Chemistry
By Sinful Starlet
Disclaimer: usual standard stuff applies, nothing is mine except the plot yadda yadda yadda!
Rating: see first chapter for expl!
Summary: Max thought she had it all figured out - she loved Logan even though she couldn't be with him and Alec? He was just Alec - mildly irritating and a little too good at getting himself or her into trouble, but she forgot one thing - you can't fight chemistry!
Author's note: Okay - chapter two! Start to get into the story properly now. Gets a bit more interesting (at least I hope it does!) and only slightly more confusing! LOL! *SS*
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part #3
Logan sat there for quite a while afterwards, just trying to process what Max had said to him, 'I'm sorry', she had said, 'I can't tell you that'. He didn't understand what had happened. Just a couple weeks before that she had beaten the hell out of him to help him catch that mob family so what the hell was that...foreplay? He didn't even want to think about it, he just wanted to be able to deny it, but the sad truth was that he didn't know Max well enough anymore to make that kind of call. He sat there for only a few more minutes after that before rather shakily getting up, grabbing his coat and heading out.
He pulled up outside Joshua's house, thinking here he might finally get some answers. Max was Joshua's best friend, and she certainly seemed to spend plenty of time with him, so Logan figured he could probably tell him what was going on. He walked round to the back door, the only one he had seen Max use and let himself in. Once inside he called out to Joshua, guessing from his voice that he was in what passed as his living room. He walked into the room to find Joshua, and the one person he had really not wanted to see. "Logan come to visit", Joshua nodded, patting the chair next to him. "Hey man", the other guy said, offering his usual smile, "how you doing?"
Logan reluctantly took the chair, smiling to Joshua, although he couldn't bring himself to extend the expression to Alec. "I didn't know you played chess", he remarked to him, in a tone that was just a little too high-and-mighty, although only Alec noticed this. "Yeah well", Alec replied indifferently, "it was one of the only games we got back at Manticore - good for strategy and stuff", he added, making his move to capture one of Joshua's knights, "your move buddy". Joshua growled a little, as quietly as he could manage before hunching down to study the board more carefully.
"So what brings you here then?", Alec said, trying to make conversation, "aside from the excellent company", he quickly added when Joshua growled again. "Actually I came to talk to Joshua, but I guess now you're here I can come back later". Again, Alec noticed the openly hostile tone Logan used when he said 'you're here', but he still couldn't figure why. He was just about to reply when Joshua cheered triumphantly before announcing that he had "Mate check!" Alec laughed, "That's 'checkmate' buddy, but congratulations - that was a great game!" Joshua smiled, pleased at his win.
"Well I guess since I just lost three games in a row I can probably go now and leave you guys to talk!", Alec said, standing up and trying to salvage a little dignity, "But you know I want a rematch right?" Joshua smiled again, "Maybe next time Alec kick Joshua's butt!" "Yeah maybe!", Alec laughed heading for the door, calling back, "See ya Logan!" "So you're just gonna act like nothing happened then?", was the only reply he got from Logan. "What?", Alec asked, walking back into the room, "Did I miss something?" "No", Logan said, standing up, (which Joshua also did) "but apparently I did!"
Joshua just stood there confused, looking from Alec to Logan, waiting for someone to give him an answer. "Don't look at me man!", Alec said, holding up his hands in mock surrender, "I have no idea what he's talking about!" "I'm talking about Max!", Logan snapped, his temper getting the better of him. "Little fella okay?", Joshua questioned, not seeing the confusion on Alec's face too. "I saw you two together this morning", Logan started, not giving Alec a chance to speak, "and she just admitted that there was something going on between you".
Alec stopped himself, he had been all ready to deny it, but when Logan said that Max had admitted it, he was completely thrown. What the hell was she thinking? He eventually managed to mutter something fairly non-committal and left as quickly as he could. Logan just stood there for a while after he had gone, trying to figure out what could have happened that would have turned Max away from him and into the arms of Alec who hadn't been his favourite person even before that morning. "Logan okay?", Joshua said eventually, resting a hand gently on Logan's shoulder.
