"A week in the life of a pregnant X5"
by Kirsten Tapp

Disclaimer: Dark Angel doesn't belong to the author, but to James Cameron, etc. The characters of Tek, Rebecka, Jondy's children and Rein however do belong to the author. No copyright infringement intended.
Summary: Just when Max thought her life couldn't get anymore complicated, it does.
Timeframe: Freak Nation. Follow up story to Not all it's cracked up to be.
Rating: PG
Category: Drama, Action

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Winter was closing in on Seattle and for once, Max was glad to be carrying some extra weight since it was keeping her warm. In her fifth month of pregnancy, she had put on sufficient enough weight to keep her sister happy. Jondy felt that Max was coping well enough for her to only have to visit once a month.

Although grateful for all of Jondy's help with what had started as a difficult pregnancy, Max was pleased that she was getting more time alone with Logan and their unborn child. She occasionally helped out fixing motorcycles at the job she had, had before she got pregnant, but otherwise she just let Logan fuss over her.

Her expanding figure had left Max wondering how Jondy had managed to still look graceful and elegant when pregnant with her twins. Max just felt huge and awkward. Logan, of course told her she looked beautiful and looked at her as though she were the sexiest thing he had ever seen. All the same, Max was not looking forward to putting more weight on.

She felt selfish not wishing to put more weight on as there had been a time that she and Logan had thought they wouldn't be able to have children naturally. It was just that she was used to being a lot more active.

Rolling over onto her side, she saw that Logan had already gotten out of bed. Realizing that her husband was probably cooking breakfast, Max reached for her robe and climbed out of bed. It suddenly occurred to her that no delicious aromas were coming from the kitchen and it was still dark outside. Checking a nearby clock she saw that it was only three o'clock in the morning.

Considering Logan was not a morning person, Max was beginning to get a bit concerned. Hearing some movement in the bathroom, Max went to see if Logan was alright. The bathroom door was wide open and Logan was sitting on the floor beside the toilet. "You're not having sympathy morning sickness are you?"

Logan managed a weak smile. "I don't think so, considering you stopped getting morning sickness about a month ago. It's probably just a stomach bug. Sorry if I woke you."

Max shrugged her shoulders. "You didn't really." She put her hand on Logan's forehead. "You're running a pretty high fever for just a stomach bug. Why don't you go back to bed. I'll get you a bucket in case you feel like being sick again."

Logan reluctantly went back to bed. His head ached. His stomach felt as though it had a vendetta against him and despite the fact he was sweating like a pig, he was freezing. "You need the rest more than I do." He managed to mumble as he tumbled back onto the bed.

"Yeah, well I'm not ill. I'm pregnant." Max reminded him. She was about to phone Beverly when she remembered the doctor was spending the week with Zane in LA. Instinctively Max phoned her sister's cell phone. For a moment she thought she could hear her sister's phone ringing from the floor below.

"What's the matter?" Jondy was already on her way up to Max and Logan's apartment. Her medical bag in her hand. She knew that Max was alright so guessed something must be wrong with Logan.

"Logan's got a pretty high temperature and he's been throwing up." Max noticed Logan had gone a deathly shade of white. "He doesn't look too good J." Max remembered the last time Logan had become really ill, they had, had to put him in an ice bath to get his temperature down.

Jondy switched off her phone as she walked into Max and Logan's bedroom. "Has Logan had any flu symptoms lately?" She quickly checked Logan over.

Max nodded. "He had a bit of a cough and a runny nose the other day, but he said he was taking something for it." Realizing she had heard her sister's phone ringing from the floor below for real, she began to wonder why Jondy would be staying with Alec. "You and Alec getting back together?"

"God no." Jondy started rummaging through her bag. "The girls and I got into town a few hours ago. We couldn't stay at Terminal City as there's not enough room. Original Cindy's got a new girlfriend so we didn't want to intrude on her. Since we figured that you and Logan probably wanted some time alone, that left Alec's place."

Max raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you didn't catch him with someone." Max had noticed that there had been a steady stream of female visitors going to Alec's apartment just lately.

