After a quick stop for some formula, they went to Logan's penthouse. Max played with Cole in the living room while Zack and Logan watched, discussing possibilities.
"I don't know what to say..." Seems like Logan was at a loss as well. "I can find a home for him but don't think I could explain his," he paused to find the word, "heritage. And I wouldn't expect anyone to be able to take care of the kid. At the risk of sounding callous, we don't even know what he is. He is a second-generation Manticore child, and there is no telling what he will grow up to be. His hair is strange enough let alone the tiger stripe skin colorations on his back. He is developing skills at twice the rate any normal child would... The only feasible answer is for one of you to raise him."
That answer was unacceptable to Zack. "Then there is no other option. Something like that was never meant to exist in this world, we will all be safer with it dead."
Max overheard and was revolted, hugging cole closer to her chest as though the action would protect him from such hurtful words. "His name is Cole, and he has belongs here as much as we belong here, if not more so. I'll take care of him if you're just gonna eliminate him like he was endangering an objective."
"He is endangering an objective. My objective," Zack stood to emphasize what authority he thought he commanded in their presence, "To keep all of you safe and free."
"Cole isn't Vogelsang. He can't rat out on us or give away our position. He can't even speak yet."
"Yet," Zack bit back, "And for now he will slow us down."
"I'm willing to take that chance. Why aren't you? Has Lydecker completely stripped you of all humanity? Look at him. Look him in the eyes and say that again." Filled with defiance, Max stood and held the child up to Zack. Just as she expected, he would not look Cole in the eyes, instead aiming his piercing gaze at her.
"He is a part of you whether you like it or not. Now look at him."
Logan tried, and failed to break them up, "Max, Zack-"
"Look at him! Tell me that you can give this child life and then just take it away. You know what, Zack? You don't have that right. If you think you do, you truly are your father's son. You turne dout to be the cold hearted killing machine we were all supposed to turn into. Papa would be so proud." She nearly gagged referring to Lydecker in such terms but she needed to get across that military façade to the human she caught a glimpse of at the cabin. "Now look him in the eyes. Look!"
Tears began to brim in Zack's eyes, and slowly they crept to meet Cole's. So young, so wide, so innocent. No one dared break the silence as Zack looked upon Cole for the first time with the eyes of a father.
With tentative hands, he reached out to hold what he and Kat created. Max gave up the child willingly, and left to the kitchen where Logan had quietly wheeled. Looking back she found Zack already settling down with his son on the couch.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" Max asked Logan over her shoulder still watching as Cole laughed and clapped waiting for his father to do something of interest.
"You guys have survived so much. He'll be fine."
"You have to give him a place to stay. He has no where else that a baby would be safe."
"My guest room is always open. He is welcome to stay if he'll accept the offer."
"Always the gentleman." Max smiled at the thought of Zack and Logan trying to take care of a kid. "I better stay here as well. I don't think you guys will know how to handle yourselves with an infant." As if on cue Cole began to cry in the arms of an oddly helpless Zack.
"I didn't do anything..."
"It's called feeding time, Einstein," Max joked, moving to warm up a bottle.
*****
Things were settling down as much as they could, and it was getting late. It seemed the kid needed a lot of sleep as he fell asleep shortly after guzzling down three bottles of formula and hadn't awakened yet eight hours later. Since growth hormones are only released during sleep, this was probably how and why the child was developing at an abnormally fast rate. Max routinely took showers every two hours, whenever Zack would begin to smell the pheromones again. Logan had went off to record some Eyes Only Streaming Freedom Bulletins and when midnight rolled around, decided it was about time for the non-genetically enhanced killing machines to get some shut eye.
"You know that kid is gonna have some problems. He doesn't need a barcode on the back of his neck to raise a few eyebrows," Logan pointed out as he folded back his bed sheets.
"We'll deal with that later," Max said airily as she stared off into the distance.
"Something wrong?"
Max quickly snapped back to reality, "Sorry, I was just thinking."
Logan waited for more as he climbed into bed, ignoring Max's attempts to help. When Max showed no signs of continuing he prompted her, "Thinking about..."
After he settled in, sitting up against the headboard, she sat down on the bed beside him. "Just about what this kid will turn into. He won't grow up in Manticore. But if you think about it he's still Manticore born. Do you know what I mean? Like, is this soldier stuff a part of me and Zack like this barcode," and almost unconsciously she reached up to her neck, "or will he grow up like a normal kid. But we all know he won't be normal…"
"Max, you'll deal with it later," Logan quoted her back to herself, "Right now you have a little kid who needs someone to love and be loved by. That's all you can do and that's all you need to do."
