Disclaimer: Still doesn't change! I don't own Max or Logan or Bling or anything else.

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, it really helps to know that there are a few people out there following this.

And just to make things clear again: I've never written anything where Max and Logan drift apart for a longer period of time. Now you do the maths…Of course this story is M/L! So every shipper can keep reading!!!

But given the situation with Max being a young, beautiful girl- I do believe that she might fall for other guys. It's not like Logan shows her his affection in Season 1 the way she would deserve it!

Anyway, read and enjoy.

**

And Now?

*

It was a few minutes past six when Max stood in Logan's office, waiting for her orders. At least it was comfortably cool, thanks to the air-conditioner that did its job trustworthy.

They both kept the conversation short, both feeling uneasy and self-conscious. They hardly had fights like that and they never knew how to handle it. This time was no exception.

The tension was almost visible as they both tried to keep their own guilt hidden and instead determined to make the other feel responsible, each of them knowing that they were partly wrong.

Logan rambled down the information she needed and Max listened to it with one ear only. Eventually, she was dismissed with a "Be careful." He just couldn't help himself! As if she couldn't take care of herself!

*

Max couldn't really concentrate. Her thoughts continued to drift to other places while she sped up her bike and let the wind run through her curly long hair.

On the one hand there was Tom. He'd been so cute. Of course she knew that she couldn't dare thinking about anything more than a fling, a short-lived adventure. She couldn't let her guards down like that. She couldn't risk it. He didn't deserve being drawn into the mess that was her life.

But she couldn't make the same mistake her sister had made either. She couldn't live the same lie Tinga had lived for years. She had seen the hurt in Charlie's eyes that night she had told him about her past and she had sworn to herself she would never do that to a guy.

She arrived at the mansion and hid her motorbike between a few bushes just outside the property.

She looked up. The sun had almost disappeared and she decided to wait another few minutes. There was a huge lawn she would have to cross before she could enter the enormous house. Darkness would offer cover, and she wasn't in the mood to risk her ass for Logan more than necessary.

Logan… she leaned against the fence next to her motorbike casually. She stared into the distance, her thoughts wandering again, back to the scene in Logan's apartment. Why had he been so mad at something as minor as this? All she had done was forget one lousy…it hadn't been a date! It had been a job, just one tiny job!

He always was so tense, and ever since his legs had given out on him again, he buried himself in work and had lost what self-confidence and strength he'd regained while on his feet. God, things were so messed up!

She had always enjoyed his company, for whatever reason. After all, they were like day and night. But there had been something about him that had drawn her to him. And now? Where was that now? She sighed. It was still there, of course it was. But how many times could one try to penetrate a wall that thick and high? Sooner or later everybody would give up. And she knew that she was stubborn, and thinking about it, almost everybody from his former life had given up long ago. There was only Bling and she left, well, Bennett sometimes, but he didn't try to get through to him every day. His level of frustration had to be quite a bit lower considering he only showed up every other month or so. Why did he have to be so complicated? Why couldn't he just be a little bit…well, like Tom.

She shook her head in frustration. That wasn't gonna happen, and she wasn't even sure it would suit him. After all, he'd been the womanizer he used to be when she had first met him- and she certainly hadn't liked that!

Darkness had descended meanwhile and without hesitating for another moment she easily jumped over the eight feet fence and quickly crossed the property.

It took her only a minute to enter the house through an open basement window. From upstairs noises drifted towards her and she reached into her tight fitting black jacket to have a look at the blueprints Logan had given to her. Quickly memorizing them, and cursing slightly for not having done that earlier, she decided to use the servant's staircase to reach the second floor.

When a maid was coming towards her, whistling, she quickly stepped into the darkness beneath one flight of stairs before she continued on.

The office was a huge room, stuffed with expensive looking paintings and sculptures. Max frowned. This could sure do with a few less pieces of art. Maybe she could come back here some time in the near future. For now she had to find the safe.

It was behind a painting and Max rolled her eyes at the dullness of arrogant rich people. 'Don't even challenge thieves…". She quickly opened it, got hold of the disc and decided it wouldn't hurt the owner if she grabbed a little extra money. She was still mad at Logan, after all, so why not gain something from this job, too?

She left the mansion the exact same way she had entered it and soon was back on her bike and on her way back to the city.

She still had plans with Tom tonight, after dropping the disk off at Logan's place.

Hell, she hadn't really thought about how Logan would react to her new…well, what was he? Date, crush, fling, affair…whatever. It was none of his business anyway. They were not like that and had never been. She floored her bike, wanting to escape this train of thoughts.

**

He wasn't sitting in front of his computer as usual, instead she heard him rummaging in the kitchen. Max stepped closer and watched him for a moment, refusing to admire his athletic upper body she could see through his tight, dark-blue shirt.

Finally she announced her presence, trying to sound as neutral as possible. "The disk's in your office," she stated.

"Hey." He turned his chair around and smiled at her insecurely. "Thanks, ohm, listen. I've cooked dinner, I…God, this is tough…but I…I think I need to apologize for…you know…I was just upset and I didn't mean what I said and…"

"It's okay. I'm…I shouldn't have stood you up like that."

"So we're okay?"

"We're okay." She smiled.

"So you are ready for pasta a la Cale?" A boyish smile made him appear younger and more relaxed- she liked that. He turned around to reach for one of the pots.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay. I got plans." She shifted uncomfortably, averting his eyes.

"Oh, okay." He put the pot back on the stove. "Sure." He did a poor job hiding his disappointment. "Maybe you...you wanna stop by later? Midnight snack? I'll be up working anyway."

"No, I don't think so. Not tonight."

"Hey, no need to worry. I'm pretty busy anyway." He grinned nervously. "Have fun."

"Yeah, you too."

"Sure I will. Bye."

"Bye." Max silently left the apartment, feeling weirdly down and sad. 'What the hell. He's a big guy.'

She quickly drove her baby through the humid streets of Seattle and soon she was looking forward to her date with Tom. And still, a slight feeling of guilt and regret refused to leave her mind. Why the hell did this feel like betrayal?

**

"Hi. Where have you been? I thought you wanted to be here an hour ago?" It wasn't like Bling to be late and Logan was still sulking about his conversation with Max the other night, so his mood wasn't exactly good.

"Yeah, sorry man. I was…"

"Hey, what's up with you?" Logan finally noticed the big grin on his best friend's face.

The muscular, tall man smiled enigmatically.

"Come on…"

"I was down at the market and guess who I met?"

"Who?" The boyish glint in his therapist's usually calm and relaxed eyes made Logan grin.

"Denise."

"Denise," Logan nodded once, repeating the name like he knew exactly who that was, his eyebrows raised.

"She's an old friend."

"A friend." The same tone again.

"Well, we were together for a while. Probably the best time of my life." He got a far away, longing look Logan hadn't seen before.

"And?"

"And now we agreed to have a drink tomorrow evening."

"Wow, sounds good."

"Yeah, it sure does." Bling walked into the kitchen to drop his grocery bags on the counter.

"Hey! What's with the pasta on the oven?" he shouted.

"I made it for breakfast," Logan said ironically. "Help yourself." He was cruelly reminded of Max's behaviour.

Bling frowned. "Didn't you say you had Max over for dinner last night?" Bling reappeared in the living room, watching Logan's face mirrored in the window.

"She had other plans," Logan explained softly. "No big deal."

"Right." Bling could see how much it hurt his friend. Why was he just too stubborn to admit it?

**

TBC