All Fairytales End – Chapter Five
Disclaimer: please refer to Chapter 1
Summary:
Spoilers/Timeframe:
Rating: PG-13
A/N: Major thanks goes to Pari106. Not only does she write awesome fics, she's got over 70, but she takes the time to work through mine and review. Thank you so much.
He's gone. I can't believe he'd do such an absolutely dumbass thing like that. Then again it's Alec we're talking about here. No note, no goodbye, no gotta blaze, no catchya later Max. Zip, nada, jacksquat. So Alec, damn him.
Max stormed around the tiny cabin in a blazing fury. The idiot just packed up his things and left. Apart from a few clothes and his precious quilt all traces of Alec were gone. There was little indication of whether he'd return, his most treasured procession was missing. Some small black journal- type-thing that he guarded with his life was not in its usual hiding place. He'd taken it with him. Which meant he wasn't planning a short absence. Max sat on the edge of the bed toying with the phone. Should she or shouldn't she? It was about 5.00 p.m. If he were headed for Dallas City, he'd have reached there by now. Maybe she should call Tash, just to check how things were going. Reaching a decision she promptly dialled and held the phone to her ear. Tash would wonder why she was calling and why she hadn't responded to the page. Before the first ring, Max disconnected the line. Dropping the phone to the quilt she launched herself off the bed and began pacing in frustration.
Before she could think of her next move, her pager beeped. Few people had the number. In fact she could list them all on one hand. Snatching it up off the dresser, she read the message. Her heart froze in her chest. Tears stung her eyes and her throat closed painfully as she chocked down the sobs. Unconsciously she slid to the floor, shudders assaulting her body. It wasn't the onset of her seizures. No, the pain she was feeling was far worse. Those three short words had the power to almost suck the life out of her body. Logan is dying. Bling
For the longest time Bling sat there by the phone. He'd thought about making the call for awhile now. Despite all that had happened and all the time that had passed since he saw her last, he felt sure he'd done the right thing. Yeah, Asha would probably tear him limb from limb for doing what he just did but he wasn't about to tell her. And if Max did show, well he'd just let nature take it course. Come what may, right? He just felt that letting Max know was the right thing, she loved Logan after all. Everyone knew that. Here he was sitting by the phone waiting, he was so sure that she'd call back. Why hadn't she?
"Girl, tell me why I shouldn't just hang up this phone, like right now?" Original Cindy demanded. Five months had gone by since her last call, five fricken months. Even Normal's 'bip bip bip' couldn't piss her off more.
Max bit her lip and sucked in the pain. Bite it back soldier, weakness won't help this situation. "I'm sorry, Cindy. I know it's lame and I don't have an excuse." She paused. Original Cindy hadn't hung up yet. Could she take it as a good sign?
"Boo, OC worried over your ass. And she would like nothing better than to put the smackdown on all your asses right now."
Tears spilled down her face. She'd hurt her friend, her best friend. Damn it, she couldn't keep from hurting everyone around her. She continued to wonder what could be so special about her DNA, from her viewpoint it seemed she was designed to bring pain and suffering. There was nothing 'perfect' about that. She hadn't contacted anyone for so long because the guilt and frustration she felt was taking all of her energy to keep under control. It was all she could do to keep from breaking down all the time. She had thought about contacting OC, it wasn't like she couldn't, she had the number and she knew Original Cindy hadn't moved. Why she'd never called she just couldn't explain.
"You know the only reason I know you're aiight is cause Jenny writes me."
The tears kept falling. She couldn't change the past and it seemed like she didn't have much hope for the future. She wanted to get the words out by they were just stuck in her throat.
"Max?" Original Cindy noticed that her friend was incredibly quiet and even with her average mortal hearing, she caught the distinct sound of sniffling. "Boo spill, tell your homegirl what's up. OC's gettin the feelin that, that lil brain of your's is getting all fried gain cause you holdin it all in. Now spill."
Max sniffed, cried and choked her way through the whole messed up story. Beginning with; arriving at the Madrid and watching the building explode, to all of them having to flee Seattle and hiding from White and the finally concluding that Logan was now dying. "So you see, I'm the reason he's dying, OC. What am I gonna do? I can't just sit here and let him die." Max swiped her face angrily; angry that she felt so helpless, angry at Manticore, angry at her sorry ass life in general. Getting up off the floor she walked to the window and stare out at lake outside. Darkness was setting in as sunset slowly dragged the last light rays away. She'd pulled Alec from that lake just this morning. She'd thought he was going to die and she'd almost lost it with him. But she'd been able to do something and he'd ended up fine. Right now with Logan in Seattle dying, hundreds of miles way, she felt totally helpless.
"Listen up now. Get your ass to the border and I'll have someone there to get you. There's a problem over here Max. Some badass dude's putting the city to near lockdown, Lacey and Evergreen Point are almost impossible to cross. I don't care how you do it or what you have ta do to get here but OC'll be waitin to see her boo." She waited for a response before concluding. A mumbled reply was sufficient. "Now ya get your teary ass up and we'll work it out aiight?"
"Okay. I'll call you when I get there." Letting the telephone slip from her fingers, she let it fall to the small table by the window. It made a cluttering noise as it hit the hard polished surface and it broke the eerie silence that filled the cabin. Striding to the bedroom, she pulled open the dresser and pulled out her backpack. Throwing on a thick overcoat, she zipped it up and pulled the hood over her head. Putting on warm gloves and shoving on her boots, she laced them and surveyed the whole cabin one last time. She had no idea when she'd be back or if she would come back. Right now, all she knew was where she was next headed. Seattle.
"Thanks so much." Max dropped out of the cab and landed firmly on the roadside. She smiled to herself. It was good to know that there were still people willing to give a stranger a hand. This truckie had given her a lift from Orr town, Saint Louis County Minnesota to Medina just outside Seattle. Further than she had anticipated and all for seventy bucks. Like he could really get a lot with seventy bucks, it wouldn't have even gotten him half a gallon of gas. Sure, he had yakked her ear off for most of the long road trip well over 1,350 miles, but she practically got a free ride, so it was small price to pay. Walking along the highway, she headed for the nearest gas station she could see in the distance.
Entering the phone booth just outside the gas station she dialled OC's number. It was early only 4.26 p.m. so she prayed her friend was home. It wasn't likely but she hoped nonetheless. "Yeah." Origional Cindy's voice greeted her. Max kept from jumping for joy and just settled for a huge grin. "I'm here."
"Great, your ride'll be there in an hour. Can ya handle dat?"
"Sure thing. I'm at Rose Joe's Gas Station, near Medina." Max said reading the sign. It looked kinda dingy, half the lights busted out and the small shop was mostly deserted. Not that she cared anyway, the less people around the better. It all suited her just fine.
"Got it boo, cya'n a bit."
"Thanks Cindy." Max replied.
"No sweat boo." The line cut and Max replaced the handset. Dusting off her pants and smoothing her hair from her face, she went to wait inside the small truck stop.
About an hour and give take five minutes later, a dark blue van pulled up. As the man got out of the front seat, and rounded the vehicle, Max swore under her breath. Of all the people Original Cindy could think of, she called him. Great. I'm gonna be stuck in the a small space, with nothing to say. Yikes come on, give me a break will ya.
