"Memories"
by Kirsten Tapp

Disclaimer:

Dark Angel doesn't belong to the author, but to James Cameron, etc. The characters of Tina, Hospital Receptionist, Julia, Raymond, Edwin, Wendy, Jondy's children and Tek however do belong to the author. No copyright infringement intended.

Summary:

Zack comes face to face with Jondy and Zane in Florida triggering some past memories, while Terminal City is fast running out of room to house the new arrivals.

Spoilers:

Season one, Some Assembly Required, Follows Freak Nation, follow up story to The Grand Opening.

Rating:

PG

Category:

Action/Adventure, Drama


The phone ringing in the middle of the night jerked Adam from another of the strange dreams he had been having since returning to the farm after his accident. It had featured the redhead with the amazing blue eyes and a man. The man had brown hair which shone with red highlights in the sun. His arms were covered with tattoos and his brown eyes issued a warning to anyone who would come near the woman. At first Adam had thought the man and woman were lovers, but towards the end of his dream, he got the impression that they were more like brother and sister.

He shook his head as he answered the phone to clear his head of the dream. Picking up the phone, Adam wondered who would be calling at this time of night. "Hello?"

"Hello. This is Florida Medical. We have a Bernard and Mary Jacobs just brought into the hospital. Is there a family member I can speak to?" The voice on the other end was very polite and professional.

Adam thought quickly. Buddy and Mary had no children, so there was nobody to dispute what he was about to say. "I'm their son Adam. Are they alright?"

The voice on the other end of the phone carried on speaking as though Adam were just another customer. "Doctor Saunders is with them at the moment. Mr Jacobs seems to have just a few cuts and bruises, but we should know more when you get here."

"What about Mom?" Adam felt so out of control and that brought with it a feeling of sheer panic.

"As I said Sir, we will know more by the time you get here." The voice took on a slightly irritated tone.

Adam hung up without saying goodbye. Leaping out of bed, he pulled on some clothes and stuffed a change of clothes in a bag. After letting one of the farm hands know what was happening, he climbed in a truck and headed for Florida, praying that he wasn't already too late. He couldn't lose the only family he knew.

Alec went flying backwards into the wall of the control center at Terminal City. "Hey, I had to shave Logan's head. We had no other way to get him out of the Recreation Center safely." He held his hands up to stop Max as she approached him. "Think of it this way. His bald head is a solar panel for his sex machine." His comment only earnt him a punch in the nose. "Ow, I read it on a T-shirt."

Logan walked in at that moment. "Hey Alec. How's Jondy?" He was too wrapped up in his bride to be, to notice she was beating the crap out of Alec.

Alec slowly got to his feet. "She says she's fine, but I think that burn is still pretty painful. She went straight back to work when we got to Florida as though nothing had happened." He was relieved to see that Logan's hair was growing back fast.

Logan started to hook up some new computer gear he had brought into Terminal City. "I get the strangest feeling that burn is going to leave a scar that won't heal." He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I don't know why."

Max stopped taking her anger out on Alec for a moment. "There was something different about that taser gun that shot Jondy. I think Lydecker's guys have been modifying their own guns."

Logan finished what he was doing and sat down pulling Max onto his lap. "That can't be good. It was bad enough fighting them when we knew what weapons we were up against."

"At least Max and Jondy are in the clear for the moment." Alec grinned at Max and Logan's confused expressions. "That's right, you two were busy when Lydecker called up on Logan's cell and Krit told him that Max and Jondy were dead."

"How long do you think Lydecker will believe that for?" Logan questioned. He knew Lydecker well enough to know that he would want proof that the two women were dead.

"Hopefully long enough for us to get married." Max felt a sense of freedom with Lydecker thinking that she was dead. As long as she kept out of sight, Lydecker would never know any different.

Before the topic could be discussed any further, Joshua walked into the control center. "Little fella, more people have arrived. Where are we going to put them?"

