Well, I've already gotten all my presents, so I figured I could be nice and finish this story.
**
Logan lead the way to the living room and while Max fought with he treestand Logan put on a Christmas CD he'd found in the box. In companionable silence they untangled the lights and sorted through the decoration.
"I'm afraid I'm not gonna be much use decorating the tree."
"That's OK. Ever since I saw all those things I wanted to do it by myself anyway."
"Great. Have fun. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." He smiled enigmatically and Max smiled back, happy that he seemed to feel so much better.
Half an hour later Max joined him in the kitchen and sat down on the counter next to him, letting her legs tangle.
Logan looked up but kept kneading the dough he had in a bowl in his lap. Flour was making his black pants white around the knees.
"What are you doing?"
"Christmas cookies. See those little forms on the?" She turned her head to lok at small silver metal angels, trees, stars and hearts. "That's what the cookies will look like."
He couldn't surpress a laugh when he saw the childlike sparkle in Max's eyes. She'd missed so much every child should be able to experience.
"You know, usually the cookies are prepared earlier, we're just running a little late in the schedule."
"Next year..." Max leaned down to get herself a fingertip full of dough from the bowl.
"Hey!"
"Tastes good."
Logan shook his head with a played angry look, then turned his chair around so he could use the table behind him. He started to roll out the dough, then showed Max how to shape the cookies.
Laughing, they worked until the dought was usedup, then Logan wheeled to the oven and switched it on. "Hand me the cookies, will ya?"
"And now you have to check out the tree. I don't know if I've done it right."
Logan followed her to the living room and Max kneeled down to switch on the lights.
"Wow, it looks great, Max. I like it."
In silence they stared at the tree, until Logan found his voice again.
"How about pasta tonight. We can have the turkey tomorow."
"Sounds good to me."
Max stayed on the couch until she heard Logan start to set the table, reluctantly she walked over to help him. While he lit the candles on the table she took care of the noodles and sauce. She knew it was tricky for him to take the steaming bowls to the table.
**
After dinner they returned to the tree, Christmas music was still playing softly in the background and Logan filled two glasses of wine, careful not to spill any.
""Logan! Come over!" Max was standing at the window. "It's snowing!"
He wheeled close and set his brakes next to her.
"This is so beautiful." Max couldn't stop staring out the window where the snow danced down to earth, a light blanket was already spread on the trees and street.
Then she felt a hand in her own and looked down at Logan who smiled shyly. "Come here." He patted his thighs and Max agreed after only a moment of hesitation. She cuddled close to his chest and he happily put his arms around her and laid his head on her shoulder, inhaling her sweet scent.
"Merry Christmas, Max!"
"Merry Christmas." They stayed like that for a long time. Now it was Max's turn to break the silence.
"I really like Christmas. I don't understand why you didn't celebrate it for such a long time."
Logan took his time to answer. "My Mom always used to make it special. We would pick a tree, bake cookies, decorate the tree, sing, she would read out stories. My Dad never was a family type of guy, but for Christmas he tried hard to be, and I loved him for it. After my parents had died, there was nobody there to make it special. Aunt Margo would buy loads of presents and give them to us and that was it." He took a deep breath, then snuggled even closer to Max.
"The first few Christmases with Val were a little like I used to know them. We took it easy, enjoyed being with each other. But then she started to drink and we drifted apart, at first she would end up drunk at night, the next year her hangover was so bad that she couldn't get up on Christmas morning and the nexz year she never even came home on Christmas Eve. Some guy called me at 5 am and told me he'd found her in a street, my number on her speed dial." He shook his head, shuddering. "God, I hated her for that. She knew what Christmas meant to me, and didn't care. The next year I was alone and didn't bother. Christmas is about being with special people, and I was all alone."
Max gently caressed his back. "Thanks for showing me what Christmas is all about."
"This is the first Christmas Eve in such a long time that feel slike Christmas to me, Max. I have to thank you."
The girl on his lap didn't answer, but she didn't pull away either.
"I don't have a present for you."
"You are here. That's all I could ask for. I don't need anything else." He bit his lip. Maybe that had been too much and she would be scared. Damn it!
"Max held her breath. She was all he could ask for? What about getting out of that chair mattered more to him than anything else? Had he been serious?
Slowly she sat up and leaned back so she could look him in the eyes. She didn't knowif what she was about to say was the right thing to do. Maybe he didn't feel that way, maybe he wasn't ready, maybe it wasn't meant to be that a genetically engineered killing machine should become happy. But no matter what was about to happen, she couldn't deny her feelings any longer.
"Logan, I want you to know that you are not alone anymore." She put a finger on his lips when he tried to respond. "I know that you have been through a lot, way more than you deserve, than any person deserves. And I know that you are having a hard time coming to terms and that you don' want to talk about your feelings." She reached for his hand. "But if you would share your burden with me..."
