Note: Ok, this is going to be very fluffy, and by that I mean FLUFFY. I'm sorry if you expected something better which makes more sense. But this is all I could come up with. Try to enjoy it despite it all!!!! The world would be a better place if that could happen in reality. It probably won't, though, so the least we can do is make this imaginary world a good place, right?
Disclaimer: The characters and the idea don't belong to me, but James Cameron doesn't seem to need them anymore, so I can just as well borrow them.
**
Logan stayed with the two women for another hour, hardly interfering. He could see the ice melting and Max starting to look happier with every minute that passed. Eventually he decided that they didn't need him anymore.
"Excuse-me ladies. I'm really tired; I think I'll head home. Enjoy the rest of the evening." He unlocked his brakes to emphasize his statement.
Max frowned at him for a moment. "You don't have to go."
"I'm beat, Max. Really."
"But you gotta walk back to the hotel…"
"I'm a big boy, Max." He raised his eyebrows. "Have fun. Bye, Helen. I'm sure we'll meet again." He waved at the woman sitting across the table and turned to leave.
"Logan, wait!" Helen jumped up when he turned around. "I'll walk you out," she explained. "Be right back."
*
Logan followed her outside and then expectantly looked up at her, smiling.
"I have to thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to me." Helen began.
"You're welcome."
"No, seriously. If it hadn't been for you, I would have spent the rest of my life wondering and regretting. Now at least I can stop wondering."
"I'm glad things worked out. Seeing you two so happy is enough."
"Max means a lot to you, doesn't she?"
"We're friends."
"You're going through this much trouble for all your friends?"
Logan blushed and stumbled over an answer.
"Listen, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable and I haven't known you two for long. But I have seen Max look at you and you look at her. You are both obviously into each other, so just admit your feelings."
Logan swallowed and shook his head. "It's much more complicated."
Helen sat down on a small iron bench next to the entrance to the restaurant. "Why? You love her, she loves you. Period."
"Yeah, if you had told me that a year ago, I would have agreed. But a lot has changed." A trace of bitterness crept into his voice.
Helen frowned. "Is this about you being…," she pointed at Logan's wheelchair.
"Partly." Logan admitted reluctantly. "And about so many other things."
"Like?"
Logan let out a sharp breath. "Like Max being a super human goddess who deserves so much better than some cripple who puts her into danger just because he isn't able to keep up with her. Like Max being constantly on the run. Like me being much older. Like her being all outgoing and full of life. Like us coming from totally different backgrounds. Like…"
Helen vigorously shook her head. "You are just making things up, trying to find reasons why you shouldn't take the first step. You are just scared if you ask me."
Logan looked up in shock.
"I can't promise this is gonna work out, there never is a guarantee for any relationship. But I do know that Max is in love with you and the way I see it, even though I hardly know her, she doesn't care about any of this."
"You are right about one thing: You hardly know her. There is a lot going on in our lives that complicates things."
"So what? Life's all about taking risks."
Logan looked up again, considering Helen's words for a long moment before he spoke again. "I have to think about this. You just go back in there and enjoy the first evening with your daughter. Good night, have fun."
"Ok, good night. But promise me to really think about it."
"I promise."
Logan wheeled down the sidewalk, sensing Helen's eyes were still on him. Maybe she had been right, maybe Max really didn't care. But it didn't make things that much easier. It mattered to him, a lot. He was no longer the guy he used to be, the old Logan Cale would probably have bedded Max on their second date and then she would have gotten tired of his attitude and he would have never seen her again- if Max had even gone on second date after the show he'd pulled in front of the mirror. Deep in thoughts he made his way back to the hotel.
**
Helen returned to the table, smiling at her daughter. "God, you are so beautiful."
Max shrugged. "A genetically manipulated goddess. Every girl's dream," she said sarcastically. "Others need to see a doctor for this, I have been created like this. Guess I shouldn't complain."
