Here's another story that isn't connected in any way to the shows storyline or my Season One Future History although it could fall somewhere in there if I wanted it to. I just figured I'd add this to the mix before FF.net drops out of the loop for a few days. There may be another one tonight but most likely it will appear tomorrow.
As always read and let me know what you think. This isn't a serious story really but a fun little mystery with a happy, fluffy shippery ending. Hope you all enjoy.
A Day Alone
Max stretched. She arched her back as she straightened her legs and extended her body just before rolling over and realizing Logan wasn't in bed with her. She hadn't noticed him leave.
She sat up and looked around the room. There was no sound coming from the apartment. His wheelchair was sitting in the corner where she had left it the night before after helping Logan out of his exo. Her reflexes kicked in as she rolled out of bed pulling one of Logan's shirts on. She checked the bathroom, grabbing her sweats from the hall before making a systematic sweep of the penthouse.
The apartment was completely deserted. Only the quiet hum of the fans and hard drives in Logan's rig sounded from the office. She made a quick secondary sweep of the apartment noting his keys and his cell had been left behind. She found no note.
Panic was quickly controlled as the bad guy and his henchmen had been pulled off the street the previous night. This had led to a long, hot, shared shower followed by a Cale culinary masterpiece with a choice pre-pulse Chianti and a few hours of sexual stress reduction therapy. She smiled at the memories. The events of the previous night wrenched her from her thoughts, though.
Fight the bad guys. These had been more than that. They had been downright evil. Bronck had been stealing young girls and selling them to the highest bidder for whatever purpose. There was no whatever to these latest slave traders. The girls and boys that were being shipped across the sea to the highest bidder weren't surviving long after arrival. Max and Jondy, with Logan's help, made sure none of the bad guys survived this time. It had been violent and bloody and in the end, Logan stood before their leader with a vicious smile of his own.
The wrath of Eyes Only had been born with a transgenic named Seth. Last night, the reputation only grew.
Now Logan was gone and the previous night had been forgotten, given over to worry. "Where the hell are you?" She asked the empty office. She listened but no response came.
When she heard the front door rattling, she headed immediately for it thinking Logan had made a quick run to the market. She was stunned to see Alec and Biggs standing there.
"What do you two want?"
"Where's Logan?" Alec asked. His face showed uncharacteristic concern. "He was supposed to meet us this morning for coffee to discuss an assignment.
"Jondy and I cleaned that mess up last night." Max said. "Close the door." She hollered over her shoulder.
"Where is he?" Alec asked. Biggs followed him behind Max.
"I don't know. He wasn't in bed this morning when I woke up."
"Thought you didn't sleep?" Alec remarked.
"Don't usually, but last night…" She let the thought fall to the floor with a thud. Alec had no right to that information. It seemed as if he heard the thud. "I don't know where he is."
"Then we have a problem." Biggs finally spoke. Max turned to face him. Alec may be loose in his ways, but Biggs was as hardcore and intense as they came from Manticore.
"What do you mean?" She demanded. She was in his face showing no fear. He respected that. He had tolerated Max for that reason in the beginning. She knew no fear. Being Rogue didn't matter to him anymore, now. She had proven herself and he respected her for what she and Logan did for the children of Manticore and for the people living in this chaotic world.
"I mean that he was supposed to meet us and he didn't show." Biggs continued. "We were going to discuss this urgent problem and possibly set up a job tonight. He never made the meeting."
"What job?"
"Don't know. We never got to talk to Logan." Alec said with a long glance to Biggs. Biggs looked at him before turning his attention back to Max. "You don't think it's someone from last night?"
"None survived last night." Max said. She was suddenly distracted. She headed toward the office and called Jondy. "Jondy. Have you seen Logan?"
"Not since last night, Maxie." Jondy said. "Why? What's going on?"
"He wasn't here when I woke up this morning. I don't know where he is."
"Logan's a big boy. He can take care of himself." Jondy assured her.
"I know, but he was supposed to meet Alec and Biggs about something this morning only he didn't show." Max explained. "They're here now. Will you come over as soon as you can?"
"I'm on my way sis." Jondy said. "I have to go now and take care of something. I'll see you soon."
Alec and Biggs exchanged glances and looked at Max as she looked up to them. "What is it? What aren't you telling me?"
"We'll go to work and follow up on some leads." Biggs said. "We'll see if we can track him down for you."
"Yeah. Coordinate with Jondy and keep us informed. I'll check in throughout the day." Alec added. The men turned to leave.
"Leads?" Max asked.
"If we hear anything we'll check it out. If I can I'll get Normal to send me near or around his usual haunts. I go into his old neighborhood almost daily with a package or two so I'll check out his families place." Alec said. "I trust that he is in control of the situation whatever that situation might be. Max. He's a big boy. Been taking care of himself a lot longer than most of us."
