I've Loved You
By Jade
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Dark Angel, if I did, the show would still be around.
Time Frame: Season One, after "I and I am a Camera"
Summary: Max and Logan are finally going to have that dinner that they were going to have in "The Kidz are Aiight." Will something else ruin their evening?
Author's Note: Logan can walk with aide from the exoskeleton. ~*~ means flashback. Many thanks to my beta for helping me out! Thanks for all the reviews! Please review- I live for reviews, but then again- what author doesn't? : ).
"Hot run! 1414 Wexler!" Normal threw the package at Original Cindy.
"I'm on break."
"Well break's over missy miss! Now get going, or you may not have an income tomorrow! Bip!"
'One day the boy's gonna blow a blood vessel.'
Max rolled into Jam Pony with a big smile plastered on her face. 'Not even Normal's gonna get to me today..'
"Well well well, if it isn't another one of our fine punctual messengers. Glad you could grace us with your presence. Here, I have a hot run to 85 Mather."
"Sure Normal, whatever." Max strolled past Normal and his hissy fit happily and over to her locker.
"You aiight boo? You just let the screeching roll off ya like water, no come back or nuthin'."
Original Cindy took one look at Max. "You finally hit it with your squeeze, boo? And don't even think of telling Original Cindy that you and hot boy ain't like that. I seen the way he looks at you."
Max's smile got even wider. "I take that as a yes. You still hung over, boo? You were pretty faded last night."
"Not anymore. Took some stuff to ease the pain, and plus, with my high threshold of pain, its no big dealio."
Max sat down on a bench and opened the bag Logan had put her pancakes in. The delicious smell of chocolate and butter wafted out.
"Whoa," Original Cindy said, putting her nose in the bag, "Logan make that for you?"
"You bet. We were gonna have breakfast together, but by the time we were ready I had to bounce or Normal woulda canned my ass." Max slowly pulled out the contents of the bag and set on the table. Inside, there was a folded piece of paper along with the pancakes and utensils.
Max, Poulet Chez Cale @ 8 PM. Have a great day at work. Love,
Logan
Max's smile spread even wider. 'Love, Logan.. love, Logan.. I could definitely get used to that.'
Max dug into the pancakes. She let out a small groan. 'My God these are good! Logan, you've definitely outdone yourself this time.'
BEEP! BEEP! Max's pager went off. 'Logan.' A grin grew on her face.
He took a shower and got started on the latest Eyes Only "save-the-world-by- Tuesday" mission, at least that's what Max called them. He tried to concentrate on the latest scum of the earth, but it was hard not to let his mind wander to thoughts of Max and everything about her that made him love her that much more.
At about thirty minutes of work, Logan's mind kept moving back to the events of last night. The dance, the kiss, finally telling Max how he felt, finally knowing what Max felt, Max's dream, falling asleep with Max in is arms.. it was too good, but it felt so right. They love each other, how could they have been so dense not to realize how they felt about one another?
Logan got up from his computers and walked into the kitchen. The thick smell of pancakes and syrup hit this face and welcomed him. He grabbed a coffee mug and proceeded to the coffee pot until something caught his eye. 'What is that?' He picked up a small piece of paper.
Logan-
Sorry for bailing on ya so soon. Thanx for the culinary miracle to go, it smells pretty damn good, Chef Cale. I'll be around, page me. Love, Max
Logan couldn't help but smile. 'Love, Max, huh? I could get used to this...' Logan folded the note and put it in his back pocket, and started to get back to work. 'Wait a minute Cale, she said page me, so shouldn't you page her? Ya know, just to make sure she got to work ok after last night.'
Logan picked up the phone and dialed the pager number that was forever burned in his brain.
"Hey, you've reached my pager, punch in your number."
Logan dialed his number in and hung up. 'Hopefully she'll get back to me soon.' He turned back to work, every thought screaming Max.
Max pushed off her bike and pedaled towards Logan's. It was so automatic to go to Logan's. She could probably get to his place in her sleep, if she ever slept. She kept thinking about last night, the spiked milk-'You woulda thought that the only milk they serve in bars would be spiked.', the car ride, the dance, and the warm feeling she had when she was in his arms. The dream she had kept bothering her though, what did it mean? Seeing a battered and bruised Logan dead with the smoking barrel in Zack's hand scared her.
