"Your Song"
by Kirsten Tapp

Disclaimer:

Dark Angel doesn't belong to the author, but to James Cameron, etc. The characters of Nigel, the drunks, Devon and Alicia however do belong to the author. No copyright infringement intended. Crash and Burn lyrics belong to D. Hayes and D. Jones and come from Savage Garden's CD: Affirmation.

Summary:

In an attempt to speed up her romance with Logan, Max searches for the perfect song.

Timeframe:

Occurs after "Proof Of Purchase".

Rating:

PG 13


Max paced back and forth in the living room of her apartment. She knew that she was the one who had wanted to take things slow, but she was beginning to feel as if she and Logan had gone so slowly they had stopped. Normally she would talk things over with Original Cindy, actually Original Cindy would nag her until she talked things over with her. Unfortunately, her friend had gone to visit a relative out of town. She glanced of her watch, it was late so Jondy would be at work. "I need some sisterly advice," she muttered to herself as she dialed the number.

Nigel shook his head and laughed at his redheaded bartender. "I'm waiting for the day you run out of smart ass replies for all of the guys that keep hitting on you." He picked up the ringing phone. "Hello." He recognized Max's voice instantly. "Hey, Max. Yeah, she's right here." He held the phone out for Jondy. "Jess! Your sister's on the phone."

Jondy took the cordless phone from her boss and tucked it between her shoulder and her ear. "What's up?" She continued to serve customers while she listened to her sister.

"What? I can't just call you to make sure you're alright?" Max knew by her sister's silent response that Jondy wasn't fooled for a moment. "Fine. You're the one always beating men off with a stick. How do I get Logan to leave his computer and spend more time with me?"

Jondy rolled her eyes and smiled to herself. "Got bored with taking things slow, didn't you?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Why don't you take him out somewhere, instead of waiting for him to spoil you? You want to be romantic? Then the two of you need a song."

Max was confused. "What do you mean we need a song? How the hell is that going to help? Besides Logan likes classical music and I prefer something heavier."

"Then find something in the middle." With twelve adopted daughters and a set of twins of her own, Jondy was used to coming home to a range of different types of music. "I'll see what I can find at home for you. The idea is that you find the perfect song that every time you hear it, you think of Logan and vice versa."

Max had to admit it sounded like a good idea. It also peaked her curiosity. "Did you and Devon have a song?" she asked shyly. "I mean, I know he was gay and all, but you two were still really close."

Jondy couldn't believe how much she still missed Devon. Nobody understood her the way he had. "Not really. He used think that Maneater by Hall and Oats used to describe me in heat. He actually managed to track the song down for me. It's pretty old."

Max chuckled. "Not very romantic, but I get the picture. So any ideas where I can take him?"

"Somewhere by the water where you can look up at the stars. Add a bottle of wine, a blanket and a picnic basket to the picture and who knows?" She knew she had given her sister something to think about. "Have I been enough help?"

"Yeah, thanks. I'll let you know how it goes. Bye." Max hung up the phone. Her sister had been a huge help. Sitting on the floor, she started pulling out CD after CD searching for a song.

Jondy started running song titles through her head but nothing seemed right for Max and Logan. She looked up as yet another alcohol induced male stumbled towards her.

"Hello Darling." The man leaned on the bar. "You just met the man of your dreams." He looked very convinced in his statement.

"Actually, I'm waiting for him to come up for parole." Jondy shot back sweetly. She strutted down the other end of the bar leaving Nigel laughing at the stunned would be suitor.

Logan stretched his cramping limbs. He had been working most of the night and although he had accomplished a lot, he couldn't help but miss Max's presence. He had agreed with her to take things slow, mainly because he didn't want to scare her off. The apartment felt so empty when she wasn't there. Glancing at the clock, he was surprised to see how late it was. Knowing Original Cindy was away for a couple of days, he picked up the phone and called Max. Ordinarily, he wouldn't call this late in case he woke Original Cindy.

Max frowned at the phone. Who would be calling this late at night. She picked up the phone, still flicking through CDs. "Hello?"

"Hey." Logan wondered for a moment if he had actually woken her. She sounded a little grumpy. "You weren't asleep, were you?" He became concerned. Max only slept a lot when she was ill.

"No. Just looking for a song." Max brightened up at the sound of Logan's voice. "You sound tired. Have you been working all night?"

"Yeah. I just wanted to hear your voice before I turn in." He reached out to touch the photo of Max that he had on his desk. "I wish you were here," he murmured. The photo couldn't compare with the real thing.

