Chapter 6 - Giving In

The next day Alec was pacing outside in the garden beside Raven's room trying to think of what he was going to say to her. He wanted to ask her so many things, but mainly he just wanted to kiss her, just once, maybe once he did those weird feelings he had inside him would go away and stop keeping him up at night. Alec passed an old abandoned tool shed and he heard someone giggling and then a gruff voice followed by the sounds of movement.

"Joshua," a high-pitched voice squealed and Joshua grunted in response and Alec stepped away from the shed. Whoa, even Joshua was getting some; Alec thought to himself with a smile, perhaps it was his lucky day. He wandered away from the shed and closer to Raven's window thinking he could climb in and surprise her or even just pop his head in and say hello. He had read somewhere in a pre-pulse book that some guy called Romeo did something like that once for this girl he liked called Juliet, and to Alec the idea seemed okay to use right now. That guy Romeo got the girl and a kiss, but Alec couldn't remember what happened at the end, not like it mattered. 

"So what is it with this guy Raven?" Alec heard a voice ask and he realised he was hearing a conversation between Raven and Falcon. He stood next to the window hidden from view wondering what they would be talking about.

"I don't know, I know its hopeless, we can never be together, because of what Manticore did to me, you know my story, I can't fall in love with anyone," Raven told Falcon collapsing onto her bed overdramatically and Falcon rolled her eyes.

"I sense a but," Falcon prompted and Raven looked over at her nodding to show Falcon was correct in her assumption.

"But there's something about him makes me want to fall in love with him, the way he looks at me with his eyes shining, the way he smiles and the left side of his mouth crinkles just a little, the way he laughs, just everything about him," Raven said dreamily and Falcon snorted at her sister, never having seen her so…out of it.

"You have issues girl, seriously," Falcon told her seriously and Raven threw a pillow at Falcon and Falcon caught it and chucked it back.

"But I know what he's like, remember I was the one who was assigned to get information on him while you and the others were looking into Max and Logan, I know everything about him, I know about Rachel, I know about all his one night stands, I know everything like that but still I…I think I may love him," Raven said slowly and Falcon was looking at her, no trace of laughter in her face as she realised what a horrid situation Raven was in.

"But you only just really met him, you love him? Are you sure?" Falcon asked willing it to be true and yet wishing it weren't so because Falcon and Raven both knew it could only end in pain. That's the way it had always been for the five of them, especially Raven.

"I think so, I've never had a feeling like this before so it must be real love, the only one I came close to feeling this way for was…Cai," Raven voice choked with emotion at the name but she laughed it off to add, "Imagine me falling in love with a regular Casanova, I must be crazy."

"My Raven your standards in men have certainly dropped," Falcon tried to get her to smile and was rewarded for her effort with a weak grin.

"Thus disproving the age old theory that quality is better that quantity," Alec inserted into the conversation popping his head through the window and both Raven and Falcon turned to the window in shock.

"You peeping tom!" Raven said grabbing a pillow to throw at him and Alec caught it and dangled it to her like bait.

"Get him Raven!" Falcon encouraged ready to see him get the beating he deserved and Alec grinned cockily knowing Rave wouldn't try and kick his ass.

"Come and get it," Alec invited her and Raven raced to the window and Alec pulled the pillow away stilling grinning. Raven looked down at him holding out her hands expecting the pillow to be given back and Alec pulled it out of her grasp again teasingly.

"I'll give it to you for a kiss," Alec tempted her and Raven looked alarmed but they were all interrupted when Max came running out her eyes wild with horror.

"White…" she gasped and Raven and Alec were on the defensive but as soon as they heard Max's next words they looked at each other horrified, "he has Logan."

"How did this happen?" Alec asked, as Max, him and Raven all walked into the control room and Max looked away from him angry with herself for not watching out for Logan. She should have been more careful but all this time on the outside had weakened her senses.

"We ran out of wine and Logan said he was going to sneak out and get some, I didn't think there would be any problem I mean he's a norm and all, I watched him go and he wasn't more than a few hundred metres from the gate when White's men jumped him, the next thing I knew he was bundled into a car and gone, then White left this for me," Max said handing over a slip of paper with dark black writing scrawled onto the paper, and Alec scanned the address quickly before handing it to Raven who clutched it tightly pursing her lips.

"Okay Max, you have to calm down, we'll get him back," Alec said uncomfortably patting her on the back in an attempt to be considerate but not knowing how to do it. He hadn't been taught how to deal with a woman and her many floods of emotion.

"How are we gonna do that, the note says a simple swap, Logan for me, typical bad guy, I'm gonna kick the shit out of him!" Max said slamming her fist into her palm getting ready to jump on her bike and ride off to get White but Alec held her back and she struggled half heartedly not having the strength to fight him and hold onto her anger for White.