Max leaned her bike against the parking structure wall and walked to the lift and hit PH. The only thing in her mind was the fresh image of the man she loved.
Logan was typing at a rapid speed, deep into his latest mission. If he got the proof to shut down the newest scumbag soon enough, he could complete his mission for the day and spend more time with Max. Suddenly, the computer beeped and window popped up. "Disconnected."
"Ugh, damnit! I need to get this done!" Logan attempted to reconnect, but after the seventh attempt he gave up. "Damnit!"
"Logan? You ok?" Logan spun around. Max was right behind with a look of worry in her eyes.
"Yeah, I just keep getting booted. Last week's blackouts are still killing my connection."
"Got your note." Max pulled the note out from her back pocket to show him.
"Got yours." Logan pulled his out of his back pocket as well.
Logan walked up to her and enveloped her in his arms and planted a kiss on her nose. "So, you coming tonight?"
"Did ya even hafta ask?" Max pulled him in for a fiery kiss. They remained like that for a while, until they both pulled up for air. Their eyes still remained locked, Logan losing himself in a vat of warm, brown eyes, Max diving head first into the clear sky blue eyes.
"You paged?"
"Yea, wanted to know if you got my note and if you could make it to dinner tonight, but those questions have been answered so, more time for this." Logan pulled her in for another kiss. He pulled back and trailed a hot trail of kisses down her neck, as Max let out a small moan.
"I'm. Never. Gonna. Get. Back. To. Work." 'Normal's gonna have my ass, but I'm in heaven so he can piss off.'
The endless strip of road and tress and come to an abrupt end as the solitary figure slowed his Honda Super Hawk to a stop. "Seattle City Limits. Please have sector passes out and ready to be checked." The sector checkpoint was just about half a mile ahead. The figure was dressed in black leather with a black biker helmet. The figure revved his engines, popped a wheelie and slammed right through the sector checkpoint. As sector police fired at the mysterious cyclist as he sped into Seattle.
'Hopefully I can convince Maxie to leave Seattle with me once and for all.'
Logan slowly stirred the mash potatoes one last time. Dinner was almost ready and Max hadn't showed up yet. 'Relax, Cale. She's probably just pulling a late shift. She'll probably walk through the door any second..'
Logan had spent the whole day preparing this meal. The last time he had attempted to cook Poulet Chez Cale for Max, Bling's "The Gun is Loaded" pep talk had distracted him from actually turning the oven on after putting the chicken in, and Zack, his favorite X5 (cough, cough) from Manticore, needed to be rescued by Max. This time, he had turned the oven on; Zack was far away from Manticore and their drag nets, and Bling wasn't around to give him another "The Gun is Loaded" pep talk.
The sudden ring of his doorbell snapped Logan out of his reverie. 'Must be Max. Wait, since when does she ring the doorbell?' Logan walked toward the door and opened it. His jaw dropped. Max was standing there in a tight red halter-top that clung in all the right places with a rather clingy black skirt that stopped just below her knee, topped with high heeled boots that stopped just above the skirt line. Her eyes-'God, her eyes'-were outlined by smoky gray and black eye shadow.
"Ya gonna let me in or ya gonna stand there gawking all night?" Max quipped, trying to hold back her laughter. The look on his face was priceless, priceless.
"You look, wow, you look really, wow." Logan stumbled to find words to describe her stunning beauty, but it seemed hard to find words that wouldn't understate her dazzling beauty.
Max couldn't keep it in any longer and started to laugh. "You should see the look on your face. I need borrow OC's clothes more often."
"Well, you look beautiful in them." Thoughts of Bennett's wedding came flying back to him.
~*~
"Anyway.Still, I'm returning it."
"Don't do that. I want you to keep it."
"Logan Cale, protector of all that is good and true, advocating larceny?"
"No. I'll call the store and have them charge it to me."
"Forget it, it's a waste of money"
"No, it's not. You look beautiful in it. In fact, you were the most beautiful woman there."
