A.N=Thanks to everyone who's review this (Tina Q, zol, Ting, Niteman and
GingerSnap) and to Dari for her advice. Your reviews were really helpful to
me and this chapter contains the beginnings of the Max and Logan sub-plot I
promised.
Chapter Three: Love; it is with some. Isn't with others
It was two weeks before Ella felt safe enough to return to work. Alec remained in his apartment with her: he'd managed to clear the time off with Normal.
Her first morning back at Jam Pony was uneventful. She threw herself into her runs and has made six by 11:35. Alec took runs as close to Ella's as possible. Normal gave him an appraising look as he did so.
'It's not like that!' Alec said in shock.
'No. Of course not. Kid comes in after two weeks off with you and puts in a change of address. Which I may add is the same as your address.' That was true at least Alec thought. He'd finally talked Ella into staying with him on a permanent basis. He couldn't stand the idea of her living alone, not after what had happened with.
'KYLE! Get your lazy butt over here boy! Bip Bip Bip.' Normal was still talking but Alec didn't hear him. Max had told him Kyle was still working at Jam Pony but it hadn't really registered. Two weeks had allowed the bruises on his face to fade and almost vanish. Alec was over come by the urge to replace them.
'Alec!' he hadn't even realised he was holding Kyle's shirt. Or that Kyle's feet were a foot off of the floor. It was Ella's voice, calm and quiet, which cut through the anger.
'Alec, leave him. Please.' Alec glared at Kyle but let him drop. Normal stared at the two men.
'And that isn't love is it, Golden Boy?' was his only comment.
Ella knocked on the apartment door. There was a muffled yell of 'it's open' from within. She pushed the door open and walked in.
'Ella, hey.' Logan smiled brightly at the girl.
'Max asked me to drop in and give you this. She says you'll know what it is.' Ella handed Logan a small silver disk. He grinned his thanks but Ella noticed the regret in his eyes. 'Do you want me to ask her to drop by later?'
'No, that's ok thanks.' Ella met his eyes and saw just how deep the regret went. Regret that he couldn't see Max that day, regret about the virus, regret.
'I can anyway.' Ella said, wanting in someway to help her friends. So obviously in love but with so much stopping that love. Logan smiled at the girl. Ella reminded him strikingly of Alec in the first few months he'd known him. The uncomfortable way she held his eyes, the secrets behind her own, almost tangible gaze.
Self-consciously Ella shrugged and tugged her fingers through her hair. Logan grinned, she may resemble Alec in one way but that was all. Ella was shy, quiet and uneasy with herself. She'd settled far more at Alec's apartment than she had at either Max's or his own place. Logan understood just how close they were becoming, Alec's brotherly protective and Ella's silent respect; it was obvious to him.
'I had a friend back at Manticore. He worked in genetics.' Logan glanced at the girl, waiting for her to elaborate. 'Maybe I could find him. Get him to look at that virus?' Logan was touched.
'Maybe. It's good of you to offer.'
'You love Max don't you?' The question threw him.
'Well. err.' Logan struggled with the question. Then he glanced up and met Ella's eyes. She wasn't a kid. But she was still so innocent, so naive about love, about all human emotions. Her question held so much meaning. Logan knew that, she'd been hurt already and wanted to know love wasn't all like that. That there was hope.
'I wake up thinking about her in the mornings and fall asleep with her filling my mind at night. Everyday I miss her, whether it's been two hours or two minutes since she left, I miss her. Every stupid, pigheaded thing she does just makes me love her more. She can say something to push me away, to keep her steely silence intact and I just want to be with her more. I just want to be there every second of everyday to keep her safe and help her deal with whatever she needs to. Yes I do. I love her with my whole heart.' His outburst shocked Logan; he'd not meant to say all that! He felt his face colour, the colour deepened when he saw Max behind Ella.
'Hey, we were just talking about you Max.' Ella said, a rare spark of humour in her eyes.
'Were you? I didn't hear.' Logan's cheeks cooled, but Ella noticed the high-pitched edge to Max's voice. She was lying.
'I'm gonna go. I've gotta cook for Alec tonight.' Ella said. She left the apartment wishing she could find love like that. Or at least help Max and Logan.
Donavon.
He'd been made to deal with DNA. Splicing genes was practically part of his make up. If he couldn't help no one could. Ella shuddered at the thought of his name though. ~He was a pigheaded, ignorant, fool who had less common sense than an ant~ Ella thought viciously. ~He never thinks to do anything unless he gets something in return. And you know what he wanted last time.~ She cut her thoughts off there. That was in the past: it was over. Dead. Buried.
'Hey kid.' Alec greeted her gently from the living room. Ella returned the greeting.
'Would you like to see Max and Logan together?' She asked after they'd eaten.
'Sure I would. Why? You figured a way of making miracles?'
'Not exactly. I knew someone who worked in the DNA lab at Manticore.'