"We did." Jondy pulled a bottle of rubbing alcohol out of her bag. "The girls ran into his room screaming 'Daddy, we're home.' I've never seen someone who wasn't part of the x series move so fast."

Max chuckled. "I see your girls have inherited your sense of humor. I don't expect Alec was very happy though."

Jondy smirked. "No, but the girls didn't really give him a chance to complain." Converting back to doctor mode she added. "Logan has a bad dose of the flu. Make sure he gets plenty of fluids, keep him warm and see if you can get a couple of these antibiotics into him every four hours." She handed Max a small bottle of tablets as well as the rubbing alcohol. "You know the deal with the rubbing alcohol. Do you need some help?"

"No, I'll give you a yell if I have any trouble." Max preferred to look after her husband herself. She couldn't always rely on Jondy. After all, her sister had her own family to look after. "Thanks for being here J."

Jondy hugged her sister. "Anytime. I'll call by later. Try and get some rest. Logan will be fine." She left the apartment as quickly and silently as she had arrived.

"I'm fine. Really." Logan mumbled as he awkwardly sat up to take the tablets Max was holding out for him.

"No you're not." Max held a glass of water to Logan's lips to help him wash down the tablets. "Don't even try to argue with me or I'll get Jondy back up here."

Logan scowled at his wife. "Fine. I know better than to take on two X5 women." He didn't have to like it though. He was supposed to be looking after Max not the other way around.

Max smiled at her sulking husband. "You know, if you're good and get some sleep and finish this glass of water, I may be persuaded to give you a sponge bath."

Even in his weakened state, Logan knew a good offer when he heard one. Taking the glass of water off of Max, he slowly drank the contents before easing back under the blankets and falling asleep.

Down in the apartment below, Jondy let herself back into Alec's apartment. Creeping quietly over her sleeping bag encased children, she made her way to the kitchen. As she put the kettle on she noticed a half asleep Alec balancing her son Ben on his hip. "How long has Ben been awake?"

"A couple of minutes." Alec held out a plastic cup to the toddler in his arms. "Everything alright upstairs?" He had heard Jondy leave the apartment and guessed where she was going.

Jondy nodded, making herself a cup of tea. "Logan's got a bad dose of the flu. He should be fine in a few days."

Alec chuckled. "I'd love to be a fly on the wall in that apartment. Logan will be denying he's sick because he won't want Max burdened with looking after him with her being pregnant. Max will be arguing about Logan trying to wrap her in cotton wool and will try to do more than she should in her current condition."

"I don't think they'll be arguing much." Jondy grinned. "I left a bottle of rubbing alcohol with Max."

Alec was impressed. "In that case sick or not Logan and Max aren't leaving their apartment while there's any contents left in the bottle." He shot Jondy a mischievous grin. "Got another bottle?"

Jondy shot Alec an icy glare. "I think not." Taking her son off of Alec, she turned and left the kitchen.

Alec was still staring at the space Jondy had been standing in five minutes later. He could have kicked himself for messing things up with Jondy. She would never trust him with her heart ever again.

Logan woke up late the next morning to find Max gone and Jondy sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Have you been left to baby sit me?" He noticed that Jondy was looking a little more pale than usual.

"I prefer to think of it as making a house call." Jondy winced slightly as she moved to take Logan's temperature. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Better. Still have a sore throat and my head feels like someone's pounding on it, but at least I don't feel like throwing up." He focused on his sister in law. "Are you alright?"

Jondy managed a weak smile. "I still get migraines from time to time, despite having my eyesight back. I sent the children to spend the day with Rebecka so I could get some peace and quiet."

"Where's Max?" Logan was pretty sure his wife wasn't in the apartment.

"She went grocery shopping." She saw the concern in Logan's bloodshot eyes. "Don't worry. I sent Alec to watch her back and Rein to make sure Alec watches her back."

"You think I'm worrying about Max for nothing." He saw Jondy was trying not to laugh at him. "Part of me knows that you're right. Still, after the trouble she had in the first three months of her pregnancy, I can't help but worry."

