A/N: SORRY FOR THE LITTLE CONFUSION ON ZACK AND BRIN GETTING TO THE
HOSPITAL. IT'S ALL GOING TO BE EXPLAINED HERE. ANYWAY, HERE'S ANOTHER
CHAPTER. THANKS FOR REVIEWING AGAIN.
Max sighed heavily. She felt like she was going insane with worry. Zack and Jondy were in the emergency room fighting for their lives. Alec was getting his arm fixed since he evidently broke it during the fight. Zane was with OC watching Lex and Ben. Brin and Logan were looking restless as they waited for the news.
They had gotten here in two cars. Brin drove Zack, OC, and the kids in one while Alec drove Max, Jondy, Logan, and Zane in another. Max had thought they were never going to make it to the hospital.
Max didn't know who to go to, who to comfort. Everyone seemed to be needing her. She wasn't feeling alright. This was her family and she might lose them again. She had already lost enough siblings. She looked at her sister Brin. The poor woman looked incredibly vulnerable and shattered. She and Zack were close. Max didn't know how Brin would make if Zack died. He was important to Brin, to all of them. It was like he was their lifeline, the one strong hold that kept their family together despite everything that was happening to them.
"Are you okay?" Max asked softly.
Brin shrugged her shoulders. She was scared to death. She wanted to put a whole on the wall just so she would stop feeling sick with worry. "He can't die." She whispered. She was in the brink of tears. Max nodded. Brin was right. He can't die. They needed him. Their family would fall apart if Zack died.
"He's strong. He'll make it." Max didn't really know if Zack would make it but she hoped he would. For all their sake.
"I don't want him to die. I need him. What am I going to do if he dies?" Brin asked through her sobs. Max pulled her into a tight hug. Brin's body was wracked with sobs. "He's all I've got."
"You have us, Brin. Me, Alec, Syl, Krit, Zane and Jondy. You'll always have us." Max said quietly.
Brin nodded, sniffling a little. "I know. I know that I have the rest of you. But Zack, he understands me more than the rest. We're the same. A part of us will always be Manticore, we'll always be soldiers despite the fact that we want to be free of that kind of life." Brin explained softly. "When I look at him, talk to him, see him, I feel safe. I don't feel so different from everyone else. I feel like I'm home. Finally, I know where I belong."
Brin's words tugged at Max's heart. She knew that feeling. She had it every time she was with Alec. Max looked at her sister and understood. For the first time in her life, she finally grasped what Brin was all about. Completely. Brin loved Zack, really loved him. She needed him too, more than the rest of them.
Max smiled sadly. She and Brin hadn't been that close while growing up. But they loved each other anyway. Circumstances had torn them apart more than they could count. But they were sisters and that's the one thing they would always share.
"I understand." Max said softly kissing Brin on the forehead. It was true. Max did get it. Finally.
Max walked over to Logan who was still holding his son, looking broken. "Poor Logan." She thought. The guilt and pain was written all over his face.
"I need her." Logan whispered when she sat down next to him. "She's everything to me." He said tearfully.
Max didn't want to lose Jondy either. She wanted to reach over to Logan and hug him and tell him that it was okay, that she felt the same but she didn't move an inch closer. Jondy was a fighter, just like Zack and they would both make it.
"She can't die. I won't let her." Logan declared. Max didn't say anything. "How am I going to go on if she dies? I need her with me. Lex needs his mother. I don't know the first thing about raising children." Logan seemed frantic. It was frustrating not being able to do anything. She was his wife. He loved her and there was nothing he could do to save her.
"Logan, Jondy is-" Max gasped. Oh my god, what did she just do? Max's mind raced with a thousand thoughts. She didn't know if Jondy had told Logan. This was not how she wanted to break the truth. That was up to Jondy. Flashes of Tinga, Case and Charlie filled her mind. She remembered the way Charlie looked when he found out. Charlie had looked so betrayed. So hurt. Oh my god, it was going to happen again.
