborn personalities had managed to get in their way. Max could honestly say that she couldn't remember this picture being taken, but judging by the way she was peering at Logan in the photograph, her mind had been otherwise occupied. Logan was in his wheelchair, smiling, half at Max, half in the direction of the photographer. Max, on the other hand, was profiled in the picture, her body turned towards Logan, her hand resting on his knee as whatever he'd just said had brought a gentle smile to her lips. As long as it had taken them to admit their ever growing feelings for each other, Max had to admit that anyone who looked at this picture would be hard pressed to prove that Max and Logan weren't, at the very least, on their way to falling in love.
"Damn, girl, I ain't never seen a man put that much thought into something. Especially when there ain't no real reason for doin' it." Original Cindy stared at the picture in amazement for a few moments, observing Max's uncustomary emotional reaction. "When you get this virus bitch kicked, Max, you owe that boy some serious booty."
Max lowered her eyes as a light red stained her cheeks and she gently picked up the photograph. With a half smile at Cindy, Max moved into her bedroom, glancing at her sparse furnishings before clearing a spot on her dresser to rest the beautiful frame. A year ago the urge to hawk something so valuable would be near to overwhelming, but, now, Max couldn't imagine ever parting with it. Logan had taken something simple and made it precious, and for that, Max knew she'd never be able to fully thank him.
******
Logan paced the penthouse slowly. Then he paced quickly. By the time his phone rang, he was nearly jogging from one end of his home to the other as his nerves refused to allow him a moment's peace. He knew that sending Max that picture was pushing things, but the gifts he had planned for the next several days were far beyond a simple photograph, and he needed to know that something with as much feeling behind it as that picture held would be welcomed rather than rejected by his genetically enhanced partner in all things unfamiliar.
He'd found himself faced with a moment of indecision when it was Sketchy who appeared on his doorstep earlier in the day. Logan met the younger man's agape expression as the messenger was invited into the classy penthouse while Logan put the finishing touches on Max's present. Logan had heard Max's stories about Sketchy's unreliable history, but once sworn to secrecy and responsibility through threats and a twenty dollar bill, Logan knew the packages he was sending back to Jam Pony would arrive in the hands of the people to whom they were addressed.
Now, long hours after Logan expected Max to have called, his phone was finally ringing and he suddenly found himself hesitant to respond. What if she hated the photograph? What if she was going to cancel dinner? What if she was running afraid once again? Max was genetically engineered to be a perfect soldier. She had the courage of mythical heroes and the strength of creatures unknown, but when it came to her heart, Max was a fight or flight girl. Her fear in matters of emotion left Logan on uncertain ground, and now, as he stared at the phone ringing in his hand, he hesitated.
When enough rings had passed that he risked sending the call to his answering machine, Logan hit the call button on his phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
"Ah, hey." Logan couldn't keep the trepidation from slipping into his voice as he silently searched Max's tone for any hint as to what she was feeling.
"Was just callin' to see if you wanted me to pick anything up before I came over. I'm guessin' that since you paid off Normal to get me home, you want me over there earlier than usual."
"Oh, ah, anytime you want really. And, no, not unless you think of anything special you want." Logan knew his voice was shaking; he could hardly ignore that fact when his hands were keeping time with the tremor in his tone. She'd given no indication as to what she thought about the picture, and although not canceling dinner was a good sign it wasn't enough to set him at ease.
"Okay, if you're sure. Anything else, or are we good?"
Logan's heart fell and he swallowed deeply, hoping his disappointment wouldn't be apparent. "We're good, Max. See you soon?"
"'Course, we've got a date, don't we?" He heard her sigh into the phone, shifting quickly, leaving Logan's mind to fill in the image of her pulling her legs under her as she settled on her mattress, making herself comfortable. In the momentary silence that followed, Logan began to panic once more, wishing more than anything that he could figure out exactly what it was Max was thinking. Finally, she spoke, very softly, causing him to blink and shake his head, missing what she had said.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said, thank you." He heard her lips curving into a smile, her voice softening as her words made their way past his mental barriers to fill his mind.
