A/N: **sigh** Home at last. May I suggest never driving to the middle of the country in the pitch black when you've no clue where you're going. I swear my best and I spent more time howling at ourselves getting lost than we did actually driving to where we were supposed to be an hour before. LOL My world is certainly a strange one. :P
As promised, here is part five of fifteen. I can't promise that this part is as thoroughly edited as I generally like, but it's not as bad as it was an hour ago. :P I think what I will do, seeing as how tomorrow is Sunday, is post this part tonight and then probably two more tomorrow night. Then one a night all next week, and finish it off with two posts next Sunday as well. I'm thrilled to hear you're all enjoying the fic... would be no point to writing it if no one liked it, so yay! :) :P
There are very mild spoilers for second season in this, but only up to Some Assembly Required, and most of them are only vague allusions to past events.
I welcome all reviews, both here and by email, so please feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you're thinking. I can't improve my writing if I don't know what people want to see. :P
They're not mine, I just borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. But Cameron will always own the good stuff. :P
Towards the Sunset
Part Five: Changes on the Wind
By: Danae Bowen
Email: logansfox@rogers.com
"You gotta be jokin', girl." Max's eyes met Logan's interested gaze as she concentrated on making sense of Original Cindy's excited words.
"Ain't no joke, boo. Jam Pony's outta the delivery biz for at least a month. Bomb took out most've the entrance, 'n Normal's desk to boot. Man's trippin' outta his skull."
"On the real! Any clue on the doer, or don't the cops care?"
She heard Cindy pause on the other end of the line and frowned. "Actually, this time the guy left a note."
"Okay, now you're jokin'. Got words on what it says?" Max flipped the phone onto speaker so that Logan could listen and motioned him forward.
"Trust Original Cindy, I got your back, Max." They could hear rustling in the background as Cindy searched through papers to come up with the piece she'd scribbled upon a half hour earlier. "Aiight, got it. Boo, this is some weird shit. Says, "We know this will get to you, Eyes Only. Today was a warning. Unless you broadcast a cable hack stating your identity, we will relieve you of your girlfriend, permanently. Today was no coincidence. We know everything about her and will find her should you not meet our deadline. You have 48 hours from the time the message company is destroyed to make your hack. Otherwise, spend the next two days with her and say goodbye." Damn, girl, that's some serious goings on."
Logan's face had paled considerably since the beginning of Cindy's call, and he leaned back against his computer desk as he attempted to gather his thoughts.
"Girl, can you crash somewhere other than the apartment tonight? I don't wanna worry about ya." Max's voice was low as she matched Logan's pale expression.
"Sure, boo, no problem, but what about you?"
A small smile crept over Max's face. "Logan's got my back."
"Mmhmm." Cindy's voice betrayed her disbelief in the sentence. "You sure he ain't gettin' more than your back?"
Logan chuckled softly but his eyes betrayed the strain of his thoughts. "Cindy, do you have anything planned for the next few weeks?"
Cindy snorted. "You kiddin'? I got a month off work; Original Cindy's gonna be kickin' back 'n forgettin' she'd ever been in that hell hole."
"Are you up for going on a bit of a vacation with Max and I?"
"You footin' the bill?"
"Of course."
"Then, Sugar, I'm there."
Max had been frowning in Logan's direction through the entire conversation, and finally took a moment to mouth, "What are you doing?" as he paused to scribble something onto a notepad.
"All right, then. Can you be ready to leave by tomorrow morning?"
"No prob."
"Great, we'll see you here around nine." He held up his hand against Max's queries. "And thanks, Cindy. Stay safe."
"I'm all over that, Sugar. You just take care of my boo."
"We'll see you tomorrow." Max said her goodbyes and hung up the phone, finally being able to turn on Logan. "Okay, what was that?"
"I'm getting you out of town for a while."
"Did you consider actually asking me? I can't just leave town, Logan. I have Joshua to worry about, and what happens if another Manticore reject needs my attention?"