~*~
Logan moved aside and let Max in. The smell of Poulet Chez Cale engulfed her enhanced senses. "Mmm.. I see you turned the oven on this time." She shot a smile at him as he laughed.
"Dinner should be done by now. If you'll have a seat," Logan gestured to the open chair at the candlelit table, "I'll get it out of the oven."
'I love when he cooks his culinary miracles. Hopefully no interruptions this time.' Max thought back to that night when Zack had barged in on her evening.
~*~ "Hello?" "Max."
"Zack?"
"I need you."
~*~
Logan brought over two steaming plates of Poulet Chez Cale, mashed potatoes, and "leafy green stuff" as Max said once. It was just as the first meal was supposed to be like. 'Everything's just the same, right down to the leafy green stuff.' Max smiled as Logan sat down. Logan held up his glass. "To the most beautiful woman in the world, from your recombinant genetics right down to your witty side comments."
Max blushed as he flashed a boyish grin at her. 'He has so many ways of making me feel weak in the knees, but two can play at this.' Just as Logan was about to drink his wine, Max raised her glass, pierced straight into this heart and said, "To the most handsome, brave, and caring man in the world, from your lyrical pen scratchings right down to your 'save-the-world- by-Tuesday' Eyes Only missions."
Max threw Logan one of her 100-watt smiles. He returned her smile; they clinked glasses and proceeded on with dinner.
The figure sped through Seattle with the sun setting on their shoulders. With no sector pass, it was going to be a problem. Popping a wheelie through a checkpoint was one thing, but breaking all barricades to get to sector nine was another thing. The figure stopped near an old junkyard and hid the sleek black Super Hawk under some stray car parts. With a leap back over the eight-foot fence, the figure disappeared into the night.
After getting through 3 sectors undetected, he crept through the alleyways of sector nine and headed for Fogle Tower's very own penthouse. Logan Cale was about to get a visit from a very unwelcome and very determined guest.
Max and Logan had moved into the living room after a fabulous dinner. Logan picked up the stereo remote and turned on some classical jazz. Soulful notes poured out of the speakers and quickly filled the room. Logan held out his hand in a silent invitation to dance. Max wordlessly accepted and grabbed his outstretched hand. He pulled her close as they began to dance to the soulful outpourings of a pre-pulse jazz band.
They moved in perfect time, like they had been dancing together for years. Max rested her head on his shoulder as he held her close, protecting her from the cruel injustices of the world. Max lifted her head and looked straight into his clear blue eyes, which were full of love and compassion for her. Logan gave her a little smile and said, "I've loved you ever since you fell from my skylight."
He kissed her softly, as if to say without words, "I need you." It was sweet and gentle, not steamy, yet compassionate in it's own way. Logan pulled back and looked into her creamy brown eyes, now fresh with tears. He brought kissed the tears away and stared back at her again. Max smiled and said, "I've lo-"
CRASH! Suddenly a leather-clad figure wearing a helmet flew through the window. Max and Logan broke apart, giving each other looks of worry. Max flew forward and pinned the figure on the floor. "Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?!?" Max demanded. 'You've ruined my evening you ass!'
The figure reached to take off his helmet, reveling a very pissed off Zack. "Zack? What the hell are you doing here?"
Max stood up and helped Zack stand up. He brushed the glass off of himself. "I'm here to get you out of here, Maxie."
"Zack! I already told you! I'M NOT LEAVING!"
"Maxie, you're gonna get yourself caught if you stay here. You have to go, and start a new life where no one knows who or what you are."
"Zack- I'm NOT leaving! I can't just leave this life behind! I have people here who need me." Max briefly looked over at Logan.
Zack looked at Max and the look in her eyes when she looked at Logan. Then he looked at her outfit. "Not exactly dressed to move out are you solider?"
"She's not a solider." Logan shot Zack a look. 'You're ruining my evening for the second time! Ugh.'
Zack walked up to Logan and punched him in the face. "Yes. She. Is."
Logan stepped backwards as he scrambled to find something to lean against, finally he just crumpled on the floor. Blood was coming out of his nose as he coughed. "She's not a solider! She's a loving caring human being!"
"She's a SOLIDER!" Zack swooped forward and hit Logan in the face again.
