AN: looking back, I gotta agree that the whole gun in the sink cabinet thing was a little stupid. But let's try to justify it like this: Logan's a rich guy right...? Maybe, just maybe, he is soooo rich- and paranoid- that he has a gun everywhere so that he doesn't have to deal with the anxiety of not being without one...?

Is the suggestion believable, or am I just chatting a whole load of bull...?

Oh yeah... Somebodysdarkangel... my story aint that predictable... u were close, but not close enough.

I love my reviewers.... You guys make my day sooooooo... happy!!! Damn I'm getting sappy...

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Panic overcame him as he grabbed his gun from under the sink and rushed out of the bathroom. He scanned the room in search of her attacker, but soon he realised his mistake as he saw Max thrashing from side to side, eyes closed, face screwed up and calling his name with desperation.

Immediately, he dropped the gun and was at her side. Pulling her into his arms, he rocked her back and forth, all the while saying, "I'm right her Max, I'm not going anywhere, I'm right here..."

At his voice, her eyes napped open and she looked at him widely not really focussing. But when she finally focussed on him, her hands went up to his face, frantically moving all over it, reassuring herself that he was indeed alive.

"I thought...the hospital...Bullet...so much blood..." she couldn't get the words out. She was still panicky, not quite sure which was her reality.

"Shhssshhh...it's Ok...I'm ok. Try to relax." He continued rocking her back and forth like a child, stroking her hair and her arms.

Max calmed slightly, and just wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her head in the nook of his shoulder. "Don't leave me...please." there was terror in her voice and tears fell from her eyes, but her head remained buried in his shoulder.

"I told you before, I'm not going anywhere." But he mentally kicked himself for leaving her before to have a shower. It could have waited....

As Max settled down again, she went back to sleep, leaving Logan to continue rocking her to sleep, constantly whispering soothing words in her ear.

----Meanwhile, on the other side of town----

Bling paced his apartment, moving back and forth between the kitchen and the TV room, his cell phone in hand. Ever since he had gotten home, he contemplated whether or not to call J. That was two hours ago. He didn't want to seem desperate, but neither did he want to seem callous. Get a grip man... you only just met her... Bling berated himself.

But a sob voice in his head whined, but it feels like I've known her forever.

That is sooo sad... his other more manly side argued back.

...That don't mean it's not true. When she's around, the world stands still, and it's just her and me.

You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me... Talk about sprung... you just met the chic a few hours ago, and now you're acting all mushy and sappy. You are such a-

"Enough!" Bling silenced the voices in his head. He was starting to sound like some lovesick puppy, and it was annoying him. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the phone, and hit send. "I can do this, I'm a grown man. I can face what I feel. I'm not like Logan, I can admit it when-"

"You got J here," The sound of the voice on the other end of the line snapped Bling out of his ramblings.

"H-hey, its Bling... We met at the hospital."

"Oh! Bling... what's up?"

"Nothing much, had to sort out some stuff with my boss and his girl... But what have you been up to?" He smiled into the phone, all worries gone. "I'm hoping that your boss is still alive and kicking."

There was a soft laugh on the other side of the phone, "Sadly, the old fart is alive and kicking, so to speak. I mean he really don't look like he can lift his legs more than a few inches off the ground without dislocating his hip or something...."

Bling laughed, "You really are a piece of work..." he murmured quietly.

"How so?"

"Huh?"

"You said I'm a piece of work... I asked how so?"

Bling hadn't expected her to hear that comment. He himself had barely heard it, and he said it, "er...er... you just are. But don't worry, I'm talking masterpiece here, not some half-assed tacky piece."

There was silence on the phone for a moment, and Bling thought he had said the wrong thing. Then, "Thanks, though rather botched up, and slightly cheesy, that's the nicest thing anybody has said to me in a long time..."

"Well... I try." There was a soft laugh on the other side of the phone, and then a bit of rustling. "What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Jay responded slightly distracted.

"I hear rustling in the back. I just wondered what you were doing or if I caught you at a bad time."

"Nah... this is as good a time as any. I'm just unloading the groceries, and wondering which TV dinner I'll have tonight. At the moment it's a tie between Pork flavoured plastic in nifty green sauce, or rubber chicken in strange orange sauce."

"Are you sure that stuff's edible?"

"Sure...kinda like the sandwiches in the hospital- don't look or taste great, but they do the job."

"And what job would that be?"

"They keep the hunger away... duh." She sarcastically.

Bling chuckled softly at that, "Ok, let's make a deal..."

