A/N: As I said, the next part is up. This one has mostly Max's musings in
it, and a little A/R stuff, but only a little. Promise. Next chapter will
have more M/L stuff with some actual Logan.
--------------------
Chapter 8: Musings
Max rode past a bustling market. She had only one more package to deliver before she had to return to Jam Pony and all the questions that entailed.
Everyone, it seemed, was curious about Alec and the mystery girl, so much so that all the transgenics had been trying to stay away as much as possible. They avoided all the inquiries as best they could, but the messengers were growing tired with only hearing - 'It's Alec's story, ask him.' Especially since Alec hadn't turned up for work that morning.
Normal was the only one Max had told anything to, and that was only a brief warning. There was a good chance Alec wouldn't turn up for several days, and Normal was understanding enough to not hold it against him. Alec was Golden Boy after all.
Max parked her bike and pulled out the package and her clipboard. She made her way up the steps and knocked on the beat-up wooden door. As she waited for an answer, she thought about Logan and how to fix what she'd broken.
Not that he thought anything had to be fixed, mind, and that in itself annoyed Max. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he was trying to ignore their problems. God knew that had enough of them, but ignoring them wouldn't make them just disappear.
Or maybe there really weren't any problems, except the ones she conjured up with her imagination.
Max snorted at her last thought. No problems indeed. Right. So that left option one. He was ignoring their problems, trying to make them vanish. Well, as someone wise once said – the only problems that truly disappeared if you ignored them were adolescence and snow. And their problems didn't fit into either category.
Max gave the woman who answered the door her package and the clipboard, waiting for the signature. She headed back to her bike as the woman closed her door, still contemplating her relationship.
The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if they should have gotten married right when they did. The war had ended, they had the temporary cure, and everything seemed to be going so well. But the action now seemed rash and immature. Just because they could finally touch, be it only once a week, didn't mean they were ready to spend the rest of their lives together.
And then of course, she, feeling miserable and lonely, had ended up at Crash where she proceeded to drink herself into a stupor, confident in her immunity to alcohol. If only Manticore had warned them.
Her guilt over the events of that night came rushing back full force, and she suddenly wasn't so sure in her decision to not tell Alec. What if he never remembered? Could she just ignore that for the rest of her life?
No. She had to tell him. But not yet. When he came back to work.
Feeling not at all better, Max turned the corner and parked her bike outside Jam Pony. Trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing, she headed inside to fend off the newest round of questions about Alec.
-------------------------
"Not today."
"When then?"
"I don't know, soon."
"You said that two days ago."
"And I mean it."
"Alec." The warning tone in Rachel's voice made him turn. He'd been living with the Berrisford's for three days now. He still felt uncomfortable, but as time passed, he slowly began to feel like he belonged once more.
Now he just had to figure out how to fend off Rachel's attempts to see his apartment. Terminal City wasn't exactly luxurious, or even very clean, and he wanted Rachel to feel proud of him. He wasn't the neatest guy in the world, and if truth be told, he was embarrassed.
She was looking at him, steel in her gaze that told him she wasn't going to take no for an answer. So he caved slightly.
"Tomorrow, okay?"
She still didn't look completely satisfied, but she gave him a quick nod. He stepped forward and hugged her, holding her tightly in his arms, inhaling her scent deeply.
"And now," he began regretfully, "I have to get to work."
Rachel nodded into his shoulder, before backing off slightly. "I'll see you tonight, right?"
When Alec nodded, she smiled. "See you for dinner."
He gave her one last hug before retreating out the door, grabbing his bag from the floor.
Max saw Alec enter Jam Pony, as did several other messengers. They made a beeline for him immediately.
Max waited and watched from the lockers, noticing how much better he looked. He seemed much happier than she'd seen him for a long time.
I can't ruin that for him, she thought. She struggled with herself for a moment. Making her decision, she finished getting ready and headed to the dispatch desk. Grabbing several packages, she stopped Alec as he was coming down the ramp, having managed to fend off the curious mass.
"Alec," she began, unsure of how to talk to him, "Alec, can you come to my apartment sometime today?"
Alec scrutinised Max briefly before replying. "Good morning to you too. You look like you need some sleep Maxie, have you been getting drunk again without me?"
His cheerful voice grated on Max a little, which only made her feel more guilty. "Please Alec, will you?"
Alec turned serious when he saw how emotional Max was. Max was never emotional, and yet, here she was, looking like she was going to cry.
"Sure." He said quietly, looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"Just come by after work. There's something important we have to talk about." With that, Max hurried out leaving a very confused Alec behind.
-----------------------
A/N: There we go, the second part done. This fic is almost done, only a couple more chapters to go, so R&R people, it convinces me to get the next bits out sooner!
