I'm sorry it took me some time to update, I'm pretty busy with school and sports. Anyway, here I am again:-)
Justto explain: The reason why Logan could dance, I mean, when he had this problem with his spinal cord reversing itself the first time, he had moments when his legs failed him, just remember the time when he fell flat on his face in front of Max.
Sorry if I'm sometimes writing confusing stuff, I don't realize that myself, so keep on telling me!!!Have fun.
Special thanks to: Rajana, who allowed me to take some ideas from her wonderful story A Real European Christmas!!!
***
Chapter 4
They ate the sandwiches in companionable silence, Max observing her boyfriend closely, not quite sure how well he dealt with this thing.
"Listen, I asked Alec to look for a wheelchair or something like that," she hated to bring that up, but sooner or later he would have to face his new reality. "And I also told him to check out the exo, maybe we can fix it."
"I'd like to see the exo myself, I grew kinda accustomed to repairing it."
"Ok, sure. About the chair..."
"Won't be much help around here, huh?" He raised his eyebrows. "Looks like I'm not going out a lot the next couple of days."
"Yeah, but you know, I've thought about it, and we can't stay here."
"Why? The way I see it, there are not many places in Terminal City that are accessible for me. So we can just as fine stay here."
"No, I meant we can't stay in Terminal City."
Logan just looked at her, confused.
"If we can't fix the exo, this is just too much to ask from you," she explained. " And even if we can, I..." She grabbed his hand. "I want to live a normal life with you. That's all I ever dreamt of."
"What about Alec, Joshua, Original Cindy..."
"Leaving Joshua is gonna be hard, Alec can take care of himself and Cindy is free to go wherever she wants to go. She is not a transgenic."
"But those guys count on you..."
"There's nothing I can do, I'm just as helpless as anybody. They don't need me, not really."
Logan looked her right in the eyes. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes. I love you, and I want to be with you."
"I love you too." He kissed her lightly. "I can call Bling and ask him to get us passports, money, my wheelchair, the Aztek..."
"Ok. Great." She swallowed. "Can you have him get passports for Cindy, Sketchy and Alec too? Just in case, you know."
"Sure."
**
They spent the rest of the day together, making plans. Logan remembered his Mom's family having a small house at the beach of the North Sea in Europe. He'd check out if they could stay there for some time.
"Do you already have an idea of how you are going to tell the others? I mean, nobody is gonna miss me, this is all about you."
"Don't talk like that. I think I should let Cindy and Alec in first, and I need to explain it to Joshua very carefully."
"Yeah, probably the best."
There was a knock on the door.
„Sorry, guys. I didn't mean to interrupt, but I'm afraid I have bad news." Alec said, entering the room.
"I've heard that before." Logan sighed.
"Some of the tech guys tried to fix the exo, but they didn't succeed."
"That's OK, would you mind bringing it over so I can have a look myself."
"Sure." Alec opened the door again and grabbed something he'd kept hidden outside so far. "I also tried to find a wheelchair. Well, let's just say we superhumans don't require one that often, so..." He pushed in an old-fashioned black office chair which Logan frowned at visibly, but just for a moment, then he smiled his thanks to Alec, he appreciated the help. "That's the best I could get. I'm sorry." Alec knew that wasn't quite what Logan needed, if his legs gave out completely this chair would provide any level of independence as he wouldn't be able to push it himself.
"Don't worry, thanks for our help. I'll call Bling to help me out."
Max who'd been listening half-heartedly only now stood up. "Alec, I need to talk to you and Cindy. Any clue where she might be?"
"I've seen her over at Joshua's earlier."
"I'll try to find her. Can you wait that long, it's important." The tone in her voice made him comply.
"Sure."
Max left the room and Alec turned to look at Logan. "What's up with her?" He sat down on the vacated chair, looking at Logan questioningly.
"I don't think I can tell ya. She needs to do it herself."
"Aiight." Alec leaned back and observed teh older man carefully. "Are you OK?"
"Sure."
"You know, I can't say I undestand what being...paralyzed means, so maybe this is not gonna help, but I think you did the right thing."
"Yeah, I know. It's just gonna take a while to get used to the entire ordeal again." He shrugged. "You know, a couple of months ago I'd reached a point where I thought I could deal with being ina wheelchair. Just gotta find that place again." Right, if only it was so easy. But no use in filling Alec, a genetically enhanced super soldier, in on his issues.
