Chapter Nine: Sparks

Max for all her want to live up to her words could not bring herself to come out of the bedroom and join the small party of friends out on the balcony. She looked over her outfit yet again, not happy with her appearance. The red velvet shirt and black pants she had selected seemed out of place, they didn't fit right there was just something wrong. The fading bruises on her face stood out glaringly in her own mind despite the makeup that had faded it to near nonexistence. She had put her length of hair into a loose bun allowing some of the ends to come free in wispy strands. That didn't look right either and she angrily tore the band out of her hair. She ran a brush back through it to take care of the tangles she had created with that act only to have it frizz on her. She quickly wet it again, scrunching it and then shaking her head to get it to lie like she wanted it to. She looked at it again and sighed, it was one of those bad hair days.

She frowned knowing that the outfit was fine, as was her appearance, she was just nervous. She laughed shortly, her, the epitome of confidence was worried about what they would say about her. That was absolutely hilarious. She tugged at her shirt again shifting her shoulders drawing a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

She jumped as a light touch lay on her shoulder, she focused seeing Logan looking at her reflection in the mirror, "Are you ready?"

"Mentally or physically?" She said shortly, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," She groused, "I feel suddenly like a train wreck."

Logan leaned down and kissed her neck, "You look beautiful."

"You're just a bit biased my love," She chastised him.

"What's your point?"

She smiled sincerely this time, "Well then what are we waiting for?" she asked bolstering her courage.

Max stepped out onto the balcony Logan close by her side in support. She stopped seeing all in attendance stop what they were doing to look her way. She felt herself starting to retreat, only stopped by Logan's reassuring touch on her arm. She looked up to see the love and encouragement in his eyes. She nodded at him breathing deeply again and making herself move forward. Bling was here and she looked his way and smiled, another pillar of support there

Zach approached her first and she found herself shocked at his appearance. His hair had browned quite a bit and was much shorter than it had been the last time that she had seen him. He still had left a length in the back to hide the barcode he had finally gotten tired of trying to get removed. It made his face seem larger and squarer. Not that it was a bad look on him it was just something she was not used to seeing from him. He was dressed in his norm, a pair of blue jeans, a plain one pocket T-shirt and his black leather coat. He looked weary and his face was thinner, but she still saw his true feelings for her in his brilliant blue eyes. He had never gotten over his crush on her, even after all these years.

Max practically fell into his arms gladly taking his loving hug, "Little sister," He breathed, then he backed away, "Welcome back."

"Thanks big bro'" She said smiling, "Thanks for coming for me."

"How could I do anything but," Zach countered.

Tinga stood just behind Zach smiling warmly, in contrast to Zach she looked exactly the same as she had the last Max had seen her. Her knee length hair was gathered back into a ponytail her dark slanted eyes shining brightly in her happiness to see Max again. She wore a tan leather coat over a skintight jumpsuit in black accented with a silver concho belt dangling at an angle from her waist. Her hands were covered as they almost always were with black leather gloves. She moved up when she thought that Zach had monopolized Max's time for long enough. The two women hugged each other fiercely both with tears in their eyes.

"Tinga," Max said quietly, "It has been so long!"

They moved away from each other a little bit, "Too long little sister," Tinga answered with a tight smile.

"How have you been?" Max asked.

"Hanging in there, my happy ending hasn't happened yet," She said looking a bit guilty for airing her own problems at a party that was supposed to be about good news, "I still haven't caught up to my husband or son yet."

"We'll find them," Max said strongly, "They're out there and we will help you find them I promise."

"Thanks Max," Tinga said gratefully.

A young girl came up next to Zach then. She was Asian in descent with a pretty round face and straw straight black hair. She was adorned with a line of earrings in her left ear that was attached by several chains to two nose rings. Her eyes were green, brilliant as emeralds, with slightly oblong pupils. She noticed immediately the barcode ill hidden by the henna tattoo she had attempted to cover it with, she was Manticore it was evident, this must be the young girl that Logan had told her of. She was dressed in one of the latest fashions it was a tight rib knit sweater in dark maroon with flared cuffs that hid her slim petite hands. From wrist to elbow she wore a pair of drawn silver coils and interesting counterpoint to the shirt. She was wearing a pair of dark gray skin tight pants that also flared as they hit the calf looking like she had taken the inspiration from a Clydesdale horse. Peeking from below the flares were a pair of high-heeled black boots that added to her diminutive height.

