Part twelve
Hit the road, Jack...
AN: Yes, I inserted some things from the episode transcript of „She ain't heavy". For the purposes of this story this episode never happened, except for Joshua's going to Terminal City and the small part I inserted as announced.
„Boo, why don't you let things cool off for a while?", Cindy frowned.
Max didn't answer immediately. She was helping herself to the food her homegirl had brought. Why didn't she actually? Joshua had left for Terminal City again. Cindy and Alec were the only ones still needing her. But Alec could help Cindy relocate. Joshua's place wasn't safe anymore, their own crib even less.
Kicking Behrens' ass hadn't brought her much else than a badly needed cool off. McKinley was nowhere to be found. The bottom line was - Logan was still dead, even if Behrens had received a beating to tell his grandchildren about. If he was still able to have any after that night that is. The Fogle Towers were still surrounded by various MP and other fauna. Everything in this town brought up bitter sweet memories. Too many of them. Bling hadn't called and Matt Sung had waved her off a few times on the phone. Some of his colleagues had remembered he had worked on many of the cases that had landed on Eyes Only hacks. Her poking around would only serve to make White nervous and put her friends, the very few remaining, in danger.
Yes, it was time for her to go, indeed. She wasn't running, she told herself. In fact, she probably was needed elsewhere. Zack. He did have a barcode and yet he had no idea about being a transgenic. While Max trusted the cover Logan had created, it couldn't hurt to check up on her unknowing CO. Just to make sure he was safe and then she could come back.
Cindy almost jumped as Max dumped her plate into the sink and belatedly answered.
„I will, Cindy. I will. The moment Alec gets my bike back, I will."
„Before you go, there's something I want to say. You, Max Guevara, are my sister. You are my family."
Strangely, Max felt relieved. The words just poured out without her thinking about them:
„I love you, Cindy. You taught me more about being a woman than anybody. And you are right. You aren't just my best friend. You are family."
„I love you, too, Max."
Max didn't want to get all teary eyed so she hurried to say:
„Alec is still here to help you relocate. You take care of yourself, okay?"
„You, too, Max, you too."
*
Fifteen years ago, the Space Needle would have been a beacon of light towering over the flourishing city. Nowadays it was just another ruin, a painful reminder of what had once been and would never be again. And that's exactly what it represented for him, too. He had been waiting since nightfall. Had the message not been clear enough? Had something happened? He straightened his sagging shoulders and resolved to give it just a bit more time. For old times' sake.
*
She couldn't leave town without going up one more time. For a moment she wished she could just freeze to death and become a statue glued to the Space Needle, forever looking onto Seattle, protecting and avenging.
She fingered the Bast statue under her jacket. She had salvaged it from the disaster of the last hours as a keepsake and as reminder for the way she had failed to fulfil her role both as a protector and as an avenger. Why couldn't she be just like her, cold, relentless, bent solely on the mission?
She had mellowed too much lately. Reaching the platform, she looked around, searching the night. The note had unmistakably said „411 SN". Had she misunderstood? Not likely. But then, that had been hours ago. Sung probably hadn't managed to lose his tail yet. After the scene at South Market earlier he probably wouldn't try to contact her before it was safe to do so.
A slight screech startled her and almost caused her to punch the newly arrived.
„You again? Thought I told you I come here to be alone." Max felt very much tempted to actually whack Alec but she remembered in time that he had been very helpful today.
„Just thought you'd want your baby back right away." Alec didn't know why he cut her so much slack. He just felt she really did need a break after what had happened, so he smiled as Max put an arm around his shoulder and whispered:
„Thanks".
The impulsive movement reminded her of things better forgotten so she quickly headed for the way down. Together they climbed down after taking a last searching look at the Space Needle. Nothing moved there.
„So, you're leaving ?" Alec dared to ask while Max climbed on her bike.
„Yep. For a while at least. Not much left for me to stay for. Besides, I seem to attract trouble. Here you go." She handed Alec a scrap of paper.
„My number. It's the mailbox I told you about. Check in from time to time so I know how things are."
„Thought you weren't going to give me the number. I seem to remember you saying something about how unreliable I was."
„Well, a girl can change her mind, can't she? Keep an eye on Cindy and the rest for me, will you ?"
„Yes, mommy."
She took off, a tired smile on her face, leaving behind a cloud of dust and a somewhat irritated Alec. He frowned. Since when had he become so damn dependable ? It was all Logan's fault. He had always thought that Max was doing legwork for Eyes Only because she had it bad for one Logan Cale, cyber-journalist. But now he realized the man had been much more than a prospective fling to a rogue X5 and a terrible busy body. What was pissing him off even more was the fact that Logan's attitude had been rubbing off. On him, smart Aleck of all people. The man had seemed to infect everyone around with a guilty conscience. Damn. He wished he could still kick his ass. Nothing he could do there. The man was dead. Then why was the guilty conscience still there ? Why did he feel like he wanted to right all the wrong ? Logan Cale was dead and yet, Eyes Only never seemed to have left...
AN: Now I really want to hear it. The next part will finally bring some of the answers you've been waiting for, but before that, I need to know not just that you loved or that you hated it, but the reason why, too. I know, I want a lot. Jut as an incentive for me to write more, faster...
