AS208 Pong Chapter Seven, a dark angel fanfic

AS 2.08 Pong by Star24

AN: To those who thought I'd abandoned this story, I apologize. I've spent the last few weeks with first the flu and then bronchitis. Writing isn't quite an option when one is grabbing a few moments here and there on the computer between doses of medicine.I'm glad to be back and hope to get this moving along once again. Star.
Chapter Seven

Fogle Towers

The atmosphere in Fogle Towers was tense with unspoken words. Logan went about the business of booting up his computer network as Max silently watched. He didn't know whether to be relieved that, since Max had had her Ninja and he had had the Aztek, they had returned to Seattle separately. He had been surprised to see Max following him rather than taking off ahead, but on reflection he decided she was taking no chances on his changing his mind about returning. He wasn't sure how to take that.

Max watched Logan as he expertly flipped switches and typed in commands to bring the Informant Net up to full functioning. She couldn't help a stray thought or two about how those long fingers had felt moving just as expertly on her body, but she ruthlessly suppressed them as quickly as they arose. Logan still managed to catch her staring at his hands and she thought she detected a knowing look in his eyes as they met hers. But then he turned away and was once again all business.

"Where's the email that started all this?" he asked her.

"That one." Max leaned over his shoulder and pointed to the email in question. She was aware of the warmth rising from Logan's body and the familiar subtle scent of his after-shave as she leaned in. For his part, Logan was hard pressed not to reach up and touch the long piece of silky hair that tickled his neck as Max reached over to indicate the email in question.

"Max? Do you mind?" he said brusquely to cover his reaction to her proximity.

Max quickly straightened and moved to her familiar spot leaning against the desk next to him.

Logan perused the email quickly and then began typing in rapid commands, opening and closing windows on his screen in rapid succession. Finally he sat back with a grunt of satisfaction. "That's it."

"That's what? You found the stuff?" Max demanded.

Logan laughed shortly. "I wish it were that easy. No, I've put the word out on the informant net for information. Now it's a waiting game to see what responses I get back."

"That's all you're going to do?" Max said in disbelief. "That's nuclear shit out there, Logan."

Logan swiveled his chair to face her and raised his eyebrows. "What do you suggest? A door to door canvas? We hardly have the manpower, and I doubt whoever has this is just going to meekly turn it over."

Max frowned, "I suppose. I just thought that you'd be able to…"

"Perform a miracle? I leave that to you and your buddies at Manticore." Logan said pointedly.

A look of hurt flashed into Max's eyes, to be as quickly replaced by anger. "They're hardly my buddies, Logan."

"No?" was all Logan replied. He rose from his chair and walked into the kitchen. "I'm starving. You want something?" His tone was impersonal.

Max felt her anger blossom as she followed him into the kitchen. "Damn it, Logan. If you have something to say to me, then say it."

Logan spun and she could see that he was as angry as she was. "I don't think you want to hear what I have to say to you."

"Fine. Go all Logan Cale on me then. Shut down, close off, run away." Max threw back at him.

"I seem to remember someone else being pretty damn good at running away rather than talking." Logan retorted.

"You mean the hotel room? I might have run away then, but I've been trying to talk to you ever since and you're the one who's been running, not me."

"Maybe some things are better off left alone." Logan said to her coldly. "Did that ever occur to you, Max?"

"So you're telling me that we're finished? Is that it? You don't even want to hear my side of things?" Max said slowly, feeling sick to her stomach. "I've been tried and convicted in absentia?"

Logan stared at her silently, seemingly caught in an inner struggle. Max stepped closer to him, challenging him with her eyes and her words.

"Or am I not the one who you've found guilty? Is that it, Logan?" Max had a sudden insight. "You can't forgive yourself for walking again and not only for walking, but for loving every minute of it? That's it isn't it? I'm just the convenient scapegoat."

"Goddamn it, Max, you killed a man so I could walk again. Every step I take is a reminder of that fact. How in hell am I supposed to live with that?" Logan responded. "How can you live with that?"

"Is that what you think, Logan? That I cold bloodedly killed someone just so you could walk? That's what you believe about me, despite everything we've been through together? Despite claiming to love me?" Max felt tears gathering in her eyes but she didn't care.

"What am I supposed to think?" Logan demanded, even as a tinge of doubt prodded at him.

"I guess that's what you would think. Knowing what I am after all. A 'genetically engineered killing machine', weren't those your words? And we're all prisoners of our genes, right? No chance of overcoming that." Max responded, feeling like her heart was being torn out of her chest, leaving a gaping hole in its place. She turned away from him not wanting him to see her weakness.

Logan started to lift a hand to her, "Max, wait…" Before he could continue there was a shrill beeping from the computer room.

"Sounds like you've got incoming." Max said as she walked towards the computers. Logan dropped his hand and followed after her. Three emails flashed at him and he quickly opened each in turn. When he finished reading he turned to face Max. All traces of emotion had been wiped from her face and she was once again all business.

"So there's a reward out on the street for a heavy lead box. A substantial reward." She said briskly. "Think that's the material?"

"Good chance of it." Logan replied. "But that's a good thing."

"How do you figure that?"

"If I can do some hacking and find out who's offering the reward we may be on our way to tracking down whoever is behind this."

Max nodded. "Sounds like a plan. How long?"

Logan sighed. "No idea. But at least it's a place to start. It's going to be a long day."

"No point in my sticking around here then. Might as well go to work. Maybe I'll pick up something on the streets." Max picked up the leather jacket she had dropped onto a chair when they had arrived, and shrugged into it preparatory to leaving.

"Max…" Logan began. "I…"

Max looked at him and he could see the pain in her eyes. "I gotta blaze, Logan. I'll hit you later to see what you have." She turned and left before he could say anymore.

Logan sat staring after her, pain evident in his very posture, "… still love you." he whispered as the elevator doors closed behind her.

End of Chapter Seven