"Thank you?"
She laughed softly, her voice suddenly so shy and insecure that Logan's heart went out to her. "Thank you. No one's ever given me anything that's got as much meaning as this picture 'n I don't really know everything you're trying to say with it, but I want you to know that I haven't forgotten. I love it."
Logan smiled, the pain in his chest the only indication he had that, for a moment, his heart had ceased to beat. Everything within him was leaping for joy, his mind racing ahead to what tomorrow's present would be, and what the future was going to hold for them, but he brought himself back to reality quickly. Unable to find words to express his pleasure, he merely held the phone tighter and nodded to the walls of his empty apartment.
"It's only the beginning, Max."
The silence that carried over the line made him pause, but rather than the flight he was expecting, he heard her soft breath skip and then continue uninterrupted as she formulated what she wanted to say. "How can you always believe, Logan? How can you sit there knowing what's between us and believe that we're going to turn a page one day and everything'll be okay?"
"If I didn't believe, there would be no sense to my being here." His mind flashed back to a day many months before when he sat in the room in which he now stood and came close to pressing a gun to his temple and ending it permanently. "Don't worry, Max, I'll believe enough for us both, for now."
She smiled. "I'll hold you to that."
"Just get dressed and get your ass over here." He chuckled softly, knowing that the tone in his voice would cause her to bristle, but in a good-natured fashion.
"Yes, sir." Her eyebrow lifted, and although he couldn't see her, he could picture the expression on her face perfectly. Logan grinned widely.
He heard her shift once again and he knew she was about to hang up the phone, so he raised his voice one last time, his expression sobering quickly. "Hey, Max?"
"Yeah?"
He smiled. "You're welcome."
The silence that ended the conversation was not unwelcome or uncomfortable, it was merely the way Max and Logan communicated. There were days that they could say every word they meant and be completely misunderstood, and then there were times like this very instant when the silence between them spoke more than any verbal conversation could relay.
When Logan finally laid the phone back onto his desk, the hesitation and uncertainty that had filled him only ten minutes before no longer existed. Max's immediate acceptance and understanding of his gift gave him the foundation that he needed to push their relationship yet another step further. Max was afraid of all that he was saying, that much was apparent, but she was open to his advances and to the feelings that came with them.
That alone was enough to give Logan more hope for their future than he'd had since only minutes after he'd realized she was alive.
End Part Four.
The next part will take a bit longer to get out: seems I'm stalled a bit half way through, but we'll see what happens.
As always, reviews here or by email are welcomed, encouraged, and desperately craved. I'm only doing a base beta on these first chapters until the story is better situated in my mind, but things should be fairly well checked over. Also, any ideas that you may have regarding small M/L scenes for future parts would be greatly appreciated as well. I don't tend to write fun stuff, I tend more to dwell on the traumatic psychological fun, so ideas for fluffy parts are always welcome. :)
They're so obviously not mine. I just like to borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. Meanwhile, Cameron, Eglee and Fox are still getting all the cash.
Fight or Flight
Part Four: A Thousand Words
By: Danae Bowen
Email: logansfox@rogers.com
Max and Original Cindy waited until they got back to their apartment before turning their attention to the package that now rested on the table in front of them. Max peered at it apprehensively, reaching a hand out and then drawing it back just as quickly.
"I'm not sure I really want to know what's in this."
Cindy shrugged and leaned back against the sofa. "How bad can it be, boo? Worst thing can happen's it's an engagement ring."
Max groaned and brought a hand to her forehead. "You had to say it didn't you? What'm I supposed to do if it is a ring?"
Original Cindy grinned and nudged Max with her shoulder. "Marry the boy 'n live the high life in his tower in the sky?"
"So not funny."
Cindy's laughter was loud as she leaned forward and picked the box up off the table, tossing at Max who had no choice other than to catch it unless she wanted it dropped on the floor. Max glared at her friend as Cindy continued to laugh before finally taking in a deep breath. "Just open it, Max. Think the waitin's worse than findin' out. 'Sides, boo, the box's too damn big to be a ring."
