Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters are property of Twentieth Century Fox and James Cameron and Charles Eglee. This original story is property and ©2003 Star24.
Epilogue
A room somewhere
Logan was dreaming again, but this time he didn't want the dream to end. He was lying in a darkened room on a large soft bed and Max was lying curled up next to him. She was dressed in a pair of camouflage pants and a grey T-shirt, and he briefly wondered why.
She shivered and let out a soft cry, "No. Don't…" The rest of what she said was unintelligible.
"Max?" he asked, his concern for her evident in his voice. He reached out a hand to stroke her hair. The sensation felt so real that he paused momentarily. He moved his legs experimentally and they responded easily. So he was clearly still dreaming.
Her eyes opened and she reached out and grasped at him desperately. "Logan…" Her mouth was on his and her hands were everywhere at once, pulling and ripping at his clothing and at her own.
"Max, it's okay…calm down…." Her mouth stopped his words, and then he was drowning in the taste of her as she kissed him. Her tongue was in his mouth and he gasped at the sensation of her body pressed up against his. Somehow their clothes were gone, and they were lying on the bed in a tangle of limbs. He couldn't tell where he ended and she began. Logan felt himself falling. He tried to resist, but Max wouldn't let him. He gave up the fight and let himself go. He lost himself in Max as they came together, and then, still together, went up in flames…
Later he roused from a deep sleep. He looked down at Max who was lying sprawled across his chest. She lifted her head to look at him.
"Want to tell me what that was all about before?" he asked. "Not that I have any complaints." He stroked her back idly, enjoying the feel of her sleek skin with its underlying muscles. "It's just that it's not exactly how I imagined our first time together would be."
She flushed slightly. "I'm sorry. Sometimes the adrenaline takes you like that…after…" She stopped.
"After what?" Logan wanted to know.
"An intense experience." Max finally answered.
"Is everything okay with your family? No trouble?" Logan looked at her sharply.
Max laughed nervously. "No, it's fine. They're fine. I'm good."
Before he could push it any further she leaned up and kissed him. "Now that we're finally here…can we forget all that…" Her hands were busy, and Logan forgot what he had been going to ask her as the realization that they were indeed there washed over him. He briefly wondered again at the clarity of this dream compared to his earlier ones, but all rational thought fled as Max began to move her body sensuously against his. Without any further urging, he gave his entire attention to making slow, sweet love to her.
Next Morning
Max roused from a deep sleep and lay there for a moment assessing her situation. The last thing she remembered clearly was being hit by the tasers as she started to attack Lydecker. After that there had been darkness, followed by dreams.
She slowly became aware that she was lying on a soft surface, her clothing was missing, and there was another person breathing softly behind her. In a panic she rolled over and saw Logan. The sheets had slipped down and were draped over his waist leaving his torso bare. She reached over to touch him tentatively, and her hand met warm, solid, real flesh. Memories of their activities the preceding night rushed over her as she watched him, and she realized that she hadn't been dreaming. It had really happened.
She thought of how it had felt to have his strong body pressed against hers, and flushed slightly as she remembered Original Cindy's comments about what Logan wanted to do to and with her. "If she only knew…" Max thought to herself as she stretched and smiled. She noticed a slight soreness in her muscles, probably from the combination of the fight with the Reds and her previous night's activities with Logan.
Logan was fast asleep, lying on his back, softly snoring. She looked around and recognized the room. Unless she was mistaken, they were in the Steinlitz Hotel. She frowned briefly as she saw that the security bolt on the door was thrown from the inside. Concentrating her senses, she determined that despite that, they were alone in the room. Of course it was possible that Logan had thrown the bolt the night previously, but somehow she doubted that was the case. The situation reeked of Lydecker.
She quietly climbed from the bed and pulled the soft sheet up over Logan's sleeping form. She decided that she needed to clear her head, and thought that maybe a shower would help. In moments she was safely locked in the bathroom, and steaming hot water was running over her as she allowed the memories of the night before, and what had happened in the room and bed outside of the bathroom door, to rush through her mind.