Logan groaned in pain as his face throbbed. Max pushed Zack away from Logan and rushed to Logan's side and knelt down next to him.
"You ok?" She said in a hushed tone. Logan looked up at her and saw worry consume the beautiful brown of her eyes.
"I can feel my nose in my throat." Logan grimaced at the pain and reached over for a tissue.
Max stood back up with anger written all over face and faced Zack. "What the HELL do you think you're doing?!? He didn't deserve that you know! I'm not a solider Zack, not anymore. And I'm not leaving with you."
Zack's face hardened. "This is about him isn't it?" Zack pointed at Logan in an accusing way and went on, "Don't you remember what I told you? This is all a sentimental lie! You're gonna get yourself killed if you give into this sentiment crap!"
"I remember but I just chose to erase it from my list of things to listen to. You know Zack you gotta lotta nerve. You risk you ass to get me to leave, something I've already told you I'm not going, you punch someone I happen to care a lot about just because you disagree with him, and you accuse my somewhat normal life of being a lie."
This sent Zack off the edge. "Someone you care about? CARE?! He's not one of us Maxie! He'll never understand what it's like to be one of us! He's weak, and he's going to get you killed!" Zack's anger was pouring over the edge.
Logan sat there, his head reeling, with a tissue in his nose. He felt happy when she said he was someone that she cared about, but it was hard to stay conscious. His head was starting to hurt more and more. "Max..Max.." He lightly whispered.
Max turned around to sound of his voice. His face had paled and his eyes screamed in pain. She knelt beside him once more and tilted his chin upward to make him look at her. "You ok? You look kinda pale.." She rubbed her hand against his stubbled cheek and looked deep into his beautiful eyes.
"I don't feel so good.." Logan closed his eyes and blacked out.
"Logan? Logan!"
An enflamed Max turned around and stood up to face Zack and pointed to the door. "Get out of here," she said calmly. "You know my answer to your question. Go."
"Max, you'r-"
"Get out of here. Don't you get it? When you hurt Logan, you hurt me." She turned around and checked Logan's pulse. Steady. 'The punch to the face must have knocked him unconscious.'
Zack watched her stare affectionately at Logan. He turned and made a beeline to the stairs.
Max slowly lifted Logan up and carried him to his bedroom. After gently laying him on the bed, she removed his socks and his shoes, along with his glasses, and tucked him in.
"Now where does Logan keep his plastic bags.." Max rooted around in the kitchen trying to locate them. 'Aha! Found em!' She filled the bag with ice, wrapped it in a towel, and walked back into Logan's room. She carefully set the bag of ice on his nose. "To keep down the swelling." she said as if Logan could hear her. Max moved a chair closer to his bed and watched him until she began to nod off herself.
Logan woke up the next morning in pain. "Uggghhh.." He realized that an ice pack was sitting on his nose. He took it off and set it on the nightstand in lieu of looking of his glasses. Then he saw Max, his angel, not just somebody's angel, but his; curled up in a chair, fast asleep. He studied her face, they way her curly hair framed her face, the look on her face, and way her breathing was quiet and comforting.
He slowly got out of bed and felt all the blood rush to his head. "Ohhh.." He lay back down. 'Zack can really pack a punch.' Max awoke at the sounds of Logan shifting in bed. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. A smile spread her face when she saw Logan smiling down at her. "Hey you. How ya feelin'?"
"Like my face just got hit by a train, other than that, I'm fine."
Max laughed as a smile spread to her face. "I'm glad you're ok. You had me worried there when you blacked out."
"Max.."
"Logan, let me finish what I was saying last night just before Mr. CO came busting in. I've loved you ever since the day I saw your eyes on TV, ever since I found out who the man was behind the Streaming Freedom Bulletin was. That's how long I've loved you."
She moved forward and crawled into bed and Logan's open arms. He kissed her barcode, sending shivers down her spine.
"Thank you, Max.'
"For?"
"Saving me, loving me, being there for me."
"No big dealio."
Logan and Max slowly drifted off to sleep, holding each other, finally knowing that their love had gone longer and deeper than they had ever imagined.