"That's the spirit Maxie but we gotta do this the right way, plan out assault perfectly," Alec tried to explain to Max to get her to think clearly and Max sighed deeply and nodded her agreement and Alec looked around but found they were one person short and he looked questioningly at Max who looked back at him blankly when he asked, "hey where's Raven?"

Raven strolled up to the address, which happened to be a run down convention centre that looked like it hadn't been used in years, and she jumped over the wire gate blocking the entrance easily. She continued walking, unafraid waiting for someone to spot her and she was well aware of the multitude of agents closing in on her.

"Stop where you are!" a voice commanded and Raven did as she was told putting her hands in the air and smiling innocently. The four agents came over to her and looked her over guns still cocked and aimed at her. Raven could have taken them down easily but this was all part of her plan, she needed to get captured so she would be able to find Logan. One of the agents looked her over appreciatively while another pulled out his walkie-talkie.

"Sir we have someone in custody, it's a girl," the agent said into the walkie-talkie and after a bit of radio static came a reply,

"Hold her until I come."

Raven stood there patiently hands behind her head while the four agents kept their weapons aimed on her. They had all been briefed on Raven and her kind and they weren't going to take any chances. White arrived on the scene and circled her, disappointed obvious on his face when he realised it wasn't Max standing before him. White walked up to inspect her and Raven recognised him as the guy she was looking for and lowered her hands spinning around in order to display her barcode for him to view.

"I have come to offer myself for Logan Cale," Raven said looking White straight in the eye and White gestured to two of his agents who came forward and grabbed her by the arms, while Raven stood there without struggling. White came forward to Raven putting his face in front of her and he smirked cruelly touching her face lightly with his fingers.

"Well unfortunately for you and him, I don't want either of you," White informed her laughing then he gestured for his agents to take her away.

Minutes later Raven found herself chained with her arms behind the pillar at her back. She could see Logan tied to a chair a blindfold over his eyes. Raven used her enhanced vision and practically winced at the state he was in. His face looked freshly bruised and there was blood coming from all different points on his face and head.  As soon as the agents left the room Raven dared to whisper to him.

"Logan, its Raven, you okay?" she asked and she heard Logan chuckle at her question.

"I've been better," he coughed and a trickle of blood dripped out of his mouth, "so this is what it feels like to get the crap kicked out of me."

Raven giggled at him but stopped immediately when White entered the room by himself. Obviously he thought her no big threat, especially al tied up as she was. He seemed fascinated by Raven as he came to stand in front of her. White was actually impressed with this girls bravery, she had spunk but spunk alone would not save her now. She would die, just like the rest of her kind and White and his kind would make the world a better place.

"You have a lot of guts coming here by yourself; freak," White hissed at her hatefully and Raven merely smiled at him, not at all intimidated by him. 

"You got a lot of guts stealing Max's man and beating him up, when she gets here your ass is hers," Raven retorted looking pointedly at Logan and White laughed incredulously at her comment amused by her inference that he feared Max.

"452? I'm not scared of her," White said cockily and Raven narrowed her eyes into slits and glared at White knowingly.

"You should be, you know as well as I do what she will be able to do in time, your cult doesn't stand a chance, its all there in the runes," Raven taunted White knowing he would understand and White's face turned pale with anger. How had she discovered the translation of Max's runes, only he and the members of the cult knew anything about them. The mere thought of the second coming had caused an uproar with the coven and almost placed White in the line of fire. If he didn't get 452 soon they would be replacing him and there was no way White would let that happen.

"Those runes mean nothing," he said more to convince himself than anyone else in the room and Raven laughed out loud at him Calling his bluff.

"How come you don't sound so sure?" Raven teased him and White grabbed her chin roughly in his hands forcing her to look at him as he gazed into her clear brown eyes.

"I am sure," White said darkly daring her to challenge him and Raven smirked.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," she said smartly and White slapped her across the face with the back of his hand.

"You pathetic excuse…" White growled pushing his face up to hers and Raven blew air onto his face, that strange pink gas, and White couldn't help but breathe it in and he pulled away from her shaking his head as he finished his sentence, "for a human…"

White couldn't remember what he had been talking about. All of a sudden all he could see was Raven, and in particular her lips. He licked his own lustily taking a step towards her hesitantly not sure why he had the strangest urge to kiss her.

"I know your thinking about kissing me, don't you want to?" Raven asked coyly smiling and she saw Logan snap to attention from the corner of her eyes and she noticed he was struggling against his bonds. Raven prayed that if he did get free he wouldn't get any ideas about chivalry and trying to save her. Raven knew what she was doing, she didn't need Logan to interfere, he would only get hurt.

"Yes…I mean…no…I… you're nothing but a dirty transgenic," White shook his head getting all confused and Raven smiled sweetly at him enticing White forward and he stepped closer to her.

