Chapter Eleven

Friday had come, Friday afternoon to be specific, the end of the work-week and she had been home for over a week.

She still felt like the fraud.

If not a fraud then it felt like she was living in a dream. Always slightly detached from everything unless she was in Logan's arms. At work, hanging out with her friends or sibs, even just watching tv with Logan she felt like a phony. Only in bed as all rational thoughts were kicked out of her mind did she feel real again. The feeling would return quickly, even though she'd lay with her head over his heart trying to hold onto that connection.

It was fading though, the dreamlike quality of her life, the laughter, the anger it was becoming her own again. It was just slow coming. Incredibly slow.

They all saw it and they didn't mention it.

To most she was pretty sure she could hiding it, at least most time, not Logan or OC though. They were letting it slide for now.

"So Normal's back to normal" she announced her presence in the apartment and headed over to him, like normal he was behind his computer.

"What he'd do?" he smiled looking over.

"A package," she paused for dramatic effect, "two minutes before closing."

He smiled and knew she liked being treated without the kid gloves again.

"So stop doing work." She said lowering herself to his lap.

"Mmmm" he murmured as she caught his lips, "I would, but you have to go to Lydecker's."

She pulled back, "Please tell me that's a joke."

"Someone has to be with Brin at all times."

"Where are"

"Zane's out of town trying to find something or someone for Lydecker, I didn't ask. Krit and Syl are both still at work."

Max frowned and hopped off of Logan, she was being a brat and she was aware of it. No reason why she shouldn't be pulling her own weight with her family, especially after all they'd done for her.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The awkward silence accompanied Lydecker and Max into the room in which Brin was being held in the warehouse, her normal retorts missing leading to this silence.

"So how's she doing?" Max asked seeing her sister strapped down.

"She's coming along. We just finished a session."

"Are you drugging her?" Max asked walking over to her sister's unmoving form.

"It's the aftereffects of the session. She's only sedated at night."

"Oh" Max said brushing back her sister's hair, it was greasy; she and Syl would have to come out to clean her up.

"So how are you doing Max?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

Max's eyes connected up to Lydecker's, "I'm fine" she said more forcefully.

"He's worried about you."

Anger started to seep through her, if Logan had been talking to Lydecker about her, she was going to kill him, "He told you that?"

"Doesn't need to Max."

"Well I'm fine, no reason to worry." she replied with attitude.

"No believes that, not even you."

"Fine," she corrected her words, "I will be fine."

"Zack was a soldier Max, more than that he was your C.O. He knew what he was doing."

"He was my brother."

"Then you know why"

"Didn't you need to go out? Isn't that why I'm here?"

"Okay Max." he said simply, "I was just trying to help."

"Well you're not." She snapped at him. What the hell was up with this guy?

"No one will understand like I will."

"That's because you're one of them" her eyes shot around to Brin.

"You're stronger than her Max." He said ignoring her Manticore jibe.

"Why are you pushing?" she let out a harsh breath, "I'm just gonna go. It's obvious you don't have any"

He cut her off, awareness hitting him, "Were we in time Max?"

Her breath stilled and she stopped moving towards the door, "What do you mean?"

"Renfro would have rubbed it in your face. Told you everything that was going on. Use everything in her power to break you."

"You would know."

He ignored her again and moved towards the facts, "When did it happen?"

"3 weeks."

"I'm sorry"

"Just DNA" she answered coldly and looked around the room he'd probably killed her clone in.

"Maybe they"

She cut him off before he tried to offer false hope, "One surrogate, male embryos. Apparently we made the process more cost effective. Great plan Deck." She said with a shake of her head.

"Max"

The sympathy in his voice of all voices made her want to vomit; "If you tell," she stopped herself from saying Logan's name in front of Brin, "I will kill you. I will be the monster you raised me to be. Are you going or am I?'

"Alright" Lydecker said with nod of his head. "Don't let her out of those restraints no matter what she says."

She nodded.

"Max"

"Leave" she said firmly and he did.

Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying.