Thank you so much for all your reviews! I really appreciate you taking the time.

Nothing else to say- just have fun!!

**

Can't Be Jealousy

*

"So how was your date, Boo?" Cindy sat on the bench between the lockers at Jam Pony. Their lunch break was due any minute anyway.

"It was nice." Max blushed a little.

"Just nice?"

"We're getting along great. But nothing happened yet. I'm not like you."

"Ouch, that hurt." Cindy grinned good-humouredly, deciding not to remind her of her heat phases. "When are you gonna see each other again?"

"He actually wanted to pick me up for lunch at…" She checked her watch, "…in four minutes."

"What's he doin' for a livin'? He loaded like Logan?"

"Cindy! I don't know, he said he's doing this and that," she shrugged. "Didn't really go into it."

Cindy raised her eyebrows but didn't get to answer because Max had turned away, staring at a certain handsome guy who came towards them in his wheelchair.

"Logan!" She couldn't hide the surprise in her voice, and, as Original Cindy noted immediately, the difference in her Boo's appearance. She did have it bad for this guy! To hell with those complicated heteros!

"Hi." He smiled sheepishly, moving his chair slightly from side to side, a definite sign of nervousness.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had some packages that need to be delivered and I thought I could drop them off personally and say hello."

"Cool." Max's gaze shifted at something behind him, then she straightened and walked past him. He turned around in his chair surprised. A tall, good-looking young guy came towards them, holding a single rose.

Logan raised his eyebrows while his heart sank. He thought he could even hear it drop to the floor.

"Hi!" Max uneasily accepted the kiss on her cheek and the rose. "Thank you."

Logan still stared at the scene, something stinging deep inside. He would never be able to give her a kiss on the cheek just like that.

Max refused to take Tom's hand, instead she whipped around quickly. For a second she thought she had seen hurt in Logan's eyes, but his mask was back up before she could make sure.

"Ahem, Tom, this is Logan, a good friend. Logan, Tom."

The dark-haired man offered his hand and Logan took it, squeezing it hard while trying at least as hard to appear indifferent. "Nice meeting you. Max never mentioned you before."

"She didn't tell me about you either," there was a triumphant, fake smile on Tom's face Logan wanted to hit him for. One more occasion where he cursed his lower position, he hated looking up at people, especially at people like this guy. Besides, there was something oddly familiar about this face, but he couldn't quite place it. He dropped his hands to his lap and stared at them.

"Max, you ready?"

"Sure." She cast a hesitant glance at Logan then let herself be dragged away.

*

Cindy watched Logan for a moment from where she was leaning against the row of lockers. "You okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" His answer came a little too fast for Original Cindy's taste.

"Just checkin'."

"Who is that guy?"

"Just some guy. She only met him on Satur…" She cursed under her breath when she saw the understanding in Logan's face. That's why she had forgotten about coming over the other night and where she had been last night…

"I wouldn't worry. She hardly knows him. He might be easy on the eyes, but…"

"But what?" 'She's gonna dismiss him for the guy in the chair?' He was just about to admit how he felt and he cursed himself for it.

"Nothing."

"It's none of my business anyway. See you." He wheeled himself forward with angry strokes. Then he swivelled around once more.

"Do you know his name? I think I have seen this face before."

Cindy thought hard. "Tom…something…wait. Sketchy probably knows." She disappeared around the corner for a moment and Logan could hear he voice. His head was still spinning. He had been an idiot thinking Max wouldn't find a guy. A girl like her that could have any guy she wanted…Damn, if only it didn't hurt so much.

"Tom Pillon."

"Thanks. Bye."

Cindy looked after him. Why did those two have to be that stubborn and didn't just admit the obvious? Well, maybe this was going to be their wake-up call.

**

"You beeped me?" Max frowned at the dust her pants and shoes were covered with and now had rubbed off on Logan's shiny wooden floor. Great, now she probably had Bling against her, too!

As if it wasn't enough that Logan seemed mad for whatever reason. Well, she knew the reason, but in her eyes it was not a very good reason. They did not have that kind of relationship after all. So he was not supposed to sulk. Why did it matter to him anyway? He didn't care about her like that. He had never shown any interest…had he?

"I'm sorry about it. I didn't mean to bother you or disturb your plans, but I really need you to do this job for me."

"Sure, no big deal. Spill it." She leaned against the desk, her hand on her hip, not willing to back down or even apologize. No way!

"Thanks. But before…there's something else." He nervously rubbed his hands over his thighs.

"Yeah?"

"I looked into your boyfriend. He seemed familiar to me somehow, and I think you should know what I found."

"What the hell?!"

"Max, he is a pretty bad boy. That disc you got me, it's about money raised from charity and then transferred to private accounts all across the world. And this Tom was one of the collectors."

"I'm sure he didn't know what they did with the money." Max refused to believe that.

"I doubt that. A pretty large sum of money appeared on his account the other day." He quickly continued, feeling that Max wouldn't give him much longer. "He's a pretty bad boy, Max. Thefts, band fights, the list is long. He was never convicted, but…"

"I can't believe this." Max was close to erupting.

"Max, it's quite likely he's in touch with a former Manticore guy. He's been seen with L…"

"How dare you?!" Max suddenly felt herself losing it and she didn't even care. "Tom's none of your business. He likes me. He wouldn't lie to me, le alone betray me!"

"Max…"

"What the hell's your problem, Logan? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm worried…"

Suddenly realization hit her, and right now this seemed like the only explanation to her. "No, you're not! You're jealous. God, I can't believe it!"

"I'm not jealous! Why should I be jealous?" Logan tried to defend himself. Of course, he wanted her to stay safe, but deep down he knew this was at least part of the truth. A pretty large part of the truth.

"I don't know. You tell me!" She stepped closer, looking down at him.

Now that was a constellation Logan wasn't particularly fond of.

But before he could do anything to change it, not that there were many options as the desk behind him didn't allow him to back up, Max continued her tirade.

"Maybe because you are afraid I won't stop by every evening so you can feed me? So I'll make you forget about your loneliness and misery for a couple of hours each day?"

"Max…" Logan tried to reach her through her fury, find a way to reason with her before they overstepped their boundaries and went too far, and would find it impossible to mend the damage later on. The efforts were in vain, though. He had never seen her like that. He knew she was a soldier and was trained to attack her opponents, physically and mentally. But she had always been in control. This was different. She wasn't thinking straight.

"No! You just use me as an excuse so you don't have to face how sad and f**** up your life really is. Ho miserable and alone you really are. And now you are afraid you're gonna lose that!"

"That's not…" Even though he tried to tell himself that she didn't mean it, it still hurt like hell. And the only comfort he could think of was to hurt her back. "Damn it, Max. I'm just worried about you! I don't care what you do with your life, with how many guys you do it! That's none of my damn business!" The words flew out of his mouth faster than his brain registered what he was saying. "And besides, you were the one who broke into my apartment- and you were the one who returned after the shooting. I didn't ask you to! All I'd asked you for was to be there for Lauren and Sophie that day, but you stood me up and now…"

He finally realized where he was going, already had gone and to his horror Max had understood the unspoken accusation, too.

She stared at him in shock.

He stared back, completely paralyzed, unable to even breathe.

"Go to hell," she spat before she turned on her heels and left.

With the loud bang of the door being slammed shut, Logan closed his eyes. "Shit!"

**

Max stormed into the elevator and after the door had closed, she sank down, gasping for air. She felt like she couldn't get any air into her lungs.

She had gone too far, way too far. She sure had a right to be mad at him for sneaking around behind her back, for spying on her boyfriend. Hell, he wasn't even her boyfriend, just some guy she, well, she really started to like. How could he blame her for trying to find someone? He didn't show any interest! How could he be that self-centered and egoistic?

Besides, he was the one who had hurt her. Hadn't he admitted that he held her responsible for being in the chair? Deep down she knew he hadn't meant it, but right now she was n no state to reason.

A soft noise announced the arrival in the lobby and she quickly got on her feet again and hastily wiped away a tear before the door opened.

TBC