By Jade
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Dark Angel, if I did, the show would still be around.
Time Frame: Season One, after "I and I am a Camera"
Summary: Max and Logan are finally going to have that dinner that they were going to have in "The Kidz are Aiight." Will something else ruin their evening?
Author's Note: Logan can walk with aide from the exoskeleton. ~*~ means flashback. Many thanks to my beta for helping me out! Thanks for all the reviews! Please review- I live for reviews, but then again- what author doesn't? : ).
"Hot run! 1414 Wexler!" Normal threw the package at Original Cindy.
"I'm on break."
"Well break's over missy miss! Now get going, or you may not have an income tomorrow! Bip!"
'One day the boy's gonna blow a blood vessel.'
Max rolled into Jam Pony with a big smile plastered on her face. 'Not even Normal's gonna get to me today..'
"Well well well, if it isn't another one of our fine punctual messengers. Glad you could grace us with your presence. Here, I have a hot run to 85 Mather."
"Sure Normal, whatever." Max strolled past Normal and his hissy fit happily and over to her locker.
"You aiight boo? You just let the screeching roll off ya like water, no come back or nuthin'."
Original Cindy took one look at Max. "You finally hit it with your squeeze, boo? And don't even think of telling Original Cindy that you and hot boy ain't like that. I seen the way he looks at you."
Max's smile got even wider. "I take that as a yes. You still hung over, boo? You were pretty faded last night."
"Not anymore. Took some stuff to ease the pain, and plus, with my high threshold of pain, its no big dealio."
Max sat down on a bench and opened the bag Logan had put her pancakes in. The delicious smell of chocolate and butter wafted out.
"Whoa," Original Cindy said, putting her nose in the bag, "Logan make that for you?"
"You bet. We were gonna have breakfast together, but by the time we were ready I had to bounce or Normal woulda canned my ass." Max slowly pulled out the contents of the bag and set on the table. Inside, there was a folded piece of paper along with the pancakes and utensils.
Max, Poulet Chez Cale @ 8 PM. Have a great day at work. Love,
Logan
Max's smile spread even wider. 'Love, Logan.. love, Logan.. I could definitely get used to that.'
Max dug into the pancakes. She let out a small groan. 'My God these are good! Logan, you've definitely outdone yourself this time.'
BEEP! BEEP! Max's pager went off. 'Logan.' A grin grew on her face.
He took a shower and got started on the latest Eyes Only "save-the-world-by- Tuesday" mission, at least that's what Max called them. He tried to concentrate on the latest scum of the earth, but it was hard not to let his mind wander to thoughts of Max and everything about her that made him love her that much more.
At about thirty minutes of work, Logan's mind kept moving back to the events of last night. The dance, the kiss, finally telling Max how he felt, finally knowing what Max felt, Max's dream, falling asleep with Max in is arms.. it was too good, but it felt so right. They love each other, how could they have been so dense not to realize how they felt about one another?
Logan got up from his computers and walked into the kitchen. The thick smell of pancakes and syrup hit this face and welcomed him. He grabbed a coffee mug and proceeded to the coffee pot until something caught his eye. 'What is that?' He picked up a small piece of paper.
Logan-
Sorry for bailing on ya so soon. Thanx for the culinary miracle to go, it smells pretty damn good, Chef Cale. I'll be around, page me. Love, Max
Logan couldn't help but smile. 'Love, Max, huh? I could get used to this...' Logan folded the note and put it in his back pocket, and started to get back to work. 'Wait a minute Cale, she said page me, so shouldn't you page her? Ya know, just to make sure she got to work ok after last night.'
Logan picked up the phone and dialed the pager number that was forever burned in his brain.
"Hey, you've reached my pager, punch in your number."
Logan dialed his number in and hung up. 'Hopefully she'll get back to me soon.' He turned back to work, every thought screaming Max.
Max pushed off her bike and pedaled towards Logan's. It was so automatic to go to Logan's. She could probably get to his place in her sleep, if she ever slept. She kept thinking about last night, the spiked milk-'You woulda thought that the only milk they serve in bars would be spiked.', the car ride, the dance, and the warm feeling she had when she was in his arms. The dream she had kept bothering her though, what did it mean? Seeing a battered and bruised Logan dead with the smoking barrel in Zack's hand scared her.
