Disclaimer: so I was thinking that maybe I could possibly probably try to pass off Dark Angel as my own, but then my mom told me that we can't afford any lawsuits…oh well, maybe next year

Rating: PG-13 for language and violence

Timeframe: Post AJBAC

A/N: Well hello everybody! It's great to be back. I've actually been back for like four weeks now, but I've been working on this and my paper and working two jobs back and forth, so that means I'm a little slower now. Plus my birthday just passed, 21, legal and lovin it. Didn't do anything of course, no money…story of my life. Mexico was good, but it's great to be back in the good ole US of A. Continuing with the story. I had to go back to the beginning and read it from there before I could continue, so I could get back in the mood to write (another reason it took so long) So I suggest that some of you who haven't had a chance to read anything since the beginning of June go back and take a look. Ok, here's the next installment.

Chapter 7

Mission Accomplished

The night flew by for Logan, he barely remembered what happened. Only from Original Cindy's recount did he have some kind of idea, and even then, there were gaps. It was as if seeing Max the way she was caused all of Logan's insides to freeze. He knew what Manticore was capable of and hadn't expected her to just waltz up to him all sunshine and smiles, but this…this was almost too much to bear.

He sat in the back of his beloved and faithful vehicle, holding the girl of his dreams who looked like some victim of extreme prejudice against a prisoner of war instead of the gentle creature he knew she was.

Logan's heart was in his throat as the cold metal of the cell phone found his ear. He clutched Max to his chest to try to still her body and keep her from knocking the phone from his hand.

Bring, Bring.

"Hello?"

Logan's throat ached, but somehow he found his voice. "Sam, it's me."

"Logan?" Sam's sleepy voice was confused.

"Yeah, sorry to call so late, it's an emergency. I need you to meet me at my place. I can't explain right now, just trust me. Bring tryptophan…I'll explain when you get here." Logan didn't wait to hear his loyal doctor and friend's reply, but instead hung up quickly.

"How's it goin back there?" Original Cindy's eyes darted from the mirror to the road and back again. Logan looked down at Max's slightly trembling figure. Then paled as her body thrust into a new bout of shakes.

"Not so great," he finally choked out. "Maybe you better step on it huh?"

"Hey," she responded, "Original Cindy ain't tryin to get stopped by the popo tonight. The way she's feelin, she might have to whup some ass." Nevertheless, her foot pressed harder on the gas pedal.

As the Aztec flew through the streets closer and closer to the heart of Seattle and Fogle towers, Logan could only hope that Sam reached there before he did.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop in front of Fogle Towers, Logan had the back door open and was climbing out, still holding Max's trembling body. He ignored the look he got from the drunken homeless man perched outside his building, and continued inside to the lobby, for what was felt to be the longest elevator ride of his life. It finally reached his floor, and he approached his door.

"Cindy, my house keys are in my pocket, could you—?" But before she could even reach for him, the door swung open.

"Whoa, what the hell happened?" asked a familiar voice.

"Bling?!" Logan was surprised to see his friend at his place. But he quickly got over it, and brushed past him. "Is Sam here yet?"

"Didn't know he was coming…is that Max?" Bling's face paled as Logan's had a while before when he saw the small bundle in his friend's arms.

"Yeah," Logan whispered to his friend. He made his way back to the bedroom and quickly but carefully laid her on his bed. "What are you doing here?" he asked Bling.

"I came as soon as I got your message. Thought maybe I could stop you from doing something stupid, but you were already gone by the time I got here, so I just decided to wait." Bling approached the bed and tried to keep from staring at the worn soldier upon it. "Good God, man. What'd they do to her?"

Logan knelt at the side of the bed and took Max's hand in his own. His eyes wandered and glazed over as they stared off into a distance that didn't exist. Lydecker's voice whispered over and over in his ear like a broken, annoying record. They beat her…tortured her…raped her…humiliated her…tortured her…beat her…raped her…humiliated her…until he couldn't take it anymore. In one swift motion, he stood and his fist connected with the wall. Only the shout of his friend's voice and the rivulets of red streaming down his fingers brought him back to reality.

"Logan!" Bling quickly left the room and returned seconds later with his doctor's bag. He sat Logan down on the edge of the bed. Original Cindy appeared to see what the commotion was, as Bling took out a wrap and began to patch up Logan's hand.