The right corner of Max's lips lifted in that half smile that drove Logan wild deep down inside. "Aww, geez that was so sweet. You should work for Hallmark."
Logan smiled at the return of the Max that he knew, "Now get out of here, unlike you I need some rest."
"You and your beauty sleep," she paused and smiled, "... night." And with that she left the room. It was so tempting, just to give him a small kiss goodnight, but they had already declared that that kiss was the result of some emotional turmoil and never meant anything. But that was wrong. It meant a lot. What she would give to just lie in his arms and he could take care of everything. For a moment, no matter how brief, she wouldn't have to be so strong.
Only once before did she truly show her weak side to anyone, and that was Logan the night he invited her for dinner and her seizures began to act up. She never let Kendra or Original Cindy see her when she got her tremors. But with Logan it was different.
*****
She returned to the living room to find Zack lying on the couch, Cole all balled up and sound asleep on his chest. Zack was studying him quietly, rubbing the child's back, just watching him breath. The sight was so strange that Max just stood there and watched for a little while. This was Zack, whose brain would forever be stuck in soldier mode, who believed all feelings were phony sentimentalities that would get them killed. He had the answer to everything, the plan to be properly executed, efficiently and effectively. Yet there he lay, plans foiled by a baby.
"Hey," Max came around and sat on the floor beside him. "How's he doing?"
"He's sleeping fine, deep in r.e.m., sleep paralysis in effect..."
"Whoa, ease up on the techy talk, you're makin' my brain hurt."
"Max..." he hesitated "I don't know if you can understand but, that's my life. What else do I have? You live here, with your friends, with a life you have made for yourself. All of the others have done the same. But I can't do that. I can't stay still. I have to keep moving because we are always in enemy territory. I have to ensure our safety. But what am I gonna do now?"
"I don't know." For once Max didn't have a smart-ass remark at the ready. She didn't know what she was feeling now, the pheromones were long gone. This tenderness, this willingness to show her his weaknesses. It struck something in Max she never thought to look for. And this confused her most of all.
*****
No one was around. Logan was in the other room, gathering information from the informant net. Max was off at Jam Pony. Zack was taking a shower. They all thought he was asleep. They all assumed that he would rest for the day as well. No one could have known what was going on in Cole's mind. But to Cole it was quite simple: he was in enemy territory...
*****
"Original Cindy wouldn't be kiddin' you. I'm tellin' you, that sweet thang, all innocent and whatever, had it bad for me." Original Cindy finished her story with flourish, but her friends had their doubts. As usual the Jam Pony crew had more important things to do then deliver packages.
"No way, you're trying to tell me that with one glance you turned her into a lesbian?" Sketchy waved off her story, "See now I would believe you if she wasn't checking me out all night."
"Ugh, right," O.C. rolled her eyes, "The only thing to check out on you is that goofy look you got all up in your face."
Sketchy furrowed his brows, confused yet hurt.
"Yeah that's the one. No mistakes, that baby got back and it's all mine. You just wait. She'll seek out the Original Cindy."
Sketchy turned to the others, looking for support, "Come on Max, help me out here. I'm sexy right?"
"Huh? Yeah sure Sketchy." Max wasn't really paying attention, she had other things on her mind, but Sketchy took the triumph anyway.
"Max. You can't be serious. Herbal, are you gonna be on Original Cindy's side?"
Herbal smiled, "I know when I should step away. Besides, when somebody thinks Sketchy is hot, God be sending us a sign."
"Yeah, and what's that?" Sketchy's ego was beginning to overcrowd the room.
"The apocalypse is upon us." Herbal laughed, and Original Cindy joined in. Max still lazily gazed off into nowhere. After Sketchy's head was successfully deflated the guys went off to get more drinks and O.C. turned her attentions to Max.
"What's wrong boo? You've been out of it all morning."
Max snapped her attention back, "Ah nothing, I'm fine."
"Come on, I know when something is wrong. Original Cindy is here to help."
"It's just...There is this guy I knew a long time ago, and I thought I knew him. But he's changed now. And I don't know what to think about him."
"Ah boy troubles. That's why Original Cindy doesn't bother with them but if this he were a she what I would do was..."
A beeping went off in Max's ear, but she was slow to react. The past twelve hours had proved to be more mentally exhausting then she has ever experienced before.
"Looks like your boyfriend be beeping you. Maybe he senses he should be getting jealous."
Max stood and headed to the payphone, happy for the chance to hide her blush, "It isn't like that, why does everyone think it's like that?"