**
"Ok, what's up?" Original Cindy and Alec both looked at Max and Loga, who was still sitting on the wooden chair, Max's hands on his shoulders.
"I've decided to leave Terminal City."
"Excuse-me?" Alec gulped in surprise.
"You don't need me around here, you can do my job just as fine."
"Max, that's crap, everybody trusts you..."
"Listen, I know it's kind of a shock, but I have decided. For once I need to think about myself- and Logan. He doesn't belong here, this is not his fight..."
"Max, come with me." Alec opened the door and motioned Max to follow him outside, leaving Original Cindy and Logan behind. "What the hell...?"
"Cut it out, I'm not gonna change my mind."
"Max, you are responsible for all those people..."
"I'm not, why should I be? I know you count on me and I'm sorry about what I have to do, but this is about Logan aswell. I feel responsible for him, and this place is not safe for him, not in the exo and especially not in a wheelchair, which we don't even have. He is the only person arond here who can't defend himself. And I can't risk to lose him, Alec. I have got to get him outta here."
"So you chose him over us?"
Max didn't answer immediately, but finally she nodded, almost imperceptible. "Yes, I'm sorry."
"Logan means that much to you?"
Again she nodded, not trusting her voice. Angrly she wiped away a tear. She didn't want to cry, not in front of Alec.
"Guess we have to accept this decision. How are you going to explain it to Joshua?"
"I don't know."
With one last glance at Alec she opened the door. In his handsome features she'd found the understanding she'd been hoping for.
**
"So you two are gonna blaze, huh?" For once, Cindy couldn't come up with anything better to say.
"Yeah, but don't worry. Bling will get you and Alec new passports. Just in case you decide to run aswell one day."
Max closed her eyes for a moment. "Are you gonna hate me?" She opened them to look at her best friend.
Cindy shook her head. "I luv ya boo, and always will. And if you think it's the right thing to do, go for it. There's not much for you to do here anyway." She stepped closer and embraced Max, then she whispered, so Logan wouldn't be able to hear it. "Logan needs you, it's the best for him, and you owe it to him."
"Thanks."
With a sigh Max turned towards the door. "I'm gonna look for Joshua."
Justto explain: The reason why Logan could dance, I mean, when he had this problem with his spinal cord reversing itself the first time, he had moments when his legs failed him, just remember the time when he fell flat on his face in front of Max.
Sorry if I'm sometimes writing confusing stuff, I don't realize that myself, so keep on telling me!!!Have fun.
Special thanks to: Rajana, who allowed me to take some ideas from her wonderful story A Real European Christmas!!!
***
Chapter 4
They ate the sandwiches in companionable silence, Max observing her boyfriend closely, not quite sure how well he dealt with this thing.
"Listen, I asked Alec to look for a wheelchair or something like that," she hated to bring that up, but sooner or later he would have to face his new reality. "And I also told him to check out the exo, maybe we can fix it."
"I'd like to see the exo myself, I grew kinda accustomed to repairing it."
"Ok, sure. About the chair..."
"Won't be much help around here, huh?" He raised his eyebrows. "Looks like I'm not going out a lot the next couple of days."
"Yeah, but you know, I've thought about it, and we can't stay here."
"Why? The way I see it, there are not many places in Terminal City that are accessible for me. So we can just as fine stay here."
"No, I meant we can't stay in Terminal City."
Logan just looked at her, confused.
"If we can't fix the exo, this is just too much to ask from you," she explained. " And even if we can, I..." She grabbed his hand. "I want to live a normal life with you. That's all I ever dreamt of."
"What about Alec, Joshua, Original Cindy..."
"Leaving Joshua is gonna be hard, Alec can take care of himself and Cindy is free to go wherever she wants to go. She is not a transgenic."
"But those guys count on you..."
"There's nothing I can do, I'm just as helpless as anybody. They don't need me, not really."
Logan looked her right in the eyes. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes. I love you, and I want to be with you."
"I love you too." He kissed her lightly. "I can call Bling and ask him to get us passports, money, my wheelchair, the Aztek..."
"Ok. Great." She swallowed. "Can you have him get passports for Cindy, Sketchy and Alec too? Just in case, you know."
"Sure."
**
They spent the rest of the day together, making plans. Logan remembered his Mom's family having a small house at the beach of the North Sea in Europe. He'd check out if they could stay there for some time.