Max's smile broadened. "You need some sleep. If I were there the last thing you'd be doing is sleeping."

Logan chuckled. He knew she was right. "I'd best say good night then. Good luck finding your song. I love you."

"I love you too." Max hung onto the phone long after Logan had hung up. Finally she put the phone down and went back to searching for their song.

Zane's dog looked up as Jondy entered the living room shedding her jacket as she walked. The animal trotted over to its master's sister for a pat on the head. Once it had received the greeting, it returned to sit at Zane's feet.

Jondy sat down beside her sleeping brother and nudged him. "Is this what you call waiting up for me?" she joked as she watched her brother rub his eyes.

"Yeah." Zane's brown eyes were full of concern. "Alicia's skin's shedding again. Poor kid. Makes me glad we have feline DNA and not snake."

"You still going to Seattle tomorrow?" Jondy pulled her red hair into a pony tail.

"Yeah, why?" Zane could practically hear Jondy's brain ticking over. "What are you up to?"

Jondy took Zane's hand and pulled him up off the sofa. "We have to find Max and Logan a song. I just want to check on Alicia first."

Zane clicked his fingers to beckon his dog. "This is going to be a 'you'll know it when you hear it' search, isn't is?" He followed his sister up the stairs. This could take hours or just five minutes, he wished he knew which it was.

Ten minutes later, Zane and Jondy were sitting cross-legged on the floor. Alicia, who was the youngest of the adopted girls, was curled up beside Jondy with her head resting on Jondy's leg. Zane's dog was laying beside Alicia, it's head on it's paws watching with great interest.

Zane looked bewildered. "Can we cut this down at all?"

Jondy shrugged. "I guess. Logan likes classical and Max likes her music on the heavy side. Somehow we have to find a happy medium." She pushed the likes of ACDC, Guns and Roses, Pantera and Metallica aside, but kept Linkin Park as a possibility. She could recall one song that might work.

Zane separated Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, any Opera and any stage shows from the pile left in front of them. "That leaves us with Britney Spears, Westlife, No Doubt, N'Sync, Stellar, Zed, Tina Cousins, Elton John, Backstreet Boys and a few with various artists."

Jondy giggled at the selection. "I don't think we'll find what we're looking for on any of these rap CDs." She pushed another handful aside.

"Call me crazy, but I don't see Logan as a Britney Spears fan." Zane pushed another three CD's aside.

Alicia looked up at Jondy. "Maybe Daddy has what you're looking for." She sat up and reached into the cupboard where the CD's were kept and pulled out a box and handed it to Jondy. As Jondy opened the box, Alicia pointed to a CD. "He played that one a lot."

Jondy glanced at Zane before she pulled the CD out of the box. "Savage Garden. Affirmation." She remembered Devon playing the CD while they had been working on a cure for the 'love bug' virus. Handing the disk to Zane, she quickly glanced through the lyrics inside the cover. "Try track five."

Zane placed the disk in the machine and selected track five before pushing play. He leaned towards his sister to see what the song title was. "Crash and Burn. I thought Max was going for romantic."

Jondy pointed out the chorus of the song on the disk cover. "It's perfect for Max and Logan." She smiled to herself. "You tell them when you get to Seattle that I'm going to want this CD back. It's only on loan until they get their own copy."

Zane put his arm about Jondy's shoulders. "You still miss him, don't you?" He didn't need her to answer, he could tell by the look in her eyes that she had a big part of her left hollow when Devon had died.

"Yeah." Jondy stroked her daughter's hair. The little girl had fallen asleep while the music was playing. "I miss him the most when I'm in a bad mood. He's the only one who can shake me out of those."

Zane kissed the top of Jondy's head. "I bet he's still watching over you with the blue lady." He stood picking up Alicia as he went. "I'm going to try and get some sleep after I drop Alicia off in her own bed. I'll see you before I go in the morning." He left his sister to her thoughts. He doubted she would ever get over losing Devon.

Logan woke to the sound of plastic hitting wood. Confused as to what the sound was, he climbed out of bed and followed the sound to his living room. He found Max sitting cross-legged on the floor going through his CD collection. "What are you looking for?" He sat down beside her on the wooden floor.

"Our song." Max was so deep in concentration that she didn't realize Logan had only just climbed out of bed. "Nothing." She felt disappointed. She looked over at Logan noticing for the first time how disheveled he looked. "It's lunchtime. Are you only just getting out of bed?"

"Good morning to you too." Logan kissed her before looking at the mess of CD cases on the floor. "What song were you looking for?"

Max shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter. I couldn't find it here or at my crib."