"Who's running the Laundromat and the grocery store?" Logan had a couple of ideas, but the main one he wanted to discuss with Max alone first. "Cause there's apartments above both stores. The hotel on the North East side still needs fixing up a little before anyone is safe living there, but that shouldn't take too long."

Mole came in on the end of the conversation. "It won't take us long to fill those vacancies. We're running out of room fast. Got any other ideas?"

"We'll let you know when we come up with the answers to all of the world's problems." Max snapped back. She knew that Terminal City was getting overcrowded, but at the moment there wasn't much she could do.

Florida medical was an imposing looking building that always seemed to be a hive of activity. Adam stormed into the hospital exhausted after the long drive and anxious to find out if the closest thing he had to parents were still alive. "Where do I find Bernard and Mary Jacobs?" He was oblivious to the admiring look the receptionist was giving him.

Realizing the man before her was short on patience, the receptionist quickly looked up the information on her computer. "Mrs Jacobs is in intensive care. Mr Jacobs has been moved to the wards." When she looked up, the man had disappeared.

Adam knew Buddy would stay by his wife's side until Mary was released from hospital with or without the Doctor's permission. Sure enough, he found Buddy in intensive care with Mary. "Buddy, what happened?"

"Drunk driver." Buddy stayed focused on his wife. "One minute we were climbing into the car after taking a walk along the beach at sunset. The next I woke up in here staring up into the face of a redheaded angle."

A nurse walked up to the bed to check Mary's vitals. "You really shouldn't be here Mr Jacobs." She gently scolded Buddy. "You need your rest as well."

Adam was about to tell the nurse where to go when the redhead from his dreams walked in. "Let him be Tina." She checked the chart hanging off of Mary's bed. "Mary's doing a lot better this morning Buddy. I would be happier if she were conscious though."

Buddy looked up into the caring blue eyes. "What can I do to help?" He had taken to the pretty Doctor immediately.

"Talk to Mary. She can hear you." The Doctor glanced at something outside the room before turning her attention back to Buddy. "See if you can get Mary to open her eyes. I'll be right back." She glided rather than walked out of the room.

Jondy walked up to Zane, who was waiting outside the hospital room with her twins. "Hey. When did you get into town?" She kissed her brother's cheek as she took her son off of her brother.

"Early this morning." He nodded to the room Jondy had just left. "Julia said you were having a problem with a patient. How long has your shift been?" Zane noticed Jondy wince slightly when her son wrapped his chubby little arms around her neck. She was obviously still in pain from the burn she had been inflicted with in Seattle.

"I started at five o'clock yesterday afternoon." Jondy glanced over her shoulder. "Zack's here. I'm not sure if he recognizes me or not, but we should probably phone Max and Logan just in case."

Zane quietly observed his sister for a moment. "Maybe we should check this out further before we alarm Max and Logan. Didn't Max tell you that Zack didn't recognize Max until he put her barcode together with her name and face?"

"So you think if we don't tell Zack our real names and keep our barcodes hidden, then he won't put all of the pieces of the puzzle together." Jondy was doubtful. "I have to get back to my patient." An idea sprung into her mind. "Come on. Maybe Ben and Tinga can help wake Mary up."

"Lead the way Sis." Zane wasn't sure what Jondy had in mind, but the sooner they put her plan into action, the sooner she could go home.

Adam watched the Doctor walk back in the room with two infants and the man who had been with her in his dreams. He nodded to the children. "Two more of your patients Doc?"

"No, these are two of my children." Jondy sat on the edge of Mary's bed. "Mary, these are my twins and they wanted to say Hi before we go and take their sisters to the beach."

Ben reached one of his chubby little arms out and stroked Mary's face. "Lady sleeping?" He looked at his twin sister, who was still snuggled in Zane's arms.

Tinga looked past her brother at Mary. "Wake up." She looked highly offended when Mary's eyes remained closed. "Wake up?" She demanded.

Zane chuckled. "She certainly has your temper Sis. Must have something to do with that red hair." Held his hand out to Adam. "Hi, I'm Zed, Jess' brother."