"He's probably just following up some lead for whatever we were doing tonight." Biggs added.
"That's what I'm worried about." Max mumbled as she turned back to the phone. "Hey. It's me." She said. Alec and Biggs turned to leave when they heard Original Cindy on the other end.
When the elevator doors opened Jondy was on her way through the front door. The security guards were admiring her tight jeans and pastel top waving loosely in the draft from the front door. She smiled and they both melted waving like a couple of lovestruck schoolboys.
"She's freaking out up there." Biggs said.
"Yeah. You know how she is." Alec added. "We're going to work. I'll bring OC over after work tonight so you won't be late. He's expecting you at seven still?" Alec asked.
"Yes. Everything's been arranged. She really has no idea what we've done?" Jondy asked.
"None." Alec said. "She's so worried about him she can't think straight."
All three of the transgenics laughed as the elevator doors opened. Jondy turned and waved at the security guards still staring at her. They waved back. Alec and Biggs walked out still laughing.
Jondy was still smiling when the doors opened to Logan's front door. Max was waiting for her.
"Thanks for coming so fast. I'm worried." Max said. "Logan pulls these stunts on occasion but he always tells me about it. He didn't even leave a note this time."
"Calm down." Jondy said. "Tell me what happened." Max started the story of waking up and realizing she was alone. It would be a long day.
Original Cindy picked up her phone when it rang. She was sitting in line at the checkpoint into sector ten. "Girl!" She started. It wasn't Max. "Oh, hey." She said. "Yeah everything is ready. Jondy will be there at 7:30 or so with the goods. Alec and Biggs are bringing the rest of the stuff shortly after and I'll bring her over around ten or so." She paused listening. "She has no idea. Jondy is with her now and steering her on a wild goose chase. She's worried but she trusts Jondy. Everything is going as planned."
In sector four, Biggs was on his phone talking to Alec. "I don't fully understand but it should be interesting."
"It's something they do."
"I've never had to deal with this stuff before. Is it always like this?"
"I don't know. Never dealt with it before either." Alec said.
"I can't wait to see the look on her face. Especially when she sees what happened to him. You think she'll be mad?"
"Probably." Alec said. "Girl's got a temper and she can kick some serious ass when it comes right down to it. I wouldn't put it past her but she's one of us. She'll get over it in time."
"How much time is the question." Biggs said. "I'm up next over here. Later, buddy."
Sector three found Sketchy standing in front of a table obsessing over the current events. Original Cindy rode up and stood beside him.
"Sketch?" She asked when she saw the strange look in his eyes.
"I almost couldn't find a box big enough for Logan." He said.
"SHHH!!!" OC scolded. "We don't know where she might be. If she finds out about this it's all over for all of us."
"She's not here and she won't find out." Sketchy said. "I've got everything else we need but a box to fit Logan's dimensions..." He just let the words go as the man he was waiting to see showed up.
"This the man?" OC asked.
"Who's your friend?" The man asked.
"This is a friend. We're deep into this together. Too deep already to worry about things. You got it?"
"I got it." The man said. "It was hard but I worked it out."
"Can I see it?" Sketchy asked.
"Not until I get what I want." The man said. Sketchy pulled his backpack and dug deep into it. He produced a small round leather bag, broken in but still in excellent condition. The man smiled and rolled the small bag around in his fingers. He laughed and dropped it kicking it back up in front of him. He laughed again. "How did you ever find a hacky-sack in this day and age?" The man asked. He was bouncing the bag with a series of simple toe kicks. He laughed as he kicked the bag.
Sketchy thought about the day that he sat in line with Max waiting for gas. The maddening list of trades and bartering played through his mind at a frantic pace that he almost couldn't follow. "You don't want to know. Where's what I came for?"
The man, still smiling, turned and headed back to his shop. "Bring it out." He hollered. Two of his crew headed out with a large rectangular box between them. OC pulled her cell phone out.
"It's here." She said. "Bring the car around." A beat up old Chevy pulled up. Matt Seung was driving.
"What is this?" The man asked. "He's a cop. I've seen him on television!"
"Don't worry about things you don't want to understand." Sketchy said. "You got what you wanted. Tell your people to put it in the back seat."
"We ain't got all day, fool." OC said. The big man nodded and his boys put the box in the back of Seung's Chevy.
"Forget you ever saw me." Matt said. "Wouldn't want to get on the bad side of a detective, would you?" The man shook his head and the three of them rushed back into his shop. "Don't know how you pulled this off, Cal, but I'm impressed."
"I'm not too sure either." He said. "Normal's been riding me all day about my activities so I'm getting back to work." He was off in a flash almost getting hit by a car on the way out of the alley.