"Boo," Cindy started as she sat next to him on the bed. "What are you doin? Ain't no need in you hurtin yourself too. Max needs you right now. The whole you, not in pieces. Original Cindy understands that you wanna get back at Max's black helicopter guys, but you can't do that yet. We have to make sure my Boo is okay first. Don't worry about Manticore. If there's anything that Original Cindy's mother taught her, it's that sneaky little bastards get theirs too. And believe me, Manticore will go down, Max'll make sure of it…just not right now. Concentrate on my Boo, aight?"

Logan looked her in the eye. "When'd you get so smart?" he asked her.

"I live with Max," she smiled. "Not that I wasn't smart before that…"

Logan smiled at that and nodded.

"Logan?" Max's whisper broke the silence. He whirled around and crossed to the other side of the bed to resume his position beside her.

"Yes Max, I'm right here"

Her body which had previously reached a sudden stillness now began a new wave of shakes. "I n-need t-tryptophan," she stuttered, "help m-me…p-please?"

Logan's heart broke at her pleas. "I know, Max. It's on the way; try to relax." He brushed the hair from her eyes, and she seemed to calm down a little at his touch. Where's Sam? He wondered frantically. At that moment, there was a loud knock at the door.

"Logan? It's me, Sam!" he shouted from out in the hallway. "Open the door!"

Bling left to answer the door as Logan wouldn't leave Max's side. It was at that moment that Max's body decided to descend once again into shock.

"Sam, in here quick!" Logan shouted to his friend.

The doctor rushed in, took one look at Max, and nearly turned white as a sheet. "Logan, what the hell happened?"

"That's what I asked," Bling spoke up from behind. Sam didn't wait for an answer, but switched into 'doctor mode' and opened the bag he had brought with him. He pulled out a small flashlight, and checked each of Max's eyes.

Logan could only watch in horror as Max continued to tremble uncontrollably. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to look at Max's best friend. In all the chaos, he had completely forgotten that she was even there. One look in her eyes told him that she was just as worried as he was. She tugged at his hand and led him into the living room to sit on the couch, then sat with him.

Cindy wasn't really one for the comfort of the three-legged gender, but Logan was all she had at the moment, and she needed someone, a friend right then. Her head found his shoulder, and they sat in a companionable and apprehensive silence. She felt Logan shift below her.

"What's the matter Boo?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, I was just thinking about Max. Wondering…do you think she feels the same about me as I do about her?"

Original Cindy scoffed. "Original Cindy is absolutely sure she does. I've been trying to push you two together since the moment I realized you both were about to make a huge mistake."

"What mistake?"

"Not getting together," she replied.

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Oh…I just don't know what the future holds for us. Sometimes it feels like it's a one way street, you know? What if I sit down to talk to Max after all this is over, and she tells me that she doesn't like me? That she's never liked me; that she's only ever considered me a good friend who manages to keep her around by feeding her often."

"Hmph, that'll be the day," she muttered.

"What day?"

"The day Original Cindy drops her Lickity Boo and turns straight." Logan smiled at that. "You worry more than the president at the end of the pulse. I'm telling you for a fact that Max likes you more than just a friend. A lot more."

The silence descended upon them once again, and they stared out the window into the darkness until she fell asleep.

Back in Logan's room, Sam was having problems of his own. To Sam's surprise, Max's body went completely still; he placed two fingers on her neck to check for a pulse, which gratefully was still there, though weak.

"Bling, can you give me a hand?"

"Sure," the trainer replied, always at the ready. "What do you need me to do?"

Sam talked as he removed instruments and vials and bottles of medicine from his bag. "Vitals, heart rate, B.P., anything you can give me."

Bling nodded, put on his stethoscope and began rattling off information. "Respirations shallow and rapid, pupils dilated and non-responsive, heart rate…approximately 152 bpm."

Sam was startled at that, but continued working, inserting an IV into her still arm after finally finding a good vein, and attaching other instruments to her.

"B.P. 210 over 165, body temperature about 107°F." Bling continued spouting off her vitals, as Sam filled a vial with a clear liquid, turned it upside down to knock out air bubbles, and inserted it into Max's IV drip. Within moments, her heart rate and temperature had dropped, and her shallow breathing had evened out.