Adam shook Zane's hand. "Adam." He nodded to Buddy. "This is Buddy." He looked closely at Jondy and Zane. "You two don't look as though you're related. You even have different accents."

"We have different Mothers." Jondy simply replied. Turning her attention back to Mary, Jondy shifted her son slightly in her arms. "So what do you say Mary? Open your eyes and look at my beautiful babies."

"Wake up." Tinga demanded again, pounding her fists on her Uncle's arm. Patience was obviously not a virtue the little girl had.

"Please tell me these two have inherited more from their father than just their green eyes." Zane chuckled at his niece.

"They have their father's skin tone thank goodness." Jondy lovingly brushed the hair out of her daughter's face. "This little lady isn't shy about getting attention. You know she doesn't get that from me."

Adam watched silently as the brother and sister talked about the children. Tearing his gaze away, he looked over at Mary who had opened her eyes. "Look who's awake."

"What happened?" Mary looked around her. "Where am I? The last thing I remember is walking along the beach at Sunset."

Jondy handed her son to Zane who left the room with the children. "Mary, I'm Doctor Saunders. Your car was hit by a drunk driver. I'm afraid that you are going to be a guest at Florida Medical for a few days." She pointed to Buddy and Zack. "Can you tell me who these two are?"

Mary turned her head slowly. "My husband, Buddy and Adam. Buddy and I were on our second Honeymoon." Things were beginning to become clearer.

"Some second Honeymoon huh Sweetheart?" Buddy gently squeezed Mary's hand. "I'm not used to all this excitement. Next time, I say we Honeymoon at home."

"What happened to the drunk driver?" Adam wanted to tear the person limb from limb for what they had done to Mary.

"He died on the way to the hospital." Jondy did a quick check of Mary's vitals and reflexes.

"Serves him right." Adam replied bitterly.

"Doesn't serve the wife and daughter he left behind right." Jondy hadn't forgotten how Zack always saw things in black and white. She had hoped the his loss of memory would have changed that.

Adam looked up at the Doctor. Her expression was closely guarded. "When can I take Mary and Buddy home?"

"I'm keeping Mary in for observation for a couple of days. I'll have a better idea then." Jondy turned back to Buddy and Mary. "Buddy, you need to get some rest. Mary, I'll get you moved to one of the wards. The nurses know how to get hold of me if you need me, otherwise I'll see you this afternoon. I'm taking my children to the beach."

Adam watched as the stunning Doctor turned and walked out of the room, her red mane flying behind her. He noticed Buddy and Mary grinning at him. "What?"

"You have a real way with women, don't ya Adam." Buddy chuckled. "That redheaded angel couldn't wait to get away from you."

Max wrapped her arms around Logan's waist from behind as they walked into their apartment. "So why do I get the feeling you have a plan forming in that over active brain of yours, on how to solve the housing problem at Terminal City?" Although Max couldn't see Logan's face, she knew a grin was spreading across his features.

"I had an idea, but I wanted to discuss it with you first." He walked over to the sofa untangling himself from Max's arms and sat down, pulling Max down on his lap. "What would you say if I bought this entire building?"

A questioning look crossed Max's face. "You haven't bought the building yet?" She didn't think buying the building would help the overcrowding problem at Terminal City.

Logan shook his head. "Not yet. I wanted to run this past you first. Some of the human looking Transgenics could move into the building, get a job and pay rent. With one of those devices that Zane made, the hover drones wouldn't pick up that they're transgenics. That would create more space for the new arrivals."

Max pondered what Logan had suggested. "It would also mean there were more people on the outside to bring in supplies and help getting in for any more new arrivals." She was touched by Logan's thoughtfulness, but he was spending a lot of his money on something that was her problem. "I can't let you keep forking out money on my family Logan."

Logan had suspected Max might say that. "Well, you see, they became my family too when I fell in love with you. Besides, if we work the rental agreements on the apartments as some of them being rent to own, I get my money back on the one that are strictly rentals. That way some of your family end up with an investment. It's a win, win situation." His argument had sounded pretty good in his head, but he wasn't sure if Max would buy it.