Max sighed, finally finding the courage to begin slowly tearing away the brown paper that wrapped the box. Below that paper she was frustrated to find yet another layer of wrapping paper, only this time the paper was lightly decorated with a mixing of white, pink and red swirls of color. Max snorted at the whimsical design while Cindy continued to laugh harder.
"Can't say the boy ain't love struck now, sugar."
"Whatever." Max's eyes darkened, but even Original Cindy couldn't miss the sudden glint of girlish pleasure that softened her younger friend's gaze.
Contrary to her nature, Max opened the colorful paper with a delicate touch, careful not to tear the expensive piece of wrapping as she fought to remove the small box inside. Finally, however, her gift was freed from its confinements and the only step left was to slip it out of the small white box that sat in her lap. She breathed in deeply, bracing herself for whatever Logan had cooked up, and slid the top off the box. Her gasp filled the room and Cindy snapped her head up, reading Max's expression expertly.
"Boy did good, eh, boo?"
Max blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears that suddenly misted her vision as she nodded silently. Cindy moved closer to Max, bumping shoulders with her as she peered into the box. Rested amongst soft pieces of pink, white and red tissue paper was a delicate silver frame encasing a single five by seven photograph. Cindy frowned, cocking her head to the side.
"When was that taken?"
"The wedding Logan dragged me to last year." Max continued to blink quickly as she stared down at the picture, remembering the happier moments that she and Logan had shared a year ago before her return to Manticore, before the virus, and before their stubborn personalities had managed to get in their way. Max could honestly say that she couldn't remember this picture being taken, but judging by the way she was peering at Logan in the photograph, her mind had been otherwise occupied. Logan was in his wheelchair, smiling, half at Max, half in the direction of the photographer. Max, on the other hand, was profiled in the picture, her body turned towards Logan, her hand resting on his knee as whatever he'd just said had brought a gentle smile to her lips. As long as it had taken them to admit their ever growing feelings for each other, Max had to admit that anyone who looked at this picture would be hard pressed to prove that Max and Logan weren't, at the very least, on their way to falling in love.
"Damn, girl, I ain't never seen a man put that much thought into something. Especially when there ain't no real reason for doin' it." Original Cindy stared at the picture in amazement for a few moments, observing Max's uncustomary emotional reaction. "When you get this virus bitch kicked, Max, you owe that boy some serious booty."
Max lowered her eyes as a light red stained her cheeks and she gently picked up the photograph. With a half smile at Cindy, Max moved into her bedroom, glancing at her sparse furnishings before clearing a spot on her dresser to rest the beautiful frame. A year ago the urge to hawk something so valuable would be near to overwhelming, but, now, Max couldn't imagine ever parting with it. Logan had taken something simple and made it precious, and for that, Max knew she'd never be able to fully thank him.
******
Logan paced the penthouse slowly. Then he paced quickly. By the time his phone rang, he was nearly jogging from one end of his home to the other as his nerves refused to allow him a moment's peace. He knew that sending Max that picture was pushing things, but the gifts he had planned for the next several days were far beyond a simple photograph, and he needed to know that something with as much feeling behind it as that picture held would be welcomed rather than rejected by his genetically enhanced partner in all things unfamiliar.
He'd found himself faced with a moment of indecision when it was Sketchy who appeared on his doorstep earlier in the day. Logan met the younger man's agape expression as the messenger was invited into the classy penthouse while Logan put the finishing touches on Max's present. Logan had heard Max's stories about Sketchy's unreliable history, but once sworn to secrecy and responsibility through threats and a twenty dollar bill, Logan knew the packages he was sending back to Jam Pony would arrive in the hands of the people to whom they were addressed.
