Disclaimer: If, in a perfect world, I owned Dark Angel, I would be writing episodes for cash, not fanfic for fun…So no, if you're still wondering, I don't own Dark Angel, but I do own Justin, Dalianna, her family and all her X-siblings, but I'm more than willing to share.  If you'd like to use them, please just ask.  Thank you.

Timeframe: After "Freak Nation", end of Season 2

A/N: Just a filler chapter, with a crucial event happening here or there, more exciting revelations to come!

Chapter 8

True Confessions

Max and Logan watched her completely dumbfounded into silence.  Finally, Logan spoke.

"That's your barcode?"

"Down to the very last line."

"Are you sure?"

Dali just looked at him.  "If you saw a virtual simulation of your digital self, right now, as you are, would you recognize yourself?"

"I'm not sure I follow you."

"At Manticore we were taught that your barcode was your identity.  It was like your name, your photo.  It was your life."

Max broke in.  "Ok, I think the question we should be asking is what does White want with you?"

"Honestly, I don't have a clue.  The only reason I even know who he is, is because my Mom mentioned him a couple times, she always told me that if I ever saw or met him, run in the opposite direction…I wonder…"

"So you don't know what he wants…you can't think of anything?"

"I can't.  He had me before, and he never said anything.  He just wanted me to tell him where you were," Dali responded, at which Max rolled her eyes.  "But I don't know why he wants me…I mean it's not like I'm the Chosen One or anything.  Hey wait a minute," she began to ask Max, the realization hitting her, "…you wouldn't by any chance be…" she broke off, then continued without waiting for a reply.  "Of course…"

"Can we just focus on the task at hand please?" Logan inquired.  "We all know why White wants Max, but what could he want with you Dali?"

"I mean what, am I speaking a foreign language?" she insisted, her voice filled with sarcasm, before taking a more serious tone.   "I already told you.  I don't know."

"Ok," Logan responded.  "Well until we can figure out what's going on, I want you and Max both to go back to Terminal City, and stay there."

"You're joking right?" Dali asked.  "This guy is showing my most personal birthmark to every whacko in the city, probably looking to kill me, and you want me to go and sit on my hands?" Logan didn't say anything.  "I'm sorry, but that's not how we were raised."

"Max?" he insisted.

"Sorry Logan, I've gotta go with her on this.  It's not like any transgenic to just sit by and wait to get caught.  And I know you know that."

"And I know you know how dangerous White is," he quickly countered.  Dali knew where this was going, she crept out of the bed and stood next to the door.  Hold it, she thought looking down at the long t-shirt and shorts she was wearing, are these Logan's clothes???  Ok, this is weird… Her thoughts were cut short by Max and Logan's bantering, and she watched as they went back and forth like a never-ending tennis match.  "You can't keep going out there risking your neck for—"

"For what?" she cut him off. "For my family?  Yes I can, I have to.  It's my responsibility."

"Fine.  I'm going with you."

"No, you're not."

"So what, you're just going to go out looking for him on your own, risk getting caught…again?"

"No, I'll have help.  But I want you to stay here."

"And I want you to stop treating me like a baby.  Am I that much of a liability?  Do you really think I can't handle myself?"

"I just don't want you getting hurt!"

"I can take care of myself!  Why are you being so overprotective?"

"Because I love you!" she blurted without thinking.  Damn it, damn it, damn it. She thought, and closed her eyes.  "Dali, get your things, we're leaving."

Dali looked over and saw her clothes on a nearby chair, she grabbed them, walked over to Logan, and snatched the paper from his hand, while he stood there, still stunned looking at Max.  "I'll take this, thank you," she declared.  Then opened the door and waited in the hallway.  Max turned to leave as well.

"I love you too Max," he finally managed as he watched her go.  She glanced back at him, seeing the pain in his eyes, knowing that her face showed the same, but kept walking just the same.  When she reached the door, she closed it softly behind her.

Logan stood watching as the door closed, and then smiled to himself.  I knew it!

******************************************************************

Dali somehow managed to pull on her pants and sweatshirt on the way outside.  She told Max that she always had been good at multitasking.  It didn't seem to lighten her mood.  They walked outside and approached Max's bike.

"Hey, can I—", Dali began.