"I understand that, but you're not going to help Max any if you neglect to take care of yourself." Jondy calmly explained. "Now, why don't you take your tablets and try and drink as much water as possible while I get you something to eat." She stood slowly, trying not to aggravate her migraine.

Logan's concern for his pregnant wife subsided slightly. With Jondy keeping him company in the apartment, he would know the second anything went wrong with Max. The twin sister's practically physic ability meant he could almost keep track of Max without crowding her.

Alec looked back over his shoulder. "The coast is clear. Maybe Lydecker's on his tea break." He proceeded Max and Rein into Terminal City.

"I doubt it." Rein mumbled. "Lydecker's never been that predictable." He glanced around him to double check their safety. "So, is J alright? She looked pale even for her."

Max pulled her jacket around her tighter. "She never really fully recovered from when she lost her eyesight. I mean, sure she can see now but she still gets the migraines."

"So that's why she offered to play nursemaid." Alec had wondered if the redhead was actually trying to avoid him.

Max shot Alec a dirty look. "She's not playing nursemaid. Jondy knows that Logan won't worry about me so much if she's there. Plus she needed some peace and quiet which she wouldn't get hanging around with you." She could see her words had hit their intended mark by the expression on Alec's face.

Rein chuckled. "So Logan figures with Jondy close by, if he needs to know you're alright he can just get J to call you on her twin radar?"

Max grinned at her green eyed brother. "Something like that. Logan and Jondy have always had a brotherly/sisterly understanding of each other."

"Jondy has a calming influence on some people." Alec corrected.

"Pity her calming influence doesn't work on you." Max knew that her sister usually had one of two effects on people. Either she heated them up so much that they wouldn't or couldn't leave her alone. Or she somehow found a way to show people the way to their inner peace.

The threesome walked through Terminal City in silence. It appeared that any transgenic that wanted their freedom or something close to it had settled in Terminal City. There had been no new arrivals in the past week and anyone that could pass for human lived in one of the apartment buildings that Max and Logan owned.

When they reached the command center, Joshua walked up and gently hugged Max. "Hey Little Fella. You give Logan the slip?" Just lately he hadn't seen Max without Logan right beside her.

Max giggled. "No. Logan's not well, so I left Jondy looking after him." She felt the baby kick. "Ow. This kid's determined to be a football player."

Joshua wanted to feel the baby kick the way he had when Jondy was pregnant. Unfortunately, Max had voiced rather loudly that she wished people would stop touching her stomach. Obviously, Max wasn't keen on being as sharing as Jondy had been. "Do you think it's going to be a boy or a girl?"

Max looked up at her friend. "I'm not sure. I don't really mind just as long as it's healthy. I'm a bit worried that it might be twins, seeing as sometimes one baby hides behind the other."

"Is that what happened with Jondy?" Rein hadn't been in contact with his sisters when Jondy had been pregnant.

Max nodded. "Yeah. Logan and I were worried enough about helping Jondy deliver one baby. It was a hell of a shock for all three of us when the second baby showed up."

"Things will be different for you." Joshua told Max confidently. "You have Logan to help you get through the delivery."

Max was struck by how lucky she was. She had a loving husband who was bending over backwards to try and make her pregnancy go as easily as possible. Jondy hadn't had that luxury. "Right now, all I want is my husband to get well so that he can do all the worrying about the possibility of me having twins."

Mole gruffly interrupted the conversation. "Lydecker's obviously realized that posting an army of men outside of Terminal City is too obvious. We still noticed a small team watching the compound from stratigatically placed vantage points. He doesn't know Red is actually alive does he?"

Max shook her head. "No, but he probably suspects that there's a possibility of her being alive. Which is why Jondy's being so cautious about being seen in Seattle."

Tek had been watching the monitors while the conversation carried on behind him. "Well, whether he knows Jondy's alive or not, he's not giving up." He pointed to some activity in front of Terminal City. "Maybe it's not Jondy he wants anymore."