Max had to admit, Logan had thought his plan out well. Not many people had wanted to live in the building because it was so close to Terminal City. It was perfect for the Transgenics. "Since you've thought this though so carefully, I only have one condition." She almost laughed at the wary look that crossed Logan's face. "I get to pay for half of the building. This could be the first investment we make."

Logan was about to ask where Max would get the money from, but then decided against it. He knew Max had taken a job restoring motorcycles nearby, but he had woken a few times that week to find Max's side of the bed empty. At first he had thought she was up on the space needle as she didn't need very much sleep. Then, knowing the financial situation at Terminal City, he realized she was probably relieving some bad guys of money obtained illegally. "Ok, it's a deal partner." Despite Max being seated on his lap, he held out his hand to shake on the deal.

Max grinned like a cat that had gotten the cream. "Oh, I've got a better idea than shaking on it." She pounced on Logan's lips as though he were a glass of milk and she was dying for thirst.

Jondy sat on the soft white sand watching Zane splash around in the water with her children. The twins happily built sandcastles in front of her, unaware of their Mother's watchful eye on them as well as their siblings. "Decided to take a break from the hospital, Adam?" Her gaze never shifted from the beach and water before her.

Adam sat down beside the petite female. "Buddy threatened to kick me out of the hospital himself if I didn't leave and get some fresh air." He cast the Doctor a look out of the corner of his eye. "I thought there was some rule against redheads wearing red."

Jondy was wearing a red bikini with a red sarong wrapped around her waist and her hair pulled back at the base of her neck with a red scrunchie. "I'm not really one for following rules." She waved Zane and the children in from the water, the wedding ring she wore sparkling in the sun.

"So is your husband at work, so your brother came to the beach with you instead?" Adam caught the wary look the Doctor's brother was giving him.

"My husband died before the twins were born and my brother stops by to visit regularly." Jondy handed Zane a towel before standing to start towel drying the girls, therefore giving Adam a clear view of the burn down her right side.

"What happened?" Adam pointed to the jagged red mark on her lily white body. It was then the strange flashbacks started. A group of children chained by the ankles under the water, their haircuts were military style. The flashback focused on two of children. One had big blue eyes and pale skin, obviously a girl despite the masculine haircut. The other, a boy who seemed slightly older, had brown eyes.

"I got hit by lightening." Jondy bent down and scooped up her twins. "Time to go girls. Grandma will have lunch waiting." She looked over at Zane, who nodded. He too had noticed Zack's eyes glaze over as if remembering something.

Adam noticed that Jessica's outfit was completely dry. "How come you didn't go in the water?" He questioned as her brother pulled a shirt over his tattooed body.

"I'm not big on large pools of water." Jondy nodded to the bags sitting on the beach, packed with towels and suntan lotion. "You know the rules. Everyone grab a bag."

Adam watched the children grab a bag each and Jessica's brother take one of the twins off of the redhead. It was like watching a mini unit of soldiers, only these kids were laughing and having fun. A second flashback flew through his head. Children marching through a corridor somewhere, then the children sitting in a classroom with the words traitor and betrayal flashing in front of them.

"Come on Sis." Zane wanted his sister and the children away from Zack before his brother started putting the pieces of the puzzle in his head together. As they left the beach, Zane leaned closer to his sister. "Make the call."

Without a word Jondy pulled her cell phone out of the pocket of one of the bags and dialed Logan's cell number. "So Zane, how are you enjoying your stay in Florida so far?"

Zane reached out and punched a guy out who was paying far too much attention to Jondy's figure. Never breaking his stride he grinned down at his tiny sister. "You've lived in worse places."