"Just once don't you want to see what its like to kiss a transgenic? We're not all as bad as you think," Raven said and White reached out to touch Raven's cheek gently and his finger ran over her lips.

"I…" White breathed deeply as his eyes remained fixed on her pink lips and Raven pouted.

"Don't you want to kiss me?" Raven whispered seductively to White and overcome by the urge to kiss her White pressed his body against hers and kissed her passionately, his tongue slipping into her mouth and Raven responded to the kiss.

Alec disposed of the last agent blocking the way to the room where a stuttering agent had told them held Raven and Logan. Alec was eager to find Raven, feeling guilty about letting her go off alone. He heard the sound of footsteps behind him but he didn't even need to turn to know it was Max. They reached the door and sharing a smirk with Max, Alec kicked open the door. The sight that greeted him infuriated him nearly to the point of madness. He saw White forcing himself upon Raven and Alec's blood began to boil.

"Get away from her," Alec yelled and White backed away from Raven looking around disorientated. He looked from Alec back to Raven then to Alec again and his look of surprised melted into a scowl directed at Alec.

"494!" he hissed and he and Alec began circling each other ready for battle while Max rushed to Logan to undo his blindfold and untie him. She did so within seconds and as Logan slumped forward and Max jumped away not wanting to touch him. Helplessly she looked at Raven who cocked her head to her own bindings.

"Alec, be careful," Raven cried out to Alec worried for him and Alec nodded to show he understood but he kept his eyes fixed firmly on White. This was one fight he wasn't going to allow White to walk away from.

White growled and made to lunge at Alec and mid air he suddenly grabbed at his throat and fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, his body twitching and his eyes rolling up into the back of his head. Max untied Raven her gaze fixed on White's body as shocked as Alec was just standing there staring down at White. Raven moved forward and grabbed Logan's arm wrapping it around her shoulders and she hefted his dead weight onto her shoulder.

"What happened to him?" Alec asked questioningly of Raven who shrugged looking away from him and Max's searching eyes.

"We better go, he'll be dead soon," Raven said surely helping Logan limp to the door and Alec started to follow but Max didn't move staring down without sympathy at White's body.

"Let's wait and be sure," Max said wanting to know for sure that White would die and never bother her or her kind again but Raven shook her head.

"Trust me Max, he will die, let's get out of here," Raven pleaded again and Alec went to relieve her of her burden taking Logan over his shoulder.

"Fine, have it your way, but I really wanted to see this asshole cark it," Max said pouting before she gave White's body a kick and strolled to join Raven at the door. They both looked back on White's body before giving each other a high five and leaving the room.

Back at Terminal City Alec handed Logan over to Dove and Joshua who set about getting Logan to a bed where he could rest. Dove turned her gaze questioningly to Raven who shook her head silently and Dove took the order and kept her mouth shut. Max went to follow them worried for Logan when Raven's voice stopped her.

"Hey Max, I overheard White telling his men to go check on a laboratory run by the Familiars, its on Bakersfield Street, in a rundown old motel, you should check it out sometime, maybe the cure will turn up there, I mean it was the Familiars who gave Renfro the virus in the first place," Raven said shrugging and Max smiled nodding her head before turning on her heel to look after Logan.

Joshua and Dove helped Logan to a private room and laid him down on the bed gently. Dove checked his wounds worriedly and made a mental note to bring some bandages and water while Joshua stared down at Logan wondering what he could do to help. Dove reached over to squeeze Joshua's hand before running off in the direction of the infirmary while Joshua remained in the room. Max entered slowly her eyes not moving from Logan's still form lying on the bed. Slowly she walked over to him and sat down beside his bed. Joshua paused at the door looking at the both of them.

"Logan be okay little fella?" he asked slowly and Max smiled at him affectionately.

"Yeah big fella, he'll be all good when I get through with him," she said and Joshua frowned as another thought crossed his mind having heard the rumours from Dix and Mole.

"Is White all gone now?" Joshua asked hesitantly and Max nodded.

"Yeah, now we can all sleep better at night," Max said and Joshua gave her the thumbs up before closing the door behind him.

Max pulled on her black latex gloves that she carried everywhere with her and reached out to gently touch the egg shaped bruise on Logan's forehead. Logan stirred and opened his eyes, his face melting into a smile at the sight of Max.

"You look like shit," Max blurted out and Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

"Thanks, I try," he said wryly and the two started laughing when Logan frowned and looked sad, "you know the worst thing?"

"What could be worse than you nearly getting killed?" Max asked in wonder and Logan smiled ruefully bringing a hand to rub his head experimentally.

"I didn't even get the wine," he reminded her and Max laughed again shaking her head at him getting up to wander to the cracked window and stare out into the darkness.

"You're insane, has anyone ever told you that?" Max asked him turning to stare down at him lovingly and Logan grinned up at her.