'Yeah?' t
'Maybe I could him to help.'
'If you can find him. Do you know where he went after Manticore went down?'
'I think so.'
Chapter Three: Love; it is with some. Isn't with others
It was two weeks before Ella felt safe enough to return to work. Alec remained in his apartment with her: he'd managed to clear the time off with Normal.
Her first morning back at Jam Pony was uneventful. She threw herself into her runs and has made six by 11:35. Alec took runs as close to Ella's as possible. Normal gave him an appraising look as he did so.
'It's not like that!' Alec said in shock.
'No. Of course not. Kid comes in after two weeks off with you and puts in a change of address. Which I may add is the same as your address.' That was true at least Alec thought. He'd finally talked Ella into staying with him on a permanent basis. He couldn't stand the idea of her living alone, not after what had happened with.
'KYLE! Get your lazy butt over here boy! Bip Bip Bip.' Normal was still talking but Alec didn't hear him. Max had told him Kyle was still working at Jam Pony but it hadn't really registered. Two weeks had allowed the bruises on his face to fade and almost vanish. Alec was over come by the urge to replace them.
'Alec!' he hadn't even realised he was holding Kyle's shirt. Or that Kyle's feet were a foot off of the floor. It was Ella's voice, calm and quiet, which cut through the anger.
'Alec, leave him. Please.' Alec glared at Kyle but let him drop. Normal stared at the two men.
'And that isn't love is it, Golden Boy?' was his only comment.
Ella knocked on the apartment door. There was a muffled yell of 'it's open' from within. She pushed the door open and walked in.
'Ella, hey.' Logan smiled brightly at the girl.
'Max asked me to drop in and give you this. She says you'll know what it is.' Ella handed Logan a small silver disk. He grinned his thanks but Ella noticed the regret in his eyes. 'Do you want me to ask her to drop by later?'
'No, that's ok thanks.' Ella met his eyes and saw just how deep the regret went. Regret that he couldn't see Max that day, regret about the virus, regret.
'I can anyway.' Ella said, wanting in someway to help her friends. So obviously in love but with so much stopping that love. Logan smiled at the girl. Ella reminded him strikingly of Alec in the first few months he'd known him. The uncomfortable way she held his eyes, the secrets behind her own, almost tangible gaze.
Self-consciously Ella shrugged and tugged her fingers through her hair. Logan grinned, she may resemble Alec in one way but that was all. Ella was shy, quiet and uneasy with herself. She'd settled far more at Alec's apartment than she had at either Max's or his own place. Logan understood just how close they were becoming, Alec's brotherly protective and Ella's silent respect; it was obvious to him.
'I had a friend back at Manticore. He worked in genetics.' Logan glanced at the girl, waiting for her to elaborate. 'Maybe I could find him. Get him to look at that virus?' Logan was touched.
'Maybe. It's good of you to offer.'
'You love Max don't you?' The question threw him.
'Well. err.' Logan struggled with the question. Then he glanced up and met Ella's eyes. She wasn't a kid. But she was still so innocent, so naive about love, about all human emotions. Her question held so much meaning. Logan knew that, she'd been hurt already and wanted to know love wasn't all like that. That there was hope.
'I wake up thinking about her in the mornings and fall asleep with her filling my mind at night. Everyday I miss her, whether it's been two hours or two minutes since she left, I miss her. Every stupid, pigheaded thing she does just makes me love her more. She can say something to push me away, to keep her steely silence intact and I just want to be with her more. I just want to be there every second of everyday to keep her safe and help her deal with whatever she needs to. Yes I do. I love her with my whole heart.' His outburst shocked Logan; he'd not meant to say all that! He felt his face colour, the colour deepened when he saw Max behind Ella.
'Hey, we were just talking about you Max.' Ella said, a rare spark of humour in her eyes.
'Were you? I didn't hear.' Logan's cheeks cooled, but Ella noticed the high-pitched edge to Max's voice. She was lying.
'I'm gonna go. I've gotta cook for Alec tonight.' Ella said. She left the apartment wishing she could find love like that. Or at least help Max and Logan.
Donavon.
He'd been made to deal with DNA. Splicing genes was practically part of his make up. If he couldn't help no one could. Ella shuddered at the thought of his name though. ~He was a pigheaded, ignorant, fool who had less common sense than an ant~ Ella thought viciously. ~He never thinks to do anything unless he gets something in return. And you know what he wanted last time.~ She cut her thoughts off there. That was in the past: it was over. Dead. Buried.
'Hey kid.' Alec greeted her gently from the living room. Ella returned the greeting.
'Would you like to see Max and Logan together?' She asked after they'd eaten.
'Sure I would. Why? You figured a way of making miracles?'
'Not exactly. I knew someone who worked in the DNA lab at Manticore.'
'Yeah?' t
'Maybe I could him to help.'
'If you can find him. Do you know where he went after Manticore went down?'
'I think so.'