Once again, Hello. Um..... Ok I'll be honest. Originally when I started this I had no intention of going into what has happened to Max these past years. It never occurred to me, because she isn't a major player - But you all convinced me - Hope it's to you liking.

LOVE YOU ALL

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Chapter Nine

Max's POV

I led Eve into the kitchen, lightly putting my hand on her back not really sure if she would be comfortable with me touching her. I sat her down on one of the stools and got the bandages. As I walked around the familiar room I felt her eyes on me. I hate to admit that I was afraid to look at her. I was afraid to see her emotions, I didn't want to know if she hated me. After all, I just caused these injuries. I should have never come back here. I knew that Manticore had spies out after me, yet I just had to be weak and go see my Logan and Eve.

I turned back to her and set all the supplies out in front of her, then circled her to analyze her condition. She sat very still, and seemed kind of rigid. I don't blame her. While she may be ready to show me childhood pictures, she probably isn't ready to be alone in a room with me and have me treating her wounds. Poor kid.

I saw that blood was seeping through her shirt on her shoulder blades, and she had a small cut on her thigh. Her knuckles were bruised from punches and she had a small amount of blood smeared on her lips. I quickly decide that her back needs the most attention at this moment. I take a deep breath, silently asking for her trust.

"I'm gonna need you to take your shirt off, Eve." Her shoulders flex in tension, but she hides her face from me and lifts her shirt off her body. I hold in a gasp as I catch sight of her skin. It has at least ten small scratches and three large gashes. I hope she got my revved up healing abilities. "Doesn't that hurt like a bitch?" I ask in amazement. She turns to me slightly and softly smiles.

"I think your genes and implant is helping a bit." She says slowly. I nod, biting my lip as I tape gauze over the rapidly healing cuts. I work quickly, then tell her to turn around. I examine the cut on her leg. It's not serious, and doesn't really need anything.

"You want me to take care of this? Or maybe a band-aid?" She bites her lip in consideration, and I am surprised to see myself in her eyes and playful nature. I suppress an amused smile as she responds.

"Nah, I'm aiight."

"Well, I'll tell you, you pack a helluva punch for a girl." I say, testing her comfort.

"What can I say? I quote, 'Girls kick ass'." She says through a cut lip.

"Who said that?"

"A tee shirt." I let out a laugh at her familiar sense of humor.

"You spend a lot of time around Original Cindy, don't you?" That's where I learned my little sayings, my boo taught me everything about bringing out my 'inna-bitch'.

"Yeah, but she didn't teach me that saying. Dad did, he actually bought me that shirt when I was a toddler." She bows her head and looks up at me. "You should have seen Aunt Margo's face when she saw me wearing a shirt with obscenities ironed on it." I chuckle at the image. I can't imagine the torture this kid endured having to be raised among the Cales. At least she ended up familiar with the word 'fun'.

"She still got those stocks and bonds up her ass?" I ask casually, feeling the former tension begin to disinigrate between us. I position myself opposite of her on the counter. She picked her shirt up and grimaced at the blood.

"Yeah, still just another cocky stuck up white widow. 'Scuse me, ex-widow." Eve folded the shirt on the table. "Damn, that was my favorite shirt... Oh well, I got another just like it."

"Margo got remarried?"

"Yep, as soon as that Uncle Jonas was in the ground, she saw her financial reputation going down the drain. When I was about four she managed to lasso some poor old guy into tying the knot." I nod in understanding and smile at the thought of my daughter hangin' with my boo and the Jam Pony gang.

"So, what has Original been up too?" I ask, eager to find out if she's still around.

"Well, she's got a semi-permanent lickety boo, but she'll probably get tired of her in a month or so, just like the others. Oh, and Kendra, 'member her? Well, she finally got hitched and found the banging man of her dreams."

"Don't tell me..."

"Yep! Walter, her lil' - um, never mind." I frown and nearly gag at the thought. But I'm happy she finally settled down. Eve continues with a smile on her face, enjoying talking about the crew. "Sketchy and Herbal are still around, and Herbal married a great girl. Actually the one that filled your job back at the messenger service. Her name is Monisha, and she and him are trying to have kids." I let myself get a huge grin. So Herbal's married and wants to be a daddy. I think he'd be a great father. Most likely he'll raise the kid with bible bedtime stories and quotes from the all mighty. Suddenly a thought occurs to me and I panic.