Now, long hours after Logan expected Max to have called, his phone was finally ringing and he suddenly found himself hesitant to respond. What if she hated the photograph? What if she was going to cancel dinner? What if she was running afraid once again? Max was genetically engineered to be a perfect soldier. She had the courage of mythical heroes and the strength of creatures unknown, but when it came to her heart, Max was a fight or flight girl. Her fear in matters of emotion left Logan on uncertain ground, and now, as he stared at the phone ringing in his hand, he hesitated.
When enough rings had passed that he risked sending the call to his answering machine, Logan hit the call button on his phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey."
"Ah, hey." Logan couldn't keep the trepidation from slipping into his voice as he silently searched Max's tone for any hint as to what she was feeling.
"Was just callin' to see if you wanted me to pick anything up before I came over. I'm guessin' that since you paid off Normal to get me home, you want me over there earlier than usual."
"Oh, ah, anytime you want really. And, no, not unless you think of anything special you want." Logan knew his voice was shaking; he could hardly ignore that fact when his hands were keeping time with the tremor in his tone. She'd given no indication as to what she thought about the picture, and although not canceling dinner was a good sign it wasn't enough to set him at ease.
"Okay, if you're sure. Anything else, or are we good?"
Logan's heart fell and he swallowed deeply, hoping his disappointment wouldn't be apparent. "We're good, Max. See you soon?"
"'Course, we've got a date, don't we?" He heard her sigh into the phone, shifting quickly, leaving Logan's mind to fill in the image of her pulling her legs under her as she settled on her mattress, making herself comfortable. In the momentary silence that followed, Logan began to panic once more, wishing more than anything that he could figure out exactly what it was Max was thinking. Finally, she spoke, very softly, causing him to blink and shake his head, missing what she had said.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said, thank you." He heard her lips curving into a smile, her voice softening as her words made their way past his mental barriers to fill his mind.
"Thank you?"
She laughed softly, her voice suddenly so shy and insecure that Logan's heart went out to her. "Thank you. No one's ever given me anything that's got as much meaning as this picture 'n I don't really know everything you're trying to say with it, but I want you to know that I haven't forgotten. I love it."
Logan smiled, the pain in his chest the only indication he had that, for a moment, his heart had ceased to beat. Everything within him was leaping for joy, his mind racing ahead to what tomorrow's present would be, and what the future was going to hold for them, but he brought himself back to reality quickly. Unable to find words to express his pleasure, he merely held the phone tighter and nodded to the walls of his empty apartment.
"It's only the beginning, Max."
The silence that carried over the line made him pause, but rather than the flight he was expecting, he heard her soft breath skip and then continue uninterrupted as she formulated what she wanted to say. "How can you always believe, Logan? How can you sit there knowing what's between us and believe that we're going to turn a page one day and everything'll be okay?"
"If I didn't believe, there would be no sense to my being here." His mind flashed back to a day many months before when he sat in the room in which he now stood and came close to pressing a gun to his temple and ending it permanently. "Don't worry, Max, I'll believe enough for us both, for now."
She smiled. "I'll hold you to that."
"Just get dressed and get your ass over here." He chuckled softly, knowing that the tone in his voice would cause her to bristle, but in a good-natured fashion.
"Yes, sir." Her eyebrow lifted, and although he couldn't see her, he could picture the expression on her face perfectly. Logan grinned widely.
He heard her shift once again and he knew she was about to hang up the phone, so he raised his voice one last time, his expression sobering quickly. "Hey, Max?"
"Yeah?"
He smiled. "You're welcome."
The silence that ended the conversation was not unwelcome or uncomfortable, it was merely the way Max and Logan communicated. There were days that they could say every word they meant and be completely misunderstood, and then there were times like this very instant when the silence between them spoke more than any verbal conversation could relay.
When Logan finally laid the phone back onto his desk, the hesitation and uncertainty that had filled him only ten minutes before no longer existed. Max's immediate acceptance and understanding of his gift gave him the foundation that he needed to push their relationship yet another step further. Max was afraid of all that he was saying, that much was apparent, but she was open to his advances and to the feelings that came with them.
That alone was enough to give Logan more hope for their future than he'd had since only minutes after he'd realized she was alive.
End Part Four.