There was silence for a moment as Bling tried to think his idea through, and Jay just waited impatiently. "You do plan on telling me what this mystery deal is right?"

"Of course. Now the deal is: You refrain from eating toxic waste, and in return, I get the pleasure of your company for dinner tonight. Nothing fancy, just dinner at a steak house."

"Hmmm... I don't know..."

"Aw c'mon Jay... Please..."

After a moment of silence in which Jay contemplated her answer, "Oh alright... which steak house?"

"There's a good one I know that aint too far out... its from before the pulse: TGIF, otherwise know as Thank God Its Friday..."

"That's a really strange name to give a restaurant."

"Yeah well I think they were trying to go for the unconventional... So... were do ya live? I'll come pick you up."

"No don't worry... I prefer to make my own way there. Just tell me were it is, and I'll meet up with you."

"Why...? Wouldn't it be a lot easier if we went together? I mean that way one of us isn't gonna end up waiting for the other and looking stupid in the process."

"I don't know..."

"C'mon Jay. It aint as if I'm gonna go stalker on you."

"Truth is you couldn't even if you tried..."

That comment was met by silence from Bling, as he couldn't really discern what to make of it. "So I can come pick you up?" he said after a moment.

"Sure... I live no. 4 Weston road, sector 5." When she got no reply from Bling after a moment. "Bling... ya still there?"

"Er- yes. Sorry about that. Just spaced for a second. Weston road... that's 2 blocks away from where I live. I was just a little surprised that you lived so lose and I have never seen you in all the 6 yrs I've been hear."

"Don't sweat it. I've only been here for a few months. I'm not big on staying in one place for a long time. Makes me uncomfortable."

"Oh... so I'll pick you up in about 15 minutes?"

"Sure." With that, she hung up the phone, and left Bling staring at his handset wondering if he was pushing things to fast. The way she sounded seemed like she wasn't one to stay in a town to long. I wonder why? Kinda like Max...

----Back at Foggle towers----

It had been a couple of hours since Max outburst, and the room found Max and Logan fast asleep, with Max held securely in Logan's arms while he sat up with his back propped against the headboard. As they slept, different moans or movements form Max prompted unconscious kisses and caresses from Logan. Even in his sleep, he instinctively felt the need to comfort and reassure her.

When Max finally did wake up, she found herself snuggled up in Logan's arms and comfortably cosy. Though she had no idea how she got there, she didn't really feel any fear. In some ways, this was where she had always wanted to be...but shouldn't be. But as she looked at the peaceful face of the man she had come to love, she knew she couldn't keep fighting it. But what if he doesn't feel the same way?

Girl you aint never gonna know if you don't ask.

But isn't it the guy whose meant to make the first move?

Since when did you follow the traditional norms?

Well I'm trying to fit in...be like a normal girl. Isn't it only normal that I would do what normal girls do?

Yeah... but you know Logan. You know how he is. What if he's too shy to admit what he feels?

Or too decent to admit that he doesn't feel...

You'll never know if you don't ask.

But do I really want to have him spell out his rejection.

Do you wanna keep wondering what if...?

And on and on the inner monologue went for about a half hour before Max let out a frustrated sigh and looked back at Logan. Still in his sleep, he once again rocked her back and forth, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. The things he said to her where reassuring, but she wasn't so sure if they were real. She had decided that she would make a move to let Logan know that she cared... a lot. But that should be obvious by now...

Hearing a soft sigh from Logan, she looked up again, but this time she was met with searching piercing blue eyes. "Hey... how you feeling?" he said quietly, sleep still heavy in his voice.

"I should be asking you that question. I'm no the one who took a bullet in the gut or ran into a couple of switch blades." She replied just as quietly, but with sarcasm heavily lacing her voice.

Logan smiled softly, "Point taken, but you on the other hand, are the one that tried to pull a stunt by transfusing me without supervision. Therefore leaving herself more or less for dead!" there was a hint of anger in his voice.

"But I wouldn't have let you die... I couldn't..." She heard the anger in his voice, but it only evoked the sadness in hers.

"I wouldn't have died Max. I was in a hospital... they would have found something... someone..."

"Logan, they said your Blood... it was scarce... there was nobody who had it. I couldn't just watch you die because I had failed to protect you." Again.

"Max, I'm a grown man. I don't need protecting. How do you think I would've felt knowing that the only reason I was alive was because you had risked yours to save mine? Do you think that would have made me happy... made me proud...?" More anger was seeping into his voice; more sadness into hers.