Max stretched out her limbs where she lay beside Logan. "See, I told you I had a better idea than shaking on it." Max doubted she would ever tire of the incredible things Logan did to her body. Logan chuckled as he ran his finger along Max's collar bone and felt her shiver with anticipation. "Oh, I don't know about that. It depends on which part of you is shaking." He replaced his finger with his lips. At that moment his cell phone rang. Cursing under his breath Logan reached for his cell phone. "This has to be one of your siblings. Nobody else has this good a sense of timing." He quickly kissed Max on the lips before answering the phone. "What?"

"Didn't interrupt you doing my sister did I?" Jondy teased Logan, knowing full well what he had been up to. She sensed her sister was way too happy to be playing a friendly game of chess.

"Consider it pay back for the time I interrupted you doing that guy that you ended up hanging by his ankles from the Golden Gate Bridge." Logan joked back. "What can we do for you J?"

Never one to mince words, Jondy jumped straight to the point. "Zack's in Florida. The couple he's been staying with were in an accident while on their second honeymoon. Zack turned up as their next of kin."

Logan sat upright in bed. "Are Mary and Buddy alright?" The couple were personal friends as well as 'Eyes Only' clients.

Jondy kept talking on her cell phone as she walked into her home and seated Tinga in her high chair ready for lunch. She waved hello to Julia, but continued with her phone conversation. "Buddy's got a few cuts and bruises, he can probably leave the hospital tomorrow. Mary has internal injuries, so she'll have to stay in longer."

Logan put his arm around Max and pulled her closer. "Does Zack know who you are? I take it he's seen you." Of course Zack had seen Jondy, Logan silently berated himself. Jondy would never have phoned them if Zack hadn't seen her.

Jondy handed Tinga and Ben a triangle shaped sandwich each. "Yes he's seen me and Zane is visiting, so he's seen him too. We get the impression he's remembering things, he just hasn't figured out what those things mean yet."

Max took the phone off of Logan. "There's not much any of us can do if his memory returns. The problem is Manticore put some false memories into his head and those are the ones he remembered last time."

Zane had been listening in on the phone conversation and now took the phone off of his sister. "Since Zack's only seen Jondy and I, we might have a better control on the memories he recalls. We could be able to swing this a positive way. We'll call you back if there's any need for concern. J and I thought it was best to give you a heads up on Zack being here just in case."

"Thanks Zane. How's Jondy really doing?" Max had the feeling her twin was still in a lot of pain and not saying anything. Alec had pretty much confirmed that when he had returned from visiting Florida, but Max had been too busy punishing him for shaving Logan's head to pay too much attention.

"Taking on too much as usual." Zane looked fondly at his sister, who rolled her eyes telling him that he was worrying too much. "Don't worry about Zack. If he does tap into the wrong memories, Jondy will straighten him out. She always has done in the past." He said goodbye to his sister and hung up the phone. "Was I wrong?" He turned to Jondy.

"I hope not Big Brother." Jondy handed Zane a cup of coffee and sat down beside him at the table. "Cause if you are, we're going to have to stop Zack from heading to Seattle."

Max hung up Logan's phone and handed it back to him. "Even if Jondy can convince Zack that you're not the enemy, we're never going to be one big happy family are we?" She snuggled up against Logan's chest.

"I don't think so Angel." Logan put his cell phone on the bedside cabinet and held onto Max tightly. "Zack's never looked at you as a sister and even if he doesn't consider me a threat, he's still not going to be happy about us getting married. Jondy can be very persuasive when she wants to, but I don't think even she can change Zack's opinion of us being together."

The seriousness of the situation made Max giggle. Here they were, completely naked in bed with the threat of her brother intruding on them, hanging above them. It was so surreal. "So the fate of our future resists on Zack not remembering what Manticore drummed into his brain and my sister's ability to perform miracles."

Logan couldn't help but chuckle. When it came to Zack, Max was usually so serious. "Well, when you put it that way, the fact that I'm walking and we can touch is proof that she can perform miracles. I guess we have nothing to worry about." He rolled Max onto her back so that he was looking down on her. "Want to perform a few miracles of our own?"

"Hell yeah." Max would worry about Zack coming to Seattle when Jondy and Zane gave her reason to.