"Not even close", Logan said, managing a half smile as he turned back to face Joshua, "I don't understand what happened - I mean I feel like I barely know Max anymore", he sighed, then quietly, almost to himself he added, "I thought she hated Alec". "Women!", Joshua said, laughing a little at his own joke. "Yeah I know!", Logan replied, "I just thought Max was different". "She is", Joshua replied, "just not how you think". "Little fella tryin' to make sense of her world and be happy - same as everyone else". "I don't even know how long it's been going on", Logan sighed, sitting down in one of the chairs, "I just never saw it coming". "Not true", Joshua said, shaking his head and also sitting, but he sat cross legged on the floor, "Logan just not want to see it". "People strange", Joshua remarked, "Max love Logan, but want to be with Alec".
"She still loves me?", Logan questioned, answered by Joshua's nod. "But she still gonna be with Alec", Joshua interrupted, "can't fight chemistry". Logan started to protest but Joshua beat him to it. "Max and Alec - two of same kind, chemistry telling them to be together". Logan sat and listened as Joshua spoke, he wasn't trying to be unkind or hurtful to Logan, he was just stating what he saw as fact. "Joshua still not understand women, not same - Little fella, Original Cindy - too different, but if Joshua was Logan, he'd talk to Max". Logan smiled, patting Joshua on the shoulder, "Thanks - you're a good friend Joshua". Joshua smiled, "Now Logan play chess!" Logan laughed, and agreed to a couple of games.
part #4
That night, Max sat at a table in Crash, sharing a pitcher with Sketchy and OC when Alec showed up, not looking in a particularly great mood. He saw her almost immediately, but he didn't go over straight away, needing to figure out what he was going to say to her first. Instead, he made his way over to the bar, sliding onto a stool and ordering a drink. He wasn't on his own for long though, as he spotted some blonde girl down the other end of the bar making eyes at him. He smiled back and after a few seconds, she got up and made her way over to him.
Over on the other side of the club, Max finally noticed him, and she sighed in disgust at the scene in front of her. OC rolled her eyes, but she could see Max was more than a little pissed off. "What's cookin' ya boo?", she asked, frowning. Max just shook her head again, "I just think it's pathetic what some girl's will do to get a guy's attention". "What y'all staring at?", Sketchy asked, peering over Max's shoulder, then catching sight of the blonde girl virtually draping herself all over Alec. "Woah man!", he whistled appreciatively, "I don't know how he does it!" He could see that that remark wasn't making him too popular at that point, so he conveniently spotted another guy from work and went over to talk to them for a sec.
Max watched Alec for a few more seconds, then turned her back on him, still disgusted. "What?", she said, in answer to Cindy's questioning look. "What you said before, about it being pathetic what a girl'll do to get a boy's attention?". Max nodded, waiting for OC to go somewhere. "Well did you mean 'a' boy, or hot boy over there?" Max was a little surprised at the suggestion, where the hell had that come from? Cindy just laughed though as Max tried to look more and more incredulous. "I ain't sayin' you're jealous boo", she went on, "I'm just saying blondey-blonde isn't the first girl to notice that Alec's a fine young thang!"
This didn't exactly help Max's incredulity! "Oh come on!", Cindy laughed, "You should come to Crash more often - boy's practically got a fan club going!" "It's just the way you were made", she continued. "I ain't seen too many ugly X5s!" Max rolled her eyes, trying not to take OC too seriously, though mainly she was just trying to figure out why seeing Alec with that girl was bothering her so much. She didn't get much more of a chance to think about it though as she saw Sketchy walk up to Alec at the bar. She swore silently, and turned round, but sure enough, about thirty seconds later, Sketchy walked back to the table, bringing Alec with him.
"Hey sugar!", OC greeted Alec, "You joining us?" "Not just yet", Alec replied, "I need to borrow Max for a minute". Max glanced up at him, and she could see from his expression that it was important so she got up, exchanging a nervous look with Cindy. Alec practically dragged her over to the bar so they could talk in relative privacy. "Hey!", Max said when they stopped, "What's up with you?"
"Well, funny story actually", Alec joked sarcastically, "See I just had to lie to Logan and tell him that yes, you and me were a couple now, though I have no idea why!...And were you just staring at me a minute ago?" Max groaned, she hadn't expected Logan to go out and find Alec. She swore silently then looked up at him again, "So what did you say?", she asked, "And no - I was not staring at you!" Alec rolled his eyes as if to say 'whatever', but he actually said, "I told him that we'd not been together all that long and we had been trying to keep it quiet to keep from hurting his feelings". Max sighed with relief, "Thank you", she said. "You gonna tell me what the hell is going on then?", Alec prompted.
