A/N: Thankyou so much to the reviews for such a short first chapter. I have to thank Sorrow Reminisce for all her help and encouragement, she is a complete gem and a fabulous writer! I hope you enjoy this one and I promise to get to the training sessions in the next chapter, they're going to be fun and interesting. Please let me know if you are happy with the direction the story is going! Have fun!

Alec thought that sometimes Max forgot she was amongst her own kind again, or perhaps it was her trying to forget, but he heard the sigh, almost as clearly as he could hear the annoying one in the background, confirming his suspicions. Logan was finally getting on her nerves. It had to be hard for her, not being able to touch the so called love of her life, even though their was more than enough time for that earlier. Maybe if they had just 'gotten busy' earlier, she would have realised that he wasn't the one for her and that she could do with someone a lot…well, less of a dork. *But what do I care*.

"You ok Maxie?"

Alec was genuine with his question and Max could see his concern through his features. It often amazed her just how much she could learn about Alec through his face, that was when he wasn't busy wearing his protective shielding. She often wondered what he was so afraid of, what was underneath that he didn't want anyone else to see? Every now and then he'd give her a glimpse of the other Alec, the one she came into contact with the night she told him about Ben. This was one of those moments, but what Max didn't realise was that these moments often came when she let her own protective shield down.

"Yeah I'm fine." It was easier for her to lie, "I'm just a little tired."

"Well once we get to the training you'll be a lot tired." He winked at her and began to walk away as Logan approached. Alec could tell that Max didn't want him to go, but he couldn't handle Logan right now and besides, he had work to do. He acknowledged Logan briefly as he passed.

"Logan."

"Alec."

And Alec was gone. Max took in a deep breath and turned slowly to face Logan.

"What's this about training?"

"It's nice to see you too Logan." Max immediately closed off and the shield was up. Funny how Logan used to be the only one, other than Cindy, who could break through the shield. Not anymore.

"Sorry, you know it's always nice to see you Max. I just overhead Alec say something about training?"

*Why did he always have to talk just above a whisper? Who did he think he was, Clint Eastwood? Though that would explain the height he wore his pants at.* Max shook the thought from her mind. Alec was having more of an affect on her than she realised. Man she wished he had stayed. "Yeah, I'm getting Alec to train me. To sh-"

"But you don't need any training Max."

"To show me," She continued making it clear she didn't appreciate his interruption, "what I missed, teach me what he knows."

"What, like how to scam and pick up?"

She glared at him. At that moment in time, if the virus could be released telekinetically, looks really would kill. Logan felt the tension rising and took a step back.

"Why do you always have to be like that Logan? Alec is training me to be a better soldier, so I can be more effective in whatever fight we have to face. I've been out of Manticore a lot longer then anyone else here and I need to learn what they know, so we can all work together."

"I thought the idea was to get away from Manticore Max, to live a normal life." Logan crossed his arms in front of him and gave Max a 'matter of fact' look. Big Mistake!

Max released a frustrated laugh, "You know Logan, that would have been nice. In fact I almost had it once. Then one night I saw a statue that I thought I could get a fair price for in this nice little penthouse in the city. Do you see where this story is headed Logan?"

He was speechless. Was she about to blame him for everything that had happened? He opened his mouth to talk but was interrupted.

"Max!" Joshua came running over to her.

"What is it Big Fella?" Joshua had impeccable timing because Max felt that she was just about to touch Logan…

"Max has to come to see." Joshua grabbed Max's hand and dragged her to his special corner of HQ.

Max gasped at what she saw. Not in horror, but in utter amazement and happiness.

"Do you like Little Fella?"

"Oh Joshua, it's amazing!" She wrapped her hands around his waste and he took her in a big bear…dog hug.

"Alec!" Joshua yelled, "Alec!"

After a few moments Alec came sprinting around the corner at full transgenic speed. "What is it Josh, what's happened?" Alec was so concerned for his friend, that all Joshua could do was put his arm around him and turn him to the picture.

"Us."

Alec took in the picture with a deep satisfied breath. He placed his arm around Joshua and inadvertently, Max. The two X-5's gave each other a soft smile. "It's beautiful Josh."

Logan stared at the two touching hands. 494 was touching his Max and he didn't like it. He moved passed the hugging transgenics and looked at the painting. "So what is it Joshua?"

Everyone looked at Logan with distain. Did the man mean to be so annoying or under all those layers of geek, was he just stupid?

"It's Us." Presented on the canvas was a crowd of people, those in the background were faceless, but obviously tansgenics. There were three figures that stood out. Joshua pointed to Max's image as it stood at the front, her long, rich, chocolate brown hair flowing behind her, "Little Fella," he pointed to himself, standing to Max's left slightly behind her, "Big Fella," his hand than moved to Alec, as he stood to Max's right, "and Medium Fella."