"What'd you give her?" Bling asked curiously.

"A Risperdal/Tryptophan cocktail."

"Risperdal?"

"Yeah, it's an older medicine, used with schizophrenics to help control their hallucinations, but recent research shows that it helps to counteract the affects of some hallucinogens as well. Judging from her symptoms, she must have been given some kind of medication, most probably a hallucinogen. I don't know where Max just came from, but wherever it was, it must've been hell. I've been a doctor for a pretty long time, and this is the worst shape I've ever seen any one person be in. Living in post-pulse USA, it takes a lot to faze me, but this…."

Bling nodded silently.

Together, they discarded the torn clothing and dressed her in a pair of Logan's shorts and one of his t-shirts. Then they splinted her wrist and fingers to set them straight, and patched the cut on the side of her head. Sam bandaged the insides of her arms, and put ice on some of her bigger bruises. The two men left towards the living room.

They found Logan and Cindy sleep on the couch. Bling softly shook his friend's shoulder.

"Logan," he whispered. "Wake up man."

Logan slowly opened his eyes, and looked down at Cindy's head in his lap before looking up at the two men. It took a moment, but the events of the night came rushing into his head like a monsoon. He sat up quickly, concern and worry flooding his heart.

"Max," he croaked, "is she okay?' In his mind, Logan knew that if Manticore wanted her dead, in the end, that's exactly what would happen. But he held on to his memories of the true Max, knowing that there was no odd she couldn't overcome. Well, hoping anyway. Please let her be okay, please let her be okay…

Sam and Bling looked at each other. "Well," Sam spoke up, "keeping in mind that the definition of 'okay' is fairly relative…she's kind of unconscious right now." Logan's eyes grew as large as saucers, but Sam continued. "However, knowing Max, she'll pull through. She's stable, and it looks as though some of her bruises are already beginning to heal. It's the psychological effects of all this I'm really worried about." Logan let out a sigh of relief so heavy, Sam wondered if it had some sort of effect on the air pressure in the room.

"Can I see her?"

"Yeah, of course. Keep in mind though, we've done all we can. The rest Max has to do by herself." Logan nodded avoiding the eyes of either one.

"Uh, I think I'm just going to take Cindy home," Bling finally said. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Logan nodded again, a million different thoughts and feelings flowing through him all at once, so that he really didn't trust himself to speak. Bling squatted, and lifted Original Cindy in his arms. She remained sleep as he bid the two men before him goodbye, and left the penthouse apartment.

Logan looked up, and for the first time noticed the sunlight streaming in through his window. How typical that the only sunny day of the year in Seattle may be the worst of his life. Sure, he just got Max back, but at what cost? He stood and thanked Sam profusely for all his help, and held the door as the doctor prepared to leave.

"Keep an eye on her Logan, but don't expect any miracles. And maybe one day you can tell me what the hell happened." Logan's eyes found the floor, and stayed there until the doctor had proceeded through the door and onto the elevator. "I'll call later on to see how she's doing." Sam yelled as the elevator doors closed in his face.

Logan slowly shut his apartment door, and rubbed his temples. Turning towards his bedroom, he prepared for the worst.

He paused outside the door to his bedroom, his hand posed on the knob. He had never been so scared in his life as when he first lost Max. It took every ounce of strength in his body just to make himself get out of bed for three months. Now he had her back…well, for the most part. Logan took a deep breath and turned the knob. The door slowly opened, and his head peered through. What he saw took his breath away. Max lay in his bed, covered to the waist with his wine-colored sheets, wearing one of his t-shirts, and sleeping soundly. The sun streamed in through his open window, and a single ray luminated her face. To him, she never looked more beautiful. He knelt next to her, and held her hand in his. The skin was silky and smooth, just the way he remembered it. His thumb ran the length of the back of her hand a hundred times as he sat lost in thought.

It was moments later that he felt a presence in the room. It seemed strangely familiar, and Logan didn't feel threatened. Without taking his eyes from Max, he spoke.

"I was beginning to wonder what happened to you guys…"

"I thought you might," the voice answered. "It was hell in there…we almost didn't make it out."

Logan finally turned to look at his visitor. "Well, I'm glad you did Krit. And Syl? Is she okay?"

