Chapter 13 (Last Chapter)
Alec crept over to the couch where Max slept and grabbed his shoes. He watched her shoulders rise and fall as he laced up his sneakers. Alec hadn't planned on staying up the entire night talking with Max. She casually mentioned that O.C. wouldn't be home that night and tried to hide the look in her eyes that said she didn't want to be alone, but Alec caught it. So he made himself comfortable and the two conversed the rest of the night about everything from Original Cindy's wardrobe to why pasta tastes better the day after it's first made. Just before sunrise, Max went into her bedroom and came out with a sweatshirt. "Cold." He had asked her. She had only shrugged. He went into the kitchen to make more coffee to warm her up and wake him up. Meanwhile Max had stretched out on the couch with the sweatshirt and yawned. When Alec had finished getting the coffee she was already fast asleep.
After putting on his sneakers, Alec gently covered Max with the blanket on the back of the couch. She looked like a little girl; which was probably why he felt the need to place a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving.
Logan felt his heart sink as he watched Alec leaving Max' apartment building. It was barely past sunrise, which meant only one thing to Logan. Alec had spent the night there. Logan was about to start the car and turn around but his anger halted him. No more turning away. He was done being passive. He quickly got out of the car and stormed over to her building.
Logan eased open Max' front door. She never knocked on his. Why shouldn't he return the same courtesy? When he saw her sleeping on the couch, his anger was immediately replaced with worry. He rushed over to her and knelt down in front of the couch.
Max never slept unless she was coming down with something or hurt. Logan felt her forehead to see if she had a temperature. She didn't feel warmer than normal and her breathing was even. She certainly didn't look ill. In fact, she looked beautiful. Not that she didn't always look beautiful. But seeing her sleeping, completely vulnerable and peaceful, was such a rare sight, it magnified her beauty ten fold. It almost took his breath away. But then another image popped into his head, and Logan felt his anger returning.
He'd just seen Alec leave, and now here Max was sleeping. Had the two been busy all night? Had Alec tired her out? Logan felt his breakfast creeping up into his throat at the thought and he suddenly felt drained of the strength he had built up for this confrontation. He was about to stand and walk away when he noticed Max clutching something. She was completely snuggled against it, obscuring most of it, but Logan recognized it. It was one of his sweatshirts. He used to wear it a lot during his sessions with Bling. He hadn't even known it was missing. When could she have taken it? Logan thought to himself. It could have been anytime. She was, after all, a genetically engineered cat burglar.
She sleeps with my shirt. A smile tugged at Logan's lips and once again he felt his anger simmering down. Max' sudden whimpering brought him from his musing. Max' whole body began to shudder as tears began pouring down her cheeks. She was still fast asleep. Logan was at first shocked at witnessing Max suddenly slip into a nightmare of this magnitude.
"No." A strained and frightened voice that Logan never thought would be heard from Max' lips echoed in his ears.
"Max…shush…Max, it's okay." Logan whispered while gently rubbing Max' head and shoulders. "It's okay. You're safe. I'm here."
Max' eyes finally flew open. She scrunched her brow in confusion. "Logan?"
"You were having a nightmare."
Max looked down and after a few moments nodded. Fresh tears soon followed.
"Shush." Logan soothed again as he pulled Max up and into his arms.
Logan stroked Max' hair and back as she continued to sob in his arms.
Suddenly Max pulled away and looked at Logan with eyes full of alarm.
"Max, what is it?" Logan said worriedly.
Max was speechless. She slowly lifted her hand and touched the side of Logan's face. Then to Logan's surprise she gave him the biggest most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Logan couldn't help but return her smile. When she put her other hand to the other side of his face, he finally realized why she was suddenly so happy. Logan covered Max' hand with his own and then pulled her head to his with his other hand until their foreheads were touching. Soon their smiles turned to laughter.
"I can't believe it worked." Max said as more tears fell from her eyes. Logan's eyes filled as well.
"It's finally over." He said before pulling her into a hug. Any doubt Logan had about him and Max being together was washed away with their shared tears.
Max knew she had been wrong to think that giving up Logan was the right thing to do. Being in his arms was the right thing. Seeing his face when she first woke up was the right thing. Him holding her after her nightmares was the right thing. Logan was safe. Logan was home. Max' fears about telling Logan about the rape departed as he held her. She would tell him and he wouldn't think any differently of her because of what happened back at Manticore. It wasn't her fault. It was something Manticore had done to try and break her. But Manicore didn't know there was no way they could win and make her one of them again. And it was mainly because of the man whose arms she was in now. Max knew that no matter what had happened or what would happen, their love for each other was going to keep her strong through this bitch.
The End.
AN: I wanted Max telling Logan about the rape to be the concluding part of the story, but I couldn't think of a way that would actually accomplish this; her telling him and his reaction only lead to more and more chapters in my head. I didn't want to write a story that went on and on forever. I need closure. So I decided that Max and Logan finally being able to touch was a good way to resolve everything. I think when the virus is finally gone, the initial touch between Max and Logan should be so magical and beautiful that any insecurities or jealousies of Logan will disappear as well as any of Max' emotional defenses and hang- ups. That's basically what I was trying to do here. Sorry if I didn't pull it off. But hey, that's why I wrote this long ass author's note to explain my intentions.
