Disclaimer: Not mine, blah, blah, blah.
A/N: when I finished BtB, Infie suggested this title (her way of saying: go write some more!) This is what came out of that. You can all blame her ;-).
A/N2: Infie was also my beta on this, so I thank her immensely.
A/N3: So, this has been written for over a year now, I just never got around to posting it here.. I didn't want to add to the wars at the time ;-). Believe it or not, I do like Logan, but I am not too nice to him in this series ;-). Anyone who has read the first two knows all the characters are more "caricaturized" here…
Back to Nature
By Maia.
"Hey Max, I've been trying to reach you all day long."
"Oh! You have? Beeper must be out of batteries…" She answered the bespectacled man who had just arrived at their table, taking a seat in front of her without asking if it was taken. She ignored the muffled laughs her statement had elicited from her best friend beside her, and from Sketchy who was standing by the pool table leaning on his cue, waiting for the game to end now that he no longer had a chance.
Alec, ready to take his next shot, casually commented, "Batteries must be coming damaged lately… I mean, didn't you change them last week?" He smiled innocently at Max's horrified expression.
Max looked uneasily at Logan, her mind struggling to come up with an excuse, when he started a monologue about how post-pulse Seattle commerce was conducted by opportunists that took advantage of consumers, and how he would tell Eyes Only to make a broadcast about that.
Max sighed with relief and sent a murderous glance in Alec's direction. The object of her discomfort however, was paying her no attention.
Alec chuckled to himself before taking another shot and sinking the last striped ball. He snorted at Logan's EO comment. Who was the guy trying to fool? Both him and Max knew who Eyes Only was, as did OC. And Sketchy? It was obvious he had tuned out completely once the 'speech' had started. He shook his head and paused, stalling. The idea of missing his shot so Sketchy would get to play and hence prolong the game was becoming increasingly appealing, compared with the prospect of going to sit beside Logan.
He decided to finish the game and get this over with as soon as possible. "So Logan, buddy…" His voice dripped sarcasm at the last word, "…what brings you to this place of the unworthy?"
Logan shot Alec an annoyed look, but remembering what he was there for, looked back at Max and started to speak. Alec started moving his lips, mouthing Logan's words even as Logan spoke them: "Max, I need your help."
A gale of laughter erupted from Sketchy and Alec smirked.
Logan continued, ignoring them. "There is this politician, he used to be in congress but then suddenly disappeared. Eyes Only has reason to believe he has some valuable information that could sink a lot of corrupt representatives. Unfortunately, he's not willing to have any contact with his past. But I'm sure if Eyes Only could just talk to him, he might be able to convince him to come forward."
Yeah, right! Oh wait, maybe. He might just bore the guy into confessing… to anything Alec thought, edging closer to the table, but staying a few feet back and to the right of Logan. So, what's the catch?
"So, why doesn't E.O. just talk to him?" Sketchy asked.
"Because this guy now lives in another country, in some sort of cabin up in the woods." Logan answered condescendingly. His tone made both Max and OC frown. Alec changed his stance slightly, pushing his shoulders back, a predatory look in his eyes. He was about to take a step forward, when Sketchy spoke again.
"Oh, and how can Max help you then? I mean, if Eyes Only can't find this guy, how can she? And for that matter, let's face it, diplomacy is hardly Max's strength. Even if she did find him, how is she supposed to convince a man who lives alone in the woods and has always refused to talk to anyone to come here?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.
Alec had always liked Sketchy, but all of a sudden his respect for the guy doubled. He relaxed his shoulders and turned back to face Logan, eager to see what he would come up with now. A glance in OC's direction told him she was thinking the same thing. Either: I'm sending her to seduce the guy – insulting to Max- or she's the one actually doing the work – exposure.
"Yeah, well, I… I was thinking I would go there and try to find him, and… uhm…"
Alec interceded. "Taking Max would make it look less suspicious, just a couple on vacations or something?" As much as Alec hated the idea of helping Logan, he couldn't risk the idiot blowing their cover.
Sketchy didn't look convinced, but let it slide. If Alec said it, there must be a good reason. He looked at his friend and, acknowledging the pleading in Alec's eyes, volunteered to go get more drinks. He grabbed OC by the elbow and shot a condescending look at Logan that made it obvious he hadn't been fooled at all.
"Thanks, man." Alec whispered as Sketchy passed him. Sketchy nodded and smiled.
