Title: Autumn, Cold Autumn
Disc: Dark Angel belongs to Cameron/Eglee Productions and blah, blah, blah.. This fic is for entertainment purposes only. Please don't sue me...
A/N: There goes a short fifth chapter. Sorry for the delay. My health kept me busy. I think I'm ending this fic soon before I start my M/L AltFic. As usual, reviews, ideas and flames are welcomed!!
 
// ... // = Thoughts
~* ... *~ = Flashback/ voice over

-------------- CHAPTER V --------------
Reminiscence
-----------------------------------------------

   "That was a great lunch! Where did you learn to cook all that?" Max took her last sip of her orange juice eagerly. Logan could only laugh as she complimented about his cooking skills.

   "I have my ways. So, why don't you wait for me in the living room while I do the dishes?"

   "Okay~"

   Max waited on the couch, fiddling with her curls. She gazed into the distance, through the window. Sometimes ago, she felt like she had been on the same couch and did what she was doing. Just sat there, and stared out of the window… At night, as the rain continued wetting the damp soil of Seattle…

   She closed her eyes. Flashes of memory played randomly at the back of her head.

*********************************

   ~* You really want to see one of my poems? *~

   ~* Only if you're cool with it. *~

*********************************

   "Max! Max!"

   Max opened her eyes. She was sitting on the couch with her left hand over her face. Her head ached pretty badly a while ago and her eyes were watery. It took a while for her to realise that Logan was looking at her with concern, looking terrified at the same time.

   "You okay? You were clutching your head."

   She nodded, in confusion and a little headache. "I'm fine. It's just that my head aches when I tried to think or remember something."

   "Relax. We have all the time in the world. Don't push yourself too hard."

   // Yea, all the time in the world… // She thought, innocently. The headache eased up a bit and vanished. She brought her gaze to Logan and smile. "Will you tell me who I am now?" Logan nodded and began telling her everything. He avoided using the term 'killing machine' for fear that she might flinch. Max couldn't help but chuckle when Logan told her they first met when she broke into his apartment.

   "What's so funny? It took a while to replace the window you broke and not to mention an amount of money I have to spend," he said in a mocking tone. Logan even pouted to add to the fact that he was faking the anger.

*********************************

   ~* You're a thief? *~

   ~* Girl's got to make a living *~

   ~* Thank God *~

   ~* First time I ever heard that one *~

   ~* I was expecting someone else *~

   ~* Guess it wasn't the pizza delivery guy *~

*********************************

   "Max! Max!"

   Again, she was brought back to reality by his voice. She was covering her face in her palm, pale. "Uh.. I.. I'm okay." Logan frowned and transferred to the couch, beside her. "Don't tell me you're fine. I know you're not." "I'm fine! My head aches when I thought I remember something." "So I told you not to work too hard on that." "… I have to… I have to remember everything." "Why?" "For myself and for…You."

   For a minute, Logan was rendered speechless. "Me??" She nodded. "You have that pained look whenever you look at me. I thought, the least I could do to make you feel better is to remember everything about you soon." He stared at her, speechless, as she looked straight into his eyes. "Max," he began. "You don't really have to do that." "No, I have to. Besides, I want to know who this nice guy beside me really is," with that, she winked.

   // This girl needs a peace of mind // Logan thought. // I think I have an idea. //

   "Max."

   "Mmhm?"

   "It's autumn."

   "I know. Why?"

   "Well, I thought maybe we should go somewhere we could relax and taste the sweet scent of autumn. It's good for you. You need—"

   "What? Peace of mind? Okay, where and when are we going?"

   // Typical Max. // He chuckled inwardly. // Always excited when it comes to vacation. // "Umm… We'll go to my uncle's cabin. It's quiet there, with the presence of trees and all. It's relaxing to watch the leaves turn brown and fall, you know. And I think we could go there next Tuesday, after your MRI."

   "Sounds great but… MRI… Do I have to have it? Do I have to stay still with my body in a damn machine for over an hour?"

   "Max… We have to make sure you're okay. You have to have it to make sure beside you losing your memories, you don't suffer other neuro-damage."

   "Uhh, yeah… Magnetic resonance or whatever… I still say I hate hospitals."

