The Moon is Not Enough by ThePekingNoodle
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Chapter Twelve: Second Time Around
Two weddings are better than one…
Max stared at Logan. Logan stared straight ahead at the road. There was a silence as she waited for him to say more.
"Logan?" she finally ventured.
"Yeah?" His tone wasn't encouraging.
"Why the sudden rush to get married again? You didn't seem to be too concerned about it before."
His jaw was still set. "I don't see any point in waiting, is all. We're out of Seattle and we should be able to find a Justice of the Peace who can take care of this for us. Why not do it?" His words were clipped and Max got the impression that he wasn't saying what he really meant.
"You wouldn't happen to be…" Max stopped as Logan shot her a sidelong glance.
"Be what?" Logan's tone had a distinctly dangerous edge to it.
"Nothing. Oh look is that an eagle?" Max quickly changed the subject, smiling to herself. She wondered if he was actually jealous over a potential rival, and couldn't help a thrill of pure female pleasure from rushing through her at the thought.
"Can't tell. I need to watch the road."
Max gave up on conversation and settled back into her seat. She gazed out the window, enjoying the scenery of the Northern California wine country they were driving through. They drove for a while in silence. Finally they came into a small town. Like most towns, its buildings showed the effects of the Pulse in their worn and chipped paint and a few boarded up windows and vacant storefronts, but overall it didn't look nearly as run down as some other towns they'd passed through on their trip. Logan steered the car down the narrow main street and pulled into a diagonal facing parking spot. Without a word he climbed out of the car and came around. Max had already opened her door and jumped down.
"Come on." Logan grabbed her hand and started to walk toward a building that seemed to be the city hall, such as it was. Max refused to budge. "Max? What's the matter?" He looked back at her.
"Logan Cale, if you think I'm going to let you drag me out of the house, into a car and to some godforsaken town to get married, while you're in some kind of pissed off mood over who knows what, you've got another think coming." Max pulled her hand from his and stood facing him, her hands on her hips.
Logan stared at her. "Max, do we need to discuss this on a public street corner?"
"It isn't a corner, it's the middle of the block. And we do need to discuss it." Max pointed out, keeping her tone reasonable.
"Why? Suddenly changed your mind about being married to me? Maybe Cousin Ryan looks like someone you want to get to know?" Logan snapped at her.
Max stared at him. "I can't believe you just said that."
"Max, are you coming with me or not?" Logan stared at her. "Or should I just forget the whole thing, and when we get back to Seattle, I'll give Ashley a call while you get to know Cousin Ryan?"
"Suddenly I'm not so sure I want to be married to you." Max snapped back, running out of patience. "And it has nothing to do with Cousin Ryan either. I need a cup of coffee." She turned her back on him and stalked off toward a small coffee shop.
Logan stared after her for a moment with a frown on his face. Then he squared his shoulders and followed her. When he entered the coffee shop, Max was already seated at a table and a waitress was setting a cup of steaming coffee in front of her. Logan slid into a chair across from Max and smiled at the waitress. "I'll have one of those as well."
There was a silence as the two sipped their coffee. Finally Logan sighed and reached for Max's hand.
"Look, I'm sorry. I have a lot on my mind."
Max let him hold her hand, but she steeled herself against his practiced charm and didn't answer.
Logan tried giving her one of his best smiles. The ones that usually had her melting into his arms. "Max? That dress looks wonderful on you."
Max snorted. "Wow. You really brought out the big guns on that one." She pulled her hand away. "News flash, Logan. I am not one of your brainless blondes who falls all over you, just because you decide to turn on the charm."
"I said I was sorry." Logan protested. "What more do you want?" He sighed and looked down at his coffee.
Max felt her heart turn over. He looked like a chastised little boy. "Damn it, Logan. Stop it."
Logan looked up with the ghost of a smile playing around his mouth. "Is it working?"
"Oooh you…" Max took another gulp of coffee.
Logan reached for her hand again. This time his voice was soft as he said, "Max, I'm sorry I acted like a jerk. Will you forgive me? And more importantly, will you please marry me? Again?"
Max felt her resistance crumbling but she tried to hang on. "Logan…" she began.
Logan turned the full force of his eyes on her. "I promise, you can still have your society wedding if you want it, when we get back to Seattle. But I think we should take care of this now. So I don't have to worry about you." He lowered his voice to a husky whisper that only Max's enhanced hearing would be able to pick up, " I do worry about you. A lot. You're the most important thing in my life." His fingers caressed hers.
Max stared into those eyes and felt herself losing the battle. Logan smiled and leaned across the small table to give her a soft kiss.He stood up and tossed some bills on the table. Holding out his hand to her, he said, "Are you coming?"
Max rose and gave him a level look. "I'm coming, but if you act like that again, I am so going to kick your ass. You'll wish you were with Ashley instead of me."
Logan grinned, restored to his normal good humor. "You can kick my ass anytime you want, Max. But there are other things I'd rather you do with it." He gave her a sexy wink.
Max narrowed her eyes, "Oh yeah? Well then you better do something to make me want to do those other things. 'Cause this girl doesn't come easy."
"That's a good thing. Hard jobs happen to be my forte." Logan tossed back with a smirk.