"You think he wants Max because her DNA is special?" Joshua put his arm around Max's shoulders.

"Or he's somehow found out Max is pregnant." Mole added.

Rein took a closer look at the monitors. "Either way Lydecker's got us surrounded. We're going to have to make a hole to get out."

Alec moved closer. "What about the sewer system?"

Tek pointed to another monitor. "He's got that covered too." He turned to Max. "How many siblings have you got visiting this week?"

Max shook her head. "Only Jondy and she's not well enough to take on Lydecker and his men." Right on cue Max's cell phone rang. "Hey. Are you alright to stay watching Logan? I thought I might stay at Terminal City for the night."

Jondy had moved away from Logan so that he couldn't hear the phone call. "What's the problem?"

"Lydecker's got Terminal City surrounded." Max knew Jondy had already picked up that something was wrong. "I need you to make sure Logan doesn't do anything stupid like coming in after me."

Jondy walked over to the window so that she could see Terminal City. "He's left an opening on the North East side, so that's obviously a trap." She grinned to herself. "He's not expecting you to go up though."

Logan stumbled into he room. "Is that Max? Is she alright?"

Jondy smiled. "Max is fine. She's just wondering what you feel like eating for dinner."

Logan shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not really that hungry. Why don't we stick with soup and toast for tonight." Reassured that Max was safe, Logan went back to bed.

Max couldn't help but giggle at her sister's cover up. "I guess I'd better pick up some soup on the way home. See ya soon Sis." She switched off her phone. "Got any tear gas around here?"

Mole nodded. "What's the plan?"

Max grinned. "We're flying out of here."

Donald Lydecker paced impatiently by his vehicle. There was only one way Max could get out of Terminal City. Even with Sandeman dead and the possibility of Jondy being dead as well, there was a good chance of working out the transgenic make up from Max's blood work.

The sound of the tear gas hitting the ground near them stopped Lydecker's pacing. "Put on your masks." He had anticipated his move. Watching the opening they had left, he became confused when no transgenics made an appearance. Looking around him, he searched for another exit Max may have taken. Frustrated he glared up at the sky in time to see Max, Alec and Rein jump down from the line they had used as a tightrope. "Damn it." He swore under his breath. She had found a loop hole again.

Max walked into the apartment feeling quite pleased with herself. She had gotten past Lydecker and Logan was none the wiser that she had, had any trouble.

"You took a long time for a trip to the grocery store." Logan was standing in the doorway of their bedroom. "Everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." Max smiled at her husband as Jondy appeared from the kitchen to take the bag of groceries off of her. "I stopped by Terminal City to say hi to Joshua." At least that was the truth. "The baby's kicking up a storm."

"That's a good sign even if it doesn't feel like it at the time." Jondy grinned at her sister. "I'll start dinner for you." She glanced over at Logan. "You get back into bed. I don't want to have to tell you again."

Logan mumbled something about bossy sisters, but did as he was told.

Max watched Logan go back to bed before following her sister into the kitchen. "He didn't give you too much trouble, did he? Logan hates being sick so he pretends he isn't."

Jondy poured the contents of a can into a saucepan and placed it on the stove. "Apart from one argument we had about him doing some 'Eyes Only' work, he wasn't too bad. I actually think he was cutting me some slack because he knows I have a migraine."

Max placed her hand over her belly where the baby was kicking again. "See, that works in your case. If I tried that he wouldn't let me leave the apartment for the rest of my pregnancy."

Jondy had been watching her sister out of the corner of her eye. "Has Logan felt the baby kick yet?"

Max screwed up her nose. "I really hate people touching my belly as though they've never seen someone pregnant before. It makes me feel like a freak." Still the thought of Logan touching her belly had a certain appeal to it. "I guess it's a part of the pregnancy Logan can share with me."

Jondy grinned. "Go play parents to be with your husband. I've got everything covered here. Alec will look after the kids when Rebecka drops them off."