"I don't know... I did what I thought I had to do. Do you think I would have been able to live with myself knowing that I had a chance to save you, but didn't take it?"

"Max don't turn this around, what you did was wrong and irresponsible. It could have cost you your life."

"And it would have been worth it. It's my life Logan... I get to do with it as I please, sacrifice it on whom I chose..."

Logan just stared at her, eyes searching her soul, not knowing what to say. She was saying the right things, but he didn't want to misinterpret things. All the words she said only signified that she cared... But to what degree?

Logan sighed dejectedly. "I'm sorry..."

"Why are you mad at me..."

"I'm mad because I care." I'm mad because I care soo much... love you too much.

"Sorry I made you mad. But if the situation arose again, I'd do the same thing in the drop of a pin..."

"I know."

Companionable silence rained in he room for a moment before Max stretched and yawned. Slowly she climbed out of Logan's lap, where she had been during their whole argument, and sat on the Bed. Logan stood up and stretched a bit, wincing slightly at the sharp pain in his side.

Max noticed the wince, "What's wrong...?"

Putting a hand to his side, "Ah...the... stitch. I don't think the move I just made agreed with it.

"Come, let me take a look." Logan looked at her sceptically. "I won't bite." Unless you want me to she thought slyly. "I know all about this stuff. Don't forget where I came from."

"Yeah but you were a kid then." He said pouting slightly. Very unLoganlike Max decided.

Max laughed softly, "But you forget... I don't forget. Come, let me just take a look at it, you may have pulled a stitch and reopened the wound somewhere."

Logan hesitated for a moment, but when she raised an amused eyebrow at him, he swallowed his fear and moved to stand in front of him. I am a full-grown man... I can handle any pain. He shivered slightly as Max's fingers gently lifted his top up and over his head so that it would be out of the way. I would sooo want this to happen under different conditions...

He watched her as she removed the dressing over the wound, which was starting to bleed again. Examining it for a second, Max got up and went to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. She cleaned the wound with a mild antiseptic, and smiled to herself when she saw him clench his stomach muscles at the coldness and slight sting. After cleaning it, she looked up at him. "You only slightly pulled the stitch, so the wound re-opened; that's why is bleeding. I'm going to put a bit of tape to hold it together and it will be fine, but you're gonna have to be more careful."

"Sure, is it going to hurt?"

Smiling at him, "No Logan, its not gonna hurt. I promise."

"Don't patronise me, Max."

"And why would I want to do that Logan? What pleasure could I possible gain from babying you?"

"How should I know how your sick twisted female mind works?" he said with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

"Whatever." She finished mending the wound and took a look at the other dressings, changing some and deeming others satisfactory. Standing up from redressing the slight gash on his lower back, she looked him square in the face, slightly nervous. "Er...Logan... there's something I've got to tell you about your battle scars..."

Logan took in her nervous stance and her darting eyes and knew what she was getting at, "Don't worry I already know. Bling told me. Because of your transfusion, I'm healing at an outstanding rate."

"And you're not worried about that?" Or disgusted with me?

"Why the hell would I be? Thanks to you, I don't have to suffer the scrutinising pain of getting my ass whooped by a bunch of muscle-bound googoo heads for a long time. Way I see it, I'm forever in your debt."

"Googoo heads?" she said with raised eyebrows.

"It's a word." He said stubbornly.

"Yeah, used mainly by 4 yr olds."

"What can I say...I'm very in touch with my inner child."

"Can't really dispute that."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Stalking up to him, she poked him in the chest. "It means buster. You. Are. A. Big. Baby." Each word was emphasised with a jab.

"Oh really?" He said capturing her hands in his."

She struggled gently for a minute, enjoying the little game they were playing. "Yeah, really. You were soo afraid I was gonna bite you when I first asked to check your wounds."

"What makes you think I didn't want you to bite me?" there was a devilish glint in his eye as his rational sense took leave of him. They had just entered dangerous territory, and he was feeling reckless.

Her breath hitched in her throat at the implication in his words and tone. So you want to fight dirty... "And what makes you think I didn't want to?"

Logan swallowed, "Bite me." He said with little conviction. It was getting harder and harder to breath.

Max stepped impossibly closer to him, "Where?"

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AN: I'm trying to perfect this cliffy thing... tell me if it works.

You have to review to find out what happens next...

Before i forget... what do you think about a black X-5 in Max's group? i know there wasnt one in the show, but would it matter too terribly?