"Is he all right?"
"We're not completely convinced of that yet." OC said. "You taking this over now?" Matt nodded. "Thanks."
"I'm not big on conspiracies especially when I'm involved but this is necessary. Something has to be done about this. It's as good a place to start as any and it's been pretty slow today."
"I'm not happy about deceiving my boo either but…" Her cell phone rang. 'It's Max.' She mouthed the words to Matt after she answered. He nodded and drove off taking Logan's box to its destination. "Whassup, boo?"
"We've looked everywhere." Max said. "Jondy got out of work tonight and we're back at the penthouse now. Please tell me you know what's going on." Max sounded lost almost. She was obviously frightened of what could have happened because of the night before.
"It's going to be okay. Logan's capable of protecting a transgenic super-soldier so I'm sure he can take care of himself. He's probably out on some damn fool crusade of his." She lied. She hated lying to Max but it was necessary under the circumstances. "Look. He's smart and he knows this city as well as anyone. It's going to be okay. I promise." She said.
"You think?" Max asked. "I know Logan is in control of things but he just doesn't disappear. What if White got to him? We don't even know what his agenda is yet. What if he took Logan?" Max asked. "It could be Lydecker. Deck knows Logan. What if he's showed up again and went after Logan to get to the Rogues or me. I couldn't live knowing…"
"Max." Original Cindy scolded herself for what she was about to say. "Logan is in no danger." She said.
"How do you know?" Max asked.
"What happened that time you were being hunted by the sector cops. You left town and when it happened, you 'felt' something that brought you back to Seattle. Have you had any of those feelings?" OC asked.
"No, but that doesn't mean anything." Max said. "We don't have some kind of Psionic link going."
"Maybe not but you two do have a thing. You would know wouldn't you?" OC prayed that it would work. "I'm telling you that he's on one of his crazy crusades and wanted to take care of it on his own. It's probably a personal quest of his. You know how the man is."
"I know, but…"
"No buts. I have to get my signatures over to Normal and then I'll come over. You and Jondy and I can head out and check some things tonight. I'll see you about seven or so."
"Jondy has to take care of some errands but she said she would come back around 8:30." Max said. We can go out and search the safe-houses then." Max said. It'll be easier to move at night anyway. It's supposed to rain anyway. There won't be many people out and about."
"Okay, girl. I've got to go."
"Thanks Cindy." Max said.
"Any time." OC answered before she tucked the phone into her pocket and headed back to Jam Pony.
Matt pulled up at the rendezvous to find Alec waiting. He had rigged a pulley system for the mysterious box and helped Matt load it onto the rig. Someone started pulling it up.
"I'll be back around 9:30." Matt said. "If anything gets out of control you'll need a cop around to take control of the situation."
"Ha." Alec laughed. "That's funny because I was thinking that this couldn't get much more out of control than it already is." Alec laughed and Matt shook his hand. "See you tonight, Detective."
"Tonight. After last night this is a cake walk. Pardon the pun." Matt said with a laugh. "I don't like the way this has gone down but every good conspiracy needs a decent city official to turn the other cheek on occasion."
"Decent?" Alec asked. "Didn't you used to work for Eyes Only at one time?" Alec started to laugh and Matt was smiling wide as he drove off into the now rainy night. "I'm coming up." He announced into his cell phone.
Max was freaking out at this point. Every single lead she might have had was a dead end. Jondy and OC were walking along beside her in the rain. They each held one of her arms. OC was trying to soothe her worry. Jondy was obviously watching for something.
She looked at her watch and glanced at OC when she noticed the time. OC checked her watch and nodded. They both looked up into the rainy night. A bright flash came from the needle. It was followed by two more. The signal had come. Jondy steered Max toward the needle.
Max was almost in a daze. "I know he's not gone. I would know if he was gone. I swear on everything I hold sacred…" Max was interrupted.
"Max." OC started. "Do you truly believe that something happened to him?"
"I don't want to." Max said. "But what if something did?"
"I can assure you that nothing has happened to him?" Jondy said.
"How do you know that?" Max demanded. She pulled her arms free and turned to face her two best friends. "You've been with me all day. Not a single person Logan and I know has seen him today. His cell and keys are in my pocket. You'd think he'd call my phone or his own if he could get to a phone himself. What if we didn't get everyone last night Jondy? What if we missed someone and they tracked us and grabbed Logan this morning?"
"Max. You're babbling." Jondy pointed. "Look. There's the needle. Let's ride up and relax. We'll get our heads straight and run over what we know. I refuse to believe that Logan screwed up the mission last night. We got everybody and he got their leader. We know this. We checked. Logan's safe. Trust me."
Max stared at her. She looked to Original Cindy. OC gave her an encouraging nod. "What do you mean ride up?" Max asked.