Max didn't have to be told twice. She walked into their bedroom to find Logan feeling very sorry for himself. "You know your sister's a bully. She wouldn't even let me have my lap top in here."

"Well, you have to remember Jondy's not feeling too great herself." Max got onto her side of the bed and cuddled up to Logan. "With her sensitive hearing, she'd be able to hear every time you hit a key."

"Which, with a migraine would probably echo in her head and feel like someone was drumming on her brain." Logan hadn't considered it from that point of view.

Smiling, Max took hold of one of Logan's hands and placed it on her belly where their child was kicking. "Well our child seems to be as stubborn as his father. He or she has been kicking all day."

Logan smiled in awe. "Wow. It's incredible to think you and I made a little somebody together. I'm not the only stubborn one here. Our child could have picked up your stubborn genes."

"Children." Jondy walked in with a tray of food.

"What?" Max's jaw dropped.

"I can hear two heartbeats." Jondy explained. "Having lost my sight for that period of time sharpened my hearing. You're having twins."

"You just had to try and upstage your sister, didn't you?" Logan joked. Then he saw the alarmed look on Max's face. "Max, honey? What's wrong?"

"I was talking about this to the guys this morning. I was worried that I could be having twins and I wouldn't know until I delivered." It almost seemed to Max as though some higher power had heard her and was giving her a sign.

"Well, now you know and you can be better prepared for it than I was." Jondy wished someone had warned her when she had been pregnant. She grabbed her bag and waved good bye as she left the couple alone.

"Do you mind that I'm having twins." Max asked Logan who was grinning like a fool.

"Angel, I thought we were lucky to be having one child." Logan kissed his wife's forehead. "Now I jut think we're doubly blessed. The only down side I see is that it's going to be harder on you."

Max moved the tray that Jondy had left for them so that they could both eat off of it. "I'm gonna end up huge."

Logan glanced at his wife's body. "You do know how sexy you look to me right? If I wasn't trying to beat this stupid cold, you wouldn't be able to get me to keep my hands off of you. Or any other parts of my anatomy come to think of it."

"Eat your dinner." Max commanded as she blushed. "We'll see how you're feeling tomorrow. I may even use that bottle of rubbing alcohol Jondy left me on you."

The next morning Alec stumbled into his living room trying to avoid tripping over the children asleep on the floor. "How's your head this morning?" He mumbled as he walked past Jondy, who was staring out the window.

"The migraine's subsided to a dull ache." Jondy didn't turn away from the window.

There was a thumping noise coming from upstairs. 'I gather that's the reason you haven't completely gotten rid of your migraine. What the hell is going on up there?"

Jondy grinned to herself. "Well, Logan woke up this morning obviously feeling a lot better. The thumping started not long after that." She chuckled. "I think they're putting that rubbing alcohol to good use."

"This is one of those times I bet you wish you didn't have enhanced hearing." Alec could hear a considerable amount of passionate moans and groans. "I don't suppose there's any chance that he's just sweating out his fever."

Jondy turned towards him, eyebrow raised. "Not a chance. I heard Logan yell out something about the earth moving an hour ago."

"Is that good for the baby?" Alec glanced up as though he expected the ceiling to cave in.

"It's fine." Jondy turned back to the window. "With any luck, they'll be trying to cure each other all day. It looks as though Lydecker is trying some other way to catch Max."

Alec looked over her shoulder to the scene outside Terminal City. "I guess Lydecker doesn't realize that we're observing him trying to observe us. He hasn't figured out how close by we are."

"I'm hoping he hasn't figured out that I'm still alive." Jondy muttered. "With Lydecker, we need any sort of an advantage we can get."

"He doesn't give up easily, does he." Alec knew that stubborn look on Jondy's face well.

"Not where his kids are involved." Jondy sneered.

Max and Logan kept to themselves for the day. The following day Logan felt more like his old self and insisted on doing some 'Eyes Only' work. When Jondy turned up ten minutes later with the children, he was convinced that it was some sort of set up silently organized between Max and Jondy to stop him from working.