"You said it yourself, you can't be responsible for everything. Listen, we'll talk to Alec and get him to look in on Joshua. With Jam Pony shut down, we don't have to worry about Normal. I can't run the risk that whoever's behind this will go through on their threats, Max. They obviously know who I am, since they know who you are, and if they decide to strike at your place again, that puts Original Cindy in danger. I have no intention of making that broadcast unless I have no choice. The easiest thing for us to do is give Matt a call at the station and get him to work the case while we get out of town."
"Where, the cabin?"
"No, too obvious. All they'd have to do is look into the Cale family holdings and they'd be on us before we know it."
"So again the question, where?"
"A friend of my family has a cottage we can use. It's a bit different from my Uncle's, but it'll suit our purposes. There's only one thing."
"Which is?"
"It'll take about two days driving to get there."
Max blinked. "God, Logan, where are you taking us? Canada?" He chuckled softly and lowered his eyes from her gaze. "Canada?! Isn't that a bit drastic?"
He shrugged. "It's one way to ensure we won't be discovered."
She sighed. "Whatever. As long as Alec agrees to take care of Joshua, I'm really in no position to say no."
His grin was self-satisfied as he nodded and picked up the phone. "Just let me call Peter and have him get someone to set up the cottage. He's almost 80 years old but sharp as a tack, and he won't ask questions. He and my father were too close for him to pry."
"Aiight, I'll be back in an hour. Gonna go dig Alec outta whatever hole he's buried himself in and strangle him until he agrees, then I gotta go say goodbye to Joshua."
Logan nodded silently as he turned his attention to the phone in his hand. "Peter! This is Logan Cale, how are you?" Pause. "Good, good. Listen, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?"
Max chuckled softly as she shook her head and headed out the door. Leave it to Logan to take a life and death situation and make it into a vacation. Ah, well, who was she to complain? She'd get a free trip to Canada out of it, and God knows she could use a vacation.
****
Original Cindy stretched out in the back of the Aztec, resting her feet on the free passenger seat as she leaned up against the door. "So this drive is gonna take how long?"
"About two days." Logan glanced in the rear view mirror, making sure the sector cops were still involved in what they were doing. Three no questions asked passes in and out of the city had taken Max most of the night to obtain, but Max was Max, and now they were on their way.
"We gonna be stoppin' at some posh hotels on the way, ain't we? 'Cause God knows Original Cindy ain't gonna be sleepin' in no car for two days or y'all're gonna hear 'bout it."
Logan chuckled and rolled his eyes in Max's direction. She shrugged as if to say, 'Hey, you invited her', and went back to the magazine she was currently reading. "They won't be "posh", but yeah, we'll stop over night somewhere up by North Dakota. Maybe Miles City."
Cindy made a face as she realized it'd be long into the night before they reached Miles City, but she didn't say anything more.
The hours passed slowly as the broken terrain of the United States passed them by. Around four o'clock, Logan pulled into a truck stop and glanced at the two women traveling with him. Cindy was flipping through the magazine Max had long since discarded, and Max herself was fast asleep. She'd fallen asleep about an hour and a half before and Logan hated to wake her, but he wanted to make sure they were fed before making the last leg of their journey for the day. They'd made good time all day; as it was, they were ahead of schedule, having already passed through most of the Montana part of their journey. If they kept up their current speeds, Logan was hoping to by-pass Miles City and not stop until at least Bismark, maybe even Minnesota if he could help it.
"Cindy, why don't you head in and get us a table. I'll wake up sleeping beauty here."
"Mmhmm. I tell ya, y'all're keepin' up with this just friends bullshit, but Original Cindy knows better. I picked up the pieces when that virus bitch broke her heart, Sugar, don't make me pick up those pieces when you do it."
Logan smiled at Cindy and nodded. "I won't hurt her. I promise."
"Ya'd better promise, or Original Cindy's gonna kick your sorry white ass all the way to Canada. You won't need no road trip schedule that way."
Logan watched Max's friend thoughtfully as Cindy entered the diner and made a beeline to the ladies room. He shook his head in amusement before turning back to the woman who'd slept soundly through their conversation. Having been through so much in the last few months, Logan didn't hesitate in stroking his fingers over Max's soft cheek, brushing her hair away as he waited for her body to register his touch. Her head turned slightly, pressing herself deeper into his caress as he leaned towards her.