She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement, she was grinning ear to ear as if she was about to meet the movie star she had always dreamed about.

"Max," Logan started, "This is Tima."

"Pleased to meet you Tima," Max said warmly, "Trying to fleece my husband I hear," the girl looked away a moment blushing and that is when Max realized just how young the girl really was. She smiled then looking back at Logan, "seems to be a great way to meet someone, I highly recommend it," Max joked.

Tima looked up smiling this time in thanks, "It has been a pleasure having been Logan's friend these past few months," Max looked to Logan who was red in embarrassment, then back to the girl. Speaking of crushes, "He has taught me a lot. I owe him my life, y'know."

"So I hear," Max said unable to keep the laugh out of her voice, "I want to thank you for your part in getting me out of Manticore. You don't know how much that means to me," Max added.

"I know how much it meant to Logan, so I think I understand."

"I also want to thank you for getting Logan off his lazy butt and getting him to practice his skill. You accomplished something I never was able to," She jumped as she received a sharp pinch in the side for the sarcasm. She looked up into her lover's eyes, "What? Truth hurts don' it?"

Max felt herself relaxing as they all began to smile, then they broke out into laughter at Logan's expense, "Next time I'll just leave you there," Logan threatened jokingly, then smiled himself. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

Max looked up from the group almost feeling the other set of eyes on her. She looked past Tima to the young man she recognized from a nightmare. She unthreaded her arm from Logan's and locked on target moved toward the lone figure standing uncomfortably some distance from the rest of the group.

Logan watched her go at first happy that she was going to approach Kito to thank him when he would not come near, still the recluse. Luckily she was the forward one. Logan began to frown when his danger sense went off however, "Excuse me," He said distantly as he tailed Max trying to stop what was about to happen, the feeling intensifying quickly and he was unable to catch up in time.

Max didn't even slow down as she approached Kito, "You son of a bitch!" she growled as she lashed out with a fist. Kito was caught off guard and the fist connected solidly sending him crashing to the ground. Logan caught up just as she went back at him trying to pull her off before she hurt him further.

"What are you doing?" Logan asked incredulously holding her by both arms and trying to get her to focus on his face.

"You left me, you bastard!" She yelled at Kito, "How dare you get my hopes up like that and leave me hanging!" even as she tried to free herself of Logan's strong grip, finally she looked up at him when she was unsuccessful at getting free, "He deserted me, Logan! He promised that he would get me out and never… NEVER came back for me!"

"I barely escaped from there with my life!" Kito said in his defense, "I couldn't come back… not by myself. They had it too heavily guarded. Leaving for help was the only way."

"Bullshit!" Max spit, "You were in with Lydecker to add another layer to my torture!"

"No!" Kito denied, "You don't understand I threw everything I was, everything that was my life away that night when I got caught with you. That was my life, Max, and I threw it away, to get help to get you out." He said in an anguished tone.

"You never came back!" Max repeated.

"He did!" Logan interrupted, "Max," She still struggled, "MAX!" He asserted finally getting her attention back, "He came to the city and found Tima. He told Tima what you had said, she made the connection between his story about you and what it would mean to me. She came to me and relayed the story. That was the only way I found out you were still alive… it was the only reason I got the team together to get you out. Without his information you would still be there! Only because he got out!"

"He left me," She repeated in a small hurt voice.

"He didn't do it by choice," Logan asserted.

She looked up into Logan's eyes looking as if he had betrayed her now, tearing her arms from his grip and rushing into the apartment. Logan swallowed hard feeling she had torn his heart out with that look. Then slowly turned back to Kito, "Kito, I'm sorry."

"No… it's OK," he stopped Logan, "I understand where she's coming from. I made her a promise and I didn't keep it, in her eyes. She doesn't remember my being there when we rescued her," He nodded not looking at Logan as if he was trying to convince himself of Max's logic, "I think… I had better go."

Logan's lips thinned, wanting to convince him to stay, but knowing at the moment that it was better if he did leave. He was sure Max would get over this eventually, but now was not the time to try and convince her that Kito was not the enemy.

"Maybe we all should go," Tinga offered, to ease the awkwardness if Logan had to ask them for a moment, "We can do this again another time."

"It might be best," Logan said quietly, "Again, I'm sorry."