Max leaned her bike against the parking structure wall and walked to the lift and hit PH. The only thing in her mind was the fresh image of the man she loved.
Logan was typing at a rapid speed, deep into his latest mission. If he got the proof to shut down the newest scumbag soon enough, he could complete his mission for the day and spend more time with Max. Suddenly, the computer beeped and window popped up. "Disconnected."
"Ugh, damnit! I need to get this done!" Logan attempted to reconnect, but after the seventh attempt he gave up. "Damnit!"
"Logan? You ok?" Logan spun around. Max was right behind with a look of worry in her eyes.
"Yeah, I just keep getting booted. Last week's blackouts are still killing my connection."
"Got your note." Max pulled the note out from her back pocket to show him.
"Got yours." Logan pulled his out of his back pocket as well.
Logan walked up to her and enveloped her in his arms and planted a kiss on her nose. "So, you coming tonight?"
"Did ya even hafta ask?" Max pulled him in for a fiery kiss. They remained like that for a while, until they both pulled up for air. Their eyes still remained locked, Logan losing himself in a vat of warm, brown eyes, Max diving head first into the clear sky blue eyes.
"You paged?"
"Yea, wanted to know if you got my note and if you could make it to dinner tonight, but those questions have been answered so, more time for this." Logan pulled her in for another kiss. He pulled back and trailed a hot trail of kisses down her neck, as Max let out a small moan.
"I'm. Never. Gonna. Get. Back. To. Work." 'Normal's gonna have my ass, but I'm in heaven so he can piss off.'
The endless strip of road and tress and come to an abrupt end as the solitary figure slowed his Honda Super Hawk to a stop. "Seattle City Limits. Please have sector passes out and ready to be checked." The sector checkpoint was just about half a mile ahead. The figure was dressed in black leather with a black biker helmet. The figure revved his engines, popped a wheelie and slammed right through the sector checkpoint. As sector police fired at the mysterious cyclist as he sped into Seattle.
'Hopefully I can convince Maxie to leave Seattle with me once and for all.'
Logan slowly stirred the mash potatoes one last time. Dinner was almost ready and Max hadn't showed up yet. 'Relax, Cale. She's probably just pulling a late shift. She'll probably walk through the door any second..'
Logan had spent the whole day preparing this meal. The last time he had attempted to cook Poulet Chez Cale for Max, Bling's "The Gun is Loaded" pep talk had distracted him from actually turning the oven on after putting the chicken in, and Zack, his favorite X5 (cough, cough) from Manticore, needed to be rescued by Max. This time, he had turned the oven on; Zack was far away from Manticore and their drag nets, and Bling wasn't around to give him another "The Gun is Loaded" pep talk.
The sudden ring of his doorbell snapped Logan out of his reverie. 'Must be Max. Wait, since when does she ring the doorbell?' Logan walked toward the door and opened it. His jaw dropped. Max was standing there in a tight red halter-top that clung in all the right places with a rather clingy black skirt that stopped just below her knee, topped with high heeled boots that stopped just above the skirt line. Her eyes-'God, her eyes'-were outlined by smoky gray and black eye shadow.
"Ya gonna let me in or ya gonna stand there gawking all night?" Max quipped, trying to hold back her laughter. The look on his face was priceless, priceless.
"You look, wow, you look really, wow." Logan stumbled to find words to describe her stunning beauty, but it seemed hard to find words that wouldn't understate her dazzling beauty.
Max couldn't keep it in any longer and started to laugh. "You should see the look on your face. I need borrow OC's clothes more often."
"Well, you look beautiful in them." Thoughts of Bennett's wedding came flying back to him.
~*~
"Anyway.Still, I'm returning it."
"Don't do that. I want you to keep it."
"Logan Cale, protector of all that is good and true, advocating larceny?"
"No. I'll call the store and have them charge it to me."
"Forget it, it's a waste of money"
"No, it's not. You look beautiful in it. In fact, you were the most beautiful woman there."