"Max." His voice was soft as he took her hand with his free one, his thumb stroking over her palm. "C'mon, beautiful, time to wake up."
Her eyelids fluttered slowly and she groaned, stretching with catlike precision as her mind began to awaken. She frowned at him as his face came into view and suddenly sat up straight. "Logan! What're you… the vi… oh."
He couldn't stop the laughter from spilling past his lips as he watched her mind begin to put the pieces of the previous day together. Max squinted as she looked out the window. "God, where are we?"
He shrugged. "About to leave Montana. Thought we'd stop for some dinner before continuing, though."
"Time's it?"
"Just after four."
"Cindy?"
"Getting our table." He smiled down at her softly and placed a kiss on her forehead. "All caught up now, love?"
"Mmm." She stretched once again before opening the door and climbing to her feet. "Food's good."
He laughed. "Thought you'd say that. C'mon, let's go rescue the waitress I can see Cindy hitting on from here."
Max joined him in laughter, moving to his side and upturning her face for a kiss. "Nah, maybe she'll hit gold. 'Sides, she won't miss us for another minute or so."
Logan lowered his lips to hers, his kiss a bare whisper at first, before pulling Max against him for a deeper touch.
"Y'all gonna stand out there suckin' face, or are ya goin' to come in here 'n eat, 'cause I'm not waiting for you to get yer freaks on, y'know?"
"I think we were missed." Logan smiled down into Max's brown eyes before cocking his head towards the diner's entrance, where Cindy stood waiting for their response. "If we don't go, this is going to get more public that either of us are comfortable with."
Max laughed and looped her arm into Logan's as they joined Cindy in the diner. She sat quietly, watching the banter cross between Logan and Cindy, marveling how the two most important people in her life could be so different and so easy with each other at the same time. When they queried her on the strange smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth, Max shrugged them off, but everyone at the table knew something inside Max was changing. All they had to do was take one look at the subtle soldier, her eyes sparkling, her body more relaxed than they'd seen before, suddenly so at ease with her surroundings, and they knew the change would be for the better.
End Part Five: Changes on the Wind
As promised, here is part five of fifteen. I can't promise that this part is as thoroughly edited as I generally like, but it's not as bad as it was an hour ago. :P I think what I will do, seeing as how tomorrow is Sunday, is post this part tonight and then probably two more tomorrow night. Then one a night all next week, and finish it off with two posts next Sunday as well. I'm thrilled to hear you're all enjoying the fic... would be no point to writing it if no one liked it, so yay! :) :P
There are very mild spoilers for second season in this, but only up to Some Assembly Required, and most of them are only vague allusions to past events.
I welcome all reviews, both here and by email, so please feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you're thinking. I can't improve my writing if I don't know what people want to see. :P
They're not mine, I just borrow them sometimes and mutate their inner voices. What can I say? It's fun. But Cameron will always own the good stuff. :P
Towards the Sunset
Part Five: Changes on the Wind
By: Danae Bowen
Email: logansfox@rogers.com
"You gotta be jokin', girl." Max's eyes met Logan's interested gaze as she concentrated on making sense of Original Cindy's excited words.
"Ain't no joke, boo. Jam Pony's outta the delivery biz for at least a month. Bomb took out most've the entrance, 'n Normal's desk to boot. Man's trippin' outta his skull."
"On the real! Any clue on the doer, or don't the cops care?"
She heard Cindy pause on the other end of the line and frowned. "Actually, this time the guy left a note."
"Okay, now you're jokin'. Got words on what it says?" Max flipped the phone onto speaker so that Logan could listen and motioned him forward.
"Trust Original Cindy, I got your back, Max." They could hear rustling in the background as Cindy searched through papers to come up with the piece she'd scribbled upon a half hour earlier. "Aiight, got it. Boo, this is some weird shit. Says, "We know this will get to you, Eyes Only. Today was a warning. Unless you broadcast a cable hack stating your identity, we will relieve you of your girlfriend, permanently. Today was no coincidence. We know everything about her and will find her should you not meet our deadline. You have 48 hours from the time the message company is destroyed to make your hack. Otherwise, spend the next two days with her and say goodbye." Damn, girl, that's some serious goings on."