Zane sat up on the third floor nurse's station desk chatting with the nurses when Adam walked up to him. "Hey Adam. How's Mary doing?"

"That's what I came to find out from your sister." Adam frowned as a security guard came to stand beside the desk. "What's going on?"

"I'm waiting for Jess to take a break. She's with a patient." Zane was watching the examination room that Jondy was working in.

"So where does the security guard come in?" Adam got the distinct feeling that something bigger was going on. "You expecting trouble?"

Zane grinned. "I never expect trouble. It just keeps landing on my doorstep." He held his hand out to the security guard, who slapped a pair of handcuffs into his hand. "Five, four, three, two, one."

When Zane counted down to one, a man came flying backwards through the examination room window. The man staggered to his feet, a look of complete shock on his face. "You bitch! You can't stop me from taking my wife out of this place."

Jondy walked out of the examination room dressed in black jeans, stiletto boots and a cream top on underneath a lab coat. "You could at least let me repair the damage you've done to her Raymond."

Raymond pulled a knife out of his pocket. "Get out of my way Bitch." As he ran for Jondy, Zane plucked the knife out of his hand and Jondy spun and brought her elbow up into Raymond's face.

"You've got a thing for attacking women, don't you?" Jondy spun again and kicked Raymond backwards into the desk.

Zane slapped the handcuffs on Raymond and cuffed him to the bar that ran across the front of the nurse's station desk. "So is it time for your break yet Jess?"

"I'll be with you in a moment." Jondy turned and walked back into the examination room. "I just want to get Wendy settled into a room."

"Wendy will never press charges against me." Raymond sneered. "She'll never leave me."

"No, but my sister will press attempted murder and assault charges, I'm sure." Zane snarled before kicking Raymond in the face, knocking him unconscious.

Edwin, the security guard chuckled. "Would you look at that. Raymond slipped and knocked himself unconscious on the desk, didn't he ladies." He looked over at the nurses who nodded.

Zane raised an eyebrow at Edwin. "I take it Raymond beats the crap out of his wife regularly." He looked over to where Zack had been standing. "Where'd Adam go?" He looked up as Jondy walked back out to the desk. "We may have a problem."

Jondy noticed that Zack was no longer standing by the desk. "Think Zane. Where would you go if you had lost your memory and bits were coming back to you?" She turned to one of the nurses. "Tina, could you organize a room for Wendy? I'm going on my break." Jondy headed for the roof with Zane following her.

Adam sat on the roof with his head in his hands. The images of children leaping through a glass window and running across snow covered grounds to the fence, flashed through his head. When he lifted his head from his hands and stared into the night, he saw the woman from the hospital in Seattle. Her hair was shorter and curled and she was hugging him and calling him Zack. The image changed to the woman sitting on the floor passionately kissing a man. Again the image changed to some sort of lab where he was being tortured. Adam got up and started to pace. The image switched to an underground garage where he was standing over the man with a gun in his hand. A female voice ringing out in his head yelling 'Don't do this Zack' brought him down on his knees. The 'Eyes Only' banner flashed through his head alternating with the word enemy. Adam leapt to his feet. "Max. Max is in danger." As he turned around he saw Jessica and Zed watching him. "Jondy. Zane." The names seem to scream out in his head. "I've got to get to Max."

Zane moved to block Zack's way. "No you don't. Max is fine. Jondy spoke to her five minutes ago."

Zack shook his head. "No you don't understand. Logan's the enemy. She's in danger, he'll hurt her. I remember everything."

Zane refused to budge. "You remember what Manticore drummed into your head. It's just a bunch of lies. If you go to Seattle, you will ruin everything that Max has worked so hard for. Logan's not the enemy, he loves Max. He's helped us all out more times than I can count."

"You're wrong." Zack pushed past his brother and headed for the door that led to the stairs. It was Jondy's voice that stopped him.

"You always were a self centered bastard Zack." Jondy stood slightly behind Zane, her long hair swaying in the night air. "Always thinking of yourself and twisting the situation to sound as though the hell you put us through was for our own good."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Zack lied. The real memories were coming back loud and clear despite what Manticore had done to him.