"Jondy found it for you." Zane chuckled as they both jumped. "She wants the CD back when you've got your own copy." He tossed the CD to Max. "Track five." He turned and left as quietly as he had arrived with his dog as always beside him.

"That was short and sweet." Logan shot Max a puzzled look.

Max put the disc in the machine, selected the track and pushed play. "He'll probably go and stay with Original Cindy. She's back." At that moment the song started to play. As soon as she heard the lyrics, a smile lit up Max's face. "Perfect."

When you feel all alone
And the world has turned it's back on you
Give me a moment please to tame your wild, wild heart
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold.
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore

Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone

When you feel all alone
And a loyal friend is hard to find
You're caught in a one-way street
With the monsters in your head
When hopes and dreams are far away and
You feel like you can't face the day.

Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone

Because there has always been heartache and pain
And when it's over you'll breathe again
You'll breathe again

When you feel all alone
And the world has turned its back on you
Give me a moment please
To tame your wild, wild heart

Let me be the one you call
If you jump I'll break your fall
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night
If you need to fall apart
I can mend a broken heart
If you need to crash then crash and burn
You're not alone

As he listened to the lyrics flowing around them, Logan finally realized what Max had meant when she said 'Our Song'. Every line of the song described their relationship perfectly. Every time one of them had needed help or just someone to be there the other had instinctively done just that.

He was touched that she had gone to the trouble of finding a song for them even if it had ended up coming from her sister. "You're right. It is perfect." Logan leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. "And so are you." He grinned as Max blushed. He couldn't believe how someone so beautiful, could be so embarrassed by a complement.

"You're taking the night off tonight." Max wrapped her arms around Logan and started nibbling his neck. "It's not supposed to rain so I'm taking you out for a night time picnic." She climbed into his lap. "Any comments, complaints, questions?"

Logan shook his head and pulled her closer. "No way am I refusing an invitation like that." He forgot they were still sitting on the floor as he lost himself in kissing the angel in his lap.

"Did you two get fed up of using the bedroom?" Bling stood behind them in the living room. "I really have to get you two a 'Do Not Disturb' sign."

Logan stood taking Max with him. "I really have to change the locks in this place." He stormed into his bedroom with Max in his arms, kicking the door shut.

Bling chuckled as he started put the CD's away. Quickly finishing the tidy up, he found a piece of paper and made a 'Do Not Disturb' sign. Taping it to the apartment door he locked up and headed over to Jam Pony to find Original Cindy. Maybe she knew what had gotten into those two this time. Last time he had heard, the middle of the week wasn't for anything but work. "I guess Max changed her mind about taking things slow."

"I've gotta get back to work." Max reluctantly reached for her clothes and headed for the shower. "Normal's gonna freak if I don't come back from lunch."

Logan sat up in the bed. "I could always phone Normal and tell him you've been struck down with a mystery illness that keeps you confined to bed."

Max quickly toweled herself dry and threw on her clothes. "As appealing as that sounds, it might look a little suspicious when Original Cindy starts the afternoon shift and doesn't know about my mystery illness." She kissed Logan good-bye and raced out the door, giggling at the sign taped to the door as she went.

Logan decided to shower and dress and try to get some work done so that he could focus all of his attention on Max. He felt a childish grin cross his face. He and Max had a song. Such a simple thing that meant so much to him. It wasn't something he had ever had with Daphne or Valerie. Unable to concentrate on his work, Logan walked over to the stereo and played their song again.

"Did you enjoy lunch, Boo?" Original Cindy called out as Max rode her bike into Jam Pony. "Ooh don't she blush pretty." She nudged Bling beside her. "When I got back this morning, sister girl here was all moody cause she couldn't find some song."

"I guess she found it on Logan's living room floor," Bling snickered. "Cause I nearly got an eyeful when I stopped by."

Max rolled her eyes. "Actually Jondy found it. Zane dropped it off." She remembered her brother was probably at her crib as they were speaking. "Zane's probably staying with us for a couple of days. So don't be surprised if you get home to find Zane and his dog set up on the sofa."

Original Cindy raised an eyebrow. "And where exactly will I find you set up tonight, girlfriend?" She pretty much knew where Max would be. "And what happened to taking things slow may I ask?" She was enjoying teasing Max.

Max stood hands on her hips. "I'm not sure where I'll be set up tonight. It depends on how well dinner goes. And we're still taking things slow, just not as slow." Before she could be asked any more questions, she grabbed the parcel Normal was holding out and left.

"Taking things slow, my ass." Original Cindy blurted out.