"I know." Logan said. His words shocked her. He knew? What? "I know that her name is Jondy and that she's your sister." He clarified. Max looked confused. "I've known for years. She told a long time ago before we got married." He smiled wryly, remembering the exact moment.
"You knew?" She managed to ask. Max thought that Logan wasn't the type of man that could accept the life of an X5. There were too many things he didn't understand. Too many things that they did that Logan didn't agree on. But that was a long time ago. Things changed.
Apparently, Logan did too.
"Yes, I knew. Jondy told me. She didn't want to keep anything from me." He smiled. Max looked up at him, breaking from her shocked daze. "I love her you know." He continued. Of course Max knew. She had seen it every time Jondy was in the room. Logan would always look happy, so alive. "She's so honest, so loving. Jondy is everything I want, everything I need but more than I expected. Just perfect." He said with a soft sad smile.
Max could hear the love in his voice. It was also clear now. He loved Jondy. Logan needed her, wanted her, loved her and accepted her for all that she was. Manticore or otherwise. Max was proud. Jondy and Logan were perfect for each other. They deserved each other because their love stood up against everything that came in the way.
A long time ago, Max had wanted that for herself and Logan but things stood in their way. A million things. They just weren't meant to be. Their paths have crossed but they were meant for other people; people that could make them happy. Logan had Jondy. Max had Alec. It made sense.
Max smiled at Logan. She reassured him that Jondy would be fine despite her worry. She tried to comfort him again. It was good that they talked. They finally had closure. Whether they knew it or not.
Alec came out of the room and Max walked over to him. She held him there not saying a word. She was glad he was alright. Just like Brin needed Zack and Logan needed Jondy, Max needed Alec.
They took a seat and waited. They were all there-Zane, Brin, OC, Logan, Max, Alec, little Ben and Lex. Each of them was hurting in their own way. They were afraid for the people they love, for themselves.
They were all trying hanging on to their sanity, to the little hope that was left. They were all lost in their on thoughts. Just waiting. Waiting for an answer to their silent prayers.
"Maybe this time someone will hear us." Max thought to herself.
Max sighed heavily. She felt like she was going insane with worry. Zack and Jondy were in the emergency room fighting for their lives. Alec was getting his arm fixed since he evidently broke it during the fight. Zane was with OC watching Lex and Ben. Brin and Logan were looking restless as they waited for the news.
They had gotten here in two cars. Brin drove Zack, OC, and the kids in one while Alec drove Max, Jondy, Logan, and Zane in another. Max had thought they were never going to make it to the hospital.
Max didn't know who to go to, who to comfort. Everyone seemed to be needing her. She wasn't feeling alright. This was her family and she might lose them again. She had already lost enough siblings. She looked at her sister Brin. The poor woman looked incredibly vulnerable and shattered. She and Zack were close. Max didn't know how Brin would make if Zack died. He was important to Brin, to all of them. It was like he was their lifeline, the one strong hold that kept their family together despite everything that was happening to them.
"Are you okay?" Max asked softly.
Brin shrugged her shoulders. She was scared to death. She wanted to put a whole on the wall just so she would stop feeling sick with worry. "He can't die." She whispered. She was in the brink of tears. Max nodded. Brin was right. He can't die. They needed him. Their family would fall apart if Zack died.
"He's strong. He'll make it." Max didn't really know if Zack would make it but she hoped he would. For all their sake.
"I don't want him to die. I need him. What am I going to do if he dies?" Brin asked through her sobs. Max pulled her into a tight hug. Brin's body was wracked with sobs. "He's all I've got."
"You have us, Brin. Me, Alec, Syl, Krit, Zane and Jondy. You'll always have us." Max said quietly.
Brin nodded, sniffling a little. "I know. I know that I have the rest of you. But Zack, he understands me more than the rest. We're the same. A part of us will always be Manticore, we'll always be soldiers despite the fact that we want to be free of that kind of life." Brin explained softly. "When I look at him, talk to him, see him, I feel safe. I don't feel so different from everyone else. I feel like I'm home. Finally, I know where I belong."