Alec turned back to the table. "If you ever do something like that again you're gonna wish that virus had killed you." He told Logan in a normal voice, as if he was asking him the time. His eyes, however, were telling a different story.
Logan looked at Max for help, but she was also frowning at him. "Yeah, sorry." He swallowed. "And that was a good plan you came up with, I think we can use that cover."
"Oh, sure. Except for the part where you two, a couple of lovebirds, can't touch. Do you ever think about your plans?"
OC and Sketchy returned with the beer. One look at Logan's pale and embarrassed face and at Alec's smirk reassured both everything was as it should be.
"So…" Max asked, trying to ease the tension, "where is it we're going?"
"Do- er.. Dominican Republic." Logan answered.
"Wow. When you said another country I was thinking Canada or even Mexico. But I don't think we can ride my bike or your Aztec to an island, can we?" Max's eyes were wide.
"Well, E.O. has this contact who owes him a couple of favors and who can fly us by helicopter," Logan said, happy to show he had thought of something in advance. "He has this HU-1B, an old Army helicopter."
Alec smiled suddenly. He had been working his brain, trying to find a way to follow them to the island. Flying by airline was not even an option, after the pulse air traffic had been reduced to a minimum, and getting a ticket meant you had to sell you house, and even then it had to be at least a mansion. But a Huey? And that particular model seated nine troops. That old tin can would do just fine.
"So, when do we leave?" he asked merrily.
"Excuse me?" Logan rearranged his glasses.
"What? You weren't thinking about leaving good old Alec behind, were you? White sandy beaches, transparent warm water, tropical fruits and friendly exotic natives? Come on!" He smiled charmingly.
"We will not be there to have fun, Alec."
"Of course not, Logan, don't worry. The thought of you having fun never even crossed my mind! Pero pensé que quizás podrían necesitar un buen traductor." He drawled, smirking at Max and Logan's astonished faces.
"Way to go, suga'! That was perfect pronunciation, a Dominican accent even!" OC nodded approvingly.
"Ya tú sabes." Alec smiled back at her, winking.
"I didn't know you spoke Spanish, OC," Sketchy said.
"Well, not really. But one time I had a honey from Puerto Rico and she had a Dominican friend. Original Cindy nearly lost all her hair once for saying they both sounded the same to her. Oh, she learned to distinguish the accents after that." She rolled her eyes and turned to Max and Logan. "Unless one of you two can talk even remotely close to that," she said, signaling at Alec, "you definitely want to take our boy here with ya." She finished with certainty.
The look Alec gave her promised she'd get a hug and a kiss the minute the happy couple was out of there. She briefly looked at the lovely ladies at the bar, wondering what they'd think of this hunk kissing her. Alec raised an eyebrow, silently promising 'you'll get the kiss anyway'. They both smiled at their silent exchange.
"So, that's settled then," Alec said.
OC couldn't help adding "Oh, and Max, consider yourself lucky. Now Golden Boy here gets to make the excuses for your absence. " She laughed as Alec's smiling face became a disgusted expression.
Max gazed out of the single window in the door at the blue-green sea below. It was beautiful. White-yellow spots appeared every now and then, surrounded by halos that went from the lightest of emerald green to the deepest of blues. They were some of the outer islands of the Bahamas, Alec had said. Of course, he'd know exactly where they were.
But even his wise-cracking attitude didn't bother her today. Nothing could. She was flying. Okay, maybe she had flown before, but this was different. It was so... relaxing.
She hadn't been able to suppress the grin that kept coming to her face. Even Alec's continuous chatter had complemented her mood. Not that she'd ever admit it. What would be the fun in that?
Logan was seated across them, engrossed in whatever papers he had in front of him. Max smiled slightly, remembering their arrival at the landing strip earlier. Alec had been there already, chatting with the pilot, a blond guy in his fifties whose smile had disappeared when he had seen Logan. Max had been puzzled by her lack of surprise at that reaction.
Alec had been responsible for their seating arrangements, arguing that helicopter rides were bumpy and they couldn't risk Max and Logan accidentally touching, could they? Of course, sitting across the widthof the Huey made any kind of conversation with Logan virtually impossible. Max had a very strong suspicion that had been exactly Alec's goal. But she didn't mind. Alec's happy yapping versus Logan's outraged corruption stories? Yep. She didn't mind at all.
As they landed in Puerto Plata, Alec said goodbye to the pilot in the friendliest of terms. He now had a new number on his 'contact' list. A chopper was something that could always come in handy.