"I didn't mean to offend you. This is not just about your looks, Max. You have something special about you what makes you beautiful. Some sort of aura." Helen giggled nervously. "God. I'm just so nervous. Sorry."
"It's Ok," Max smiled gently. "Not like this didn't affect me either. At least you came here prepared."
"Logan didn't say one word?"
"Nope." Max shrugged. "Said he didn't want to disappoint me. Wanted to make sure it was really my mother he was gonna introduce to me."
"He's a good guy."
"I guess so." Max blushed, there was a gleam in Helen's eyes she couldn't quite place.
"Do you love him?"
"We are not like that." Max had stopped counting; she'd said this sentence so often lately.
"That was not my question. Are you in love with him?"
Max bit her lips then decided to be honest. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am."
"And why didn't you tell him?"
"It's not that simple."
"Why not?"
"I'm a killing machine, a soldier who was trained to fight and KILL. I don't think they ever had anything like this in mind for me."
"So you think you are not able to have it?"
Max shrugged. "Maybe. Besides, Logan deserves someone who doesn't put him in constant danger. It's not safe to be with me."
"I don't think he worries about that."
Max smiled. "I know, but I would never forgive myself. Besides, he never mentioned to me that he sees more than a friend in me, so this isn't leading anywhere anyway."
Helen raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Max, he has it bad for you, it's obvious!"
Max felt herself blush.
"He is probably just scared that you don't feel the same way."
"Logan scared? He is never afraid of anything. And besides, when we first met he hit on me like there was no tomorrow, and then all of the sudden he was all distant and business."
"Did you meet him before…you know, he landed in that chair?"
"Only a few days before it happened," Max nearly lost her voice. "I should have been there to help him, but I was too occupied with my own crab."
"You couldn't have known…" Helen tried to comfort her without knowing anything about the actual backgrounds.
"No, you don't understand. He ASKED me to help him out and I refused."
Helen cast her eyes down. "I'm sorry."
Max let out a breath and shook her head. "See, I'm trouble. He can't rely on me."
"You apparently have learnt from this and your feelings for him seemed to have changed. You cannot undo what happened back then, but he now he needs you, too."
"Why do you say that?"
Helen suddenly felt like she had overstepped her boundaries, Max was right. She had no right to interfere with her daughter's life. But even though she only knew her for a few hours she desperately wanted her to be happy, and she had learnt in those few hours that Logan probably was the key for her happiness.
"Because I've seen the way he looked at you, and I have heard him talk about you. He is in love with you, and from what I understand you are his reason to keep fighting."
Max looked at her mother for a long moment, wondering why she seemed so sure of herself "Do you really think so?"
"Yeah. And I want you to be happy, Max. I know that I haven't been the mother you deserved. But I still am your mother, and now that I met you, I'm so proud of who you became, despite what you had to go through. And you deserve the best in life. I'm awfully sorry that I can't be part of that because I messed up long ago, but I see that Logan is the one person you need. Don't let him go, Max."
"I've heard that before," Max mumbled.
"Sorry?"
"No, nothing. This is pretty much what my best friend told me, too. I just shrugged it off, though."
"So don't make that mistake again."
Max suddenly shifted in her seat, considering what she had just heard, and finally she spoke up again. "Listen, I'm sorry, but I think I need to talk to Logan. I know that this evening should be special for us, but now…I think you are right maybe, and I need to talk to him before I lose my confidence again."
Helen grinned broadly. "No problem. We can meet again tomorrow. Let me know that things worked out," she nodded encouragingly. "And now go!"
Max hesitated for a second hen jumped up. She made three steps, than stopped and turned around. Out of an impulse she hugged the woman she hardly knew, but who had turned out to be her mother. "Thank you. Good night."
"Good night, Max." Helen stayed back, a single tear running down her cheek. She brushed it off and waved at the waiter. She needed to get some fresh air.
**
Max ran through the deserted streets, arriving at their hotel in record time. She only slowed down when she entered the lobby and nervously greeted the clerk on her way to the room she shared with Logan.
