Note: It's not so much a feeling & angst chapter. Actually; it's more filler than anything else. I put Asha in because she deserves recognition. Also she can't be such a flat character. There was no characterisation for her on the show and that is downright cruel. I'm going to try to make her a bit of a kick-ass character as well. It's relatively Alec-less, which I am sorry for, but I'm having a struggle with this story for some reason, maybe because there's not much juice going on. :sigh: Let me know if I've completely lost my writing ability for this story because I'm a bit worried about where this thing is going, it seems to be heading for a dead end.

BUSES AND TRAINS

A Little Truth Never Hurt Anyone

Logan hated that moment; not when you've just woken up, that instant when you realise you are awake and that there's no chance of sleep returning no matter how bad your body wants it and you know you'll feel sluggish for the rest of the day-or in his case, afternoon. He sat up; feeling the painful but gratifying cracks along his spine as he moved, and stretched, pushing his arms out into air to make sure he got all the kinks out. He leant back in his chair, taking his glasses from their mangled position on his face and rubbed his eyes, then he saw it. Blinking he put his glasses back on and stared blankly uncomprehending at the small square of yellow mass. Then he figured out it was a post-it note stuck to his computer screen and grinned self-depreciatingly to himself; the grin soon faded as he leant forward to see the note.

I gotta go out of town for a while. I've got Jace with me; so I guess I'll see you when I get back into town. Logan grimaced at the evasiveness of the note and got up from the chair all the while listening to the eko-skeleton's noises. Those noises were both comforting and sickening him at the same time; he'd obviously slept for quite a while as the moon was just fighting it's way from behind a dark cloud. The door to his penthouse home opened with a slight squeak and he turned, hope springing to life in his tired eyes but it soon faded into a quiet recognition of the young blonde woman with a perky noise amidst her all-american features. "Hey Logan."

"Hey Asha."

"I brought those files for Eyes Only."

"He'll appreciate it. Thanks."

Asha put the files down and looked at him intently. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Liar." She said this with a smile and crossed the floor heading for the kitchen; completely ignoring the fact that Logan's eyes had dulled when she walked in, not fired up. Logan followed her into the kitchen and watched as she started to make coffee. "So what's up?"

"Suprisingly not much."

"Hmm."

They sat in silence for a few more moments until Logan looked up.

"Max left."

"She always leaves."

"No; I mean, she left this note. I don't know what to make of it."

"Can I have a look?" Logan shrugged. "Where is it?"

"By the computer."

"Be right back." Asha left the room and came back a few moments later; biting her lower lip in concentration. "Hmm. Jace is another transgenic right?"

"Right. Another furry friend."

Asha put the note down and looked at him. "Are you ever going to let me forget that?" Her voice was soft and steady but Logan knew her well enough to know that she was upset.

"I'm sorry, Asha. I'm just a little upset."

"Why? She's probably just gone to rescue some transgenic in distress. You know how she is."

"True. But she usually would have asked me for help."

"Maybe they didn't want to wait."

"Maybe." Logan sighed, looking down at the counter as she handed him a mug; he sipped it gratefully beginning to feel more alive. "I just wish she would have told me, she should have woken me up." He looked pleadingly in Asha's direction.

"Don't look at me like I can give you an insight to her mind, Logan."

"I'm-"

"And don't apologise. Seriously, you need to do something before you go stir-crazy." Asha said firmly. "Whether or not you're going to go stalking after Max and Jace."

"You're right." Logan said thoughtfully

"I always am." Asha smiled innocently and touched his hand. "Need some help?"

"Don't you have to brief S1W?"

"Nah, they're big boys. And girls of course, they can handle it."

"Then I'd love for you to help." Logan smiled and started drinking his coffee again. Asha smiled to herself, once again reminding herself that Logan was spoken for, and she had to control herself. And her hormones even though they played a big part in her attraction to him. Mentally shaking herself she watched as he drained his coffee and went to put the cup in the sink.

"Going to drink that?" He asked, Asha looked up startled and he raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"You're coffee."

"Oh" Asha began to drink her coffee as Logan, with a determined look on his face, headed for (where else?) his computer. She sighed and drank more quickly. Unrequited love sucked.