He had arrived twenty minutes earlier than the scheduled departure time. Hueys were reliable birds, but they were still old. The 1B dated from 1960. Alec had checked the Lycoming turbine engines, the rotor and then the electrical system. Everything had been in perfect shape. His interest and attention to detail had made him instant friends with the pilot.
"So where to?" he asked, taking the wheel of their rental car. Max slid into the passenger seat.
"Head East." Logan answered, sitting in the back.
"East? Why would we wanna go east?"
"Because that's where we need to go to find the man we came looking for." Logan explained slowly, as if to a small child.
"Perhaps I'm a little confused, but last time I checked, the mountains, the really high ones, were South and West from here."
"That's great to know, Alec, except we're not going there. We're going to Las Terrenas."
"Las Terrenas? I thought you said a cabin up in the woods! UP! And, there are no 'woods' in Las Terrenas. Rain forest? Yes. There is a little difference, you see? It's a frigging jungle! One of the wettest areas in the whole country!"
"Well, what does it matter anyway?"
Max and Alec exchanged an exasperated glance, before Max turned back to Logan and said, "It does, you see. For starters, we," she motioned to her fellow transgenic, "came prepared for an incursion in the woods. All our clothes are winter clothes! We're going to melt here!" she finished, looking at him accusingly.
"Well, I'm sorry, Max, but why would you do that? This is a tropical country." Logan replied, a little stunned by the reproach in her voice but still using his condescending tone.
Alec's eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe, because I told her to. Why? Maybe, because you said it was 'up in the woods'. And as it happens, the only woods in this island are up on the mountains, where the temperature drops dramatically, especially in winter!"
"Not to mention that we brought our mountain gear, but there are no mountains east of here. I even checked a map!" Max added harshly, turning her eyes back to the front.
Alec looked at her and then started the car, hiding his smile. Seeing Max annoyed at Logan was well worth having to endure a trip with the guy. Oh, yeah, this was going to be one interesting trip.
Five hours later they arrived at Las Terrenas, which consisted mostly of a few colorfully painted houses, a few beach resorts and the thick, luxuriant vegetation that extended practically into the ocean, leaving only about eight meters of sand. They left the small town behind and registered in one of the resorts. Since Alec was the only one who spoke Spanish, he arranged for their rooms, smiling the whole time, which made Max uneasy. Logan had suggested they say Alec was her brother, which had been instantly discarded by the interested party. 'There was no way anyone would believe Max and Alec were siblings, they couldn't look more different,' he'd said, comparing her darker complexion with his golden one. Ok, maybe the 'golden' part had been added by Max in her recollection of the conversation, but it fit. His hair was gilded by the sunlight, even his eyes went from green to gold here. And his skin gleamed, making him look yummy. Darn, she was doing it again.
They had stopped in a place called Sosua on their way, for Max and Alec to buy appropriate clothes. Thinking back on it, she should have been surprised by the fact that they were buying stuff, instead of just relieving the stores of their merchandise, but when Alec had suggested it the irony hadn't crossed her mind.
And she hadn't protested Alec's plan that Logan should stay in the van to watch their belongings, since it would make much more sense anyway for the two of them to go shopping as a couple. It would look less suspicious. He had conveniently left out the fact that the crime rate in this country was practically nonexistent, or that they were more than two hours away from their destination, which made deviousness completely unnecessary.
They had roamed through the little stores and the street posts, enjoying the fact that this place was unaffected by the pulse and that there were no transgenic-hunting Familiars they had to look out for.
She blushed, remembering the look on Alec's face when she'd tried on a white swimsuit. He had chosen it himself among other small similar articles, playing the adoring boyfriend for the store lady. The plump middle-aged woman had completely fallen for his charm and hadn't let Max squirm out of the trying session. The white one-piece, however, was the only one Max had agreed to try on, as it was the only one that wasn't a diminutive bikini. She'd shouted from behind the door that it looked good, but the store lady hadn't let her get away with it, yanking the door open for her cariñito to see. Max hadn't needed a translation to know that had been an endearment. Nor did she need one for Alec's reaction. It had been very... noticeable. She had retreated to the closet, to change back. When she had come out, Alec had already paid for her garment, along with a lovely black and white silk pareo. His expression had been back to his usual slightly amused smirk, which had annoyed Max since she had still been breathless from seeing him in a pair of brief black shorts a few stores back.
She followed Alec and Logan to the little cottage located just barely inside the foliage. As she looked around she immediately noticed there was only one room, with a double bed, and not even a sofa.