~*~
Logan moved aside and let Max in. The smell of Poulet Chez Cale engulfed her enhanced senses. "Mmm.. I see you turned the oven on this time." She shot a smile at him as he laughed.
"Dinner should be done by now. If you'll have a seat," Logan gestured to the open chair at the candlelit table, "I'll get it out of the oven."
'I love when he cooks his culinary miracles. Hopefully no interruptions this time.' Max thought back to that night when Zack had barged in on her evening.
~*~ "Hello?" "Max."
"Zack?"
"I need you."
~*~
Logan brought over two steaming plates of Poulet Chez Cale, mashed potatoes, and "leafy green stuff" as Max said once. It was just as the first meal was supposed to be like. 'Everything's just the same, right down to the leafy green stuff.' Max smiled as Logan sat down. Logan held up his glass. "To the most beautiful woman in the world, from your recombinant genetics right down to your witty side comments."
Max blushed as he flashed a boyish grin at her. 'He has so many ways of making me feel weak in the knees, but two can play at this.' Just as Logan was about to drink his wine, Max raised her glass, pierced straight into this heart and said, "To the most handsome, brave, and caring man in the world, from your lyrical pen scratchings right down to your 'save-the-world- by-Tuesday' Eyes Only missions."
Max threw Logan one of her 100-watt smiles. He returned her smile; they clinked glasses and proceeded on with dinner.
The figure sped through Seattle with the sun setting on their shoulders. With no sector pass, it was going to be a problem. Popping a wheelie through a checkpoint was one thing, but breaking all barricades to get to sector nine was another thing. The figure stopped near an old junkyard and hid the sleek black Super Hawk under some stray car parts. With a leap back over the eight-foot fence, the figure disappeared into the night.
After getting through 3 sectors undetected, he crept through the alleyways of sector nine and headed for Fogle Tower's very own penthouse. Logan Cale was about to get a visit from a very unwelcome and very determined guest.
Max and Logan had moved into the living room after a fabulous dinner. Logan picked up the stereo remote and turned on some classical jazz. Soulful notes poured out of the speakers and quickly filled the room. Logan held out his hand in a silent invitation to dance. Max wordlessly accepted and grabbed his outstretched hand. He pulled her close as they began to dance to the soulful outpourings of a pre-pulse jazz band.
They moved in perfect time, like they had been dancing together for years. Max rested her head on his shoulder as he held her close, protecting her from the cruel injustices of the world. Max lifted her head and looked straight into his clear blue eyes, which were full of love and compassion for her. Logan gave her a little smile and said, "I've loved you ever since you fell from my skylight."
He kissed her softly, as if to say without words, "I need you." It was sweet and gentle, not steamy, yet compassionate in it's own way. Logan pulled back and looked into her creamy brown eyes, now fresh with tears. He brought kissed the tears away and stared back at her again. Max smiled and said, "I've lo-"
CRASH! Suddenly a leather-clad figure wearing a helmet flew through the window. Max and Logan broke apart, giving each other looks of worry. Max flew forward and pinned the figure on the floor. "Who are you and what the hell are you doing here?!?" Max demanded. 'You've ruined my evening you ass!'
The figure reached to take off his helmet, reveling a very pissed off Zack. "Zack? What the hell are you doing here?"
Max stood up and helped Zack stand up. He brushed the glass off of himself. "I'm here to get you out of here, Maxie."
"Zack! I already told you! I'M NOT LEAVING!"
"Maxie, you're gonna get yourself caught if you stay here. You have to go, and start a new life where no one knows who or what you are."
"Zack- I'm NOT leaving! I can't just leave this life behind! I have people here who need me." Max briefly looked over at Logan.
Zack looked at Max and the look in her eyes when she looked at Logan. Then he looked at her outfit. "Not exactly dressed to move out are you solider?"
"She's not a solider." Logan shot Zack a look. 'You're ruining my evening for the second time! Ugh.'
Zack walked up to Logan and punched him in the face. "Yes. She. Is."
Logan stepped backwards as he scrambled to find something to lean against, finally he just crumpled on the floor. Blood was coming out of his nose as he coughed. "She's not a solider! She's a loving caring human being!"
"She's a SOLIDER!" Zack swooped forward and hit Logan in the face again.