Krit's neck stiffened, but he merely shrugged. "Yeah, we took a couple of hits, nothing that a standard issue genetically enhanced X5 can't handle. She'll be fine."

"Of course. Well, if there's anything that I…or Eyes Only can do for you, just let me know."

"Sure," Krit acknowledged. "How about my little sister…she doesn't look so hot. She's definitely seen better days," he tried to joke.

Logan smiled a little, and turned to look back at her. "Yeah…" then trailed off as he turned serious. He placed a hand on her forehead, careful to steer clear of her bruises, and traced a line down the side of her face. "She just looks like she's sleeping…like an angel. But she won't wake up…" his voice broke.

Krit approached him, and placed a hand on his shoulder as Original Cindy had done only hours before. "Try not to worry so much Bro, if I know Max as well as I think I do, she'll pull through this with flying colors."

Logan was oddly comforted by the fact that this was the second time that one of Max's siblings had referred to him as their brother. "Thanks, Krit. I hope so."

Syl leaned her head back on the couch. She was completely drained after that last attack. Her top right shoulder ached from the bullet hole that was put there by the rifles of the cavalry back at Manticore, as did her left thigh. She and Krit had heard Logan's warning at the last second, but were unable to get out of the line of fire. They had both taken hits, and were almost caught several times. But by the grace of some deity, they had escaped through a side tunnel neither Syl nor Krit ever remembered even being there. Then they had spent most of the night escaping through the woods, and trying to find shelter, stopping only to dress their wounds. It had been a long and exhausting ordeal, and when they'd finally made it back to Seattle, they were only too grateful.

Strangely enough, Syl felt right at home on Logan's couch. She felt safe, as though this were where she belonged. With her head resting, she closed her eyes, and tried to shut all pain and memories of the night before from her mind. The door opened and closed quickly, and a young female voice that Syl didn't recognize bellowed through the penthouse.

"Hello!!! Anybody home?" The voice continued and got louder as the person was apparently moving towards the living room. "Logan, you will never believe what I—" the girl that the voice belonged to stopped in her tracks when she saw Syl on the couch.

Syl sat up. "Who the hell are you?" she asked.

The young girl cocked her head to the side and placed a hand on her hip. "I think I reserve the right to ask that question."

Syl scoffed. "Not if I asked it first."

Her eyes narrowed at Syl. "Name's Asha. I work for Logan. And you are…?"

Syl paused before straightening up. "Syl," she answered simply. She already didn't like this Asha character, and she'd only known her for ten seconds. Something about her aura said that she was a possessive little snitch who wanted what she wanted then and there.

Asha took a few steps closer when she didn't say anything else. She wasn't quite sure why, but she already didn't like this Syl girl, and she didn't know anything about her but her name. Who was she to be laying up in Logan's apartment anyway? "So…how do you know Logan?"

Syl eyed her carefully. "He's my sister's boyfriend," she responded confidently.

Asha's breath caught in her throat. Logan has a girlfriend?? He never said anything about that…and this Syl chick, whoever she is, is the first girl I've seen around here in the past three months since I started coming around again… "Funny, he's never mentioned you before."

"Gee, I was going to say the same thing about you," Syl responded.

Asha couldn't help herself. She had to know the whole story. "Boyfriend did you say?"

Syl smiled a little triumphantly. "Yeah. They've been together for a while."

"Is that so?" Asha asked in a dangerously low voice. "Well, Logan and I have worked together for quite some time, and he's never said anything about a girlfriend…I've never seen any pictures, heard any stories…Come to think of it, none of our mutual friends have either."

Syl automatically went on the defense. "Just because you can't see Uranus with the naked eye doesn't mean it's not there." She smiled inwardly at her own hidden joke.

Asha cocked an eyebrow, but before she could say anything Krit appeared. "Hey, you ready to—" he started, but like Asha was cut off midsentence.

Asha's eyes undressed Krit in a matter of seconds. Not bad…not bad at all…Krit shifted a little, uncomfortably under her gaze.

"Hey Krit," Syl greeted him, "this is Logan's friend…I'm sorry what's your name again?" she asked sweetly.

Asha's look could have melted a block of stone like acid. "Asha," she repeated.

"Right," Syl replied. "This is my brother Krit."

"Nice to meet you," Asha greeted him.