Bling burst out laughing. "Guess it's safe to go visit Logan now." He waved good-bye and headed out the door.

"Lunchtime's over people," Normal bellowed. "Time to do what I actually pay you for and it ain't sitting on your asses chatting."

The stars twinkled in the sky above Logan and Max as they sat on the hood of his car. The blanket had been spread out on the car and a picnic dinner complete with candles and wine was squeezed between them. Their song was playing inside the car as they ate.

Logan couldn't take his eyes off of Max. Her eyes seem to glow betraying her feline DNA that she kept well hidden. He wasn't used to being spoilt like this. Usually it was he who organized romantic dinners and surprises. "I'm not complaining, but what prompted this mid week date?"

Max shrugged her shoulders, trying to brush his question off as no big deal. "Just felt like it. Thought it would make a change, me organizing dinner for you." She felt self-conscious when Logan kept looking at her. "You're going to give me a complex if you keep staring at me."

Logan laughed. "Sorry. Can't believe how lucky I am sometimes, that you're here with me." At that moment it started to rain heavily. "I guess that's one way to cool me off." He joked as he helped Max pack up the picnic.

By the time they got back to Logan's apartment, they were soaked to the skin. "I suppose we're lucky it held off raining until after we had dinner." Max grumbled. It wasn't quite the way she had planned the evening and now she was cold and wet and annoyed.

"You mean you didn't plan the rain?" Logan joked as he ran his hands up and down Max's arms. He knew she had wanted this evening to be perfect. "I thought that was your way of telling me I needed a cold shower."

"I'm sorry," Max mumbled. "I can't control the weather. I wanted it all to be perfect." She leaned back against Logan's chest. "At least I didn't try and cook."

Logan swore under his breath. "Don't you know that as long as you are with me, it's always perfect. Tonight was perfect because you were there and you organized it."

"You just saying that to get me out of these wet clothes." Max managed a small smile.

"No, I'm saying it because I mean it." Logan kissed her neck. "Getting you out of those wet clothes would be a bonus," he whispered in her ear. His hands had already crept under her shirt. "Why don't you stay here tonight? I'll even set the alarm so you won't be late for work."

Max turned to face him. "I think I could probably be convinced to stay. After all, my clothes have to dry out." The heat caused by his hands on her bare skin was drying her clothes pretty quickly.

Zane waited patiently on the phone while Jondy knocked back yet another unwanted suitor. This one just didn't seem to want to take no for an answer. He laughed as he heard his sister's come back.

"What's so funny?" Original Cindy put a bowl of food down in front of Zane's dog. "I thought Jondy put you on hold."

"Nah, I can hear her." Zane responded. "Some idiot just asked her if she was a lesbian cause Jondy turned him down. She said no but she'd be willing to convert if it would get him the hell away from her."

Original Cindy laughed as well. "Hell, she's more than welcome to join the sisterhood. Anytime."

Zane became more serious when Jondy got back on the phone. "Yeah, I gave Max the CD and told her which track to play. It must have worked too, cause Bling told Original Cindy he found them making out on the living room floor like they were both in heat."

Original Cindy tapped Zane on the shoulder. "Give sister girl here." She had a feeling Jondy knew what Max was up to tonight. "Hey Girl. Did sugar change her mind about her slow and steady wins the race theory?"

Jondy giggled. "Yeah, I think so. She actually phoned me for any suggestions on speeding things up a little. I'm guessing by the fact that Zane says Max isn't home, that it worked."

"That's my guess." Original Cindy frowned at the rain hitting the window. "Did you suggest Max take Logan out for a picnic? Cause it's pouring with rain."

"Good." Jondy grinned to herself. "That means Max has to get Logan out of those wet clothes before he catches a cold."

"Nuf said." Original Cindy shook her head and handed the phone back to Zane. "Your sister is wasted on men. They have no idea what a miracle they have."

Zane nodded. "Don't I know it."

Max listened to Logan's ragged breathing. Her own wasn't too steady either. "So I was thinking." She wasn't too sure how to say this. "Maybe we don't need to take things so slow."

Logan tried to hold back the smile threatening to cross his face. "You want another couple of date nights instead of just the weekend?"

Max thought about it for a moment. He was letting her set the rules. "Yeah. Sounds like a plan. Is that going to interfere with your work?"

Logan looked down at her. "You're more important than my work." He was surprised she didn't already know that. "We can take this as slow or as fast as you want."

Max looked up into his blue eyes. "I think I'm the lucky one here." She leaned up and kissed him. Maybe I'll get Jondy to teach me how to cook, she thought as their song played over and over again in the back ground.

The End