A/N: Two things I forgot to mention at the beginning of this story - (1) chapters will alternate between Sketchy's point of view, and Max's point of view (based solely on the principle of "I'm the author and I'll do whatever the hell I please,") and (2) virus? What virus?

Chapter Two: Paranoid

"Sketchy?" Logan asked, obviously trying not to let the skepticism drip so thickly from his voice.

"That's what OC says," Max shrugged. "She called as soon as he left for his first delivery."

Rather uncharacteristically, they were sitting at a significant distance from each other, practically on opposite sides of the room, and the atmosphere in the apartment was barely civil. She still couldn't believe he'd done that morning's hack, even after she'd asked him not to. He'd only done it to taunt the people at the District Attorney's office, because they were openly searching for him. The DA had just announced the night before – live on television – that Eyes Only would be in their hands within a week. Both Logan and Max knew that it wasn't going to happen so long as they both had breath in their bodies, but Max still wanted him to lay low for a while. He would have asked her to do the same thing, but, no, he needed to be a hypocrite and keep himself in the midst of all the trouble. He might as well walk right into the police station, whip off his glasses, and proceed with the all-knowing Eyes Only voice to comment on the ghastly weather.

Understandably, Logan had been unable to convince Max that he was right, and she'd somehow restrained herself from punching him in the stomach. Despite this admirable self-restraint, they'd still had a terrible fight, the end result of which was Max storming out of the apartment, leaving Logan to contemplate his actions alone in his very large and empty bed. Unfortunately, it seemed the only ruminating he'd done was in regard to how he could further aggravate the higher ups.

"Guess you shouldn't have done that hack, huh?" Max added spitefully. Of course, it was natural for Logan to feel the need to assure the public that he wasn't going anywhere, but did he have to do it in a way that seemed like he was spitting directly into the face of the DA's office? She'd only been out of the public eye for a few months, and she just wanted to relax, and get her life back to normal. Was it so much to ask that she and her family could be safe for just a little while?

"Right, like Sketchy's going to follow through on a weird experience he had one day after he was bashed over the head," Logan scoffed, standing and heading for the window. For a moment, and not for the first time in the last twelve hours, Max could've kicked him. She stood up, ready to get out of the stuffy penthouse, but she needed Logan to understand that she didn't consider Sketchy's little coincidence as anything to brush off. She made sure they had eye contact before she continued.

"He's training himself to be a reporter," she reminded Logan coldly, and she would have enjoyed the irony of her next words if it wasn't such a serious matter. "You taught him that. You've been teaching him about following leads. Sketchy might be a stoner and a flake, but he can still put things together. He helped us before – you know he's not as dumb as he looks. He knows what I am, and he knows Eyes Only has been connected with the transgenics for… oh…" she pretended to count on her fingers, "how about that?… for as long as we've been out in the world." She pointed an accusatory finger at him, continuing slowly, clearly, and forcefully. "You need to be more careful."

"Max…" Logan began, but Max only cut him off.

"There are Eyes Only posters all over the place offering a half a million dollars for your ass; there's only so much I can do to protect you!" Didn't he get it? How could he not understand that this scared her?

They stared at each other, willing the other to see things the "right" way. Max refused to storm out again. She didn't think it was such a good idea to leave Logan alone when the entire city was looking for him. Even though she was more than a little angry with him, she wasn't going to leave him. Why did he have to be so aggravatingly stubborn? Seriously, would it hurt him to take a vacation from Eyes Only? Would a week kill him?

"Okay," Logan finally said quietly. "I'll lay low for the week." He gave her that look. The look which said that, while he wasn't apologizing, he was conceding that there was a chance he could be wrong.

"Thank you," Max said quietly, for both the promise and the half-apology. Their eyes met, and the tension in the air seemed to almost instantly evaporate. She smiled, "So, what would you like to do during your vacation?"

With a small laugh, Logan crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Max's waist. Her smile grew as she relaxed into his arms, finding her own arms had somehow migrated around his neck without her noticing. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. This was nice – not fighting – they should try it more often.

"I should get to work," she sighed.

Logan ran a hand across Max's back, and she felt herself relaxing. "Do you have to?" he whispered.

"No."

A/N: I know that the arguing isn't very shippy, but I just like emphasizing how incredibly stubborn they both are. They'll be more likeable in future chapters, I promise.

TBC...