--------------------
Chapter 8: Musings
Max rode past a bustling market. She had only one more package to deliver before she had to return to Jam Pony and all the questions that entailed.
Everyone, it seemed, was curious about Alec and the mystery girl, so much so that all the transgenics had been trying to stay away as much as possible. They avoided all the inquiries as best they could, but the messengers were growing tired with only hearing - 'It's Alec's story, ask him.' Especially since Alec hadn't turned up for work that morning.
Normal was the only one Max had told anything to, and that was only a brief warning. There was a good chance Alec wouldn't turn up for several days, and Normal was understanding enough to not hold it against him. Alec was Golden Boy after all.
Max parked her bike and pulled out the package and her clipboard. She made her way up the steps and knocked on the beat-up wooden door. As she waited for an answer, she thought about Logan and how to fix what she'd broken.
Not that he thought anything had to be fixed, mind, and that in itself annoyed Max. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he was trying to ignore their problems. God knew that had enough of them, but ignoring them wouldn't make them just disappear.
Or maybe there really weren't any problems, except the ones she conjured up with her imagination.
Max snorted at her last thought. No problems indeed. Right. So that left option one. He was ignoring their problems, trying to make them vanish. Well, as someone wise once said – the only problems that truly disappeared if you ignored them were adolescence and snow. And their problems didn't fit into either category.
Max gave the woman who answered the door her package and the clipboard, waiting for the signature. She headed back to her bike as the woman closed her door, still contemplating her relationship.
The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if they should have gotten married right when they did. The war had ended, they had the temporary cure, and everything seemed to be going so well. But the action now seemed rash and immature. Just because they could finally touch, be it only once a week, didn't mean they were ready to spend the rest of their lives together.
And then of course, she, feeling miserable and lonely, had ended up at Crash where she proceeded to drink herself into a stupor, confident in her immunity to alcohol. If only Manticore had warned them.
Her guilt over the events of that night came rushing back full force, and she suddenly wasn't so sure in her decision to not tell Alec. What if he never remembered? Could she just ignore that for the rest of her life?
No. She had to tell him. But not yet. When he came back to work.
Feeling not at all better, Max turned the corner and parked her bike outside Jam Pony. Trying to convince herself that she was doing the right thing, she headed inside to fend off the newest round of questions about Alec.
-------------------------
"Not today."
"When then?"
"I don't know, soon."
"You said that two days ago."
"And I mean it."
"Alec." The warning tone in Rachel's voice made him turn. He'd been living with the Berrisford's for three days now. He still felt uncomfortable, but as time passed, he slowly began to feel like he belonged once more.
Now he just had to figure out how to fend off Rachel's attempts to see his apartment. Terminal City wasn't exactly luxurious, or even very clean, and he wanted Rachel to feel proud of him. He wasn't the neatest guy in the world, and if truth be told, he was embarrassed.
She was looking at him, steel in her gaze that told him she wasn't going to take no for an answer. So he caved slightly.
"Tomorrow, okay?"
She still didn't look completely satisfied, but she gave him a quick nod. He stepped forward and hugged her, holding her tightly in his arms, inhaling her scent deeply.
"And now," he began regretfully, "I have to get to work."
Rachel nodded into his shoulder, before backing off slightly. "I'll see you tonight, right?"
When Alec nodded, she smiled. "See you for dinner."
He gave her one last hug before retreating out the door, grabbing his bag from the floor.
Max saw Alec enter Jam Pony, as did several other messengers. They made a beeline for him immediately.
Max waited and watched from the lockers, noticing how much better he looked. He seemed much happier than she'd seen him for a long time.
I can't ruin that for him, she thought. She struggled with herself for a moment. Making her decision, she finished getting ready and headed to the dispatch desk. Grabbing several packages, she stopped Alec as he was coming down the ramp, having managed to fend off the curious mass.
"Alec," she began, unsure of how to talk to him, "Alec, can you come to my apartment sometime today?"
Alec scrutinised Max briefly before replying. "Good morning to you too. You look like you need some sleep Maxie, have you been getting drunk again without me?"
His cheerful voice grated on Max a little, which only made her feel more guilty. "Please Alec, will you?"
Alec turned serious when he saw how emotional Max was. Max was never emotional, and yet, here she was, looking like she was going to cry.
"Sure." He said quietly, looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"
"Just come by after work. There's something important we have to talk about." With that, Max hurried out leaving a very confused Alec behind.
-----------------------
A/N: There we go, the second part done. This fic is almost done, only a couple more chapters to go, so R&R people, it convinces me to get the next bits out sooner!