Logan's face had paled considerably since the beginning of Cindy's call, and he leaned back against his computer desk as he attempted to gather his thoughts.
"Girl, can you crash somewhere other than the apartment tonight? I don't wanna worry about ya." Max's voice was low as she matched Logan's pale expression.
"Sure, boo, no problem, but what about you?"
A small smile crept over Max's face. "Logan's got my back."
"Mmhmm." Cindy's voice betrayed her disbelief in the sentence. "You sure he ain't gettin' more than your back?"
Logan chuckled softly but his eyes betrayed the strain of his thoughts. "Cindy, do you have anything planned for the next few weeks?"
Cindy snorted. "You kiddin'? I got a month off work; Original Cindy's gonna be kickin' back 'n forgettin' she'd ever been in that hell hole."
"Are you up for going on a bit of a vacation with Max and I?"
"You footin' the bill?"
"Of course."
"Then, Sugar, I'm there."
Max had been frowning in Logan's direction through the entire conversation, and finally took a moment to mouth, "What are you doing?" as he paused to scribble something onto a notepad.
"All right, then. Can you be ready to leave by tomorrow morning?"
"No prob."
"Great, we'll see you here around nine." He held up his hand against Max's queries. "And thanks, Cindy. Stay safe."
"I'm all over that, Sugar. You just take care of my boo."
"We'll see you tomorrow." Max said her goodbyes and hung up the phone, finally being able to turn on Logan. "Okay, what was that?"
"I'm getting you out of town for a while."
"Did you consider actually asking me? I can't just leave town, Logan. I have Joshua to worry about, and what happens if another Manticore reject needs my attention?"
"You said it yourself, you can't be responsible for everything. Listen, we'll talk to Alec and get him to look in on Joshua. With Jam Pony shut down, we don't have to worry about Normal. I can't run the risk that whoever's behind this will go through on their threats, Max. They obviously know who I am, since they know who you are, and if they decide to strike at your place again, that puts Original Cindy in danger. I have no intention of making that broadcast unless I have no choice. The easiest thing for us to do is give Matt a call at the station and get him to work the case while we get out of town."
"Where, the cabin?"
"No, too obvious. All they'd have to do is look into the Cale family holdings and they'd be on us before we know it."
"So again the question, where?"
"A friend of my family has a cottage we can use. It's a bit different from my Uncle's, but it'll suit our purposes. There's only one thing."
"Which is?"
"It'll take about two days driving to get there."
Max blinked. "God, Logan, where are you taking us? Canada?" He chuckled softly and lowered his eyes from her gaze. "Canada?! Isn't that a bit drastic?"
He shrugged. "It's one way to ensure we won't be discovered."
She sighed. "Whatever. As long as Alec agrees to take care of Joshua, I'm really in no position to say no."
His grin was self-satisfied as he nodded and picked up the phone. "Just let me call Peter and have him get someone to set up the cottage. He's almost 80 years old but sharp as a tack, and he won't ask questions. He and my father were too close for him to pry."
"Aiight, I'll be back in an hour. Gonna go dig Alec outta whatever hole he's buried himself in and strangle him until he agrees, then I gotta go say goodbye to Joshua."
Logan nodded silently as he turned his attention to the phone in his hand. "Peter! This is Logan Cale, how are you?" Pause. "Good, good. Listen, I was wondering if I could ask you a favor?"
Max chuckled softly as she shook her head and headed out the door. Leave it to Logan to take a life and death situation and make it into a vacation. Ah, well, who was she to complain? She'd get a free trip to Canada out of it, and God knows she could use a vacation.
****
Original Cindy stretched out in the back of the Aztec, resting her feet on the free passenger seat as she leaned up against the door. "So this drive is gonna take how long?"
"About two days." Logan glanced in the rear view mirror, making sure the sector cops were still involved in what they were doing. Three no questions asked passes in and out of the city had taken Max most of the night to obtain, but Max was Max, and now they were on their way.