"Max, it's Ok. You don't have to do that. It's none of your business. You shouldn't have to worry about me. I fight my demons and you fight yours."
"You don't wanna get it, huh? I WANT to help you because I love you!" That was it, she had said it out loud.
Why didn't he answer? Why didn't he say something, anything?
The music was still playing in th background. Max knew that song "Last Christmas". She wanted to be that special someone he gave his heart to!
Slowly she slipped fom his embrace and walked away. "Merry Christmas. Good night."
She'd nearly reached the front door, tears burning in her eyes. It had been her one chance and she had messed up. Why had she been such a fool to belief that Logan, a gorgeous, strong man would fall for a genetically engineered freak? She laid a shaking hand on the doorknob.
"Max. Wait." She stopped in her movement, her back turned towards him. She heard him wheel closer but couldn't muster up the courage to look him in the eyes.
"I...you haven't opened your present."
"I can stop by tomorrow." She still stared at the door.
"I want you to open it now. Please."
Slowly she turned around after wiping away a tear. He didn't need to see her like that. When she looked at him she inevitantly held her breath. He was so beautiful as he sat in the dim light, his blue eyes full of emotions, full of life. That was something she hadn't seen in a long time.
He took a little box wrapped in purple paper from his lap and held it up.
"Max, please."
Hesitantly she took it, still not looking directly at him. Slowly she unwrapped it and let out a gulp when she saw what was in the box.
"Logan, I can't..."
"I want you to have it."
"It's yours, your Mom gave it to you."
"And now I want you to have it, I know it's safe with you."
"Logan..."
"Max, I love you. I always have." Finally he had admitted it. "I know I've hurt you by pushing you away, by not letting you share my feelings. But I was afraid that if I'd let you come too close you would turn away because you would see how weak I really am."
"You are such an idiot, Logan Cale. I have told you so often that the chair doesn't matter to me, it never has and it never will. I won't go anywhere. No matter what's gonna happen, if you want we will stick together and we will be fine. Both of us."
She carefully put the locket around her neck and then held it in her hand while kneeling down to be on eye level with her one and only love. "Thanky you."
Logan smiled at her, his eyes sparkling, a hand caressing her cheek. "So Christmas isn't that bad, huh?"
"I love Christmas and I love you." She climbed on his lap and gave hima kiss on the cheek.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
The End
**
Logan lead the way to the living room and while Max fought with he treestand Logan put on a Christmas CD he'd found in the box. In companionable silence they untangled the lights and sorted through the decoration.
"I'm afraid I'm not gonna be much use decorating the tree."
"That's OK. Ever since I saw all those things I wanted to do it by myself anyway."
"Great. Have fun. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." He smiled enigmatically and Max smiled back, happy that he seemed to feel so much better.
Half an hour later Max joined him in the kitchen and sat down on the counter next to him, letting her legs tangle.
Logan looked up but kept kneading the dough he had in a bowl in his lap. Flour was making his black pants white around the knees.
"What are you doing?"
"Christmas cookies. See those little forms on the?" She turned her head to lok at small silver metal angels, trees, stars and hearts. "That's what the cookies will look like."
He couldn't surpress a laugh when he saw the childlike sparkle in Max's eyes. She'd missed so much every child should be able to experience.
"You know, usually the cookies are prepared earlier, we're just running a little late in the schedule."
"Next year..." Max leaned down to get herself a fingertip full of dough from the bowl.
"Hey!"
"Tastes good."
Logan shook his head with a played angry look, then turned his chair around so he could use the table behind him. He started to roll out the dough, then showed Max how to shape the cookies.
Laughing, they worked until the dought was usedup, then Logan wheeled to the oven and switched it on. "Hand me the cookies, will ya?"
"And now you have to check out the tree. I don't know if I've done it right."
Logan followed her to the living room and Max kneeled down to switch on the lights.
"Wow, it looks great, Max. I like it."
In silence they stared at the tree, until Logan found his voice again.
"How about pasta tonight. We can have the turkey tomorow."
"Sounds good to me."
Max stayed on the couch until she heard Logan start to set the table, reluctantly she walked over to help him. While he lit the candles on the table she took care of the noodles and sauce. She knew it was tricky for him to take the steaming bowls to the table.
**
After dinner they returned to the tree, Christmas music was still playing softly in the background and Logan filled two glasses of wine, careful not to spill any.
""Logan! Come over!" Max was standing at the window. "It's snowing!"
He wheeled close and set his brakes next to her.
"This is so beautiful." Max couldn't stop staring out the window where the snow danced down to earth, a light blanket was already spread on the trees and street.
