The four trooped into Logan's apartment, Logan holding a hand over his still bleeding wound, Max with a handkerchief Lauren had wrapped around hers. Peter was looking stoic and Lauren was looking quite frightened. They had stopped in the kitchen for Max and Logan to get a good look at their wounds, and Max had burst out laughing, followed by Logan.

"I don't see what's so funny." Lauren snapped. "I - we could've died!"

"It's not that." Max said through her laughter.

"Oh, no." Logan agreed, managing to control his laughter. "It isn't that. It's just that... well, look at us."

"I fail to see the funny side myself." Peter grumbled and set his guns on the counter.

"All right." Logan shrugged, then winced at the pain it brought. He looked over his shoulder at Max. "I've got some antiseptic and gauze in the bathroom."

"Lead the way." She said, the last bits of laughter draining from her.

Once in the bathroom, Logan opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the antiseptic and gauze. He started pulling out some of the gauze while Max removed the handkerchief, then shrugged off her jacket and tore the sleeve off her shirt in one swift motion.

"It's not so bad." She remarked as she looked at her wound. "Just stings a little now."

"Mine is killing me." Logan said, then rested the antiseptic and gauze on the sink and removed his own jacket. He peeled off his shirt and looked at his wound, completely missing the once over Max had given him.

"You just don't have the genes." She said and picked up the antiseptic and gauze. She moved over to the bathtub and sat down on the edge. She placed the gauze on the floor, then patted the space next to her with her free hand. "Sit."

"Why?" He asked warily.

She rolled her eyes. "Unless you would like antiseptic all over this pretty little floor of yours here, I suggest you sit your ass down."

"More logic I can't argue with." He smirked and took a seat next to her.

Max gently held onto his upper arm with her free hand and began pouring generous amounts of the antiseptic onto the wound. She could feel him wince under her grip and smiled just a little. And to think I'd almost forgotten how much this stuff stings these poor mere mortals.

"I wanted to say," He began as he watched her dab more antiseptic on the wound. "That you were really amazing today."

She shrugged and reached down for the gauze. "It's what I was built for. No big deal."

"No, if it weren't for you, Sonrisa would be free and Lauren would probably be dead." He said. Their eyes met as she wrapped gauze around the grazing and he added softly, "I would probably be dead too."

Suddenly uncomfortable and not quite sure why, Max tied the gauze so it would stay, then slowly turned away from Logan so he could begin cleaning her wound. A shiver ran over her as he lightly gripped her upper arm and began pouring the antiseptic over it.

Must be the antiseptic. She thought quickly. Maybe it does sting even to transgenics after all. What else could it be?

"It was really nothing." She said finally, her voice quiet. "Anyone would've done it."

"No, they wouldn't." He replied, beginning to wrap gauze around her injury. After he had finished wrapping and tied it off, they both began to become very aware that his hand was lingering.

Max shifted quickly to look up at him. His hand fell away and she stared at it a moment, then slowly looked up to face him. For a moment it looked like she was going to say something, but instead she got up quickly and collected her jacket, and for some reason the ripped sleeve, from the floor and rushed out of the room.

He sat for a moment, wondering exactly what had happened. Maybe you should figure out what the hell you're feeling first Cale, he thought soberly. With a sigh, he twisted around and turned on the faucet, washing the remnants of the antiseptic down the drain, then put everything away and scooped his jacket up from the floor. He stared at it for a moment, then realized that Lauren had still to tape a testimony, so he shut the light off and left the bathroom.

* * *

"Thanks." Max smiled at Lauren, then looked down at the shirt the other woman had let her borrow.

"It's a definite improvement from this." Lauren chuckled and held up Max's previous shirt.

"I'd say so." Max agreed with a grin.

There was a soft knock on the door, then Logan's voice came from the other side of the door. "Lauren? I thought maybe we should get taping that testimony. The judge wants it seven AM sharp, so we really shouldn't put it off."

Lauren noticed the frown that was now the dominant feature of Max, but decided not to say anything. She still wasn't sure what was going on between the two of them, but she knew it wasn't anything that could be constituted as a normal working relationship. She gave Max a small smile then disappeared from the room.

Max waited until she heard the footsteps totally fade away before she left the room.