Max sighed again, "I can't be with Logan", she said, "and just being around him, knowing that I can't be with him is awful, but I can't just stop being with him. At least if he thinks I'm with someone else he might move on, find someone else to make him happy". Alec was taken aback at her honesty - she wasn't doing this for herself at all, she wanted Logan to forget her so he could be happy. "Please Alec", she said, looking up at him again, silently pleading with him, and the pain in that expression nearly floored him. "Of course", he said, all thoughts of the mysterious blonde leaving his mind in an instant, "if you really think it'll help".
Just at that moment though, Max saw Logan enter the club and lock eyes with her. She didn't have any time to come up with another plan so he just wrapped her arm round Alec's neck and pulled him into a kiss. Alec wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he went with it, kissing her too and wrapping his arms round her waist. The kiss deepened a little more than either of them expected, lips parting and tongues merging as the intensity grew. "Woah!", Sketchy exclaimed, catching a glimpse of Max and Alec wrapped up in each other, "Uh when did they get together?" OC said nothing, just shook her head, but she then saw Logan and figured what Max's plan must be.
She shook her head again, sorry for her friend, "I hope it works boo", she murmured under her breath. Eventually, they had to break apart to breathe, it was only then that Alec saw Logan, and he did not look happy. "I think I should go", he said, making Max understand that he had seen him, "I'll see ya tomorrow okay? Call me if you need to". Max nodded, letting him go, then pulling him back to kiss him once more before he left. The second kiss didn't quite match the intensity of the first, but they were both breathing heavily as they parted for the second time. Alec left and Max tried to pull herself together enough to prepare for Logan who she knew would be on his way over to her.
She ran her finger over her lips as she tried to calm her breathing. She didn't know why she had kissed him that second time, but it wasn't exactly what she was expecting. She didn't have any more time to think about it though, because that was the moment that Logan reached her, sliding down onto the stool next to her. "Nice to see you", he deadpanned. Max stood up, about to leave, she couldn't face this now, but Logan stood up too, blocking her way. "Logan please", she said, trying to get past him without touching him. "What am I keeping you?", he asked, "You got some appointment at a motel you can't break?" Max had to fight herself from slapping him then, "Just get out of the way Logan, you're not thinking clearly, believe me you'll regret it if you say anything else now".
She finally managed to get past him, but he wasn't having any of it, he reached out to grab her arm and accidentally caught her wrist instead. Her bare wrist. It was less than an inch of contact between them, but that was all it took. Within seconds the virus took hold and Max yelled for an ambulance. OC and Sketchy came running over, but there was nothing they could really do. The ambulance got there only minutes later and OC climbed up after Max to go with her. Sketchy said he'd follow on as there was no more room left and the ambulance sped off towards Harbour Lights hospital. 'God not again' Max thought, 'just please let him be okay'.
Max was in all-out panic by the time they got to the hospital, only calming down a little when she saw that it was Doctor Shankar that came out to deal with him. She ordered a few standard tests then sent the nurses and staff away so just she could talk to Max and OC. "You're lucky you got him here as soon as you did", she said, "but I think we're going to need to transfuse him". "Well that's not a problem right?", OC asked. "We're going to need Manticore blood", Dr Shankar said to Max, "and obviously we can't use yours". 'Alec', Max thought. "Just hold on", she said, running for the nearest pay phone, "I'll get you your donor".
She frantically punched in Alec's number, feeling her heartbeat at every unanswered ring. Eventually he clicked on, "Hello?" "Alec?", Max said, "Look I can't really explain right now, but we need you down at Harbour Lights hospital at the ICU right now". "Max?", Alec questioned, "Are you ok?" "It's not me", she replied, "It's Logan". He didn't need to hear anything else, he already knew what had happened. "I'll be there", he answered almost immediately, "just try not to worry Max, it'll be alright".
Max hung up, just praying that that was true. Alec tucked his cell phone back into his pocket and ran for the door. Unfortunately he had barely got two steps out of the door when something hit him from behind, knocking him down the porch steps. He tried to get up, but found himself hit by several tasers. It was no use, he was not going to be moving anywhere very soon. He passed out before he could see who attacked him, but his last though before unconsciousness hit was of Max.
AN. Yeah I know that was kind of a mean place to read it, but it's called suspense people! Work with me here! More coming soon! *SS*