"Shouldn't this lot be in school?" He asked, frustrated with being unable to work for three days. Only one of those days had been the least bit enjoyable.

"It's school holidays." Jondy smiled innocently as she handed her daughter Tinga over to him.

"Again." Logan had never noticed how many holidays the schools had until Jondy had adopted the twelve girls.

"Welcome to my world." Jondy turned to stop her son from unplugging Logan's computer. "Wait till the twins are born. You'll be wondering what spare time ever was."

By the next morning, both Max and Logan were getting sick of the inside of their apartment. Pulling their coats on, they decided to go for a walk and get some fresh air. It was nice to be able to just walk down the street holding hands. Of course they stayed away from Terminal City. No sense in tempting fate. The last thing they needed was to tip Lydecker off to Max's pregnancy and where they lived.

Jondy watched the couple from Alec's apartment window. "You wish you had that, don't you." Alec voice startled her. "That 'I just enjoy being with you' sappiness. Where you're content just to walk down the street holding hands." He couldn't pinpoint what the expression was that was on Jondy's face.

"Sometimes." Jondy smiled sadly. "I was just thinking that Max is getting this pregnancy right. She's got the loving husband. She gets the walks while holding hands. Also, she knows how lucky she is."

It was then Alec knew what it was he saw on Jondy's face. It was unselfish pride in the way her sister's life had turned out. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you any of that."

"I know." Jondy walked away to see what her children were up to.

Logan managed to catch up on his 'Eyes Only' work while Max took a nap. Originally he had been concerned by Max sleeping so much when she never had before. When Jondy explained that carrying two babies around inside of her had left her exhausted, so it was only fair that the same be expected of Max, he had realized he was being overly concerned. Now he actually appreciated the time while Max was napping to work without making Max feel ignored.

Since she had become pregnant, it had been hard to judge Max's mood swings. Logan had quickly learnt that if he got too engrossed in his work, Max started to feel fat and unloved. The truth was, the sight of Max growing bigger due to their children growing inside her was a huge turn on. So much so that he couldn't work when Max was in the same room as him.

"Finally managed to make it to your computer." Jondy grinned at Logan from the doorway.

Logan grinned back. "Luckily it's been a slow news week. I've managed to catch up on everything that backed up because you and Max wouldn't let me work."

"In all fairness Logan, you wouldn't have been able to concentrate properly while you were ill." Jondy reasoned. "You don't think that either of us would take the chance that you could make a fatal mistake because you were too ill to be working."

"You're determined to make sure nothing ruins the birth of your nieces or nephews, aren't you." Logan felt honored that he was part of a family that cared so much.

Jondy smiled at her brother in law. "Let's just say I want my sister to have everything that I didn't. I'm not a woman that's used to being told I'm not going to get my own way."

"One look at that hair and your icy blue eyes and nobody would dare tell you no." Logan chuckled.

"Nobody can look as sweet or as dangerous at the same time like Jondy can." Max walked out of the bedroom. "What have you and the children been doing today."

"We found a park to go to and spent most of the morning there." Jondy shrugged her shoulders. "We visited the recreation center. My kids are very impressed. They can't stop talking about the great things Uncle Logan has done."

"I'm sorry Devon hasn't been around for them to hero worship." Max hugged her sister. "He saved your life a couple of times. I owe him big for that."

Jondy managed a weak smile. "My kids have big hearts. There's plenty of room for their Dad and all of their Uncles. I think Alec's a little upset that he's not their favorite though."

The following day, things seemed to have quitened down around Terminal City. Supplies needed to be delivered so a heavily guarded Max would be going in.

"I don't like this." Logan argued for the seventh time that morning. "Max, there's no need for you to go in there."

"I convinced them all to stay in Terminal City." Max was beginning to feel like a broken record. "I can't just sit on the sidelines and watch when it suits me."

Logan could see Jondy talking quietly to Alec and Rein out of the corner of his eye. "I guess that means Jondy's going in as well." From what he could see Rein and Alec weren't any happier about Jondy going along for the delivery than he was about Max going.