"Let's go." OC said pulling Max in the direction of the needle. Jondy pushed.
When they arrived and climbed up over the rubble at the base to the crack in the spine, Max noticed things had changed on the inside. There was a dull glow following the stairs up the inside. Someone had hung lamps at intervals all the way up. She turned back to Jondy. OC was pushing the up button on the elevator.
"The car doesn't work." Max said. When it beeped and the numbers lit up and started to count down her jaw dropped. Two minutes later the doors opened and revealed a dimly lit car freshly cleaned. Jondy had to pull Max into the car while OC pushed her.
The ride up was one of stunned silence. Max just watched the numbers in numb tension. The doors opened to the lower section and the three girls were immediately bathed in another wash of dim lighting. A bright glow was shining from the top of the stairs.
"What's going on?" Max asked. OC shoved her up the steps. Jondy had to help. When she reached the top she was again stuck in place with a wild look, completely at a loss for words.
"SURPRISE!!!" Everyone shouted. Sketchy, Sky and Druid were laughing at the look on her face. Biggs, Alec and CeCe stood against the inner wall as Asha approached Alec from the side. Syl and Krit were crowded around the door blowing party horns and laughing. Matt Seung was standing near a tall pink, blue and purple tiered cake covered with a small cluster of candles. The rest of the table was covered in food and drink. Standing next to Matt was Logan and Zane. Zane had his giant hand on Logan's shoulder and was laughing and speaking into Logan's ear. Logan was staring into the eyes of the woman he loved. Jondy and OC had to push her over to him.
"Happy birthday, Max." He said. He reached out for her and she melted into his arms relieved he was okay. He leaned down to give her a kiss but she pushed him away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded as she slugged him in the chest with her small but rock-hard fist. "I've been worried sick about you all day. After what happened last night?"
"Max." Logan had lost his amused look and was rubbing his chest where she had punched him. "I was putting this little surprise party together for weeks. That thing last night got in the way but we pulled it out in time and this is your birthday. The one you chose. Born yesterday, remember?"
"You could have told me." She argued.
"It wouldn't have been a surprise." Logan said. "I just thought…"
"There you go thinking again." She said. She looked at the cake. "I was worried about you. You just disappeared." She noticed a small stack of wrapped gifts at the end of the table. "You did this for me?" She asked.
"You didn't get a piece of cake at the wedding so I had one made for you for tonight." Logan said. "I had no idea you would freak out over this."
"I'm not freaking out."
"Not now." Jondy said.
"But you've been freaking out all day long." OC added.
"It was hard for me to keep my face straight." Biggs added.
"I liked the way you started calling everyone Logan knew trying to find him." Alec added.
Max was in a daze. She was looking around the room watching everyone as they stepped forward to hug her and wish her a happy birthday. She smiled and leaned back into Logan. He wrapped her in his arms and started a loud, off-key rendition of the birthday song and soon everyone was singing along.
"Happy birthday, Max." Logan said as everyone tore into the food. Max pulled Logan over to the small cluster of candles on top of the cake and together they blew them out. Everyone cheered as they started the party. Druid was on the turntables and Alec and Biggs were pouring drinks. Syl and OC were helping max open her gifts as Krit, Zane, Matt and Logan stood huddled near the far end of the table and watched the crowd.
Things were relaxed. The transgenics were all normal kids for the first time in a long time. Alec and Asha danced. CeCe and Biggs were laughing and talking quietly near the makeshift bar. OC and Jondy were talking to Zane about finding a ride for Cindy. Sketchy was making a fool of himself all over Syl at one point but she didn't seem to mind. Krit pulled CeCe out into the open space to dance but she wasn't used to such attention until Jondy and Max joined in drawing others into a makeshift line and soon everyone was laughing and having a great time to Druid's mix. The party raged far into the night and when things began to wind down, the food was divided up and everyone left with armfuls of stuff.
Max and Logan stayed behind to see everyone off.
"Thanks." She said.
"Anytime." Logan said. They were sitting on the edge of the needle just inside the canopy watching the rain pour down over the city. The sun would rise soon and they would have to get back to their place.
"I was so worried that we had missed someone the other night and they had taken you." Max admitted finally. "I'm sorry I hit you."
"I'll live." Logan said. "You were surprised, right?"
"I've never felt more like a normal girl in my entire life." She said. "Thanks Logan."
"Everything I do…" He muttered.
"What?" She asked. He answered her with a long passionate kiss as the sun peaked over the horizon behind them announcing the coming day.
There it is. I didn't really edit it and I dropped the extra few pages of Max opening her gifts because they made the story seem a lot longer in the read than it needed to be. It's a better story ending the way it did.
Let me know what you think
Mike
The Wyldegod