"Sure you do." Jondy could read Zack like a book. "You turned yourself over to Lydecker, letting Max believe you did it to give her, her freedom. The truth is, you committed the crime that got Max arrested in the first place." She had heard both Max and Logan's versions of that particular event and managed to work out the truth herself.

"She wouldn't have been arrested in the first place if she had stayed with me instead of going back to him." Zack protested.

"Bullshit!" Jondy took a step forward. "Max's face wouldn't have even been on the damn wanted poster if you hadn't killed one of Lydecker's men. You can't expect us all to shut off our emotions and tow the line like good little soldiers. That's not why we broke out of Manticore in the first place."

Zack knew Jondy was right, but it was a shock that the shy, quiet little girl who was sitting in his newly acquired memory was grown up and putting him in his place. "Emotions make you weak." It was all he could come up with.

"You're wrong." Jondy took another step closer. "And let me tell you something else Big Brother. Logan is who got Max through her forced stay at Manticore, not you. Her feelings kept her strong. They tortured her at Manticore as well, but unlike you they didn't break her." As Jondy stormed off towards the door, she let out another striking blow. "By the way, not as though you'd care, but Mary is recovering nicely. She should be able to leave the hospital in a few days."

Zane stood with his arms crossed in front of him. "Now you've done it. She is gonna kick your ass if you don't grow a brain fast. Just to bring you up to speed Zack, Tinga is alive. Max and Jondy are really twins and they found their real mother."

Zack stood facing his brother in shock. This was all too much to take for one night. "Tinga's alive? Where is she?"

"Relax. Max and I broke her out of a psychiatric hospital along with Max and Jondy's mother. She's back with her husband and son."

"They'll get her caught." Zack saw his brother's expression become graver with every word he spoke. "They mean exposure."

"They mean she's happy." Zane shook his head in disbelief. "Jondy's right. You are a self centered bastard. You've been living a great life since you lost your memory. You've actually been happy living a normal life. All of a sudden, bang you get your memory back and you become a prize asshole." Zane followed his sister's lead and stormed back into the building.

Zack stared into the darkness. Things were still a muddle in his head. It was difficult to figure which pieces were true and which were false. The two things that rang true in his mind were Jondy would never walk away from Max if there were the slightest chance she was in immediate danger. Also Zane had always been protective of Jondy and part of keeping Jondy safe, was keeping Max safe. If Jondy and Zane said that Logan wasn't a danger to Max, then the only thing stopping Zack from believing it, was his own jealousy.

Alec sat in the Terminal City control center staring at the monitors along with Tek, the part man part bear transgenic. "So, did you leave anyone special behind when you left Manticore?"

Tek gave out a deep throaty chuckle. "Yeah, I had the babes lining up for me." He joked. "I have a better chance of finding that someone special in here, than locked up in Manticore or out there with the normals. At least in here, I can almost believe in the good old American dream." He glanced at Alec's beaten up face. "So why is a gorgeous woman like Jondy hanging with an ugly brute like you?"

Alec laughed. "Still trying to figure that out myself." He looked up as Max and Logan walked in. "If you two are looking for a room at the Inn, you're out of luck. We're full up."

"Don't make me beat on you again." Max warned. "Besides, Logan came up with an idea for the housing problem. Until we can get it finalized, we brought a supply of tents as a temporary solution."

"What's your idea?" Tek asked before Alec could make any smart ass remarks.

"Max and I are going to buy the building we are living in." Logan begun. "The idea is that some of the X5s, X6s and X7s move into the building, get jobs and pay rent. Max's brother can knock up some miniature devices so that the hover drones and police scanners don't pick up that they are transgenics."

"That should free up some space and still keep us all close together in case of trouble." Alec was impressed, though he'd never tell anyone. "Any more news on Zack's returning memory?" He had spoken to Jondy that morning and she had brought him up to date.

