Note: I hadn't really planned on writing a sequel, but here it is anyway. I'm not really satisfied with it though...besides, it has been done a million times already, and I'm afraid this brings up nothing new.
Disclaimer: As always, the characters don't belong to me and I just try to have some fun playing with them.
RETURN 2
"Max." Logan looked up, his hands gripping the rims of his wheels tightly.
Slowly Max walked closer, a single tear running down her cheek when she saw the hurt in Logan's eyes. The closer she got, the more distinct it was. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to do that to you."
"I don't understand. You..."
She had finally reached him and kneeled down in front of him, lightly covering his hand with hers and caressing it with her thumb. "I made it out." She smiled reluctantly. "It was hell, but I made it because I knew I had to get back to you and tell you something."
"Max..." He shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes, too.
"I love you. God, I love you so much." With that she leaned closer and hugged him fiercly. She had missed him terribly and now that she was back in his arms all the bent up emotions overcame her.
Logan closed his eyes when he felt her hair against his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her, too, and inhaled her scent. His head was still spinning with confusion, but for now the only thing that mattered was that Max was back in his arms. He would have time to sort things out later on.
They stayed like that for a long time, until Max eventually released her hold on him. Logan was reluctant to let her go; he was too scared she would disappear. So he grabbed her arm forcefully when she tried to sit back on her heels, wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. She looked up at his tight grip and understood his intentions when she saw the fear in his eyes. "Logan I'm here. This is real, and I'm not gonna go away. Trust me." With her free hand she caressed his cheek.
"I've dreamt about this so often; I just can't believe this time it's real." He let her arm go and exhaled loudly. "God, I thought I'd lost you forever."
"No, you didn't," Max corrected him. "You still knew I was out there, didn't you?"
Logan shrugged. "I tried to make myself believe it, but the last few days, it had been getting harder. Everybody kept telling me I had to move on..." He shivered. "I couldn't let go. I wouldn't have made it."
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for." He eventually looked at her, really looked at her and took in her haggard, pale face with the dark circles under her eyes. "What did they do to you?"
Max swallowed. "I can't really talk about all this just yet. Do you think you can give me some time?" Her voice sounded hoarse and cracked slightly.
He nodded his acceptance. "Are you hungry? Do you want to sleep? You look like you could use both."
"Thanks, just what a girl needs to hear." She grinned a little.
"Want me to whip up a culinary miracle?" He smiled back and for the first time in months the smile actually reached his eyes. It was honest, still reluctant, but definitely real.
"If it's not too much trouble. Mind if I take a shower while you're busy?"
"Go ahead, but don't take too long." There was a fear in his voice that broke Max's heart.
"Logan, I'm really back and I will never leave you again, I swear."
He looked up, helplessly. "It's gonna take some time, though. Sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"Nothing to be sorry for. I just want you to know I'll always be there if you want me to. The one thing I learnt back there was that I don't ever again wanna be without you."
"Me neither."
"Cool." She kissed him on the lips and then stood up. "Can't wait for dinner."
Logan sat there for another minute until he heard the shower running. It was real. Max was back with him and she wanted to stay. Finally, after all those months of suffering, his dream would come true. He shook his head and let out a short laugh. Why had they been forced to endure so much misery and loss before it happened for them? He just hoped that now everything would run smooth, or as smoothly as it could when a genetically engineered soldier hooked up with a paralyzed underground cyber journalist. This combination seemed like a magnet for trouble.
Finally he made himself move to the kitchen and check the fridge for ingredients. He realized that there was not much there. Ever since Max had left, he had not really cared about food. Bling had taken care that he had a decent meal every once in a while. Other than that, he'd mostly relied on frozen pizza or take out food. Now he collected everything he still had in his freezer, put it on the island counter, and took a few seconds to consider. When he finally decided what to do he wasted no time. By the time Max returned from the bathroom, wearing his fluffy bathrobe, he had already put the pot in the oven. "It's gonna take a few minutes," he apologized
"That's okay. Mind joining me in the living room?" She put a hand on his shoulder and followed him to the sofa. He set his breaks in front of it and she sank down, putting her legs in his lap and closing her eyes for a second.
Logan just sat there, watching his angel. "Are you okay?"
Max sadly smiled at him. "I will be. Just gotta be patient, okay?" In her eyes he could see the horror she had been through but he knew better than to press. She would let him in when she was ready, and he would gladly be there to listen. But until then they had too much to be happy about.
"You have all the time in the world," he answered, honestly.
Max nodded and then her eyes fell on his legs. "What happened to the exoskeleton?"
Logan shrugged. "Guess Bling put it in the closet. I haven't felt like walking lately."
Max frowned but decided not to comment.
"Want me to put it on?" Logan asked.
"No, no need. I don't care if you're sitting or walking." She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "This is all I care about."
Logan grinned and pulled her closer, then he embraced her and just held her tight again. They sat there until the ding of the oven brought them back to reality. But reality didn't look so harsh anymore. Together they made their way into the kitchen and into their new lives. Everything was fine now.