Max spun around to look at her sister. "You can't go in. Who's going to watch the children?"

"The children are with Rebecka." Jondy replied calmly. "Lydecker won't expect me to be there, so I have a better chance of getting in and out without being spotted."

"It's too dangerous." Max had watched her sister put her life on the line too many times for her family. She was not going to let her do it again.

"I'm not the one who's pregnant with twins." Jondy reminded her.

"There's no changing your minds once you two are set on something." Rein groaned. "I swear you two must have some goat in your DNA."

"Let's get this over and done with then." Alec had a bad feeling about this. "The vans are loaded and ready to go."

Now Logan was worried about the safety of his wife and his sister in law. This was not going to be a good day.

The actual delivery went fine. They all got into Terminal City and unloaded the vans with no problems.

"I don't mean to be pessimistic, but does anyone else think that went too easily?" Rein asked.

The helicopter that came to hover above Terminal City confirmed Rein's suspicions.

"Max!" Tek yelled down from the command center. "Lydecker's covered all of his bases this time."

Everybody raced up to the command center and stared at the monitors. "Sorry folks. Looks like you're here to stay." Mole grumbled.

"I doubt it." Alec shot back. "Lydecker isn't intending to trap us in here. He wants to make it impossible for Max not to turn herself over to him. He knows she'd do anything to ensure Logan's safety as well as the rest of us."

Logan dialed Matt Sung's direct line. "Hey Matt. We have a problem out at Terminal City. I'm pretty sure none of these armed lunatics are licensed to carry weapons. At least not in the USA. Also, there's a Colonial Lydecker who's abusing his former military advantage."

"Hang tight Logan." Matt was already reaching for his car keys. "I'm on my way with back up."

"Logan, you know Lydecker's not going to just hand over his gun and play nice." Max was running the possibilities for escape through her head. "Not even if a gun were pointed at his head."

"We've got one advantage over him that we didn't have over White." Jondy pointed out. "He's human. A bullet in the shoulder will slow him down."

"Well, we've got to be able to see him to make sure it's him we're shooting at." Joshua pointed at the monitor. "He's using our trick. Tear gas."

Sure enough Lydecker had his men shooting tear gas over the fence from all sides. They weren't trying to force the transgenics out. They were covering their forced entry.

Tek and Mole grabbed the chest full of gas masks and handed the masks out. "At this stage, all we have to do is flip the masks off of Lydecker's men." Tek pointed out. "With the cops on the way, we can just get them to back the paddy wagon up the fence and we'll just toss the intruders in the back."

"That's if the cops get here fast enough." Mole grumbled. "Everybody but the twins here packing?" Everyone nodded. "Let's go clean house then."

Most of Lydecker's men hadn't expected the occupants of Terminal City to do anything but try and leave. When their gas masks were ripped off and thrown over the fence, they realized that they had underestimated the transgenics again. The dream of a new, better Manticore was unrealistic.

Lydecker waited for the smoke to start to settle before he made his way into Terminal City. The sight of his men lying on the ground unconscious didn't entirely surprise him. That wasn't his concern. Getting hold of Max was.

His gun raised, Lydecker cautiously hunted out his prey. The smoke had cleared enough for the transgenics to remove their masks. Lydecker spotted Alec and Rein first. They were already congratulating each other on a job well done. Then he saw Max talking to someone behind a gas mask. He guessed it was Logan as he was holding Max's hand.

"You're slipping Max." Lydecker aimed at Logan knowing Max would never risk Logan being hurt. "It used to be harder to catch you off guard." He reached out and grabbed Max's arm pulling her over to him.

When Alec and Rein made a move towards him, Lydecker pulled Max in front of him. For the first time, he realized that Max was pregnant. "Well, I just got two for the price of one."

"Let her go Lydecker." Jondy walked into view. With her hair tied back, her scar practically glowed like a neon sign against her pale skin.

"I know you won't help recreate Manticore Jondy." Lydecker pointed the gun at Max's stomach. "If I let your sister go, I have no guarantee that you'll co-operate."

