DISCLAIMER: I don't own 'em.
A/N: Last part people, thanks again to Milla for the fantastic effort with the beta and to Trice, without whom this wouldn't have been written so fast… You guys should all thank them.
PART 4
Syl watched her sister with the norm, Logan; they were sitting on the floor together at the back of the van. Max was leaning against him as they talked softly and stroking his hand.
Tuning in her hearing, she decided to eavesdrop a little.
"So I was thinking we could head up to the cabin like we were going to…" he said, stroking Max's hand while gazing into her eyes. "What do you think?"
"Would you leave the work at home this time? 'Cause I think time at the cabin sounds pretty good… Just you and me."
"No laptop, not even a phone, I promise."
Syl turned at the feeling that she was being watched, meeting Krit's eyes.
"Don't," he said. "You can worry about Max later."
"I wasn't…"
"You were listening in, I can tell." He moved closer, crouching near her. "At least someone's getting a chance to relax before we do this."
"Yeah," she nodded in agreement. "So what's your favourite city?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The van pulled to a stop and while Lydecker and Zack ran over the mission, Logan worked at hacking into the Manticore system, finding it surprisingly easy to reach the security setup and access the camera feeds.
The X5's stood, Zack leading them into the darkness. Max paused for a moment and Logan reached out to gently touch her cheek.
"I'd kiss you, but I have to keep my head in the game," she said, her eyes dark with some fear he didn't quite understand.
"Just come back." He let his hand drop away and returned to the van after she'd disappeared into the night.
After a few moments Lydecker followed, sitting in the other chair and scanning the screens with an impassive face.
"She's the best of the X series, she'll be fine."
Logan ignored him, typing commands as he sent the feed to the informant net and creating a worm to copy the database there. Lydecker claimed this attack would end Manticore, but the information would come in handy if it didn't.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * *
Logan watched anxiously as Max ran through the corridors. It had almost killed him to tell her where Brin was, but she'd managed to neutralize her easily and was now approaching the main door to the facility.
"She's clear. Detonate," he said as the door swung shut behind her.
Lydecker didn't respond; he was lost in thought, staring at the monitor that showed the DNA lad.
"I said, she's clear," Logan repeated, reaching for his weapon and aiming it at Lydecker's head.
"Do it now." Slowly the man depressed the button and the lab exploded as planned. Logan's attention returned immediately to the X5's on their way back to the van.
"Krit, Syl?" he asked, knowing they should have been back already.
"On our way," replied Krit. "Had to detour."
"Max, where are you?"
"Almost home."
"Zack, talk to me."
"On my way."
Then Max spoke again. "Do you know who I am?"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Max stopped as a figure stepped into the clearing. It took less than a second before she realised that this was a younger version of herself.
Trust Manticore to be sick enough to create clones.
Max considered what her reaction would have been to an intruder if she'd never escaped Manticore.
The clone raised her weapon, aiming for Max's torso, probably the heart. It would be a kill order, not a capture order, that Manticore would have given tonight.
"Do you know who I am?" she asked again.
The clone pulled the trigger. Max had already flung herself to the right, the movement just enough that the bullet missed her body, but grazed her arm.
Max was already moving forward before the X7 realised her shot had missed. A kick to the gun and it flew into the underbrush, evening the odds of the fight.
They circled each other, scanning for an opening in the other's guard. The clone darted forward with a flurry of punches.
Max kicked out at the clone, falling to the ground when the clone caught her foot and threw her off balance.
Almost immediately she was back on her feet, meeting the
clone's renewed attack.
Max managed to fend them off, somehow knowing what the clone was going to try.
"You know what really pisses me off? When a poser bites my stilo," she said, knowing that talking would throw the clone off her game.
Max thumped her in the face, and when the clone tried to hit her back she used her momentum to throw the girl over her shoulder. Keeping hold of the arm and using her body for leverage she broke the clone's arm, letting the body drop to the ground. As the clone struggled to get back up, Max raised her foot.
"Nighty night." Then she kicked her in the side of the girl's head, knocking her unconscious before resuming running to the van.
Syl and Krit were already waiting inside when she got there, and Zack appeared over the hill, followed by several of the younger X's. He was limping slightly but he managed to make the van with yards to spare. Syl and Krit fired to cover his path as Lydecker floored the van and Logan slammed the door shut.
"It's just a sprain," said Zack. "One of the little punks tripped me."
"Max, are you okay?" Logan asked anxiously.
The graze had bled, creating a large stain from her upper arm across her chest. Pushing her into the seat he began removing the camouflage jacket, unaware that Krit and Syl were holding Zack back from interfering.
"It's just a graze, Logan," Max said. "I'll be fine. Ouch."
Logan pulled out the first aid kit that had been stored in one of the overheard racks, ignoring her protest that she was fine. He mopped gently at the wound with antiseptic, before bandaging it, unaware that the whole time he was being watched by three pairs of interested eyes.
Each movement conveyed the tenderness he felt for Max, when finally he recapped the bottle and kissed her forehead lightly.
"For a moment I thought I was gonna lose you."
"I promised I'd come back," she responded, laying her head on his shoulder as she enjoyed his warmth.
Both forgot their audience until Syl spoke.
"Well, in the immortal words of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'We saved the world.' I say we party."
Max looked up, smiling over Logan's shoulder at her siblings.