"Hell no," Max interrupted her.  She swung her leg over the side, and Dali hopped on behind her.  The bike started and pulled off into the night.  Dali watched as the several empty buildings of rural Seattle seemed to loom over their heads.  It was broad daylight outside, and for once, the sun shone brightly, lighting the stones of the sidewalk like a glittery carpet, but to Dali, the city never looked darker.  They rode the entire way to Terminal City in silence.

When they reached the gate, Max didn't even bother to stop, or sneak in, they just rode right through, much to the dismay of the city officials and sector police.  Dali wondered when they would be stationed somewhere else.  Xenophobia was still at very high prevalence around the country, but there were no longer protests being staged outside Terminal City.  Logan had said that they were probably there because the moment they left, protestors would be right back at it, this time, with no one to stop them from burning down the city.  As far as he was concerned, the sector police were there for the protection of everyone.

As soon as they entered the common room, a cheer went up.  Dali began to look excited. "Are the Seahawks playing?" she asked to no one in particular.

"Nah," came Dix as he walked up to them.  "we're all just glad to see you."

"Really?"

"No, actually, the Seahawks just scored," he smiled, at which Dali rolled her eyes.  Max marched across the room to a door that led to what had become known as 'her room', even though it was really no bigger than a closet.  She walked in and slammed the door.  For a moment, every head turned towards the door, and then someone stood up and shouted "Field goal good!" and everyone cheered again, seemingly forgetting about their leader.

The game was interrupted by a breaking news update.  A woman in a red sports jacket sat behind a desk, retelling events that had happened just a few minutes ago, while a streaming video played in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

"This," she explained, "is live footage of what has just happened in Washington D.C.  Apparently, the president's daughter, who has been holding several conferences speaking out against transgenics, is now also speaking out against a religious cult.  She claims that she has just come across information suggesting that this cult is to blame for the rise in transgenic population that has come about.  Apparently, the leader is government official Ames White, who only last week was promoted within his sect, and put in charge of ridding the country of the 'transgenic problem'.  These allegations have not been confirmed, more news to come."

"Looks like White can't hide anymore," someone remarked.

"Hey you," came a voice from behind Dali, she tore her eyes off the screen to see who it was.

"Original Cindy, what's up girl?" she replied.

"Not much.  What's the matter with Max?"

Dali sighed.  "She told Logan that she loves him."

"On the real?"

"Straight up, no lies." She paused.  "You'd think they'd both be a little happier…"

"Well actually, this makes it harder.  It was tough enough on Logan before he knew that Max loved him and he couldn't touch her, now it's gonna be twice as hard…for the both of them." She thought for a moment before speaking again.  "I love Max, I really do, she's my boo.  But I swear, sometimes she is so stubborn…I told her a long time ago she should've hooked up with Mr. Moneybags.  If homegirl had listened…"

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"Now it's too late."

"Maybe not…" Dali said slowly.  "Where's Alec?"

"He actually just went out on the roof a few minutes ago."

"Good lookin," Dali replied as she began to turn away.

"Wait," Cindy stopped her, "are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"No…but if I don't do it now, I'm gonna lose the nerve.  I'll tell you about it later."

"Aight, lata."

Dali swept through the room, slapping hands with several other transgenics as she passed.  An old fire escape in the corner of the room was the door which led to steps to get to the roof.  She climbed them, and slowly opened the door at the top.  She squinted in the sunlight as her eyes quickly scanned the rooftop looking for Alec.  She spotted him sitting on a tin box of some sort, his right side to her, looking up at the flag.  Approaching him cautiously, so as not to startle him, Dali's hypersensitive eyesight showed that there was a tear slowly but surely running down his face.  She drew near to him, and put a hand on his shoulder.  He unexpectedly grabbed her wrist, and pulled her over his shoulder to the ground.

"It's just me," she hissed.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, trying to nonchalantly wipe the tear stain from his cheek.  "You should know better than to sneak up on a soldier."

She picked herself up off the ground.  "Well, I came up here to talk to you about something, but it looks like you need to talk more than I do."

He just looked at her.  "And what is it that you want again?"

Dali knew she wasn't going to get anything about his situation out of him, so she decided to work on her own.  "You'll never know how hard this is for me to say, but…I need your help."

Post: Ok, the story's gonna move from here on out…It really is much easier to write a chapter when you already know what you want to happen.  Stay tuned.

Angie731