Max tossed her hair and walked out of the restaurant ahead of him. Logan smiled as he watched the gentle sway of her hips which were outlined by the lines of her dress.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ten minutes later they were standing in a dreary office in City Hall. When Logan had inquired about getting married, a frumpy looking secretary had grunted at them, and led them to the office to wait for the resident Justice of the Peace.
"Logan, are you sure about this?" Max looked around doubtfully.
Before Logan could answer, a disheveled looking individual entered the room. "Papers," he grunted holding out a hand. Logan raised an eyebrow but handed him their paperwork. The man took them without a word, and went over and sat behind a desk that was covered in papers and dust. He perused their papers for a long time and then looked up at them out of bleary eyes.
"So you want to get married?"
"That's the plan." Logan said mildly.
The man pulled some papers out of a desk drawer and scribbled on them briefly. He pushed aside some piles of folders on the desk and unearthed a small bell. He dropped his hand heavily on it several times. A few moments later the door behind Max and Logan opened, and the same woman who had shown them into the room hurried in.
She handed a small piece of paper to the man who scribbled on it some more. Max and Logan exchanged glances. Finally he looked up and motioned for them to come to the desk. "Sign here." He shoved a pen and the small paper at Logan.
"And this is?" Logan asked.
"Marriage license." This close, the scent of alcohol hit them in a blast when the JP opened his mouth.
Logan read it briefly and then leaned in and signed his name. He started to hand the pen back, but the man pointed at Max. Logan handed it to her and she signed her name next to his.
"Over there." The man pointed to the side of the room.
The secretary was standing there waiting for them. When they got to their places, she shoved a wilted looking bouquet of silk roses into Max's hand. Max looked askance at them but took them from her.The woman gave her a gap toothed smile and went to stand behind them. Max jumped slightly as the voice of Elvis Presley started crooning, Love Me Tender. She looked at Logan sideways and he smiled and shrugged.
Meanwhile the JP had pulled a dusty looking book from his desk. He walked over to stand in front of them. Max held her breath as he stared down at the book he held and rapidly mumbled some words. After a few minutes he looked up at Logan. "Do you, Logan Cale, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do." Logan said looking down at Max.
The JP turned to Max. "Do you, Maxine Gavara, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" he asked, mangling Max's name.
She shot him a glare, then gazed up at Logan. "I do."
"By the power vested in me by the military government of the territory of California I now pronounce you man and wife." The JP closed the book with a snap and walked back to his desk.
"Psst." The woman spoke for the first time, "Kiss the bride, dearie," she urged Logan.
Logan and Max exchanged glances, and then he leaned in and kissed her. The woman beamed at them.
There was a grunt from the vicinity of the desk. The woman hurried over. The JP shoved some paperwork at her and she started to leave the room with it. "Be right back with your copies, dearies," she said.
"I'd like a copy of Justice…Dredd's license, if that's alright." Logan said to the woman, giving her one of his best smiles. Max giggled to herself as she watched the woman melt and nod at Logan.
The JP was ignoring them, so the two went to sit in the wooden chairs that were placed next to the doorway. Logan reached over and took Max's hand as he smiled down at her.
"Mrs.Cale once again," he said softly. "Only this time I'm making sure we have all the records in our possession."
Before Max could reply the woman came back into the room She handed Logan an envelope. As she did the man let out a loud "Harumph."
"Oh. That will be $500."
Logan raised an eyebrow but pulled out his wallet and peeled off some bills. The woman handed him the envelope and waited as he pulled out its contents and scanned them. Logan looked up and smiled at her.
"Thank you." He pulled out another bill and handed it to her, making sure the JP didn't see him do it.
"Buy yourself something pretty," he smiled at her.
The woman simpered and blushed. "Thank you. Good luck to you and your lovely bride."
With another smile for her, Logan took Max's hand and the two turned to leave. As they walked out of the room, Max felt something shower onto her head.
"What the…?" she turned rapidly, prepared for anything, a fierce look on her face.
The woman backed up hastily as she was faced with an X5 in fighting position.
Logan stifled a laugh as Max realized that the woman had tossed a handful of rice at them. "Oh," she said as she relaxed. "I'm sorry. You startled me."
Logan grabbed Max and hustled her out of the room and the building. When the two reached the street, Logan stopped. "Hang on a minute." He reached into Max's hair. "You've got rice in your hair." He started laughing. "That poor woman. You just scared her to death."
Max pouted at him. "How was I supposed to know?"
Logan kept laughing and Max gave in and joined him. Then he grabbed her and lifting her in the air he swung her around in a circle. "You're going to be the death of me, Max Cale but I wouldn't have it any other way!"
When he set her down he continued to hold her arms. Max grinned up at him. "You have to admit that our life is interesting. So now what do we do?"
Logan slanted a look at her. "Why, Max, it's our wedding night. What do you think we should do?"
"Like we haven't already done that." Max tossed back.
"Practice makes perfect."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Let's go home."
"Logan, do you like rabbits?" Max asked him.
"Never thought about it. Why?"
"No reason." Max grinned to herself, as they headed back to the car.
End of Chapter Twelve…TBC…