Brin's words tugged at Max's heart. She knew that feeling. She had it every time she was with Alec. Max looked at her sister and understood. For the first time in her life, she finally grasped what Brin was all about. Completely. Brin loved Zack, really loved him. She needed him too, more than the rest of them.
Max smiled sadly. She and Brin hadn't been that close while growing up. But they loved each other anyway. Circumstances had torn them apart more than they could count. But they were sisters and that's the one thing they would always share.
"I understand." Max said softly kissing Brin on the forehead. It was true. Max did get it. Finally.
Max walked over to Logan who was still holding his son, looking broken. "Poor Logan." She thought. The guilt and pain was written all over his face.
"I need her." Logan whispered when she sat down next to him. "She's everything to me." He said tearfully.
Max didn't want to lose Jondy either. She wanted to reach over to Logan and hug him and tell him that it was okay, that she felt the same but she didn't move an inch closer. Jondy was a fighter, just like Zack and they would both make it.
"She can't die. I won't let her." Logan declared. Max didn't say anything. "How am I going to go on if she dies? I need her with me. Lex needs his mother. I don't know the first thing about raising children." Logan seemed frantic. It was frustrating not being able to do anything. She was his wife. He loved her and there was nothing he could do to save her.
"Logan, Jondy is-" Max gasped. Oh my god, what did she just do? Max's mind raced with a thousand thoughts. She didn't know if Jondy had told Logan. This was not how she wanted to break the truth. That was up to Jondy. Flashes of Tinga, Case and Charlie filled her mind. She remembered the way Charlie looked when he found out. Charlie had looked so betrayed. So hurt. Oh my god, it was going to happen again.
"I know." Logan said. His words shocked her. He knew? What? "I know that her name is Jondy and that she's your sister." He clarified. Max looked confused. "I've known for years. She told a long time ago before we got married." He smiled wryly, remembering the exact moment.
"You knew?" She managed to ask. Max thought that Logan wasn't the type of man that could accept the life of an X5. There were too many things he didn't understand. Too many things that they did that Logan didn't agree on. But that was a long time ago. Things changed.
Apparently, Logan did too.
"Yes, I knew. Jondy told me. She didn't want to keep anything from me." He smiled. Max looked up at him, breaking from her shocked daze. "I love her you know." He continued. Of course Max knew. She had seen it every time Jondy was in the room. Logan would always look happy, so alive. "She's so honest, so loving. Jondy is everything I want, everything I need but more than I expected. Just perfect." He said with a soft sad smile.
Max could hear the love in his voice. It was also clear now. He loved Jondy. Logan needed her, wanted her, loved her and accepted her for all that she was. Manticore or otherwise. Max was proud. Jondy and Logan were perfect for each other. They deserved each other because their love stood up against everything that came in the way.
A long time ago, Max had wanted that for herself and Logan but things stood in their way. A million things. They just weren't meant to be. Their paths have crossed but they were meant for other people; people that could make them happy. Logan had Jondy. Max had Alec. It made sense.
Max smiled at Logan. She reassured him that Jondy would be fine despite her worry. She tried to comfort him again. It was good that they talked. They finally had closure. Whether they knew it or not.
Alec came out of the room and Max walked over to him. She held him there not saying a word. She was glad he was alright. Just like Brin needed Zack and Logan needed Jondy, Max needed Alec.
They took a seat and waited. They were all there-Zane, Brin, OC, Logan, Max, Alec, little Ben and Lex. Each of them was hurting in their own way. They were afraid for the people they love, for themselves.
They were all trying hanging on to their sanity, to the little hope that was left. They were all lost in their on thoughts. Just waiting. Waiting for an answer to their silent prayers.
"Maybe this time someone will hear us." Max thought to herself.