Carefully she unlocked the door and entered. "Logan? Are you still awake?"
TBC…
As I said, PURE FLUFF!!!Brrrrrr:- ))))) Sorry!
Disclaimer: The characters and the idea don't belong to me, but James Cameron doesn't seem to need them anymore, so I can just as well borrow them.
**
Logan stayed with the two women for another hour, hardly interfering. He could see the ice melting and Max starting to look happier with every minute that passed. Eventually he decided that they didn't need him anymore.
"Excuse-me ladies. I'm really tired; I think I'll head home. Enjoy the rest of the evening." He unlocked his brakes to emphasize his statement.
Max frowned at him for a moment. "You don't have to go."
"I'm beat, Max. Really."
"But you gotta walk back to the hotel…"
"I'm a big boy, Max." He raised his eyebrows. "Have fun. Bye, Helen. I'm sure we'll meet again." He waved at the woman sitting across the table and turned to leave.
"Logan, wait!" Helen jumped up when he turned around. "I'll walk you out," she explained. "Be right back."
*
Logan followed her outside and then expectantly looked up at her, smiling.
"I have to thank you so much, you have no idea what this means to me." Helen began.
"You're welcome."
"No, seriously. If it hadn't been for you, I would have spent the rest of my life wondering and regretting. Now at least I can stop wondering."
"I'm glad things worked out. Seeing you two so happy is enough."
"Max means a lot to you, doesn't she?"
"We're friends."
"You're going through this much trouble for all your friends?"
Logan blushed and stumbled over an answer.
"Listen, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable and I haven't known you two for long. But I have seen Max look at you and you look at her. You are both obviously into each other, so just admit your feelings."
Logan swallowed and shook his head. "It's much more complicated."
Helen sat down on a small iron bench next to the entrance to the restaurant. "Why? You love her, she loves you. Period."
"Yeah, if you had told me that a year ago, I would have agreed. But a lot has changed." A trace of bitterness crept into his voice.
Helen frowned. "Is this about you being…," she pointed at Logan's wheelchair.
"Partly." Logan admitted reluctantly. "And about so many other things."
"Like?"
Logan let out a sharp breath. "Like Max being a super human goddess who deserves so much better than some cripple who puts her into danger just because he isn't able to keep up with her. Like Max being constantly on the run. Like me being much older. Like her being all outgoing and full of life. Like us coming from totally different backgrounds. Like…"
Helen vigorously shook her head. "You are just making things up, trying to find reasons why you shouldn't take the first step. You are just scared if you ask me."
Logan looked up in shock.
"I can't promise this is gonna work out, there never is a guarantee for any relationship. But I do know that Max is in love with you and the way I see it, even though I hardly know her, she doesn't care about any of this."
"You are right about one thing: You hardly know her. There is a lot going on in our lives that complicates things."
"So what? Life's all about taking risks."
Logan looked up again, considering Helen's words for a long moment before he spoke again. "I have to think about this. You just go back in there and enjoy the first evening with your daughter. Good night, have fun."
"Ok, good night. But promise me to really think about it."
"I promise."
Logan wheeled down the sidewalk, sensing Helen's eyes were still on him. Maybe she had been right, maybe Max really didn't care. But it didn't make things that much easier. It mattered to him, a lot. He was no longer the guy he used to be, the old Logan Cale would probably have bedded Max on their second date and then she would have gotten tired of his attitude and he would have never seen her again- if Max had even gone on second date after the show he'd pulled in front of the mirror. Deep in thoughts he made his way back to the hotel.
**
Helen returned to the table, smiling at her daughter. "God, you are so beautiful."
Max shrugged. "A genetically manipulated goddess. Every girl's dream," she said sarcastically. "Others need to see a doctor for this, I have been created like this. Guess I shouldn't complain."
"I didn't mean to offend you. This is not just about your looks, Max. You have something special about you what makes you beautiful. Some sort of aura." Helen giggled nervously. "God. I'm just so nervous. Sorry."