When she thought Max was out of earshot O.C. murmured, "'Cause it is boo, it is," as the boys returned.
"I don't know what to say..." Seems like Logan was at a loss as well. "I can find a home for him but don't think I could explain his," he paused to find the word, "heritage. And I wouldn't expect anyone to be able to take care of the kid. At the risk of sounding callous, we don't even know what he is. He is a second-generation Manticore child, and there is no telling what he will grow up to be. His hair is strange enough let alone the tiger stripe skin colorations on his back. He is developing skills at twice the rate any normal child would... The only feasible answer is for one of you to raise him."
That answer was unacceptable to Zack. "Then there is no other option. Something like that was never meant to exist in this world, we will all be safer with it dead."
Max overheard and was revolted, hugging cole closer to her chest as though the action would protect him from such hurtful words. "His name is Cole, and he has belongs here as much as we belong here, if not more so. I'll take care of him if you're just gonna eliminate him like he was endangering an objective."
"He is endangering an objective. My objective," Zack stood to emphasize what authority he thought he commanded in their presence, "To keep all of you safe and free."
"Cole isn't Vogelsang. He can't rat out on us or give away our position. He can't even speak yet."
"Yet," Zack bit back, "And for now he will slow us down."
"I'm willing to take that chance. Why aren't you? Has Lydecker completely stripped you of all humanity? Look at him. Look him in the eyes and say that again." Filled with defiance, Max stood and held the child up to Zack. Just as she expected, he would not look Cole in the eyes, instead aiming his piercing gaze at her.
"He is a part of you whether you like it or not. Now look at him."
Logan tried, and failed to break them up, "Max, Zack-"
"Look at him! Tell me that you can give this child life and then just take it away. You know what, Zack? You don't have that right. If you think you do, you truly are your father's son. You turne dout to be the cold hearted killing machine we were all supposed to turn into. Papa would be so proud." She nearly gagged referring to Lydecker in such terms but she needed to get across that military façade to the human she caught a glimpse of at the cabin. "Now look him in the eyes. Look!"
Tears began to brim in Zack's eyes, and slowly they crept to meet Cole's. So young, so wide, so innocent. No one dared break the silence as Zack looked upon Cole for the first time with the eyes of a father.
With tentative hands, he reached out to hold what he and Kat created. Max gave up the child willingly, and left to the kitchen where Logan had quietly wheeled. Looking back she found Zack already settling down with his son on the couch.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" Max asked Logan over her shoulder still watching as Cole laughed and clapped waiting for his father to do something of interest.
"You guys have survived so much. He'll be fine."
"You have to give him a place to stay. He has no where else that a baby would be safe."
"My guest room is always open. He is welcome to stay if he'll accept the offer."
"Always the gentleman." Max smiled at the thought of Zack and Logan trying to take care of a kid. "I better stay here as well. I don't think you guys will know how to handle yourselves with an infant." As if on cue Cole began to cry in the arms of an oddly helpless Zack.
"I didn't do anything..."
"It's called feeding time, Einstein," Max joked, moving to warm up a bottle.
*****
Things were settling down as much as they could, and it was getting late. It seemed the kid needed a lot of sleep as he fell asleep shortly after guzzling down three bottles of formula and hadn't awakened yet eight hours later. Since growth hormones are only released during sleep, this was probably how and why the child was developing at an abnormally fast rate. Max routinely took showers every two hours, whenever Zack would begin to smell the pheromones again. Logan had went off to record some Eyes Only Streaming Freedom Bulletins and when midnight rolled around, decided it was about time for the non-genetically enhanced killing machines to get some shut eye.
"You know that kid is gonna have some problems. He doesn't need a barcode on the back of his neck to raise a few eyebrows," Logan pointed out as he folded back his bed sheets.
"We'll deal with that later," Max said airily as she stared off into the distance.
"Something wrong?"
Max quickly snapped back to reality, "Sorry, I was just thinking."
Logan waited for more as he climbed into bed, ignoring Max's attempts to help. When Max showed no signs of continuing he prompted her, "Thinking about..."
After he settled in, sitting up against the headboard, she sat down on the bed beside him. "Just about what this kid will turn into. He won't grow up in Manticore. But if you think about it he's still Manticore born. Do you know what I mean? Like, is this soldier stuff a part of me and Zack like this barcode," and almost unconsciously she reached up to her neck, "or will he grow up like a normal kid. But we all know he won't be normal…"
"Max, you'll deal with it later," Logan quoted her back to herself, "Right now you have a little kid who needs someone to love and be loved by. That's all you can do and that's all you need to do."
