A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews. I'm enjoying writing this S1 Max and Logan were magical and I miss that magic. Writing this brings it back to me a little bit.
Thanks to those who have said they are joining in on the NBML Campaign to Fox.In the words of my personal hero, "Together who knows?"
Ding ding ding…. the soft chiming of the oven timer breaks into my thoughts and I head out to the kitchen to check on the Poulet chez Cale that I am preparing for Max. Much to my chagrin I realize that in the midst of Bling's teasing I forgot to turn on the oven. Thank god I set the timer to remind me to baste the thing, something I rarely do but with my state of mind today I thought it was a good idea. Max will be here in less than an hour and the chicken hasn't even begun to cook. I think rapidly and then decide on my plan of action. Who ever said dinner had to be served early? Tonight we dine fashionably late. Max however will be looking for some kind of food when she arrives so I open my refrigerator and quickly scan its shelves. Spotting some cheese, onions and a loaf of bread I remember one of my mom's emergency fallbacks when faced with unexpected company.
Pulling out the bread I quickly cut the crusts off several slices and then cut them into four small squares each. Then I layer cheese and onions on each piece and place them on a cookie sheet. When Max arrives, 5 minutes under the broiler and we have toasted cheese squares to nibble on while waiting for dinner to finish. Disaster averted I walk to the window and gaze out over the city my thoughts drifting back to Max once again…
Once I returned from the hospital Eyes Only really heated up and I didn't have much time to spend with Max. My obsession resulted in a disaster of a dinner date with her, ending in the worst fight we've ever had. I then proceeded to almost get myself killed but in the end Max saved my ass and we ended up back on an even keel. Maybe it was all the result of nerves on my part. The stress of the operation and the roller coaster ride of my emotions over Max were getting to me I think. I have never been a patient man and the need to move slowly with her was taking its toll.
After that I thought it better to back off a bit and let the memory of our kiss and shared dream work it's own way through her head. Patience I kept reminding myself, was the key to Max. All of her conditioning screamed to her to stay uninvolved and unemotional. Too much too fast and that conditioning would kick in and she would be gone. So I kept it strictly business when I finally did contact her to ask her to protect a witness against Edgar Sonrisa. I never expected that witness to be Bruno Anselmo and seeing him again triggered a shitload of emotions I though I had gotten beyond. In the end Bruno ended up dead anyway and his importance faded in the light of a new threat to Max. Amped up super soldiers out to get their hands on her. I could see that she was afraid and I was surprised when she actually admitted it to me as I cleaned the cuts and scrapes she picked up in her fight with them.
All I wanted to do right then and there was gather her into my arms and tell her that I wasn't about to let anyone get their hands on her but it still wasn't the right time. Instead we sat together on my couch and watched an old movie together. Max seemed to draw comfort from just being there. After I while I actually caught her yawning.
"Thought you didn't need sleep?" I teased.
"I don't sleep a lot," she corrected. "Dunno, maybe fighting the soldier boys combined with putting up with the slime ball for two days was just too much. I should go home and crash I guess." Despite her words she made no move to get up and leave so, emboldened, I dropped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her over to rest on my chest.
"Take a nap here. I don't mind. No sense you driving around avoiding the Sector cops this late." I was holding my breath waiting for her to pull away and jump up but instead she sighed and settled in curling closer.
"Mmm. I shouldn't but I really am dead and you don't make a half bad pillow." With that she closed her eyes and I sat there smiling to myself as I gently ran my fingers through an errant strand of her hair. I dozed off myself after a while and when I woke up she was gone but I smiled to myself at the progress I was making.
The memory of that night gave me the courage to ask her to my cousin's wedding. I always knew Max was beautiful but the sight of her in that red dress took my breath away. I wanted to forget the whole wedding thing at that moment and just take her away with me somewhere, anywhere, and let her know how I felt about her. But I didn't and in an effort to control myself and not scare her off I spent the wedding with my ex-fiancée Daphne. Didn't really matter anyway since Max's boss got himself into a jam involving some thugs and a stolen Rockwell and Max was absent most of the affair bailing him out.
Afterwards she managed to completely surprise me by handing me my mother's locket, neatly stolen from right off my aunt's neck. I think that was the moment I put a name to the feelings I had for her and realized that somewhere along the way I had fallen in love with her. Before I could gather myself together enough to do anything she was gone and I had my second surprise of the night. Feeling in my foot when I accidentally hit it against the table leg.
Over the next few days more and more feeling came back to my legs and I finally visited Sam Carr to get a medical opinion. He wasn't optimistic but he did tell me about the excess stem cells in my blood. Max picked up on it immediately when I told her and suggested trying another transfusion. Sitting there at that table with her, her blood flowing into my veins was the most incredible experience in my life. Not even when making love with a woman have I ever felt so connected and so much a part of another person. The fact that it was Max sharing her blood with me like that was almost too much for me to wrap my head around.
In then end that transfusion may have saved her life. Without it I probably could never have pulled myself up to reach that light switch and throw it giving her time to get away from Johansen's bullet. I still almost lost her to the implant and those moments after blowing the electricity into her head were the longest in my life.
We shared our fourth kiss that next night. As I stood there looking down at her she looked up at me and laughed saying
"I'd forgotten how tall you are." I felt 10 feet tall at that moment and, unable to resist, leaned in and our lips met. All thoughts of patience fled my mind and I'm not sure where things would have ended up if my still shaky legs hadn't given out on me. Max helped me back into my chair but we shared a long look that promised more to come.
Unfortunately the interruption allowed Max's flight response to kick in but to my surprise instead of just taking off on her own she invited me to come and actually let me drive her baby. I felt like I was flying that night, not just from the speed but from the sensation of Max's arms wrapped tight around me, her body pressed close against my back and her breath in my ear as she shouted instructions. Max never lets anyone drive her Ninja and the fact that she let me spoke volumes to me of her feelings. I was still on a high when we got back and as she brought my chair over to the bike and reached out to help me back into it I grabbed her and pulled her down for another quick kiss. Her hands came up and she ran her fingers through my hair as our lips met. To my surprise I felt her lips part slightly and I dipped my tongue into the sweetness of her mouth. We continued for a few moments until she pulled back.
"Logan. We need to talk about this. But I can't tonight. Gotta blaze." With that she quickly helped me into my chair and was gone. I shook my head but smiled to myself. Not a bad evening at all. I didn't think I'd see her for a while after that but to my surprise she showed up this morning down by the waterfront to tell me she had dropped off a chicken at my place. I invited her for dinner, as she knew I would and then pulled her over to stand in the freezing water with me. I half expected her to pull back but she didn't and once again I leaned in and kissed her. She responded easily and I found myself beginning to drown in her sweetness only to be interrupted by the damn hover drone.
Max is paranoid about those things so the mood was ruined and we walked back up the beach both heading back to our daily routines. Except today was different. I didn't get a damn thing done all day and Bling took great pleasure in rubbing that fact in. He finally left and now I stand here waiting for Max. I made a decision today. No more fooling around. She's had her time to get used to the idea of us and judging by her actions lately she's open to the idea. So tonight I push the envelope. Neither one of us leads the most conventional of lives and we don't really know what tomorrow may bring. I'm going to take a chance and put myself out there. It may be too much too fast but my patience is at an end.
I look at the time and realize Max will be here any moment. Glancing around I check to be sure all is ready and it is. As I start to go to the kitchen to check on the chicken the doorbell rings. Max is here.