Then she felt a hand in her own and looked down at Logan who smiled shyly. "Come here." He patted his thighs and Max agreed after only a moment of hesitation. She cuddled close to his chest and he happily put his arms around her and laid his head on her shoulder, inhaling her sweet scent.
"Merry Christmas, Max!"
"Merry Christmas." They stayed like that for a long time. Now it was Max's turn to break the silence.
"I really like Christmas. I don't understand why you didn't celebrate it for such a long time."
Logan took his time to answer. "My Mom always used to make it special. We would pick a tree, bake cookies, decorate the tree, sing, she would read out stories. My Dad never was a family type of guy, but for Christmas he tried hard to be, and I loved him for it. After my parents had died, there was nobody there to make it special. Aunt Margo would buy loads of presents and give them to us and that was it." He took a deep breath, then snuggled even closer to Max.
"The first few Christmases with Val were a little like I used to know them. We took it easy, enjoyed being with each other. But then she started to drink and we drifted apart, at first she would end up drunk at night, the next year her hangover was so bad that she couldn't get up on Christmas morning and the nexz year she never even came home on Christmas Eve. Some guy called me at 5 am and told me he'd found her in a street, my number on her speed dial." He shook his head, shuddering. "God, I hated her for that. She knew what Christmas meant to me, and didn't care. The next year I was alone and didn't bother. Christmas is about being with special people, and I was all alone."
Max gently caressed his back. "Thanks for showing me what Christmas is all about."
"This is the first Christmas Eve in such a long time that feel slike Christmas to me, Max. I have to thank you."
The girl on his lap didn't answer, but she didn't pull away either.
"I don't have a present for you."
"You are here. That's all I could ask for. I don't need anything else." He bit his lip. Maybe that had been too much and she would be scared. Damn it!
"Max held her breath. She was all he could ask for? What about getting out of that chair mattered more to him than anything else? Had he been serious?
Slowly she sat up and leaned back so she could look him in the eyes. She didn't knowif what she was about to say was the right thing to do. Maybe he didn't feel that way, maybe he wasn't ready, maybe it wasn't meant to be that a genetically engineered killing machine should become happy. But no matter what was about to happen, she couldn't deny her feelings any longer.
"Logan, I want you to know that you are not alone anymore." She put a finger on his lips when he tried to respond. "I know that you have been through a lot, way more than you deserve, than any person deserves. And I know that you are having a hard time coming to terms and that you don' want to talk about your feelings." She reached for his hand. "But if you would share your burden with me..."
"Max, it's Ok. You don't have to do that. It's none of your business. You shouldn't have to worry about me. I fight my demons and you fight yours."
"You don't wanna get it, huh? I WANT to help you because I love you!" That was it, she had said it out loud.
Why didn't he answer? Why didn't he say something, anything?
The music was still playing in th background. Max knew that song "Last Christmas". She wanted to be that special someone he gave his heart to!
Slowly she slipped fom his embrace and walked away. "Merry Christmas. Good night."
She'd nearly reached the front door, tears burning in her eyes. It had been her one chance and she had messed up. Why had she been such a fool to belief that Logan, a gorgeous, strong man would fall for a genetically engineered freak? She laid a shaking hand on the doorknob.
"Max. Wait." She stopped in her movement, her back turned towards him. She heard him wheel closer but couldn't muster up the courage to look him in the eyes.
"I...you haven't opened your present."
"I can stop by tomorrow." She still stared at the door.
"I want you to open it now. Please."
Slowly she turned around after wiping away a tear. He didn't need to see her like that. When she looked at him she inevitantly held her breath. He was so beautiful as he sat in the dim light, his blue eyes full of emotions, full of life. That was something she hadn't seen in a long time.
He took a little box wrapped in purple paper from his lap and held it up.
"Max, please."
Hesitantly she took it, still not looking directly at him. Slowly she unwrapped it and let out a gulp when she saw what was in the box.
"Logan, I can't..."
"I want you to have it."
"It's yours, your Mom gave it to you."
"And now I want you to have it, I know it's safe with you."
"Logan..."
"Max, I love you. I always have." Finally he had admitted it. "I know I've hurt you by pushing you away, by not letting you share my feelings. But I was afraid that if I'd let you come too close you would turn away because you would see how weak I really am."
"You are such an idiot, Logan Cale. I have told you so often that the chair doesn't matter to me, it never has and it never will. I won't go anywhere. No matter what's gonna happen, if you want we will stick together and we will be fine. Both of us."
She carefully put the locket around her neck and then held it in her hand while kneeling down to be on eye level with her one and only love. "Thanky you."
Logan smiled at her, his eyes sparkling, a hand caressing her cheek. "So Christmas isn't that bad, huh?"
"I love Christmas and I love you." She climbed on his lap and gave hima kiss on the cheek.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
The End