Logan groaned in pain as his face throbbed. Max pushed Zack away from Logan and rushed to Logan's side and knelt down next to him.
"You ok?" She said in a hushed tone. Logan looked up at her and saw worry consume the beautiful brown of her eyes.
"I can feel my nose in my throat." Logan grimaced at the pain and reached over for a tissue.
Max stood back up with anger written all over face and faced Zack. "What the HELL do you think you're doing?!? He didn't deserve that you know! I'm not a solider Zack, not anymore. And I'm not leaving with you."
Zack's face hardened. "This is about him isn't it?" Zack pointed at Logan in an accusing way and went on, "Don't you remember what I told you? This is all a sentimental lie! You're gonna get yourself killed if you give into this sentiment crap!"
"I remember but I just chose to erase it from my list of things to listen to. You know Zack you gotta lotta nerve. You risk you ass to get me to leave, something I've already told you I'm not going, you punch someone I happen to care a lot about just because you disagree with him, and you accuse my somewhat normal life of being a lie."
This sent Zack off the edge. "Someone you care about? CARE?! He's not one of us Maxie! He'll never understand what it's like to be one of us! He's weak, and he's going to get you killed!" Zack's anger was pouring over the edge.
Logan sat there, his head reeling, with a tissue in his nose. He felt happy when she said he was someone that she cared about, but it was hard to stay conscious. His head was starting to hurt more and more. "Max..Max.." He lightly whispered.
Max turned around to sound of his voice. His face had paled and his eyes screamed in pain. She knelt beside him once more and tilted his chin upward to make him look at her. "You ok? You look kinda pale.." She rubbed her hand against his stubbled cheek and looked deep into his beautiful eyes.
"I don't feel so good.." Logan closed his eyes and blacked out.
"Logan? Logan!"
An enflamed Max turned around and stood up to face Zack and pointed to the door. "Get out of here," she said calmly. "You know my answer to your question. Go."
"Max, you'r-"
"Get out of here. Don't you get it? When you hurt Logan, you hurt me." She turned around and checked Logan's pulse. Steady. 'The punch to the face must have knocked him unconscious.'
Zack watched her stare affectionately at Logan. He turned and made a beeline to the stairs.
Max slowly lifted Logan up and carried him to his bedroom. After gently laying him on the bed, she removed his socks and his shoes, along with his glasses, and tucked him in.
"Now where does Logan keep his plastic bags.." Max rooted around in the kitchen trying to locate them. 'Aha! Found em!' She filled the bag with ice, wrapped it in a towel, and walked back into Logan's room. She carefully set the bag of ice on his nose. "To keep down the swelling." she said as if Logan could hear her. Max moved a chair closer to his bed and watched him until she began to nod off herself.
Logan woke up the next morning in pain. "Uggghhh.." He realized that an ice pack was sitting on his nose. He took it off and set it on the nightstand in lieu of looking of his glasses. Then he saw Max, his angel, not just somebody's angel, but his; curled up in a chair, fast asleep. He studied her face, they way her curly hair framed her face, the look on her face, and way her breathing was quiet and comforting.
He slowly got out of bed and felt all the blood rush to his head. "Ohhh.." He lay back down. 'Zack can really pack a punch.' Max awoke at the sounds of Logan shifting in bed. Her eyes slowly fluttered open. A smile spread her face when she saw Logan smiling down at her. "Hey you. How ya feelin'?"
"Like my face just got hit by a train, other than that, I'm fine."
Max laughed as a smile spread to her face. "I'm glad you're ok. You had me worried there when you blacked out."
"Max.."
"Logan, let me finish what I was saying last night just before Mr. CO came busting in. I've loved you ever since the day I saw your eyes on TV, ever since I found out who the man was behind the Streaming Freedom Bulletin was. That's how long I've loved you."
She moved forward and crawled into bed and Logan's open arms. He kissed her barcode, sending shivers down her spine.
"Thank you, Max.'
"For?"
"Saving me, loving me, being there for me."
"No big dealio."
Logan and Max slowly drifted off to sleep, holding each other, finally knowing that their love had gone longer and deeper than they had ever imagined.