Disclaimer: The usual, characters belong to FOX and not to me etc.
NOTE: Hope you enjoy it! Lemme know!
Thanks to alaidh for betaing this!
*****
Max stared at Logan for a long moment, open-mouthed. She didn't even acknowledge the woman who stood in front of her, nervously biting her lip.
"Max?" Helen reluctantly tried, but there was no reaction.
Logan looked straight at Max, seeing the confusion and fear in her big brown eyes. "It's Ok, Max."
"It's not ok! What the hell are you doing here?" She forcefully stood up, glaring down at him. "I can't believe you lied to me. This is why we came here, huh? Great!"
"Max..." Logan held up his hands in surrender, but Max was too furious.
"Forget it." With that she stormed out of the restaurant, not caring the least about all the people watching her.
Logan shrugged helplessly. "Well, guess this didn't go too well."
Helen laughed nervously. "I guess this is it."
"No." Logan released his brakes and backed up. "Let me talk to her. She's mad at me, not you. Wait right here, please."
"Ok, but don't force her."
"I won't. Be right back." He left the restaurant and scanned the avenue for any signs of Max. With a sigh he pushed his wheels towards the beach.
And he had been right, after only a few minutes he made out her form sitting in the soft sand, letting it run through her fingers. He watched her from the walkway for a moment then addressed her in a normal voice, knowing she could hear him. "Max? Can we talk about this, please? Come over here."
For a long moment she didn't even move. He thought she would keep ignoring him, but eventually she turned around and he could make out her tearstained face in the semidarkness. Slowly she stood up, letting the last of the sand fall to the ground. Taking a deep breath she strolled over and stopped in front of him.
"I'm sorry. I know I should be grateful."
Logan shook his head. "It wasn't fair; I should have told you. But I didn't want you to get your hopes up; I wasn't 100% sure she was the right woman. I'm the one who has to apologize."
Without answering, Max walked a few feet to a bench and sank down onto it. Logan followed her and stopped next to it. Together they watched the waves rolling in and listened to the calming sounds.
"I just didn't expect to find her; I've given up on the idea. This is all so unexpected."
"But it's not a bad thing, Max."
"I'm not so sure about this." She turned to look at him. "She probably isn't interested in me, anyway."
"Why do you think that? She came, didn't she?"
Max smiled slightly. "You forced her, didn't you?"
Logan shrugged. "I asked her to, and she needed some time to think about it, but in the end she came here on her own volition."
"But she doesn't need me. She probably has a normal life and has buried the past. I don't want to complicate things for her."
"She gave birth to you, Max. You are a big part of her, no matter where in her life she is right now."
Max shrugged and kept silent for a moment. "Logan?" she eventually asked.
"Yeah?"
"Would you want to see her?" She looked at him with big brown eyes full of confusion and fear. She looked so lost.
He took a deep breath. "I loved my mother with all my heart, and she is responsible for a lot of what I am today. Without her I don't know where I would have ended up. I know that your mother can't guide you like mine guided me, but it's good to know where you're coming from- that you're not just Manticore."
"You think she's going to like me? I mean... she could be disappointed..."
"Max, are you kidding? You're perfect! God, look at you!"
"Are you gonna come back with me? I don't wanna go back there alone."
"If you want me to, of course."
"Ok, let's go." She hesitantly stood up and smiled at him insecurely. Then they walked back to the restaurant. But before they entered, Max turned towards Logan and swallowed. "Listen, I have to thank you for what you did for me. No matter what's gonna happen in there, I love you for doing this for me." With that she bent down to embrace him. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek.
"You're welcome," Logan said, hoarsely, shocked by the unexpected display of emotions.
**
Max preceded Logan to the table, nervously drumming her fingers against her thighs. Helen had looked up the moment she had entered the room and was smiling sightly. When Max had nearly reached the table, Helen stood up and took a step towards her daughter, her eyes watery by now. "Max?"
"Hi."
Helen couldn't hold back any longer, in one quick motion she flung her arms around her newfound daughter and held her tight for a long moment. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she repeated again and again.
At first, Max felt trapped and uncomfortable in the embrace, but then she relaxed and listened to the soft voice and harbored the sudden warmness. "It's okay," she managed eventually.
Finally, Helen released her and looked at her, a happiness in her eyes that Logan, who was silently watching, hadn't seen before. "You are such a beautiful girl, Max."
Max cast her eyes down, not sure how to respond to that. "Listen, I'm not good at this sentimental thing, and I was caught pretty much off guard. I've wondered for so long where you were, but I'd already given up hope..."
"You can have all the time in the world, Max. Just give me a chance." Helen squeezed her hand.