"I tell myself that every day," he assured her and Max laughed some more feeling better for it.

"So now you know what its like to get your ass kicked," Max told him thinking about all the times it had been her ass being kicked and Logan being the one who looked after her. It was role reversal time and Max was kinda glad and kinda sad at the same time. She wanted to be the one who cared for Logan when he was sick but not when he got beat up over her.

"Yeah not something I want to happen again," he said surely and Max winked down at him.

"Well you might get lucky," she said walking over to turn off the main light leaving only a cracked night light on and an orange haze fell across the room. Logan turned his head to look at Max and at the sight of the light on Max's face Logan sucked in a breath in amazement and awe.

"Max, you look really pretty in this light," he said in wonder staring at her and Max tried to laugh off her blush at his words.

"Are you kidding me? I'm all sweaty and my hair and face is a total mess, don't tell me your still delirious," Max said coming to sit beside him and Logan held out his hand which Max took obligingly.

"No Max, you look perfect," Logan complimented her and Max had to fight back the urge to bend over and kiss him. Didn't want him dying on her, not when she had just saved him.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she said as tears of self-pity began to fill her eyes.

"I thought I looked like shit?" Logan tried to make her smile and was rewarded with a small grin as Max pulled his sheets up over his chest right up to his chin.

"Not on the inside you don't," she said resting her head on his chest not touching his skin and Logan didn't know whether this was the appropriate time to bring up the one thing that was bothering him.

"Max, I heard something strange when I was held prisoner, I think I heard Raven telling White to kiss her, I may have been a little dizzy but….Raven wouldn't have said that right?" Logan asked and Max sat up frowning.

"You might have been hallucinating, are you sure you heard it?" she asked and Logan blinked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well everything is kinda fuzzed up, I'm not sure, should we talk to her?" he wanted to know and Max thought about it and decided against both of them asking her, might freak the girl out.

"Let me, it's a girl thang," Max said snapping her fingers as she walked to the door but Logan soft voice stopped her,

"Max."

Max turned at the door her hands on her hips and Logan grinned.

"You're not going to say 'be careful' are you?" Max asked him thinking that would be too predictable and Logan laughed again followed by a little cough.

"Nope," he said shaking his head and his voice went all quite as his gaze became soft and warm, "come back soon."

"I will always come back to you Logan," Max promised in a choked voice and left before Logan could say anymore just as Dove entered the room with her bandages and warm water.

Raven remained silent when Max had left staring after her and, confused by her apparent lack of interest in him, Alec spun Raven around and hugged her.

"Stop looking at Max and look at me," he encouraged her and Raven looked up and grinned at him before hitting him upside the head.

"Challenging White by yourself was the dumbest thing I've ever seen, you could have been hurt," Raven scolded Alec for his reckless nature and Alec shrugged not really caring.

"But I wasn't," Alec pointed out proudly and Raven hugged him.

"I'm so glad your okay," she said sincerely and Alec pulled away to look down at her.

"I'm glad your okay as well," he said smiling and he bent his head to kiss her and Raven moved away from him before his lips even came close to touching hers.

"Raven what gives?" Alec demanded loosing his patience. Every girl he had ever met couldn't wait to kiss him and get down his pants and Alec hadn't really minded but Raven was different, that was why he wanted to be with her in the first place but something was wrong between them and Alec didn't know what it was. He hadn't done anything that he could think of, why was Raven keeping her distance from him?

"What do you mean?" Raven asked innocently and Alec grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shook her loosing his patience.

"What do I mean? How can we begin anything when you can't even stand to be near me?" Alec demanded not relinquishing his grip of her shoulders and Raven looked up at him desperately running a hand down the side of his face gently.

"Alec please calm down," Raven entreated him her eyes glistening with tears and Alec took hold of her hand and held it fast his firm gaze remaining fixed on her face.

"Raven, one kiss, that's all I ask," Alec told her simply and Raven stiffened pulling her hand from his grasp.

"I can't give it you," Raven said begging Alec to understand her as she took a step away from him but Alec's eyes didn't leave her.

"If you care about me even a little, prove it," Alec told her and Raven shook her head as her eyes began to fill with tears of self-pity.

"Alec I told you, I can't, you don't understand," Raven told him shaking her head and backing away slowly and Alec walked towards her.

"Then make me," he pleaded and Raven looked away from him.

"I can't," she said softly and she didn't move as she felt Alec brush past her and when she was sure he had gone Raven allowed herself to burst into tears.

Max had been standing in the hallway and heard the end snippets from the conversation. Feeling sorry for Raven Max made a move to comfort her but Raven covered her face with her hands and ran off into the night. Looking after Alec then Raven it was the latter whom Max decided to follow and see if she could talk some sense into the two mixed up would-be-lovers.