   "Yeah, yeah. I think I understand that."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

== Teusday

== The Cabin

== 1.35 p.m

   "Oh, my God!! This is getting pretty interesting!" Max claimed as she jumped out of the Aztek. She swirled herself around and gaped at the sight of falling leaves, brown leaves all over the place. The air was nice and revitalizing, though a bit chilly. The sight of the so-innocent Max scratched Logan's heart again. // If only she could remember… // He thought silently. His mind drifted off to the moment when he thought he'd lost her. The moment she turned back then framed his face in her hands and kissed him on the lips was still fresh as if it just happened yesterday. The different was that she couldn't remember it now.

   He was right, but maybe he was wrong. Max was starting to feel weird as she glanced over to the car. More echoing voices danced at the back of her head.

*********************************

~* You're going to be okay? *~

~* Oh, yeah. I'll be better than okay. It's the way I'm made. It's you I'm worried about *~

~* I'll miss you *~

~* You could always ditch it all and go on the lam with me. Great way to visit exotic places, meet new people *~

~* I'd just slow you down *~

~* It's okay *~

~* I have to go back. Someone has to watch out for the downtrodden. Blah blah, woof woof, right? *~

~* Right *~

~* Take care of yourself *~

~* You, too *~

*********************************

   Then for a moment she thought she saw herself kissing him, in that very same car. There came his desperate whisper, ~* Just go *~ // What's all this? // Her heartbeat went faster. // Why do I have this flashback? Did it really happen sometimes ago? Was there the time when I had to leave him? Did we kiss? Did all that happen here? // Her mind was suddenly flooded with unanswered questions. "Max," he called from the doorway, catching her attention. "C'mon in. I'll show you your room." "Oh, one moment." She took a last glance at the car and joined him inside.

   Once she reached the living room, she had another flashback. An image of herself sitting across a blond guy with confused face came into mind. She didn't know the guy, but it's not Logan. She seemed to recall the guy sweeping away a piece of her hair from her face.

*********************************

~* You're going to miss him, aren't you? *~

~* You think that's stupid *~

~* No. A part of me wants the same things -- friends . . . a place where I belong . . . someone to care about *~

~* Thought it was a sentimental lie *~

~* Even I have my moments of weakness *~

*********************************

   "Max, you okay?" Logan brought her back to the real world by squeezing her hand. She nodded weakly. Logan cooked lunch and they ate together, laughing. Then they play a game of chess and for the first time, Logan won. Later that evening, they took a little walk around the place. It allowed Logan to make a mental note: Max likes autumn. He laughed at the way she acted like a little kid over falling leaves. She told him it reminded her of falling snow. Logan smiled and made another mental note: Bring her back here someday in winter.

   That night, when Logan had gone to bed, Max sat in the living room before the fireplace. The dancing flame brought back memories, making her smile. She was sure she remembered something about the cabin. She decided to tell Logan about it in the morning, but…

   "Hey," Logan greeted softly as he transferred to the couch. // I must have been lost too deep in my thoughts to not notice he'd wheeled himself in here! Oh, never mind… It's about damn time. // "Couldn't sleep?" She asked just as softly. He nodded and she smiled. "Me too."

   There was a rare silence between them…

   "So…" They began in unison. Realising what just happened, they laughed lightly. "You first," Max said, still laughing. "No, you first." "Oh, okay. I was about to say you have the six sense, Locke." "Really? Why is that?" "Well, I was thinking about talking to you. I thought I'd tell you in the morning but you came in and now that you're here, I guess I should just tell you."

   "Tell me? About what?"

   "…I remember."

   "Excuse me??"

   "I remember what happened at this cabin sometimes ago."

   His smile faded away at once. "Oh…"


------- TO BE CONTINUED --------
Chapter VI == Something Sad

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P.S: Thanks for the ideas and reviews. I really appreciate them. To everyone who's pissed of Logan's name (Locke), try to bear with it. It's to strengthen the ending ^____^  And to those concerned about me and my MRI… I'm okay (I think so). It's just that I've been having this severe headache for years before I was admitted to the hospital two months ago as the pain got worse (I've been quite a weak girl since I was little, anyway~ Never into sports, just stick with my pens and books @__@ ). Other than that, I think I'm okay. Thanks for the shower of 'I-hope-you'll-be-fine' e-mails J.

== One note here... I'm going to write the next chapters with a little reference from Max Alan Collins's Dark Angel: Before The Dawn. Well, something about Seth, The Chinese Clan and Space Needle ^__^

Lotsa Loves,

++ Angel Cale ++
angel-cale@glay.org
http://angeldestiny.dot.nu