A Final Farewell
Chapter 14
A/N: Thanks for the reviews again please review this chapter, they make me feel happy.
"Before we go, I have to ask, do you remember me?"
"Of course, how could I forget a single thing about you?"
Max laughed silently to herself, "You said that exact thing to me before, it's good to see you remember that... it's good to have you back"
Turning away she watched the building burn, lighting up the woods around it, it was a welcome sight to her, and it meant so much. Her past was finally gone, and now it was time to start with the future. "Are you coming with me?" she asked Zack, and for a moment she thought that he wasn't going to answer.
"No, I can't Max."
"But I thought-"
"Well you thought wrong," he said roughly when her face fell he continued. "I didn't mean it like that, I would love to stay with you, but I have to find the others, they're still out there somewhere and I need to tell them what has happened, about all that you've done."
"Yes they do need to know, and they need to keep running."
"Max just listen to reason for a second, you know-" he stopped having half listened to her. "Wait did you just agree with me. My this is a once in a lifetime occurrence." Zack said half smiling.
"Yeah laugh it up," Max tried her hardest to make light of the situation, but knowing that he was leaving again made her heart heavy. Getting back to the subject she continued more seriously, "I know that I should be the last person saying this because I helped cause the downfall of this place. But they are not gone and they never will be, I know we would all like to think that they died in the fire, but you and I both know that they are still out there somewhere. They are just looking for an opportunity to set up another Manticore. They will never be gone, ever, and even if they were someone would find out about us and it would start all over again you know that as well as I do."
"You're right, they won't ever be gone as much as we wish they were, there will always be someone out there hunting for us." Pausing for a minute he looked at her with sad eyes. "I should probably get going, it's starting to get light, and you can be sure that Renfro and the rest of them will be back soon to see what's left. We probably shouldn't have stayed here as long as we have, we might have put ourselves in danger without knowing it."
Sighing because she knew that he was right she stared at the ground, "At least let me take you back to the city, you can get a car from there and you can be on your way, you'll never make it out of here alive if I leave you here."
"I guess that would be okay."
Max had to admit it to herself that her brother had changed drastically from the person her had been before, and she was starting to think that she liked this version better. He wasn't so protective; he didn't always think with his head anymore, he let his heart rule some of his decisions.
"Now where to get a car." Max said playfully.
"I'm sure you'll think of something."
Glancing over at the parking lot, she saw a few stray cars still parked, most had been taken by the other escaping transgenic. Most left were old and beat up, it was at that moment that she realized Syl's car was gone. She laughed silently to herself an amused smile playing over her face. Walking to the nearest car she was surprised to find the door unlocked, hoping to try her luck even more she looked for the keys. Not finding them she pulled wires out from under the dashboard finding the two she needed struck them together and was greeted with the purr of the engine starting.
Zack was still standing by the passenger side door, "And where exactly did you learn that?" he asked.
"Where do you think?" she said, giving him an ironic look.
"Sorry I asked." Zack said getting into the car.
As they pulled out of the parking lot, Max looked in her rearview mirror to see the last of the building being consumed in flames. The rode in silence for a few miles before Zack flipped on the radio. Max looked at him as if to say, hands off the radio, but thought better than to tell him that.
Flipping through the stations he found one that he liked, a classical station, which was rare to find on the waves. Finding that she liked it too, she settled back in the seat for the long drive ahead. As she drove it gave her the chance to think things through, she was finally able to process everything that had happen, with Manticore, with Logan. She wasn't willing to give him up yet and she wasn't sure what she would do if her left her, all she knew was that she had to get to the hospital. Riding in silence for a few miles, Max finally asked the question that had been plaguing her mind.
"Zack," she began.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"Why aren't you trying to stop me from going back?" she continued.
"What do you mean?" he questioned.
"You always used to say that living in Seattle would be the death of me. Why the change of heart."
"I don't know, maybe because I realize now that you can take care of yourself and that you're not a child that needs protecting anymore."