THE END
Okay, as I said, not too good, not too creative...but it's something. Hope you enjoyed it a little bit!
Disclaimer: As always, the characters don't belong to me and I just try to have some fun playing with them.
RETURN 2
"Max." Logan looked up, his hands gripping the rims of his wheels tightly.
Slowly Max walked closer, a single tear running down her cheek when she saw the hurt in Logan's eyes. The closer she got, the more distinct it was. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to do that to you."
"I don't understand. You..."
She had finally reached him and kneeled down in front of him, lightly covering his hand with hers and caressing it with her thumb. "I made it out." She smiled reluctantly. "It was hell, but I made it because I knew I had to get back to you and tell you something."
"Max..." He shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes, too.
"I love you. God, I love you so much." With that she leaned closer and hugged him fiercly. She had missed him terribly and now that she was back in his arms all the bent up emotions overcame her.
Logan closed his eyes when he felt her hair against his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her, too, and inhaled her scent. His head was still spinning with confusion, but for now the only thing that mattered was that Max was back in his arms. He would have time to sort things out later on.
They stayed like that for a long time, until Max eventually released her hold on him. Logan was reluctant to let her go; he was too scared she would disappear. So he grabbed her arm forcefully when she tried to sit back on her heels, wiping the tears from her face with the back of her hand. She looked up at his tight grip and understood his intentions when she saw the fear in his eyes. "Logan I'm here. This is real, and I'm not gonna go away. Trust me." With her free hand she caressed his cheek.
"I've dreamt about this so often; I just can't believe this time it's real." He let her arm go and exhaled loudly. "God, I thought I'd lost you forever."
"No, you didn't," Max corrected him. "You still knew I was out there, didn't you?"
Logan shrugged. "I tried to make myself believe it, but the last few days, it had been getting harder. Everybody kept telling me I had to move on..." He shivered. "I couldn't let go. I wouldn't have made it."
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for." He eventually looked at her, really looked at her and took in her haggard, pale face with the dark circles under her eyes. "What did they do to you?"
Max swallowed. "I can't really talk about all this just yet. Do you think you can give me some time?" Her voice sounded hoarse and cracked slightly.
He nodded his acceptance. "Are you hungry? Do you want to sleep? You look like you could use both."
"Thanks, just what a girl needs to hear." She grinned a little.
"Want me to whip up a culinary miracle?" He smiled back and for the first time in months the smile actually reached his eyes. It was honest, still reluctant, but definitely real.
"If it's not too much trouble. Mind if I take a shower while you're busy?"
"Go ahead, but don't take too long." There was a fear in his voice that broke Max's heart.
"Logan, I'm really back and I will never leave you again, I swear."
He looked up, helplessly. "It's gonna take some time, though. Sorry, I didn't mean to..."
"Nothing to be sorry for. I just want you to know I'll always be there if you want me to. The one thing I learnt back there was that I don't ever again wanna be without you."
"Me neither."
"Cool." She kissed him on the lips and then stood up. "Can't wait for dinner."
Logan sat there for another minute until he heard the shower running. It was real. Max was back with him and she wanted to stay. Finally, after all those months of suffering, his dream would come true. He shook his head and let out a short laugh. Why had they been forced to endure so much misery and loss before it happened for them? He just hoped that now everything would run smooth, or as smoothly as it could when a genetically engineered soldier hooked up with a paralyzed underground cyber journalist. This combination seemed like a magnet for trouble.
Finally he made himself move to the kitchen and check the fridge for ingredients. He realized that there was not much there. Ever since Max had left, he had not really cared about food. Bling had taken care that he had a decent meal every once in a while. Other than that, he'd mostly relied on frozen pizza or take out food. Now he collected everything he still had in his freezer, put it on the island counter, and took a few seconds to consider. When he finally decided what to do he wasted no time. By the time Max returned from the bathroom, wearing his fluffy bathrobe, he had already put the pot in the oven. "It's gonna take a few minutes," he apologized
"That's okay. Mind joining me in the living room?" She put a hand on his shoulder and followed him to the sofa. He set his breaks in front of it and she sank down, putting her legs in his lap and closing her eyes for a second.
Logan just sat there, watching his angel. "Are you okay?"
Max sadly smiled at him. "I will be. Just gotta be patient, okay?" In her eyes he could see the horror she had been through but he knew better than to press. She would let him in when she was ready, and he would gladly be there to listen. But until then they had too much to be happy about.
"You have all the time in the world," he answered, honestly.
Max nodded and then her eyes fell on his legs. "What happened to the exoskeleton?"
Logan shrugged. "Guess Bling put it in the closet. I haven't felt like walking lately."
Max frowned but decided not to comment.
"Want me to put it on?" Logan asked.
"No, no need. I don't care if you're sitting or walking." She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "This is all I care about."
Logan grinned and pulled her closer, then he embraced her and just held her tight again. They sat there until the ding of the oven brought them back to reality. But reality didn't look so harsh anymore. Together they made their way into the kitchen and into their new lives. Everything was fine now.
THE END
Okay, as I said, not too good, not too creative...but it's something. Hope you enjoyed it a little bit!