* * * * * *
When Max emerged from her shower she realized that she had neglected to bring any clothing into the bathroom. Luckily, there were two thick fluffy white robes hanging on hooks on the back of the door. She wrapped one around her and cinched the belt around her waist. She grabbed a thick towel and quickly dried her hair and combed out the worst of the snarls. Deciding that that was the best she was going to do with what was available to her, she took a breath and opened the door leading to the room.
Logan was awake. He was standing next to the desk with a sheet knotted around his waist, looking down at something. The television droned softly in the background. He looked in her direction when she opened the door from the bathroom. Their eyes locked and she smiled at him shyly.
Logan looked her over. He made no move toward her. His face was impassive as he said. "Last night wasn't a dream."
"No." Max answered simply. Her smile faded and a trickle of anxiety ran down her spine. She stood and waited silently for him to continue.
Logan looked from her, down to his legs, which were outlined by the sheet that covered him from his waist down. "This isn't a dream. Lydecker wasn't a dream. I really can walk again." He paused. "Somehow, I feel safe in assuming that it's courtesy of Manticore."
"Yes." Max confirmed. Her stomach was in knots as Logan nodded grimly at her answer. "Logan…I…"
"That means that this isn't a dream either." He ignored her words and reached down to the desktop and picked up a single folded sheet of paper. Wordlessly he held it out to Max.
She advanced slowly, and took it from his outstretched hand. For a moment she stood there holding it, making no move to read it. This close, Logan's scent was almost overwhelming. She wished she could just take him back to the bed that stood behind her and continue where they had left off the night before. She cursed herself for her carelessness in not checking out the room before she went to shower.
Logan's voice was harsh as he said to her abruptly, "Read it."
Max slowly unfolded the sheet and looked down at the paper. She felt sick to her stomach as she read what it said, and realized that Logan had read it as well.
Max;
The room is yours through tomorrow. Consider it a performance bonus over and above our quid pro quo.
Lydecker
When she finally looked up from reading the note, Logan held up her grimy clothing. She grimaced as she saw the unmistakable blood stains on the shirt and smelled the scent of gunpowder and explosives.
"Logan, I can explain…" she tried, looking up at him with panic in her eyes.
"I'm listening," he said. His voice was soft, but Max would have preferred outright anger to the calm coldness he was displaying.
She searched his eyes and face, desperately trying to read his thoughts and emotions. "When Sam told me about your prognosis, I had to do something to get you help. From my stay there, I knew that Manticore had capabilities for the repair of injuries that aren't matched anywhere in the world…"
At that moment, the chiming sound of a breaking news bulletin cut into her words. At first she and Logan ignored it, but as the announcer began to speak, both turned their attention to the television.
"…KPMC News Exclusive, Carolyn Chan at the British Embassy. Authorities have finally released information on the explosions reported several nights ago at the Embassy building. We have learned that the explosions occurred when a band of mercenaries breached the top level security here. Despite the valiant efforts of in-house security forces, the Ambassador from South Africa, who was here on a trade mission, was killed, along with at least five members of his security force. It is believed to be a deliberate assassination. The attackers were commanded by a woman in her early twenties, and were equipped with state of the art military equipment. We are being allowed inside of the embassy to bring you pictures of the damage from the attack. Authorities advise that a Terrorism Alert remains in force at this time…"
The camera panned from the reporter to a shot of the interior of the embassy. It looked like a bomb had gone off. Max snatched up the remote and turned off the television. She slowly turned to look up at Logan.
He was staring down at her with a look of horror on his face. "What have you done?" he whispered, the words echoing mockingly around the two of them.
End of Devil's Waltz
AN: While I thought the S2 virus was a completely ridiculous plot device, I have always agreed that Max and Logan would never have an easy time getting together. The nature of their lives and who they are, always made it clear to me at least, that these were two people who weren't going to end up with the white picket fence and 2 kids and a dog. Their very natures wouldn't allow for it. At least not for many years to come, if ever.
But at the same time, it was clear they loved each other and were going to find a way to consummate that love. There was always an inevitability to them coming together, just as it is inevitable that they will be torn apart by the forces surrounding them. Since I love S1 and consider Lydecker the consummate villain, I chose to use him as the deus ex machina in their downfall. So now the shoe has dropped, leaving each one to figure out just how much they want to be together, and if the price is one they are willing and able to pay.
Star