My Brother's Keeper
SUMMARY: In SAR, Max had to choose between Logan and Zack. In this story she chooses Zack. This is going to be a dark, disturbing angst filled tale. You've been warned.
RATED:M (Mature Themes, Violence, Language, Sexuality)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Dark Angel.
Choices
"How can you love him and not me? He's been working against us the whole time."
"What are you talking about? Who?"
"Logan. He's the reason the mission went sideways." Max stared at her brother and tried to figure out what was going on in his obviously mixed up head. He was really upset and getting even more upset by the second. She had to get control of the situation but her chances seemed slim while still being handcuffed to the pipe overhead.
"Just undo these handcuffs? We'll talk about it." Max said soothingly.
"I died for you!" Her big brother screamed at her.
Now Max stared at Zack in horror. She had never seen him this angry before. He had never raised his voice to her or any of them. Not even when they were kids back at Manticore and his position as the section leader demanded he be stern with them.
It seemed like forever, but it was less than a second for the thoughts of growing up with Zack and then searching for him for ten years along with the thoughts of how much she knew she was going to need him for the tasks ahead because of the all the transgenics she recently let out into the world to run through her head. In that second, Max came to a decision that would change everything for her and the life she had been leading before finding Zack again.
"Zack, listen to me please, Logan and I are not together. We can't be together because…because…I love…you. Only you. Please believe me, Zack." She needed him. It was as simple as that. She needed him now more than ever. She didn't want to lose him. She would say and do anything to make him stay and more importantly to keep him from hurting Logan.
Zack stared at Max for a long time. In his mind's eye he kept seeing Logan and her kissing on Logan's living room floor. He saw how Logan gently caressed Max's face the night of the mission to take down Manticore.
"But I saw you two kissing the night we went to save Tinga. I know you two were together." Zack said softly still playing the scenes in his mind while simultaneously hearing Max's words of love for him.
"Yes, me and Logan were together. But that ended. It ended before it even really got started and it was mainly because..." Max looked away from Zack's intense gaze as she mustered up the strength to continue with the lie. Finally she looked back at him. "Because I fell in love with you."
They stared at each other for a long time. Suddenly Zack's mouth broke into a huge grin. Before Max had time to smile back, his lips were crushing hers. Her first instinct was to pull away and it took a lot of coaching from her inner voice to remind her of all the stakes involved. Eventually she was able to clear her mind of all thoughts of Zack being her brother and she relaxed into the kiss.
TBC
Author's Note: A lot of this story is written and has been written for quite some time. I've been debating on whether or not to finish. So I posted it to see if there's an audience for it. So basically the more reviews I get, the more motivated I'll be to post more. It's all up to you.