"So where am I Joshua?"

They all slowly turned to Logan's ridiculous question.

"Logan's not one of us."

"Oh sure he is Josh, he can be this little black spot up in the corner here." Alec moved toward the painting and pointed at the spot. "Oops, no that was just a piece of dirt."

"No!" Joshua suddenly became very serious and protective of his painting. "This is us, our family. I'm sorry, but Logan not part of family. Father did not make Logan, only us."

"If only he could realise that." Mole suddenly chirped up in the corner, seemed like as good a time as any to talk. He usually offended somebody and he was more than happy to make it Logan.

Logan felt all eyes on him. There was something to be said about being in a room, full of genetically modified beings with super human strength, pumped up on hate and distain. And that was run, but Logan was too stubborn to do something so sensible. Instead he glanced around the room and unfortunately opened his mouth.

"Is this how everyone feels?" Logan was thrown back by the sudden sound of collective yeses. "Max?"

Max held her eyes to the floor, but she could feel the entire rooms vision burning at her sides. "I'm sorry Logan." Her face slowly rose and met his shocked, heartbroken eyes.

"You're sorry?" The only sound that would come from his mouth was a sigh of disbelief.

"Yes I am." She was sure to keep eye contact with him. "But Terminal City is my home now and these are my friends and my family."

"And what am I Max?"

She didn't want to do this here, but it was the only way. Logan would never listen to her when they were alone. "My ex-boyfriend."

Alec stepped towards Logan and turned his back, "Ok everyone, it's time to clear out." He ushered them all out of the main room. Joshua didn't want to leave Max's side. "Come on Josh." Alec grabbed his arm and started to head out.

"No don't leave." Logan raised his voice so he was almost talking like a normal human being. "You're all family after all."

Max stared at Logan with a stern look on her face. Alec and Joshua stopped and watched the scene play out before them.

"So that's all I am now Max, an ex?" She didn't answer, she just continued to stare blankly at him. "Right, " Logan brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it across his face. He began to laugh almost manically. "Well you see I've twice been transfused by transgenics. Both you and Joshua, Max. So I guess that kind of makes me a part of this wacky family."

"The fact that you call it wacky shows that you aren't, nor will you ever be a part of it." Alec was forceful in his words and his demeanour as he stalked closer to Logan. Logan bent his legs slowly, making sure his exoskeleton was ready for pending action. "Don't think that's going to help you this time Logan, I haven't been shot today."

"Would you like me to remedy that?"

Logan moved his hand to his back and produced a gun. Max watched as the scene flashed before her. Without thinking, she moved into transgenic speed and took the gun from Logan's hands, making contact with several parts of his body as she ripped it from his grasp.

Her eyes widened, along with Alec and Joshua's as they realised what she had done. They stood in silence as everything seemed to move in slow motion. Max started to hyperventilate and couldn't stop herself from pressing down on the trigger. The gun went off and the bullet went gliding through the air, skimming Alec's shoulder. Alec moved with all his speed and took the gun from Max and slowly moved her to the floor. If he wasn't so worried about her he would have made a smart remark about being shot again. He looked over at Logan who was laughing smugly at the scene playing out before him.

"What the hell are you laughing at?" Alec threw the words at him with pure hate, never taking his hands away from Max. "And why aren't you dying yet?"

"Well, you see, that's what I came to tell you Max." Logan moved, almost pranced closer to the two trangenics, one bleeding, the other unable to breath. "I'm cured." He began to laugh manically again. "Seems the last transfusion from Joshua built a whole lot of anti-bodies against the pesky little virus. All this time and you were safe to touch me."

Max slowly began to recover her breath and moved her eyes to Logan.

"Maybe you weren't the one she wanted to touch?" The words came from Joshua and he was very observant and Logan knew it.

"Is that true Max?" Logan moved closer to her as she slowly started to rise. "Was I not the one you wanted to touch? It couldn't be one of your family members could it? Manticore okay with incest?" He paused for a moment and stared into her eyes, there was nothing. "I never saw you as one of them Max. I lov-"

Max's fist connected with Logan's face before he could utter the words. "I am one of them Logan and that's the only contact you'll ever get from me again."

Logan couldn't believe what just happened. He could taste the blood in his mouth and feel it trickle down his chin.

"Mole!" Max yelled out to him as she returned to her friends, Joshua to her left and Alec to her right. Several faces appeared behind them as they waited for Mole.

"Yeah Max." He slowly strode into the room, cigar in his mouth, shotgun in his hand.

"Show Eyes Only the way out."