"Like our room, sweetie?" Alec said. "Logan has the next cottage over that way." He signaled out the window. Max scowled at him.
He just smirked and announced dinner was being served, and they better head for the main building. Ignoring the murderous look Logan and Max were shooting at him, he left after dropping his bag on the floor.
After dinner, Logan retired early. He didn't really want to leave Alec alone with Max, but the transgenics had decided they'd start the search right away. They were going to go to the hotel's bar to try to get some info, and if nothing came up, they'd continue to hit other hotels, restaurants and bars, especially those in the small town, which was the most likely place for an old guy to have shown up. He must after all get his supplies from somewhere.
Max watched Alec sitting by the bar - the third one they'd been to - a glass of rum in his right hand, chatting with the barkeep. He was speaking so fluently anyone would think he'd lived here his entire life. And of course, the waitresses were all hovering around him, trying to catch his eye. Max walked up to him, leaving the guy she was talking to –the only other tourist in the bar- in the middle of a sentence, without realizing what she was doing.
She pouted as she reached him. "Still no word from grandpa, sweetheart?" She batted her eyelashes and placed a hand on his shoulder, her body pressed to his side, then looked at the guy behind the bar with big pleading eyes. Alec's arm automatically shot around her waist, the glass in his other hand completely forgotten.
"No, sweetie, nothing yet," he said with a sad voice.
"Oh," she exclaimed, her eyes moistening. Alec looked at the barman out of the corner of his eyes and did his best to hide his smirk. The guy was looking at Max with sympathetic eyes. He had even started to lean forward as if he wanted to console her. Alec's arm around Max tightened imperceptibly. He really wished the guy would stop moving. Getting information out of a guy in a coma could prove to be very difficult.
"Are you sure you can't help us?" Max was batting her eyelashes again.
It was all Alec could do not to groan out loud. "Sweetie, let's not bother the nice man anymore." He placed some bills on the counter and started to turn to leave when the other guy said:
"Esperen! I seen one old man once. Long time ago. He gringo like you. He had a cabaña East from here. In the middle of nowhere."
Max made a squeaky sound of delight. "That sounds like Grandpa!"
"Now don't get your hopes up, honey." Alec turned to look at the man again "Could you give us any directions?" he asked with a smile and a glance at Max.
"Yes. Anything to please the señorita" he said with a wink. He proceeded to give them some vague indications of where to go.
As they headed out of the bar, Alec looked at Max with a smile. "You know, last time we went on a little mission for 'The Mighty', I was under the impression you really disliked making eyes and playing the seductress."
"Shut up!" A punch in the arm followed.
"Ouch! And what are you hitting me for? It was a simple comment. You certainly seemed to have no trouble back there."
"That was different."
"How?"
"Well, I knew I didn't have to 'entertain' this guy afterwards. And you were there."
"Ah."
"Ah? That's all you have to say?"
"Well, what do you want me to say?"
"I don't know, something."
"Something like what?"
"Oh, nothing! Just shut up."
"Fine."
"Fine."
As they looked at each other, they both grinned, neither of them having any idea why. But the good mood accompanied them the rest of the way back to the hotel.
Alec was lying in the floor, directly across the AC vent, silently cursing Logan for his current overheated state. Of course, it wasn't entirely Logan's fault. Alec usually slept only in his boxers, and he had planned to do so here too. It was his own body's fault he couldn't do that. After his involuntary reaction earlier today in the store and later at the bar, he did not want to be around Max without as many clothes on as he could stand. He'd even gone to sleep with his tee shirt on, which was now lying on the floor beside him.
She had looked ravishing in that white swimsuit. He had known she would, which had been why he had chosen it. He had known she'd immediately discard the rest of them, but she had still managed to get his full attention. Truth was, he'd only bought that pareo because the idea of Logan, or anyone else for that matter, seeing her only covered with that white piece of enticing fabric had tied his insides into knots.
He'd managed to get his thoughts back in line, only to have her arouse them again by pressing herself to his side in that stupid bar.
Suddenly, having to sleep in the same room, which had been so appealing in the afternoon, was something he dreaded. He did not need to embarrass himself in front of her. She certainly would get a kick out of it, or start chastising him for not being able to control his reactions and wanting every woman he saw.
He rolled over, remembering their conversation as they were leaving the bar. Well, maybe conversation was too strong a word for it. But that hadn't done anything to appease his mood. If anything, it had made it worse. Great way to calm down, having the cause of his trouble practically admit she trusted him to get her out of any trouble if it came to it.