"Not yet." Max reached for Logan's hand and hung on tightly. "All we can do is wait for Jondy or Zane to let us know what's going on."

Zack stood in the doorway of the hospital room watching his sister checking a patient's chart. "I want to see Max." He kept his voice low so that he wouldn't wake the patient, but knowing his sister would hear him.

Jondy hung the chart on the end of the bed and walked out of the room. "I figured you would. Zane's waiting for you in the car out front. What would you like me to tell Mary and Buddy?"

Zack reached out and hugged his sister. "Tell them I'll be back in a couple of days to take them home." He stepped back from his sister. "I just want to see for myself that Max is happy."

"I know." Jondy turned and walked away. She had told Zane to keep a close eye on Zack as she was still uncertain what his reaction would be when he saw Max and Logan together.

Zane sat beside Zack in his car watching the happenings inside the Terminal City fences. "So the couple you're staying with, they seem nice. What's your life been like?"

"Uncomplicated." Zack smiled to himself. "The cows can get a bit stroppy, but that's nothing compared to our baby sister threatening to kick my ass."

Zane chuckled. "The scary part is knowing she can. She damn near broke Logan's hand when she gave birth to the twins. He and Max ended up delivering the babies."

"Who's the father?" Zack had been wondering ever since he had seen Jondy with the children on the beach, who their father was. "Last time I remember her being with anyone, it was Devon. I got the impression he was gay."

"That's a long story, but yes Devon was gay and yes he is the father of the twins. The other twelve girls are adopted." Zane spotted Max and Logan walking hand in hand laughing. "There she is."

Zack watched in silence for a moment. His brother and sister had been right. He had never seen Max so happy before. "She's never gonna look at me like that, is she?" The sight of Max looking up at Logan with such love in her eyes, tore at the machine that had replaced his heart.

Zane shook his head. "No. That doesn't mean you can't have that with someone else. There are women out there that don't care that we were made and not born."

Zack took one last look at Max before turning to his brother. "I guess. Let's go. I've seen enough." He just wanted to go back to his uncomplicated life. "I remember you having a dog. Where's the dog at the moment."

"With Jondy." Zane started the car and headed back to Florida. "I like to give the dog an opportunity to get out of the car occasionally. Besides, the damn dog loves Jondy. I'll probably have trouble getting the animal to go back to LA with me."

"You know, I remember Jondy being such a sweet little girl who was so shy." Zack chuckled. "What happened?"

Zane shook his head. "That sweet little girl grew up and attracted a whole bunch of losers. Let me tell you about Edward, Mathew, Gavin and Ames White."

Max pulled Logan's cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Jondy's cell. "Hey, it's me. The brothers are heading back to the hood. What did you say to Zack?" She giggled at Jondy's answer. "Fair enough. Catch ya later." She hung up the phone and put it back in Logan's pocket.

"Everything ok?" Logan had been concerned when Jondy had phoned up to warn them that Zane was bringing Zack to Seattle.

Max nodded and squeezed Logan's hand. "Everything's fine. Jondy just sent Zane along for the ride to be safe."

"Still, I don't think we've heard the last from Zack." Logan wasn't worried about himself, but the old insecurities about Zack taking Max away from him were still there.

"Hey," Max tugged on Logan's hand so that he would look at her. "I'm not going anywhere."

A week later, Zack was helping Mary into the truck. "We'll have you home before you know it." He was just glad to be going home himself.

"I can't wait." Mary glanced up at Jondy apologetically. "Not that you haven't been wonderful Doctor Saunders, but I really want to be home in my own bed."

"That's perfectly understandable." Jondy reassured her. "Have a safe trip home." As she turned to walk back inside the hospital, Jondy pressed a scrape of paper into Zack's hand. "You too Adam."

"Bye Doc." Zack glanced down at the scrape of paper. All that was written on the paper was a cell phone number and the words 'Call if you need anything' above it. "Thanks Sis." Zack whispered. As he climbed into he driver's seat he saw Jondy turn, wave and smile.

The End