"It's Ok," Max smiled gently. "Not like this didn't affect me either. At least you came here prepared."
"Logan didn't say one word?"
"Nope." Max shrugged. "Said he didn't want to disappoint me. Wanted to make sure it was really my mother he was gonna introduce to me."
"He's a good guy."
"I guess so." Max blushed, there was a gleam in Helen's eyes she couldn't quite place.
"Do you love him?"
"We are not like that." Max had stopped counting; she'd said this sentence so often lately.
"That was not my question. Are you in love with him?"
Max bit her lips then decided to be honest. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am."
"And why didn't you tell him?"
"It's not that simple."
"Why not?"
"I'm a killing machine, a soldier who was trained to fight and KILL. I don't think they ever had anything like this in mind for me."
"So you think you are not able to have it?"
Max shrugged. "Maybe. Besides, Logan deserves someone who doesn't put him in constant danger. It's not safe to be with me."
"I don't think he worries about that."
Max smiled. "I know, but I would never forgive myself. Besides, he never mentioned to me that he sees more than a friend in me, so this isn't leading anywhere anyway."
Helen raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Max, he has it bad for you, it's obvious!"
Max felt herself blush.
"He is probably just scared that you don't feel the same way."
"Logan scared? He is never afraid of anything. And besides, when we first met he hit on me like there was no tomorrow, and then all of the sudden he was all distant and business."
"Did you meet him before…you know, he landed in that chair?"
"Only a few days before it happened," Max nearly lost her voice. "I should have been there to help him, but I was too occupied with my own crab."
"You couldn't have known…" Helen tried to comfort her without knowing anything about the actual backgrounds.
"No, you don't understand. He ASKED me to help him out and I refused."
Helen cast her eyes down. "I'm sorry."
Max let out a breath and shook her head. "See, I'm trouble. He can't rely on me."
"You apparently have learnt from this and your feelings for him seemed to have changed. You cannot undo what happened back then, but he now he needs you, too."
"Why do you say that?"
Helen suddenly felt like she had overstepped her boundaries, Max was right. She had no right to interfere with her daughter's life. But even though she only knew her for a few hours she desperately wanted her to be happy, and she had learnt in those few hours that Logan probably was the key for her happiness.
"Because I've seen the way he looked at you, and I have heard him talk about you. He is in love with you, and from what I understand you are his reason to keep fighting."
Max looked at her mother for a long moment, wondering why she seemed so sure of herself "Do you really think so?"
"Yeah. And I want you to be happy, Max. I know that I haven't been the mother you deserved. But I still am your mother, and now that I met you, I'm so proud of who you became, despite what you had to go through. And you deserve the best in life. I'm awfully sorry that I can't be part of that because I messed up long ago, but I see that Logan is the one person you need. Don't let him go, Max."
"I've heard that before," Max mumbled.
"Sorry?"
"No, nothing. This is pretty much what my best friend told me, too. I just shrugged it off, though."
"So don't make that mistake again."
Max suddenly shifted in her seat, considering what she had just heard, and finally she spoke up again. "Listen, I'm sorry, but I think I need to talk to Logan. I know that this evening should be special for us, but now…I think you are right maybe, and I need to talk to him before I lose my confidence again."
Helen grinned broadly. "No problem. We can meet again tomorrow. Let me know that things worked out," she nodded encouragingly. "And now go!"
Max hesitated for a second hen jumped up. She made three steps, than stopped and turned around. Out of an impulse she hugged the woman she hardly knew, but who had turned out to be her mother. "Thank you. Good night."
"Good night, Max." Helen stayed back, a single tear running down her cheek. She brushed it off and waved at the waiter. She needed to get some fresh air.
**
Max ran through the deserted streets, arriving at their hotel in record time. She only slowed down when she entered the lobby and nervously greeted the clerk on her way to the room she shared with Logan.
Carefully she unlocked the door and entered. "Logan? Are you still awake?"
TBC…
As I said, PURE FLUFF!!!Brrrrrr:- ))))) Sorry!