He punched the cushion hard and rolled over again.
The sun was shining brightly through the windows when Alec woke up. He glanced at his wristwatch, six am. Way too early. He closed his eyes to go back to some much needed sleep, but Max's voice broke the silence.
"Finally! Come on, get up. We start moving in half an hour and you still need to shower."
He sat, rubbing his eyes and stretching. "I thought we had agreed we'd spend the morning on the beach, to keep up appearances."
"I changed my mind," Max said, turning his back on him, and glad he hadn't caught her gaping open mouthed at his bare chest while he had displayed those taut muscles of his. "Get moving!" she said, storming off.
Alec watched the door, perplexed. What had he done now? Well, whatever it was, it was a good thing to get on with their mission, since he wasn't really up for an entire morning of barely clad Max.
Alec and Logan ate their breakfast in silence, until Logan started making funny faces and clutching his stomach.
Alec looked at him strangely. "Are you all right?"
"I'm not feeling so well," Logan said and stood up, only to start staggering. Alec grabbed him by the elbow and made him sit down again.
"You didn't touch Max." Alec declared rather than asked. He would have known.
"No." Logan answered him anyway. "I feel really cold. And I… I need to go." He continued.
"Oh, great!" Alec said, putting his arm around Logan's waist to help him walk to the cottage.
They managed to get to the bathroom on time, which was highly appreciated by Alec, who started pacing in the other room. Then, remembering, he went to the window facing the beach and made a series of piercing whistles, Manticore's signal for return to base.
Less than a minute later, he watched Max running towards their cabin, and called for her to let her know he was in the other one.
Max barged into the room. "What's wrong?" She demanded.
Alec signaled to the door of the bathroom. "Your lover just got sick. Thought you'd want to know."
"He's not my… Never mind, what's wrong with him now?" She couldn't help the exasperation from seeping into her voice, and immediately felt guilty.
Alec shrugged. "Hey, Logan. You all right in there?" he shouted through the door.
A muffled 'hot' could be heard from behind it.
Alec closed his eyes and shook his head. "Please tell me you don't have diarrhea too"
"…"
"Oh, shit! Did you eat fish?"
"Er… yeah"
"Damn! Don't you know anything? Didn't I tell you not to eat fish? Didn't the waiter tell you not to eat fish?"
Logan came out of the bathroom and stumbled onto the bed. "Yes, but I wanted to try the mero, so I ordered some. It's the local fish, I didn't want to leave without tasting it first."
Alec ran a hand over his face, resisting the urge to throw something at Logan. He moved to the phone to call for a doctor.
Max looked at him. "What does he have?" Not once did she stop to consider she had automatically assumed Alec would know what was wrong.
"Ciguatera." Alec said. "Fish Poisoning. In this area around the Caribbean the first symptoms are gastroenteritis, and usually hot/cold temperature reversal."
"Stop looking at me like that. Mero is advertised as the typical sea-dish, how was I to know?" Logan sounded piteous.
"Because I told you not to eat it? Wouldn't that have been a hint? Mero IS the national dish, you just don't eat it when there's Marea Roja, cause that's when the reef fish eat the algae carrying the toxin and then the Mero eats the reef fish and … there you go!"
"Oh! And how was I supposed to know that?" Logan asked, again clutching his stomach.
"Same way I did. Or you could just have listened to me! Or the waiter for that matter. Please tell me you didn't eat the liver, viscera, roe or any other organs."
"I didn't, I just had a small piece."
Max watched Alec's frustrated expression and decided to intervene. "Why did you ask about the liver and stuff?"
Alec lowered his voice "Most of the fatal Ciguatera poisonings come from those parts of the fish."
Max paled. "It's deadly?"
"Nah, only a few cases, but he only ate a little, and his temperature is not so high. He'll be all right." Alec assured her. Max looked up at him, and sighed with relief "He'll just have to stay close to the bathroom a lot," he added with a smirk.
Max giggled and then put her hands over her mouth, horrified.
"It's okay, Max. Really. He'll be fine."
Just then the doctor arrived and confirmed Alec's diagnosis. He ordered mannitol infusions for Logan and warned him against the ingestion of fish (regardless of type), ethanol, caffeine, and nuts, at least for three to six months. But he assured the three of them Logan would be okay.
Alec smiled slightly at Max, and she smiled back at him. She had actually not needed the doctor's confirmation. Alec's reassurance had been good enough for her.
