(Cont. from 3. Discovery)

Logan's mind ran questions through it faster than he could comprehend. Asha couldn't be a killer. Could she? Logan couldn't believe what he was thinking. He decided that he wouldn't tell Max until her knew for sure himself.

He reached for the phone and began to dial Asha's number, half way through he stopped. "This is ridiculous." He said to himself. "Asha's not a killer! I know her and she can't be a killer. Besides, she's in Vancouver visiting her mother. Does she have a mother? That's stupid of course she has a mother, everybody has a mother. Maybe I don't know her that well!"

Joshua crashed through his front door at that moment. "Logan!" Joshua said dumbly pointing at him.

"Joshua, what's wrong?" Logan asked worriedly.

"Transgenic, dead." He stated looking hurt that one of his own was now dead.

"Joshua, where?" Logan asked planting both hands firmly on Joshua's shoulders.

"Near my crib." Joshua mumbled clearly quite scared.

"Josh," Logan said without letting go of his shoulders, "we're going to get Max and then we'll go and check it out. Okay?"

"Max, Logan and Joshua, that's the plan." Joshua stated.

"Yep, that's the plan." Logan confirmed grabbing his coat and heading for his car.

Joshua followed close behind him.

~*

Max had managed to drift off to sleep in the arms of Alec. She sat in his lap with his arms wrapped around her.

Alec sat patiently stroking her hair and just enjoyed having her there with him even if she was asleep. Once Alec heard a car down on the street his senses tuned in.

It was particularly unusual for this time of night, well ever since they introduced a curfew. Most people were huddled in their homes praying to their God to save them from the transgenics.

Alec carefully picked Max up and lay her on the ground. She didn't stir at all, it was obvious to him that she hadn't slept in quite awhile. He thought for a moment of how she must have found comfort in his arms, comfort enough to sleep. Alec quickly but carefully peered off the edge of the roof. He found great relief when he saw Logan and Joshua approaching the building, then panicked and remembered that he and Max were alone together on the roof.

"Max," He whispered. "Max you have to wake up!"

She stirred a bit, stretched herself out like a cat and went back to sleep.

"No, damn it." He would feel bad about waking her later so he just picked her up and raced back to her apartment. He quickly put her into her bed, grabbed a blanket out of the cupboard in the bathroom and jumped on Max and Cindy's couch.

A few moments later there was a knock at the door. Of course Alec knew who it was. As he passed by Cindy's room he saw that she wasn't in it. He quickly closed the door to her room and opened the door to the apartment.

"Alec?" Logan asked surprised that he should be in Max's apartment at this hour. "What are you doing here?"

" Ah, well." he was thinking, and thinking. "I brought Cindy home from Crash and Max was already home and the three of us got to talking. It got late and the girls told me to stay just incase I ran into the police on the way home and got arrested or killed."

"Oh!" Logan said not sure if he should believe Alec but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "So where's Max?"

"She was asleep." Max said coming out of her room rubbing her eyes. She wasn't going to question to flaws in Alec's lie to Logan but she wasn't going to be apart of it.

"Are you two okay?" Logan asked looking Max over. She hadn't bothered to get changed before she went into bed. Maybe Alec's story was plausible after all.

Max gave him a weird look. "Of course we're alright." She said brushing of his concern.

"Yeah," Alec backed her up, "Why wouldn't we be okay?"

"There was another killing near Joshua's place." Logan informed them. "I don't want the three of you in town any more." He decided that checking it out was too dangerous so he tossed that idea.

"Oh is that right?" Alec asked scoffing at the idea of being driven out of town by some one who was probably half his size and half his strength.

Max's mind ticked over and over. Firstly, she was putting the evidence together to try and figure out who would want her people dead and managed to narrow it down to just about everybody in the city. "Damn it!" She cursed. Moving her train of thought to being out of town for a few days with Alec.

"Logan, this is stupid!" Alec was ready to make sure everybody knew exactly what was on his mind. "Why should we have to go. Last time I checked this was a free country."

Alec didn't get to finish his sentence because Logan cut in. "It hasn't been a free country for about fifteen years."

"Well sorry for no being around when democracy went out the window!" Alec retorted.

"Oh shut up the both of you!" Max cut in for the second time that day.

"Or what?" Alec asked, "Are you going to start throwing stuff again?"