"Likewise," he replied before turning to Syl. "You ready to go?"

She nodded, and he helped her up off the couch, and put his arm around her shoulders to help support her. Syl turned to Asha before leaving.

"Logan's kinda busy right now, maybe you should come back another time," she suggested. Asha ignored her and, folding her arms, took a seat on the couch. "Suit yourself. But he and Max are in the bedroom, so you could be waiting a while." She turned so Asha couldn't see the smile on her face and with the help of Krit, headed out the door.

Max? Asha wondered. Is that the alleged girlfriend's name? Wait…is that even a girl's name? Wait a second, Logan did mention some girl Max a while back…but I thought she was out of the picture, and he never said that they were together like that. Asha decided she'd wait for Logan. She didn't want to believe Syl's story about Logan's girlfriend, and in her mind, he was simply getting ready for the day, maybe getting out of the shower…toweling off…as the water drizzled down…Stop Asha! she scolded herself. Only a few seconds passed before her curiosity got the better of her, and she crept down the hall towards Logan's bedroom. She paused outside the door, and listened for any sounds that would indicate that Logan was inside, but hearing none, slowly opened the door and peered around the side. What she saw stunned her, her heartbeat slowed to a near standstill, her breath held strong in her lungs and her head swam in circles. She felt as though she were going to pass out and after only a few seconds, she closed the door once again, and stole out of his apartment.

Logan sat with Max's hand in his own. Krit had just left, promising to drop by later. Logan hoped he was right. As per Lydecker's account, Max had been out of it long before he'd even been able to rescue her from Manticore's clutches. Logan's mind traveled to the moment he'd realized he was in love with Max. Way back at his cousin's wedding…it had been then, while he recited what was meant to be a speech for his cousin and his new bride. But ultimately became a profession of his feelings for her.

Slowly, without realizing it, his mouth opened, and he began to talk to her.

"They crossed paths by fate," he whispered as his fingers caressed her face, "but became partners by choice, and together they are embarking on the greatest adventure two people can share…it's already started Max. We're already sharing the adventure. Why did you leave me? You're my best friend, my partner, where would I be without you? Don't you understand? I can't do this on my own. Come back…please?" Logan spent moments afterward, staring at Max's unmoving body, expecting her to somehow, miraculously pop back into his life. And he found that when she didn't, he was highly disappointed. Sighing deeply, his head dropped to his arm.

Some seconds passed, how many, he wasn't sure of. But all time stopped when her hand began to move in his. His head flew up, and he searched her face for any movement. Seeing none, he figured that perhaps he'd only dreamt it happened. But seconds later, he heard what couldn't have been mistaken as a low moan come from her throat.

"Max?" he whispered unsurely. Her head moved a little and her eyes fluttered open and locked with his. "Max! Oh thank God!" Before Logan could restrain himself, his lips moved on hers. It was seconds later, but soon, she began to respond. Logan was so engrossed in the taste that was purely Max, he didn't hear the door to his room open and then close again. If he had, he surely would have run after the young blonde-haired girl who left his apartment in quite the hurry.

Logan pulled a few inches away and looked into Max's eyes. They were no longer the bright dancing orbs that he was used to, but now seemed dull and preoccupied. He attributed that to the fact that she'd just spent nearly three months in hell on earth. "Hey Beautiful," he smiled, "how you feeling?"

Max pulled herself stiffly and slowly to a sitting position against the headboard, and placed a palm against her forehead. "Like my brain's just been run over by a cement truck." She paused and looked confused for a moment. She opened her mouth as if to say something important, but closed it again without saying anything.

Logan knitted his eyebrows in worry. "What's the matter?"

Max only shook her head as she looked down at her hands. Logan gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "It's okay Max. You can ask me anything."

Max looked up at him expectantly. "Anything?"

He smiled reassuringly. "Anything."

"Ok," she replied, looking him in the eyes, and pausing for a moment before going on. "Who are you?"

post: Okay guys, sorry that took so long to get up. My one summer job has ended (it was a summer camp) and the paper I had to write for Mexico is finished and turned in, so I should have a little extra time on my hands. Enter Asha, yes, this is still the second season, I liked her character. She may have tried to steal Logan from Max, but it wasn't her fault she was a haughty little witch. Stay tuned.