"J. My gun." Logan was standing slightly in front of Jondy. He knew that Lydecker wouldn't be able to hear him, but the transgenics could. "My gun's tucked in to my belt in the back."

Joshua, Mole and Tek were closing in behind Lydecker. They weren't willing to make a grab for Lydecker when he was pointing a gun at Max's unborn children. All they could do was wait for Jondy or Logan to make a move.

Jondy signaled to Alec and Rein behind Logan's back. They were faster, stronger and smarter than Lydecker. None of them were frightened children anymore.

In a blur of speed Rein grabbed Lydecker's gun, Alec moved forward beside Jondy and Jondy grabbed Logan's gun and aimed it up at Lydecker.

Lydecker smirked at Jondy and tightened his grip on Max. They had caught him by doing what they were trained to do. "You won't shoot me Jondy. You and Max are terrified of guns."

Jondy slowly smiled. The smile never reached her eyes which were icy. "For you, I'll make an exception." She fired the gun, the bullet hitting Lydecker straight between the eyes. "Good bye nightmare, hello life."

Joshua had pulled Max aside as soon as Jondy's finger had flexed on the trigger. Now he held his shaking friend in his arms. "It's over Little Fella. You're safe now."

Logan carefully removed the gun from Jondy's cold hand while keeping an eye on Max. The sound of police sirens in the distance made Logan realize they had to come up with a cover story quick. "Well, I saw Lydecker shoot himself after he had stolen my gun." He looked at the others. "What did you guys see."

Mole took the gun off of Logan and placed it in Lydecker's hand. "Looks like he killed himself to me. Always thought that guy was unstable."

Rein pulled Jondy into his arms. She felt like a block of ice. "I've got J, Logan. Go check on your wife." He knew how much Jondy hated guns, but there was no way any of them would have let Lydecker have Max or her children.

Tek and Alec went to help the cops collect the unconscious men. It was an hour later before Matt Sung made it over to the group to get a statement. After seeing the state Jondy and Max were in, Matt was sure there was a lot more than he was being told. He looked up and saw the helicopter still hovering above them. "Any chance they saw what happened?" He pointed towards the sky.

"Not through the tear gas." Logan had already thought of that. "It had started to clear but not enough for somebody above us to see Lydecker shoot himself." While they had been waiting for Matt, Logan had asked Mole to use the equipment in the command center to scan the helicopter for any equipment that could be used to tape the events inside Terminal City.

"Well, I guess that's about it." Matt put his note pad back in his pocket. "I may have to ask you some more questions later Logan. Better get your wife and sister in law home. They look pretty shaken up."

Logan nodded and gestured for Rein to follow him with Jondy. "Thanks Matt."

Matt followed them out of Terminal City. He wasn't sure what exactly had gone on today, but Donald Lydecker didn't strike him as the sort of person who would take his own life. If Max or Jondy had killed him, Matt was fairly certain it would have been in self defense.

That night Logan lay in bed holding his sleeping wife, incredibly aware of how close he had come to losing his whole family today. Another threat to his family was gone, but what had it cost Jondy to make the move to end this nightmare. She hadn't stopped shaking even when they left Terminal City.

"Why aren't you sleeping." Max mumbled.

"I'm thinking." Logan kissed the top of her head.

"Jondy just needs a little time. She'll be fine." Max opened her eyes to look up at Logan. "It's hard to believe the man we were all so scared of as children is finally gone."

"I bet Jondy was the last person you expected to finish his reign of fear." Logan still couldn't believe it himself.

"Which is exactly why Jondy should have been the first person Lydecker should have been wary of." Max pointed out. "The Manticore distraction strikes again. We're all safe. Now go to sleep before you make me jealous of my sister. Do you really want a repeat of last Thanksgiving?"

"Some of it wasn't bad." Logan chuckled as his wife playfully hit his chest. "I love you Max."

"I love you too." Max closed her eyes. "We're gonna get our happily ever after." She murmured as she drifted off to sleep.

The End