"I'm gonna throw my fist at you in a minute." Max yelled at Alec.

"Okay," Alec said trying to pick a fight with her, "Bring it on."

"What the hell is wrong with you...?" Max said before remembering that Logan was in the room and silenced herself.

All of them stood in silence until Joshua spoke up. "The plan." Was all he said, he was actually talking to Logan.

"It's okay Josh, we'll fix the plan when Max and Alec have finished their disagreement." Logan said looking back to them, wait for a response from either of them.

"We're done." Max said bitterly sitting down on the couch.

Alec had a feeling that there was a message in the statement. "I'm not leaving town!"

"Fine," Logan spoke up. "Stay here and die!"

"Shut up Logan. It's one little person getting kicks out of offing a couple of transgenics!" Alec was losing patience fast.

"Max?" Logan turned to face her.

All eyes were on her waiting for her to make a decision on whether she was going to flee Seattle or not. "Would it make you happy?" She asked Logan.

"Yes," Logan said in a 'matter-o-factly' tone.

"Just one minute." Max stood up and headed for her bedroom, indicating for Alec to follow her.

Alec walked in to her room and closed the door behind him. "So now you only do stuff that will make him happy?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She questioned folding her arms.

"If there wasn't a virus between the two of you, he'd probably have you on your knees." Alec said, angry that she would jump up and take orders from anyone, even Logan.

"Alec that's disgusting!" Max said full of rage.

"It's true!" Alec replied. "What is it that you want from me Max?"

She crossed to him and put both hands on his face. "I want you to come with me."

Alec shoved his hands deep in his pockets and tried to avoid eye contact with her.

"Please," she begged. "I know that you don't want to give in and this threat doesn't seem that bad but just come, please."

He couldn't resist her, she obviously cared or she wouldn't have risked it with her boyfriend in the next room. "Okay, okay. You win."

Max smiled and planted a quick kiss on his lips, "That's what I like to hear." She released him and rejoined Logan and Joshua in the living area. "He's coming, he's just stubborn!"

Alec shrugged his shoulders. "When do we leave?"

"Er," Logan looked at his watch, "Now!"

"Now?!?" Max, Alec and Joshua all said staring at Logan in disbelief.

"Where are we going exactly?" Alec asked hating the idea more and more each second.

"My family's cabin." Logan announced. "Pack for a few days."

"This is ridiculous!" Alec said heading for the door.

"Alec," Max called after him.

Alec could see the pleading in her eyes and once again gave in closing the opened door and taking a seat on the couch.

"Well Max I guess that we collect you first, since we're already here." Logan stated, watching, as she didn't wait for instructions just headed for her bedroom to pack her bag.

"Cindy's a very sound sleeper." Logan remarked when Max was out of the room.

"She was really tired and a bit drunk." Alec said trying to cover his ass again.

After what seemed like forever, Max reappeared with a large packed bag and a small note, "I'm just gonna put this next to Cindy's bed so I don't have to wake her." Max indicated to the small note.

~*

Next stop was Alec's place. Alec certainly wasn't the cleanest person in the world but Max had seen worse. She realized how long it had been since she had stepped inside his crib.

"Won't be a minute," he said leaving her at the front entrance and heading for his bedroom.

Max only felt guilty as she looked around Alec's place. For some reason, being here with the person she was trying to build some kind of relationship with only reminded her more that she had a boyfriend and was betraying him every time she was around Alec.

Alec came back only moments later with a bag in one hand. He saw Max looking at the floor, he could see that the guilt was finally getting to her. He put the bag on the floor, took her hands and wrapped them around him. "What do you want to do?" He asked holding her, not wanting her to leave him.

"I don't know." Max whispered. "I don't want to string him along but I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to give up on us either." Max sobbed, she didn't know what she wanted. She had completely lost control of her current situation. "I just need some time to thing about it."

"Okay." Alec said calmly. "I'm going to wait for you."

Max felt an amazing sense of relief when he said that. She didn't know what happened to the Alec she used to know but who ever this was, was just as good, maybe better.

~*

Then to Joshua's place where they may as well have thrown the house on the top of Logan's car and taken it with them.

"Joshua, I think that maybe we should leave some of these books at home." Max said looking at the masses of books in his bag. "Like this one." Max suggested picking up Josh's copy of 'Little Women'. "You've read it like three times."