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Max brought her motorcycle to a purring pause after Jace had nudged her in the back; they had been zooming down the seemingly abandoned backstreets of New York's poor sectors when her sister had heard something over the noise of the bike. "What is it?"

"I don't know."

"That's helpful." Max smirked as she removed her sunglasses and stuck them on the top of her head, acting as a headband.

"Shut up. Can't you hear it?"

"All I can hear is you and my baby."

"Yeah, what is with that?"

"Don't you start on my motorbike!" Max snapped angrily.

"I'm not. Stop getting so defensive."

"I'm not getting defensive. People just don't understand my baby and me." She sulked, keeping her eyes trained down.

"The need for speed."

"The need to escape." Max corrected her, "but speed isn't exactly something I'll turn away from my door." The pair was silent for a beat and then Max glanced back at Jace. "I'm sorry. Shouldn't have snapped, I just wanna find Alec."

"So the guy does have a name. What's the deal with him?" Jace asked as she climbed off the bike, stretching with a loud yawn, which was punctuated with a squeak. She grinned at her sister who just shook her head back.

"There's no deal. He's a pain in the ass."

"That happens to make you feel emotionally charged enough to go across the country."

"I hate you. I really do." Max said with a glare that was usually reserved for Alec, the topic of conversation, and this conversation was making her feel uncomfortable, so she was going to end it as soon as possible. "What did you hear?"

"Must've been just a generator or something. So, let's talk Alec."

"Let's not."

"C'mon Max. A little truth never hurt anyone." Jace said with a smile as she got back on the bike and wrapped her arms around her sisters, decidedly too small, waist.

"All right. You want the truth?"

"Duh."

"The truth is that Alec is annoying, a pain in the ass and says everything I don't want to hear."

"Like what?"

Max sighed pulling her sunglasses back over her eyes. "About me and Logan."

"Ohh. Reality checks you didn't need?"

"Need? Maybe. I didn't want them, that's for sure."

"So, did you blow your top at him and he took off?"

"No, not really." Max chewed on her lower lip and Jace shook her head, mentally rolling her eyes at the sigh of Max being pensive.

"Well, what then?"

Max growled softly and then pinched the bridge of her nose. "He's recently just recedes into a shell."

"He's X5 isn't he? Shouldn't you know how to crack the shell?"

"I should, shouldn't I? I cracked yours."

"Hey, don't be adding me to the list of Max's do-gooder expeditions. I was vulnerable at the time." Jace defended herself and then squeezed her sister tightly. "What's really bugging you? You can tell me."

"I'll let you know when I find out."

Liar! Her brain screamed at her, you know perfectly well what is bugging you. It's the fact that he's right.

"Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything!" Jace's voice came back immediately, with a disgruntled gritting of teeth, Max turned the key in the ignition and roared the engine dangerously before zooming off down the road once more heading towards the main centre of New York.

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R E V I E W

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Shout-Outs

Unsigned: I did update…eventually. Thanks for reading! Means a lot to me. RpGirl17: :beams: Thank you. Evil scientist saving? Hmmm. Teehee. I like suspense. Andrea: It's still filler material unfortunately. Sorry, but I hope it's good filler! :cheesy grin: Michelle: Thank you for reading, every reader counts. That's a cool motto. Hmm, okay, getting off track, and thank you for reviewing! You guys make my day. AntipodeanOpaleye: Awwww! I'm melting into a puddle of praise. You rock; thank you reviewing so consistantly! I updated, but I'm not really that sure of how good it is. *hint, hint* please inform me! alecfan: Exactly. They both care, (I'd like to think so.) and they don't say anything. Max needs to get off the Logan train and jump onto Alec ;) RagingConfusion: Sorry for the wait! I lost my momentary writers thing where you feel like you could write for hours, and it went into a place where the evil things are! Like Britney Spears, all those pop tarts and all. Chic: Not forgotten, just a bit confused about where it was going. Hope you enjoy. All Mighty Terrestrial: Evil plots rock, and so did your chapter! I can't remember if I reviewed but I did read it, I'll go check on it and then will review if I haven't.