"Eve," I reach out and grab her shoulders, looking her right in the eyes. "You never had any of Herbal's cookies, did you?" She laughs and takes my hands off of her, then shakes her head no.

"Once I tried to get some," I give her a shocked look and she laughs again. "When I was about five, I didn't know. He nearly had a heart attack and thought Dad would have Bling come after him if I got hold of them. It was quite the sight." I smile and rest my head in my hands, eagerly listening to Eve's history that I missed.

"Sketchy behave himself around you?" I ask, recalling his near-pervert mind. I swear he never matured past age thirteen.

"Um, yeah, why wouldn't he?" She looks confused, thank God. I wave a hand to disregard it. "Actually he's as bad as Zack is. One time a drunk called me a little whore, and Sketchy attempted to kick his ass to protect my 'honor' as he calls it. I'm everyone's little sister around the gang." I sigh, content with my daughter being comfortable enough around me that she will tell me details of her strange little life.

Suddenly Logan walks in with a worried look on his face, glancing between me and my... daughter, trying to measure the tension. I shake my head at him and swiftly stand and start pushing him out of the room.

"Oh, no you don't, Logan. This here is girl time, Eve is fine and all fixed up, now you go and take care of the guest." I shove him out, and he just gives me a puzzled look, then smiles and quickly pecks me on the cheek before sauntering off. I can't help but laugh at the boy's antics.

I enter the kitchen and see Eve has grabbed a nectarine from the fruit bowl sitting beside her. I go over to her once again and sit, grabbing a banana and eagerly peeling it.

"So," She says in between bites. "What have you been doing for money all this time? Weren't you moving around a lot?" I take a deep breath, recalling all the memories from these sixteen years.

"Well, I did practically everything. I was a waitress, a grocer, a cashier, and when I got in a rut I was my true purpose, a cat burglar. But I spent five years working in a coffee shop in a small town in Illinois that hadn't been too badly destroyed by the pulse. It was called Galena, I think. Real charming. It was a lot of fun, but they didn't appreciate my baby too much."

Eve gave me a confused look. "Your baby?" Oh my God, I'll have to kill Logan for not telling her of my other love.

"My motorcycle, Ninja 650 - I love that thing." She nods in understanding, then I watch as a smile forms on her face.

"What?" I ask. What is so funny?

"Oh, nothing, really... It's just that Zack takes me for rides on his bike whenever he visits, and I told Dad I wanted to get one for myself, and he got an odd look on his face... Now I know what was bothering him." She quiets down and finishes her nectarine, throwing away the pit.

"I made a nice friend in Galena. She'd never compare to Original or Herbal or Sketchy, but she was great. Her name was Claire, and I lived with her for awhile. She actually helped me find one of my sisters." She looked at me wide eyed.

"Wait a sec, she knew about Manticore?"

"I didn't give her the 411, Cate did. It's one of the biggest coincidences I've ever heard of. She used to live in the same building as Cate, a sister of mine. Cate was her boo, and eventually told her about her childhood. So Claire hooked me up with my sis, and of course, Zack got pissed and made me move. But I had a damn good five years in that town." I shake my head and look her in her eyes. "I would have rather been here though. Through all your life."

"I know." She seems to be serious, and she's got such honest, noble eyes. That must be from Logan. I can't believe that I am the mother of such a wonderful child. It's so hard to grasp that after all the terrible and inhumane things that have been done to me and I've done, that my child could come out so... perfect.

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Well, there was a lot of stuff I wanted to say down here, but I forgot it all. I hate that. OH YEAH! It has been requested that I find the perfect name for the X8. Well, you wouldn't believe how many hours I spent looking up baby name books and words in the dictionary - I know, I'm obsessive. Anyway, I have three things to choose from.

Rok - I sorta like this cause it's a misspelling of Rock, like hard and sturdy and strong

West - Ok, I saw this one show with a soldier named West, the guy was a wus, but I like the name - It's one syllable like a lot of the other Manticores, and it sounds cool.

Leo - I researched this one - the cat DNA was the inspiration - LEOpards, Leo is the scientific name for a lion, and the Zodiac means proud, powerful, and a good leader.

I sorta have a preference to one, and I can't guarantee I'll use your suggestions... BUT REVIEW and add in what name you like - even though you have no idea of what the character will be like, sorry.