Max nodded. "Of course."
TBC...
NOTE: Hope you enjoy it! Lemme know!
Thanks to alaidh for betaing this!
*****
Max stared at Logan for a long moment, open-mouthed. She didn't even acknowledge the woman who stood in front of her, nervously biting her lip.
"Max?" Helen reluctantly tried, but there was no reaction.
Logan looked straight at Max, seeing the confusion and fear in her big brown eyes. "It's Ok, Max."
"It's not ok! What the hell are you doing here?" She forcefully stood up, glaring down at him. "I can't believe you lied to me. This is why we came here, huh? Great!"
"Max..." Logan held up his hands in surrender, but Max was too furious.
"Forget it." With that she stormed out of the restaurant, not caring the least about all the people watching her.
Logan shrugged helplessly. "Well, guess this didn't go too well."
Helen laughed nervously. "I guess this is it."
"No." Logan released his brakes and backed up. "Let me talk to her. She's mad at me, not you. Wait right here, please."
"Ok, but don't force her."
"I won't. Be right back." He left the restaurant and scanned the avenue for any signs of Max. With a sigh he pushed his wheels towards the beach.
And he had been right, after only a few minutes he made out her form sitting in the soft sand, letting it run through her fingers. He watched her from the walkway for a moment then addressed her in a normal voice, knowing she could hear him. "Max? Can we talk about this, please? Come over here."
For a long moment she didn't even move. He thought she would keep ignoring him, but eventually she turned around and he could make out her tearstained face in the semidarkness. Slowly she stood up, letting the last of the sand fall to the ground. Taking a deep breath she strolled over and stopped in front of him.
"I'm sorry. I know I should be grateful."
Logan shook his head. "It wasn't fair; I should have told you. But I didn't want you to get your hopes up; I wasn't 100% sure she was the right woman. I'm the one who has to apologize."
Without answering, Max walked a few feet to a bench and sank down onto it. Logan followed her and stopped next to it. Together they watched the waves rolling in and listened to the calming sounds.
"I just didn't expect to find her; I've given up on the idea. This is all so unexpected."
"But it's not a bad thing, Max."
"I'm not so sure about this." She turned to look at him. "She probably isn't interested in me, anyway."
"Why do you think that? She came, didn't she?"
Max smiled slightly. "You forced her, didn't you?"
Logan shrugged. "I asked her to, and she needed some time to think about it, but in the end she came here on her own volition."
"But she doesn't need me. She probably has a normal life and has buried the past. I don't want to complicate things for her."
"She gave birth to you, Max. You are a big part of her, no matter where in her life she is right now."
Max shrugged and kept silent for a moment. "Logan?" she eventually asked.
"Yeah?"
"Would you want to see her?" She looked at him with big brown eyes full of confusion and fear. She looked so lost.
He took a deep breath. "I loved my mother with all my heart, and she is responsible for a lot of what I am today. Without her I don't know where I would have ended up. I know that your mother can't guide you like mine guided me, but it's good to know where you're coming from- that you're not just Manticore."
"You think she's going to like me? I mean... she could be disappointed..."
"Max, are you kidding? You're perfect! God, look at you!"
"Are you gonna come back with me? I don't wanna go back there alone."
"If you want me to, of course."
"Ok, let's go." She hesitantly stood up and smiled at him insecurely. Then they walked back to the restaurant. But before they entered, Max turned towards Logan and swallowed. "Listen, I have to thank you for what you did for me. No matter what's gonna happen in there, I love you for doing this for me." With that she bent down to embrace him. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek.
"You're welcome," Logan said, hoarsely, shocked by the unexpected display of emotions.
**
Max preceded Logan to the table, nervously drumming her fingers against her thighs. Helen had looked up the moment she had entered the room and was smiling sightly. When Max had nearly reached the table, Helen stood up and took a step towards her daughter, her eyes watery by now. "Max?"
"Hi."
Helen couldn't hold back any longer, in one quick motion she flung her arms around her newfound daughter and held her tight for a long moment. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she repeated again and again.
At first, Max felt trapped and uncomfortable in the embrace, but then she relaxed and listened to the soft voice and harbored the sudden warmness. "It's okay," she managed eventually.
Finally, Helen released her and looked at her, a happiness in her eyes that Logan, who was silently watching, hadn't seen before. "You are such a beautiful girl, Max."
Max cast her eyes down, not sure how to respond to that. "Listen, I'm not good at this sentimental thing, and I was caught pretty much off guard. I've wondered for so long where you were, but I'd already given up hope..."
"You can have all the time in the world, Max. Just give me a chance." Helen squeezed her hand.
Max nodded. "Of course."
TBC...