Max and Alec sprinted through the foliage, advancing as fast as the thick vegetation would let them. Neither of them wanted to address the subject of why they were in such a hurry, but both knew that Logan's illness had nothing to do with it.
A couple of hours later they reached a small clearing at the top of a hill. There was a house there, if you could call it that. They looked at each other, and after a nod, they headed in opposite directions, to approach the structure from different angles. Max finished her mental countdown and started her graceful crouch towards the house. She plastered herself against the wall, right by one of the windows, and slowly peered inside. The only thing she saw was spider webs dangling from the corners, the lamp in the middle of the room, and covering every available piece of furniture. She stood up and opened the window, entering through it. She nearly knocked a chair over when a bat flew towards her. She cursed out loud at her silliness.
Alec's soft laughter reached her from across the room.
"Stop laughing. That was not funny!" She shot at him. "And what the hell is a bat doing here anyway?"
"Oh well, you see, of the only twenty native mammals on this island, eighteen are bats. And they are often found in caves in forest areas, which this place pretty much resembles. Oh, and by the way, they're usually in large groups of hundreds, even thousands." He watched, amused how Max's expression went from annoyed by his display of knowledge to horrified at the last part.
"Let's get this over with, shall we?"
"I'd say this has long been over with," he retorted, signaling the obviously abandoned abode around them. But he started opening drawers nevertheless.
"Well, seems the guy wasn't very worried when he left, there are some papers with his name here. Mostly old bills. Nothing really interesting."
Max headed for the kitchen and glanced around. "This place looks like someone just stopped caring. I mean, everything is in order, but not the leaving-this-place-for-good kind of order. And there is definitely what must have been food once in the refrigerator." She shouted so Alec could hear.
Alec appeared beside her "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"If you're thinking we're looking for a ghost here then I most certainly am," she answered.
They looked at each other and sighed.
"Logan, buddy!" Alec said merrily when they reached the hotel after three hours of walking. They had decided to come via the beach, to at least get a glimpse at the beautiful scenery from their useless trip. Alec had shed his tee shirt as well as his shoes the minute they had reached the sandy strip. Max's shoes had suffered a similar fate and were dangling from her backpack. She was wearing a tank top and had her hair in a ponytail. Their faces had become a little red from the sun. They made a perfect picture as they reached the cottage; the adventurous couple returning from their walk in the forest.
Which was certainly not a sight Logan enjoyed seeing, especially when he was feeling so terrible. "Don't tell me you didn't bring him back! Where did you leave him? Where is he?"
"Well, six feet under would be my best guess. Then again, he could also be in the bottom of the sea, the byproduct of a shark's nutrition process. But, hey, your guess is as good as mine." Alec rolled his eyes.
"He's dead!"
"Geez, you are a clever one! However did you manage to draw that conclusion? No wonder you're E.O., such insightfulness doesn't come very often." Alec's voice dripped sarcasm.
Logan ignored him and started typing on his laptop. Max and Alec shrugged and went to get food. As they came back to the table, Logan was making funny sounds and nodding stupidly at the computer. He finally looked up, tapping a finger at the screen. "Here it is. 'Unknown man found dead on the beach in the area close to Las Terrenas. The white man, of around sixty two years, and obvious American origin, based on his clothes and expensive watch, was found lying beside his boat. Local folk claimed to have seen this man in town a few times'." Logan read out loud for them.
"Are you telling me this guy's death was in the PAPER and you didn't check it out!" Max nearly shouted at him.
"Well, I… I…"
"Oh, never mind," she said, getting up. "I'm going to go swimming."
Alec smiled at Logan, "Sorry buddy, I'd ask you to join us, but I don't think that would be wise. "
Alec smiled at OC as he joined her at the table.
"Ya lookin' fine, boo!" OC greeted him, raising her glass. "And where's m'girl?"
"She'll be right here. She went to call Asha, to ask her if she could go to Logan's place to take care of him," he replied with a broad grin.
"She what?"
"Yep, just as you heard it."
"I'll be damned!" OC watched Alec's goofy grin and asked, "Aiight, what's the deal?"
"Oh, nothing. You see, our brave freedom fighter was a little… indisposed."
"Ah! So that's why it took you two extra days to come back!" OC said, amused.
"Of course, you didn't think we were just staying there for the sun and sea, did you?" He made an outraged face.
"Of course not, suga' " she grinned at him, eyeing his tanned face and arms. "But did you have a good time?"
He smiled secretively "The best, Cindy. The best."