"Five." Joshua corrected her.

"Okay," Max said amazed at her buddy.

After a few arguments between Alec and Logan and Max and Alec, and trying to talk Josh out of the amount of things that he insisted on taking with him. They were on their way to Logan's cabin.

~*

"And you've got my number." Logan checked with Max.

"Yes," Max replied getting short tempered. "Stop worrying! We're all going to be fine. Just find the killer. And if you need any help just call me and I'll come. Okay?"

"Okay." Logan nodded. "Take care Max."

"Don't panic. I'll be fine." Max assured him.

He wanted to kiss her. He want so badly to just take her back with him and spend the nigh with her. But for the sake of his life he decided that that was probably a bad idea. So he got back into his car and drove home alone.

Max watched him drive off. She saw the love in his eyes again for the second time that evening. She sighed to herself. She didn't want to hurt him. Alec and Josh were inside getting settled and she could hear the arguing and headed inside to settle the problem.

~*

Logan decided that he had to call Asha and settle himself. He picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"Hello," Asha's voice appeared on the other end of the line.

"Asha, it's Logan." He said full of nerves.

"What is it Logan?" She asked sensing his worry.

"I have to ask you something." He said trying to find his courage but then decided that since he's got this far he may as well finish it.

"Yes." Asha asked letting a hint of confusion escape in her voice.

"Have S1W been going around killing transgenics?" Logan asked. In his head he really knew that he want to ask, 'have you been going around killing transgenics' but he would have to stick with accusing the S1W for the time being.

"What?" Asha asked, shocked and clearly annoyed. "God no! Why, What, Why would they?" Asha stumbled.

"I don't know. They're dropping like flies around the city and whoever's killing them is packing serious heat." Logan informed her.

"Oh, so because they have advanced weaponry you automatically assumed that the S1W were involved?" Asha yelled at him.

"No, it's just that I have to explore every possibility." He said trying to defend himself.

"Half the people in this city are packing serious heat, Logan!" She informed him before hanging up the phone.

Logan sat down, more frazzled the he'd been at the start of the day.

~*

Asha had never been so out raged at Logan. How dare he blame her S1W for the mess that had nothing to do with them at all? It was her problem and she'd deal with it.

She grabbed a gun out of the top draw of the desk in her office, then her coat from the back of the lounge chair and left her home in search of any transgenics.

"This world's had enough of you people!" She mumbled walking into the streets hoping to find her second victim for that evening.

~*

Max managed to settle Joshua down it one of the rooms and he was fast asleep within minutes. Now to deal with Alec.

"Josh's settled." She said to a clearly bored Alec who was sitting on the couch flipping through Joshua's copy of 'Moby Dick' upside down. "You fool." She said stealing the book off him and plopping on to the couch next to him.

"Logan's family are the most boring people in the world. There's nothing to do here." He pointed out casually wrapping an arm around Max.

"Alec," Max said letting herself out of his grasp, "We're taking this slow, remember?"

"So now I can't touch you at all?" He questioned. "This is going to be just like your relationship with Logan." He stated getting pissed off.

"That's not fair!" She yelled at him.

"What am I supposed to do?" Alec kissed his temper good bye at that point. "I care about you so much and you just keep me at arms length while you decide if you want him or me!"

Max shook her head slightly and remembered, that wasn't the first time that someone had said that to her. She remembered Darren '.but you keep everybody at arms length like you've got some big dark something going on.' She played the scene over in her head like it happened only yesterday. "Good night Alec!" She said getting up, stormed into her room and slammed the door.

"Ouch." Alec said when she was gone. "I really screwed that up!"

~*

Asha knocked on the door of Max's place, when there was no answer she let herself in.

First she went to Max's room and looked around took note of the absence of some of her clothes. She then moved into Cindy's room.

On Cindy's bedside table Asha saw a note written in Max's hand writing. She picked it up and read it.

'Cindy, Logan thinks that this transgenic killer chick must be after me or something so Me, Alec and Joshua are heading out to Logan's cabin for a few days while he tries to catch her. Anyway, tell Normal that I won't be into work for a couple of days. Thanks. Oh, you should probably tell him that Alec won't be in either. Love ya. Max'

"You can run from me Max but you can't hide!" Asha whispered and silently left.

TO BE CONTINUED!!!