"I've been trying to tell you that for years now, it's good to see that an old dog really can learn new tricks."
Zack smiled at this, not a appeasing you smile, but a genuine smile, that was one thing that Max had missed. He only used it on rare occasions, but when it did show up Max knew that for whatever reason, Zack meant it. "I missed you." Zack said so quietly that initially Max wasn't sure if she had heard him right.
"I missed you too." It shocked her to hear something so sentimental come out of her brother's mouth. But the response she gave him, she hoped sounded sincere.
Coming upon the entrance to the city, she felt Zack's hand coming to rest on hers and looked up to meet his eyes. Nodding slightly to her, Max slowed the car to a stop on the roadside, she knew it was time to say goodbye. As she got out she began to feel the significant feeling of tears prick behind her eyes. Looking at the ground she tried to hide as the tears began to well up.
Looking up she saw Zack walking away, he had never been a good one with goodbyes and she knew that this one was no different. All the other times that he had visited her, he left just as he came, with no warning, not wanting to waste precious time with tears and useless hellos or goodbyes. But usually before he left he would give her a warning, nothing sentimental, just practical, not something that she didn't already know, maybe this time was different.
Even though he wasn't the same person she had once known, even though he probably didn't remember everything, if he ever needed her, he would find her, even if she was halfway around the world. That was just the way he was, always the bloodhound, able to find any of them. And hopefully with any luck he would remember where the others were, or at least how to contact them.
"Zack," she yelled to him, waiting for him to stop, when he didn't she went to him. Running down the road, he stopped to turn around as she reached his side.
"What?" he said softly.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" he asked.
"I don't know, what happened the night we...you never should have had to do what you did for me." For some reason she couldn't bring herself to name the exact deed.
"Max, I told you a long time ago, when we were kids that I would die for you, for any of you. I love you, and this is my second chance, I've been granted a second chance, but I would gladly give it up, if it would mean I could save you again."
In that one single moment, Max was made undoubtedly aware of just how strong her brothers love was, for all of them. "I guess I just needed to hear you say that." Hugging him tightly around the middle, he seemed surprised at her initial action, but then gladly wrapped his arms around her. "How will I find you?" she asked.
"Don't worry I'll find you, wherever you are." Smirking slightly to herself, for already knowing the answer to her question before voicing it, she let him go, reluctantly. Once again she didn't say goodbye, noticing that neither did he. After everything that he had been through deep down he was still the same guy that he always was.
She stood watching his retreating figure until he was only a speck on the horizon. Sighing, she climbed back into the car and pulled away. She got through the sector checkpoint all right. Most patrolmen hated the graveyard shift and wouldn't give you trouble as long as you weren't acting suspicious. She drove rapidly through the streets of Seattle, as quickly as she dared.
Pulling into the parking lot of the hospital, she left the car running in the emergency lane. "Hey you can't park there." Someone yelled to her.
"Tow it." She yelled back, what did she care, the car wasn't registered in her name. "Logan Cale." She said to the lady at the front desk, "I'm looking for Logan Cale's room." The woman was about to talk when the phone rang. Max finally pushed back her breaking point reached over the counter and ripped the phone cord out of the phone. "Lady, where is Logan Cale's room."
"Ma'am you need to calm down."
"Lady I am calm, but you sure as hell don't want to see me riled up. Now where is Logan Cale's room?"
"He's in recovery, on the third floor. But ma'am you can-" Before the woman had a chance to finish, Max was sprinting away from the desk. When the elevator didn't come right away after pushing the button, Max automatically ran to the stairwell and took the stairs two at a time to the third floor. Running down the hallway she dodged the random gurneys pushed towards the walls. The door was closed and the blinds were drawn, allowing no one to see into the room. Not bothering to knock on the door she walked right in.
A/N: Okay, I know bad place to end, but the chapter was getting long, forgive me. I hope you liked the way that I ended things with Zack, for those of you who voiced concerns. In addition review please; I appreciate them, no matter what they say. It's just nice to get feed back from people who have read my story. Thanks for reading.