"Do you already have an idea of how you are going to tell the others? I mean, nobody is gonna miss me, this is all about you."
"Don't talk like that. I think I should let Cindy and Alec in first, and I need to explain it to Joshua very carefully."
"Yeah, probably the best."
There was a knock on the door.
„Sorry, guys. I didn't mean to interrupt, but I'm afraid I have bad news." Alec said, entering the room.
"I've heard that before." Logan sighed.
"Some of the tech guys tried to fix the exo, but they didn't succeed."
"That's OK, would you mind bringing it over so I can have a look myself."
"Sure." Alec opened the door again and grabbed something he'd kept hidden outside so far. "I also tried to find a wheelchair. Well, let's just say we superhumans don't require one that often, so..." He pushed in an old-fashioned black office chair which Logan frowned at visibly, but just for a moment, then he smiled his thanks to Alec, he appreciated the help. "That's the best I could get. I'm sorry." Alec knew that wasn't quite what Logan needed, if his legs gave out completely this chair would provide any level of independence as he wouldn't be able to push it himself.
"Don't worry, thanks for our help. I'll call Bling to help me out."
Max who'd been listening half-heartedly only now stood up. "Alec, I need to talk to you and Cindy. Any clue where she might be?"
"I've seen her over at Joshua's earlier."
"I'll try to find her. Can you wait that long, it's important." The tone in her voice made him comply.
"Sure."
Max left the room and Alec turned to look at Logan. "What's up with her?" He sat down on the vacated chair, looking at Logan questioningly.
"I don't think I can tell ya. She needs to do it herself."
"Aiight." Alec leaned back and observed teh older man carefully. "Are you OK?"
"Sure."
"You know, I can't say I undestand what being...paralyzed means, so maybe this is not gonna help, but I think you did the right thing."
"Yeah, I know. It's just gonna take a while to get used to the entire ordeal again." He shrugged. "You know, a couple of months ago I'd reached a point where I thought I could deal with being ina wheelchair. Just gotta find that place again." Right, if only it was so easy. But no use in filling Alec, a genetically enhanced super soldier, in on his issues.
**
"Ok, what's up?" Original Cindy and Alec both looked at Max and Loga, who was still sitting on the wooden chair, Max's hands on his shoulders.
"I've decided to leave Terminal City."
"Excuse-me?" Alec gulped in surprise.
"You don't need me around here, you can do my job just as fine."
"Max, that's crap, everybody trusts you..."
"Listen, I know it's kind of a shock, but I have decided. For once I need to think about myself- and Logan. He doesn't belong here, this is not his fight..."
"Max, come with me." Alec opened the door and motioned Max to follow him outside, leaving Original Cindy and Logan behind. "What the hell...?"
"Cut it out, I'm not gonna change my mind."
"Max, you are responsible for all those people..."
"I'm not, why should I be? I know you count on me and I'm sorry about what I have to do, but this is about Logan aswell. I feel responsible for him, and this place is not safe for him, not in the exo and especially not in a wheelchair, which we don't even have. He is the only person arond here who can't defend himself. And I can't risk to lose him, Alec. I have got to get him outta here."
"So you chose him over us?"
Max didn't answer immediately, but finally she nodded, almost imperceptible. "Yes, I'm sorry."
"Logan means that much to you?"
Again she nodded, not trusting her voice. Angrly she wiped away a tear. She didn't want to cry, not in front of Alec.
"Guess we have to accept this decision. How are you going to explain it to Joshua?"
"I don't know."
With one last glance at Alec she opened the door. In his handsome features she'd found the understanding she'd been hoping for.
**
"So you two are gonna blaze, huh?" For once, Cindy couldn't come up with anything better to say.
"Yeah, but don't worry. Bling will get you and Alec new passports. Just in case you decide to run aswell one day."
Max closed her eyes for a moment. "Are you gonna hate me?" She opened them to look at her best friend.
Cindy shook her head. "I luv ya boo, and always will. And if you think it's the right thing to do, go for it. There's not much for you to do here anyway." She stepped closer and embraced Max, then she whispered, so Logan wouldn't be able to hear it. "Logan needs you, it's the best for him, and you owe it to him."
"Thanks."
With a sigh Max turned towards the door. "I'm gonna look for Joshua."