The right corner of Max's lips lifted in that half smile that drove Logan wild deep down inside. "Aww, geez that was so sweet. You should work for Hallmark."
Logan smiled at the return of the Max that he knew, "Now get out of here, unlike you I need some rest."
"You and your beauty sleep," she paused and smiled, "... night." And with that she left the room. It was so tempting, just to give him a small kiss goodnight, but they had already declared that that kiss was the result of some emotional turmoil and never meant anything. But that was wrong. It meant a lot. What she would give to just lie in his arms and he could take care of everything. For a moment, no matter how brief, she wouldn't have to be so strong.
Only once before did she truly show her weak side to anyone, and that was Logan the night he invited her for dinner and her seizures began to act up. She never let Kendra or Original Cindy see her when she got her tremors. But with Logan it was different.
*****
She returned to the living room to find Zack lying on the couch, Cole all balled up and sound asleep on his chest. Zack was studying him quietly, rubbing the child's back, just watching him breath. The sight was so strange that Max just stood there and watched for a little while. This was Zack, whose brain would forever be stuck in soldier mode, who believed all feelings were phony sentimentalities that would get them killed. He had the answer to everything, the plan to be properly executed, efficiently and effectively. Yet there he lay, plans foiled by a baby.
"Hey," Max came around and sat on the floor beside him. "How's he doing?"
"He's sleeping fine, deep in r.e.m., sleep paralysis in effect..."
"Whoa, ease up on the techy talk, you're makin' my brain hurt."
"Max..." he hesitated "I don't know if you can understand but, that's my life. What else do I have? You live here, with your friends, with a life you have made for yourself. All of the others have done the same. But I can't do that. I can't stay still. I have to keep moving because we are always in enemy territory. I have to ensure our safety. But what am I gonna do now?"
"I don't know." For once Max didn't have a smart-ass remark at the ready. She didn't know what she was feeling now, the pheromones were long gone. This tenderness, this willingness to show her his weaknesses. It struck something in Max she never thought to look for. And this confused her most of all.
*****
No one was around. Logan was in the other room, gathering information from the informant net. Max was off at Jam Pony. Zack was taking a shower. They all thought he was asleep. They all assumed that he would rest for the day as well. No one could have known what was going on in Cole's mind. But to Cole it was quite simple: he was in enemy territory...
*****
"Original Cindy wouldn't be kiddin' you. I'm tellin' you, that sweet thang, all innocent and whatever, had it bad for me." Original Cindy finished her story with flourish, but her friends had their doubts. As usual the Jam Pony crew had more important things to do then deliver packages.
"No way, you're trying to tell me that with one glance you turned her into a lesbian?" Sketchy waved off her story, "See now I would believe you if she wasn't checking me out all night."
"Ugh, right," O.C. rolled her eyes, "The only thing to check out on you is that goofy look you got all up in your face."
Sketchy furrowed his brows, confused yet hurt.
"Yeah that's the one. No mistakes, that baby got back and it's all mine. You just wait. She'll seek out the Original Cindy."
Sketchy turned to the others, looking for support, "Come on Max, help me out here. I'm sexy right?"
"Huh? Yeah sure Sketchy." Max wasn't really paying attention, she had other things on her mind, but Sketchy took the triumph anyway.
"Max. You can't be serious. Herbal, are you gonna be on Original Cindy's side?"
Herbal smiled, "I know when I should step away. Besides, when somebody thinks Sketchy is hot, God be sending us a sign."
"Yeah, and what's that?" Sketchy's ego was beginning to overcrowd the room.
"The apocalypse is upon us." Herbal laughed, and Original Cindy joined in. Max still lazily gazed off into nowhere. After Sketchy's head was successfully deflated the guys went off to get more drinks and O.C. turned her attentions to Max.
"What's wrong boo? You've been out of it all morning."
Max snapped her attention back, "Ah nothing, I'm fine."
"Come on, I know when something is wrong. Original Cindy is here to help."
"It's just...There is this guy I knew a long time ago, and I thought I knew him. But he's changed now. And I don't know what to think about him."
"Ah boy troubles. That's why Original Cindy doesn't bother with them but if this he were a she what I would do was..."
A beeping went off in Max's ear, but she was slow to react. The past twelve hours had proved to be more mentally exhausting then she has ever experienced before.
"Looks like your boyfriend be beeping you. Maybe he senses he should be getting jealous."
Max stood and headed to the payphone, happy for the chance to hide her blush, "It isn't like that, why does everyone think it's like that?"
When she thought Max was out of earshot O.C. murmured, "'Cause it is boo, it is," as the boys returned.