"We gonna be stoppin' at some posh hotels on the way, ain't we? 'Cause God knows Original Cindy ain't gonna be sleepin' in no car for two days or y'all're gonna hear 'bout it."
Logan chuckled and rolled his eyes in Max's direction. She shrugged as if to say, 'Hey, you invited her', and went back to the magazine she was currently reading. "They won't be "posh", but yeah, we'll stop over night somewhere up by North Dakota. Maybe Miles City."
Cindy made a face as she realized it'd be long into the night before they reached Miles City, but she didn't say anything more.
The hours passed slowly as the broken terrain of the United States passed them by. Around four o'clock, Logan pulled into a truck stop and glanced at the two women traveling with him. Cindy was flipping through the magazine Max had long since discarded, and Max herself was fast asleep. She'd fallen asleep about an hour and a half before and Logan hated to wake her, but he wanted to make sure they were fed before making the last leg of their journey for the day. They'd made good time all day; as it was, they were ahead of schedule, having already passed through most of the Montana part of their journey. If they kept up their current speeds, Logan was hoping to by-pass Miles City and not stop until at least Bismark, maybe even Minnesota if he could help it.
"Cindy, why don't you head in and get us a table. I'll wake up sleeping beauty here."
"Mmhmm. I tell ya, y'all're keepin' up with this just friends bullshit, but Original Cindy knows better. I picked up the pieces when that virus bitch broke her heart, Sugar, don't make me pick up those pieces when you do it."
Logan smiled at Cindy and nodded. "I won't hurt her. I promise."
"Ya'd better promise, or Original Cindy's gonna kick your sorry white ass all the way to Canada. You won't need no road trip schedule that way."
Logan watched Max's friend thoughtfully as Cindy entered the diner and made a beeline to the ladies room. He shook his head in amusement before turning back to the woman who'd slept soundly through their conversation. Having been through so much in the last few months, Logan didn't hesitate in stroking his fingers over Max's soft cheek, brushing her hair away as he waited for her body to register his touch. Her head turned slightly, pressing herself deeper into his caress as he leaned towards her.
"Max." His voice was soft as he took her hand with his free one, his thumb stroking over her palm. "C'mon, beautiful, time to wake up."
Her eyelids fluttered slowly and she groaned, stretching with catlike precision as her mind began to awaken. She frowned at him as his face came into view and suddenly sat up straight. "Logan! What're you… the vi… oh."
He couldn't stop the laughter from spilling past his lips as he watched her mind begin to put the pieces of the previous day together. Max squinted as she looked out the window. "God, where are we?"
He shrugged. "About to leave Montana. Thought we'd stop for some dinner before continuing, though."
"Time's it?"
"Just after four."
"Cindy?"
"Getting our table." He smiled down at her softly and placed a kiss on her forehead. "All caught up now, love?"
"Mmm." She stretched once again before opening the door and climbing to her feet. "Food's good."
He laughed. "Thought you'd say that. C'mon, let's go rescue the waitress I can see Cindy hitting on from here."
Max joined him in laughter, moving to his side and upturning her face for a kiss. "Nah, maybe she'll hit gold. 'Sides, she won't miss us for another minute or so."
Logan lowered his lips to hers, his kiss a bare whisper at first, before pulling Max against him for a deeper touch.
"Y'all gonna stand out there suckin' face, or are ya goin' to come in here 'n eat, 'cause I'm not waiting for you to get yer freaks on, y'know?"
"I think we were missed." Logan smiled down into Max's brown eyes before cocking his head towards the diner's entrance, where Cindy stood waiting for their response. "If we don't go, this is going to get more public that either of us are comfortable with."
Max laughed and looped her arm into Logan's as they joined Cindy in the diner. She sat quietly, watching the banter cross between Logan and Cindy, marveling how the two most important people in her life could be so different and so easy with each other at the same time. When they queried her on the strange smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth, Max shrugged them off, but everyone at the table knew something inside Max was changing. All they had to do was take one look at the subtle soldier, her eyes sparkling, her body more relaxed than they'd seen before, suddenly so at ease with her surroundings, and they knew the change would be for the better.
End Part Five: Changes on the Wind