Alec crept over to the couch where Max slept and grabbed his shoes. He watched her shoulders rise and fall as he laced up his sneakers. Alec hadn't planned on staying up the entire night talking with Max. She casually mentioned that O.C. wouldn't be home that night and tried to hide the look in her eyes that said she didn't want to be alone, but Alec caught it. So he made himself comfortable and the two conversed the rest of the night about everything from Original Cindy's wardrobe to why pasta tastes better the day after it's first made. Just before sunrise, Max went into her bedroom and came out with a sweatshirt. "Cold." He had asked her. She had only shrugged. He went into the kitchen to make more coffee to warm her up and wake him up. Meanwhile Max had stretched out on the couch with the sweatshirt and yawned. When Alec had finished getting the coffee she was already fast asleep.
After putting on his sneakers, Alec gently covered Max with the blanket on the back of the couch. She looked like a little girl; which was probably why he felt the need to place a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving.
Logan felt his heart sink as he watched Alec leaving Max' apartment building. It was barely past sunrise, which meant only one thing to Logan. Alec had spent the night there. Logan was about to start the car and turn around but his anger halted him. No more turning away. He was done being passive. He quickly got out of the car and stormed over to her building.
Logan eased open Max' front door. She never knocked on his. Why shouldn't he return the same courtesy? When he saw her sleeping on the couch, his anger was immediately replaced with worry. He rushed over to her and knelt down in front of the couch.
Max never slept unless she was coming down with something or hurt. Logan felt her forehead to see if she had a temperature. She didn't feel warmer than normal and her breathing was even. She certainly didn't look ill. In fact, she looked beautiful. Not that she didn't always look beautiful. But seeing her sleeping, completely vulnerable and peaceful, was such a rare sight, it magnified her beauty ten fold. It almost took his breath away. But then another image popped into his head, and Logan felt his anger returning.
He'd just seen Alec leave, and now here Max was sleeping. Had the two been busy all night? Had Alec tired her out? Logan felt his breakfast creeping up into his throat at the thought and he suddenly felt drained of the strength he had built up for this confrontation. He was about to stand and walk away when he noticed Max clutching something. She was completely snuggled against it, obscuring most of it, but Logan recognized it. It was one of his sweatshirts. He used to wear it a lot during his sessions with Bling. He hadn't even known it was missing. When could she have taken it? Logan thought to himself. It could have been anytime. She was, after all, a genetically engineered cat burglar.
She sleeps with my shirt. A smile tugged at Logan's lips and once again he felt his anger simmering down. Max' sudden whimpering brought him from his musing. Max' whole body began to shudder as tears began pouring down her cheeks. She was still fast asleep. Logan was at first shocked at witnessing Max suddenly slip into a nightmare of this magnitude.
"No." A strained and frightened voice that Logan never thought would be heard from Max' lips echoed in his ears.
"Max…shush…Max, it's okay." Logan whispered while gently rubbing Max' head and shoulders. "It's okay. You're safe. I'm here."
Max' eyes finally flew open. She scrunched her brow in confusion. "Logan?"
"You were having a nightmare."
Max looked down and after a few moments nodded. Fresh tears soon followed.
"Shush." Logan soothed again as he pulled Max up and into his arms.
Logan stroked Max' hair and back as she continued to sob in his arms.
Suddenly Max pulled away and looked at Logan with eyes full of alarm.
"Max, what is it?" Logan said worriedly.
Max was speechless. She slowly lifted her hand and touched the side of Logan's face. Then to Logan's surprise she gave him the biggest most beautiful smile he had ever seen. Logan couldn't help but return her smile. When she put her other hand to the other side of his face, he finally realized why she was suddenly so happy. Logan covered Max' hand with his own and then pulled her head to his with his other hand until their foreheads were touching. Soon their smiles turned to laughter.
"I can't believe it worked." Max said as more tears fell from her eyes. Logan's eyes filled as well.
"It's finally over." He said before pulling her into a hug. Any doubt Logan had about him and Max being together was washed away with their shared tears.
Max knew she had been wrong to think that giving up Logan was the right thing to do. Being in his arms was the right thing. Seeing his face when she first woke up was the right thing. Him holding her after her nightmares was the right thing. Logan was safe. Logan was home. Max' fears about telling Logan about the rape departed as he held her. She would tell him and he wouldn't think any differently of her because of what happened back at Manticore. It wasn't her fault. It was something Manticore had done to try and break her. But Manicore didn't know there was no way they could win and make her one of them again. And it was mainly because of the man whose arms she was in now. Max knew that no matter what had happened or what would happen, their love for each other was going to keep her strong through this bitch.
The End.
AN: I wanted Max telling Logan about the rape to be the concluding part of the story, but I couldn't think of a way that would actually accomplish this; her telling him and his reaction only lead to more and more chapters in my head. I didn't want to write a story that went on and on forever. I need closure. So I decided that Max and Logan finally being able to touch was a good way to resolve everything. I think when the virus is finally gone, the initial touch between Max and Logan should be so magical and beautiful that any insecurities or jealousies of Logan will disappear as well as any of Max' emotional defenses and hang- ups. That's basically what I was trying to do here. Sorry if I didn't pull it off. But hey, that's why I wrote this long ass author's note to explain my intentions.