"Well," she drawled, eyes twinkling with mischief. "I know this bar in Seattle…"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Max looked around Crash, happy that Krit and Syl were blending in well with her friends. Unfortunately, Zack was lurking in one corner and Lydecker was at the end of the bar. But a girl can't have everything, right?
After she emptied the pitcher into Syl and Sketchy's mugs, she headed to the bar, noticing that Zack was staring at her again.
"Hey, Harold," she said as the bartender took the pitcher. "Can I get another pitcher please, and give my friend at the end of the bar another ice water."
"Sure, Max," he replied, pulling the beer quickly then heading further up the bar to serve other customers.
Max headed over to Zack, who had chosen a table in the darkest corner of the bar. Sitting in the empty seat next to him she filled his glass and sighed.
"You don't have to approve of my choices, Zack," she said softly. "You don't even have to like them, but it'd be nice if my big brother could pretend once in a while."
As he remained silent, she stood and began walking away.
"Max…"
She paused, turning to face him again. "I don't know if I can be what you want me to be."
"Well I can't be what you want me to be, so you're going to have to try."
He looked over the room before meeting her eyes again.
"I'll try."
"That's all I'm asking," she said. Leaving him sitting there she headed to the table where Krit and Logan were sitting.
Leaning over Logan's shoulder, she placed the pitcher of beer on the table.
"Let's get out of here."
Logan smiled, and followed her from Crash without a word.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Logan lit the last candle and smiled at Max.
"You like?" he asked, his voice deep with emotion and desire.
She nodded. "I like." She curled her legs beneath her on the bed, shifting to a crouch as he slowly approached.
He unbuttoned the cotton shirt he was wearing, dropping it to the floor before joining her on the bed. She smiled as their eyes met; a smile that was full of mystery, hinting at her passion
He slid his hands into her jacket, pushing it from her shoulders with a caress. Slowly he slid his hands up her arms, pulling her hair away from her face as she silently willed him to kiss her.
It was fierce, gentle yet hungry, and slowly his hands slipped back down her body, and under the hem of her top.
Max pulled away slightly, their eyes locking for a moment. Then she tugged her top over her head, Logan's hands helping her to remove the garment, which she threw behind her.
Moving closer again, she claimed his mouth, her hands in his hair as the heat between them grew. Gently he guided one of her hands toward his waist, silently telling her he needed her touch on his skin, the other hand he slid under her tank top, pressing her slightly forward as he took control of the kiss again.
Helplessly her other hand fell away from his hair, landing on his shoulder while she enjoyed the sensations he was creating in her.
Logan leaned forward, laying Max back on the mattress and sat back to admire her beauty as she lay spread before him. He pulled his t-shirt over his head, not knowing or caring where it landed as he moved back over her, resting on his elbows to kiss her.
Her hands began to fumble with the fastenings of his jeans, and he slipped his hands under her tank top, working it over her head and slowly kissing his way down her body.
Using hands and mouth he worshipped her, caressing and biting as she whimpered and moved under him.
Finally as he tortured her by rolling his tongue around her belly button, she pushed him away, tugging at his jeans and managing to work them down his hips a little.
He pushed them down further along with his boxers, kicking them free as he undid her jeans, and her legs were surprisingly sensitive to his caress. Finally he moved back up, and only one last lacy barrier between them.
He disposed of it with a quick yank, tearing it away.
Max began to laugh suddenly, the mood lightening from the intensity that they'd been experiencing until that moment.
"What's so funny?" he asked, a tinge of hurt pride in his voice.
"You… and the tearing… and the cave man act…" she managed to gasp, as she met his eyes.
"So I'm funny am I?" he asked. "You think I'm just kidding around."
He moved over her, and suddenly things didn't seem so funny anymore, Max stopped laughing and looked into his eyes. He leaned down slowly, kissing her gently before pulling away again.
She shifted under him, raising her leg as he moved inside her, enjoying the sensation of his own body, different against hers.
Propped on his elbows he kissed her, slowly increasing the tension between them as she grasped his shoulders and met his thrusts.
Lifting a hand to his head she guided him to her neck, and slowly he began to lightly suck on it, biting gently and soothing with his tongue as he went.
Throwing her head back she screamed as the world dissolved, leaving only her and Logan. Logan's hand reached out and grabbed hers, as if holding her to that slim piece of reality.
As they lay tangled together, he managed to pull the covers over them. Placing a gentle kiss on her lips he hugged her closer and they drifted off to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * * ** * * * *
Logan sat on the Space Needle, looking out over the city.
"Sometimes it seems like it all happened to someone else - - like maybe it was a
story I heard. Even though I…"
"Hey" Max said from behind him, interrupting his internal monologue. "I thought you were afraid of heights."
"I was, but as long as you're in my life I'm not scared of anything," he replied with a wide smile.
"Guess I'd better stick around then," she said, walking to stand next to him. "Can't have Eyes Only afraid of his own shadow."
He held out a hand to her, smiling as she sat next to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her even closer.
"So, we've saved the world… what's next? Disneyland?"
She sat up again. "Actually I was thinking more like… that promised trip to the cabin."
Logan smiled, turning to face her and resting his forehead against hers. "Whatever you want, Max," he murmured.
Closing the distance he kissed her softly, enjoying the sweetness of her lips against his. After a few moments she pulled away.
"So, say for instance someone tore off my underwear, and I wanted it to happen again…?"
She laughed at the look on his face, before snuggling back into his body.
Together they looked out over the city, Eyes Only and his dark angel; content with the world and each other.
END
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