OCTOBER 2024, SEATTLE

Six weeks later Max, Alec, and Eva walked into Jam Pony.

"Boo?!" Original Cindy yelled in astonishment. She ran across the room and threw her arms around Max and Alec, laughing in delight. A lot of the messengers they'd known 3 years before were still there. They crowded around Max and Alec. It was chaos as everyone tried to hug everyone else.

Normal pushed and shoved his way into the center of the crowd. "I do not pay you low-lifes to socialize!" he yelled. "What do you think this is? Tea time at the country club? Back to work!"

His tirade was interrupted as Eva tugged at his hand. He looked down in surprise.

"Are you the bip man?" she asked innocently.

"The what?" Normal stared at her in confusion.

"The bip man. You know, bip, bip, bip!"

The crowd howled at the look on Normal's face. "God help us," he muttered. He turned to scowl at Max and Alec. "I supposed you two morons want your jobs back."

Max batted her eyelashes at him. "Pretty please."

"Too bad. We're fully staffed."

Original Cindy put her hands on her hips and gave Normal a look. "No we ain't, fool. Katie and what's-his-name quit yesterday."

Normal glowered at her. "Fine. But if either of you are late, that's it! And the rest of you, back to work!"

Alec scooped Eva up in one arm. "Thanks Normal, you're a gem" he said as he headed for the door, Max and OC following behind.

"I'm on break," OC called over her shoulder.

"What else is new," he muttered as he tossed packages at the other messengers.

"You got a place yet boo?" OC asked. "Cuz Joshua's is still empty."

"Empty? Why? What happened to Joshua?" Max asked worriedly, afraid he'd been hurt or captured.

"He's aiight. He's crashing with some freaky looking dudes in Terminal City. Said he wanted to be with downstairs people, whatever that means."

Max smiled in relief. "We'll go see him tomorrow."

----*----

Towards midnight Max hopped on her Ninja and traveled the familiar route to Fogel Towers. She let herself into Logan's penthouse using the skylight and sauntered over to the computer room. Logan was working late, as usual. "Hey," she said. "Some things never change."

He was startled at the sound of her voice. He grinned at her in delight. "Hey yourself."

"We'd have been in town sooner, only I had this family reunion to go to." She smiled. "First time we'd been together in nearly 15 years. Thanks to you."

"Anytime, Max."

"So it looks like we gonna crash at Joshua's. We're having a Halloween party next week. You should come. We'd both like you to be there. Only you gotta wear a costume."

"Maybe I will." He hadn't worn a costume for Halloween for years, but since she asked he just might.

She looked over at the computer screen. He was scanning police records. "Still saving the world, hun… You know I can't help you out with that, right? I can't pull any jobs for Eyes Only."

Logan said bitterly, "Why? Alec hand down the law?"

"That's not fair!" she said, angry that he'd think Alec would try to control her. "It's not just me anymore – I'm a mom now. I have to keep my head down. It can't be the way it was before."

Logan looked away, ashamed. He was being selfish, thinking only of himself. "I'm sorry. You're right. That was unfair." He looked back at her and asked, "can you still drop by and hang out?"

Max smiled. "Of course. That's what friends do. Anyway, I should be getting back. I just wanted to say hi."

He nodded. "Lock my door on the way out."

Max sped home through the dark streets. She wanted to swing by the Needle, but that could wait for another night. Alec was waiting for her. She snuck quietly into the house. Original Cindy and Eva were curled up together on the sofa. Piano music drifted up from the basement. She tried to tiptoe soundlessly down the stairs but they creaked under her weight. Alec looked up but kept playing. At least he wasn't playing Chopin. She'd learned to judge his mood by the music he chose. He only played Chopin when he was in a dark mood. Tonight it was a sonata by Tchaikovsky.

"Happy to be back?" he asked.

"It's home." Max sat on the bottom step and watched him play. He was an entirely different person at the piano. The soldier in him was set aside and replaced by someone gentle, more vulnerable. Someone not afraid to admit his feelings. Alec was such a contradiction. After three years she was still trying to puzzle him out.

"I love you," she said. "I love our life together. Coming back here doesn't change that."

"I know."

Max smiled mischievously. "You sure you don't want me to show you?" She stood and walked over to the piano. Alec spun around on the stool to face her. She sat on his lap, facing him, and ran her fingers through his hair. He grinned and kissed her.

He leaned back as the kiss deepened, and his elbow hit a discordant note on the keys. They giggled and stopped to listen but no sound came from upstairs. Alec lifted Max in his arms and stood up, and turned to set her down on the top of the piano. She threw back her head and Alec kissed her exposed neck, fingers deftly undoing buttons.