A/N Time for a break. Deck gave our characters a lot to think about and so they will. Next chapter will be back to the action. Thanks to all the great response to this – it's good to know you're enjoying it.
Thanks for all your support of NBML as well ! The campaign is still going on so keep those cards going.
All was silent in the car as they left the meeting site, each of the three of them lost in their own thoughts. Logan drove carefully not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention and soon they were back in the sectors more familiar to all of them. As they passed within a block of Crash, Alec suddenly spoke up.
"Drop me off here. I think I could use a drink." Logan pulled the car over and Alec quickly got out. "I'll give you a call later to find out what your friend says about the disk Deck gave you."
"Sure thing. He probably won't have anything for me until the morning so no hurry." Logan replied. Alec nodded and turned and headed off down the block. Once he left and Logan pulled back out, silence reigned in the interior of the car. Finally, unable to stand it, Max reached over and turned on the CD player. Soft strains of jazz filled the interior and she relaxed back against the seat letting the music wash over her and soothe her jumbled thoughts. Logan reached over and squeezed her hand briefly but then had to release her to get back to the car's hand controls. Soon enough they reached his building and parked the car. Climbing out Logan came around and once more took Max's hand as they walked silently towards the elevators.
The two reached the asylum of Logan's penthouse and entering Max called out for Joshua only to be met by silence. Logan headed quickly to his computers to begin downloading and transmitting the disk to Sebastian while Max wandered back to the guest bedroom assuming Joshua would be there. Once the download process had begun Logan turned his attention to other things. Noticing a piece of paper he picked it up and was reading it when Max came back into the room.
"Logan. Joshua isn't here!" she began only to be stopped by his handing her the piece of paper. As she read it she frowned and started to turn to the door only to be stopped by Logan's hand on her arm. "Logan we have to bring him back…"
"Max you read the note. Joshua's a big boy. He knows to be careful. You can't keep him locked up here forever."
"But Terminal City, Logan."
"Max he wants to be with others like him. He's lonely. You can't stop him. If he needs our help he'll call.
I gave him a cell phone the other day." Max's face crumpled at the truth in his words and she sighed as he pulled her close to him and hugged her. For long moments the two stood together Max's head resting on his chest the sound if his heartbeat steady and strong soothing her jangled nerves. After a moment Logan dropped his arms and said.
"Let me make us some food. You haven't eaten since breakfast and I know the kind of caloric intake an X5 needs. Max smiled realizing that she was hungry. Soon enough the two were sitting down to a simple yet satisfying meal and by mutual but unspoken consent they talked of everything but the meeting with Deck earlier that day. Finished they stacked the plates in the kitchen and then adjourned to the living room where Logan sat on the couch and held out his hand for Max to join him.
"Logan about what Deck said today…" she began. He shook his head at her.
"Max, Sebastian won't have an answer for us until tomorrow. It's possible Deck misunderstood. Can we let this go for tonight? When we have all of the facts will be time enough to decide what we need to do." His eyes were intense as he looked down at her and Max realized the strain he was under over this whole thing.
Reaching up she gently stroked his face loving the rasp of the stubble that he hadn't had time to shave in the last few days. She smiled at him and they sat for a few moments enjoying their closeness. Then Logan slowly lowered his head to hers and their lips met in a soft kiss. For a few minutes it remained gentle but then the mutual passion that they shared came to the forefront as it always did when they were together.
Logan was enjoying the fact that they were alone in the penthouse without someone in the guest bedroom and matters progressed until both were short several items of clothing and breathing heavily. Raising his head from Max's he grinned at her and suggested "Shall we adjourn to the bedroom sweetheart?" Max grinned back wickedly and shook her head.
"I want to be wild and wicked tonight, Logan. We're alone here and there's something I've wanted to do for a while now." Looking at her quizzically he waited for her to continue. Jumping up she headed to his computer room and returned with his wheelchair, which she placed next to the couch setting the breaks. Logan looked at her, eyebrows raised and she smiled down at him.
"From the time I met you, you don't know how many times I wanted to just jump you when you were sitting in that chair looking sexy as hell."
"Sexy? " Logan was surprised. "Sitting in a wheelchair?"
"Sexy as hell I said." Max grinned. As she spoke she was helping Logan out of his pants and then set to work on the exoskeleton. Giving in to the inevitable Logan grinned and set to work making her fantasy come true…
****
Alec walked into Crash and up to the bar ordering himself a beer. Deck's revelations had shaken him more than he wanted to admit and he was wondering what it was all going to mean. As he sat there nursing his drink he suddenly felt a soft touch on his shoulder. Turning he already knew who he would see.
"Asha." She looked good in a pair of faded jeans and a cropped top that left her midriff bare.
"It isn't good to drink alone. Want to join us?" She inclined her head towards a table where he recognized some of her friends from the other night. Shaking his head he turned back to his drink expecting her to walk away. To his surprise she slipped onto the stool next to him and ordered herself a beer as well. They sat in silence for a bit drinking their beer until he finally turned to her.
"So what is this about? The other night you couldn't wait to get away from me."
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that you… scare me." Alec remained silent waiting for her to continue.
"For so long I thought I was in love with Logan and I refused to even look at anyone else, even though I always knew he didn't feel that way about me. Even before he met Max he never thought of me as anything but a friend. Maybe it was easier for me that way. I could pretend I was in love with a guy who didn't love me back and I didn't have to deal with really falling in love with someone else. I dunno. But then what happened last month forced me to look at what I was doing and to admit that I didn't really love Logan.
He'll always be a good friend to me but I don't think I could ever be happy with him." She stopped and sipped her beer. Alec waited for her to continue but when she didn't he prodded.
"So why do I scare you?"
"Because I'm halfway in love with you and I could easily fall the rest of the way. And I don't think you're the type to commit to anything serious. You like the easy relationships, the let's have some fun and see ya around kind of thing. So the other night when you came on to me I panicked and ran away."
"So why come over here now if you feel that way?" Alec gazed into her blue eyes wondering why he was having this conversation rather than putting it off as he could so easily do.
"Because I'm tired of being a coward. I pretended to be in love with Logan so I didn't have to try to deal with a real relationship with someone. Things are getting crazy around here and I have no idea what's going to go down with you and Max and Logan. Maybe I don't want to always wonder what would have happened if I took a chance." She paused, "So if you're interested I'm willing to take a chance. No strings and no commitments."
Alec looked at her stunned by the way she had quickly turned the tables and rendered him speechless. As he sat there not answering Asha sighed and began to rise.
"Look its okay I understand. Forget we ever had this conversation." To her surprise Alec grabbed her arm preventing her from walking away.
"Not so fast. You just made me an offer if I'm not mistaken and I intend to take you up on it." He paused as Asha's eyes widened. "No promises here. You know that up front?" Asha nodded and he threw down money on the bar to cover their drinks, then dropping an arm around her shoulders steered her towards the door.