Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Logan, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (Becky/X6-405, etc.).

Notes: More slight spoiler-ish stuff from "Hit A Sista Back" and "...And Jesus Brought A Casserole."

Max was getting anxious as she sat by herself in her apartment two days later. Come on, Zack! When are you getting back into town? Chill out, Max. You know that he wants to see you just as badly as you want to see him. He'll be in the city before you can blink. Don't worry about it!

There was a knock at the door. Max started to grin, but stopped. Who can that be? Zack never knocks at the door. She got up and walked over. "Who's there?"

"It's me," a voice said quietly.

Max's jaw dropped and she flung the door open and saw Brin standing in front of her. "Brin! You're okay. I can't believe it."

"It's been a while, Maxie," Brin said.

"Come in," Max said. She let Brin inside and shut the door behind her and gave her a big hug. "Oh my God, Brin, I'm so glad that you're doing okay! What are you doing here in Seattle? How did you know where I live?"

"I ran into Zack again in the town I was living in out in Maryland," Brin said. "I was by myself in a park and a soldier wanted to have his way with me and it was by pure dumb luck that Zack happened to be in the same town to check on that girl Becky who I had no idea before that she was his biological sister. Zack knocked him out and then it turned out that the soldier was I guess part of whatever operation's going on to hunt us all down so the three of us split and we headed straight here. Zack and Becky knew that you and I need to talk things over so they dropped me off here."

"Wow," Max said. "I still can't believe that you're here."

"Me neither," Brin agreed. She took a deep breath. "Maxie, I'm so sorry for everything I did after I went back to Manticore. I am so sorry that I tried to stop you from getting away when you and Tinga and Zack got Tinga's family out of Portland and I'm so sorry for bringing Tinga to Renfro and I'm so sorry I tried to stop you from blowing up the DNA lab and I...I'm sorry I almost killed you." Brin burst into tears again.

"Brin, it's okay," Max said. "I never blamed you for anything. I knew that you were brainwashed and being manipulated by Manticore and especially Renfro. You have nothing to be sorry for. Absolutely nothing."

"I can't believe I let them mislead me," Brin said. "I'm kicking myself for letting them brainwash me the way that they did."

"Brin, you were so sick," Max said. "You were dying. It was easy for them to manipulate and brainwash you in the state that you were in when they took you back."

Brin shook her head. "You didn't let them manipulate you and you actually were technically dead for a minute or two. Says a lot about me, doesn't it?"

"No, it says nothing bad about you," Max said. "My situation was a little different than yours. They didn't have the time to do a more thorough job of brainwashing me right after my surgery like they did with you what with the DNA lab blowing and them having to consolidate the facilities." She smiled a little. "If it makes you feel better, they did trick me into thinking that Zack had sacrificed himself for me. If Becky hadn't overheard that guard and the doctor talking in the infirmary, I don't know when or if I would have found out the truth."

"But you still never gave your loyalty to Manticore," Brin said.

"I'm willing to bet that deep down where it matters that you were never loyal to Manticore, even after they brainwashed you and put you in Psy Ops after they treated you for the progeria," Max said. "I know you too well, Brin."

Brin nodded. "I still wanted you guys back with me. That's why I did what I did. I missed you guys so much."

"One of these days, we'll all be together again," Max said. "I promise. We're family and we were meant to be a family." She grinned. "Speaking of families, it looks like you're starting your own."

"I sure am," Brin said, grinning herself. "You can give whatever other thank yous you have to the breeding program and my breeding partner. I got put into the program a few weeks after they started it and my baby's due in February." She fidgeted a little. I should just go right out and tell her. "494...I mean, Alec was my breeding partner before they apparently re-assigned him to you. He's the father of my baby."

Max's jaw dropped. "You've got to be shitting me, Brin. Alec is the father! Holy crap, Renfro was even more of a twisted bitch than I thought she was and I knew she was pretty damn twisted. She assigned him to be your breeding partner before she assigned him to me? Good grief. I'm even more glad I didn't let him touch me. Imagine how awkward things would be then."

"Oh yeah," Brin agreed. "Zack and Becky said that Alec's living here in Seattle. He still is, right?"

"Yeah," Max said. "He works at a bike messenger service with me and Becky and some friends of mine." She grinned wickedly. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds this out." She pouted. "You'll probably want to tell him this in private, though."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Brin said. "He'll probably be in shock for awhile so I'm sure that you'll still get an opportunity to see that look on his face"

"Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Max asked.

"No, I wasn't far along enough for them to tell when the fire happened," Brin said. "I guess I won't know until the baby's born. Personally, I'm glad. I like the fact that I'm gonna be surprised."

"That's cool," Max said. They turned and looked to the door and Max walked over to it and opened it and saw Zack and Becky standing in the hallway.

"We were not eavesdropping. We just got back here," Becky said immediately.

"I know," Max said. She gave Zack and big hug and kissed him. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you," Zack said.

"I still can't believe that you two hooked up," Brin said. "I'm glad you did."

"What are you going to do about Brin?" Max asked. "I know that you don't like having us too near each other, but her circumstances are a little different."

"I know," Zack said. "I thought about it. I don't feel entirely comfortable leaving Brin in the same city as one of us, but given her pregnancy, I do want someone to always be close by just in case I'm not around if she runs into trouble again."

"I got an idea," Becky said.

"Shoot," Max told her.

"How about she moves in with Maggie?" Becky suggested. "Maggie told me recently that she wanted to have a roommate, but I wasn't too sure that would be a good idea. This would be a perfect solution for everyone. Maggie gets a roommate and Brin would have others close by in case she gets into trouble. And Maggie's medical skills are another plus in the situation."

"Maggie?" Brin asked. "Wait a sec...medical skills...691 is Maggie?"

"Yeah," Becky said. "I'll call her and ask, but I'm pretty sure that she won't mind having you as a roommate at least until you give birth."

"That sounds like a good solution," Zack agreed.

"It'll be great to have you nearby," Max said. She gave Brin another hug.

Becky looked at them and smiled at Zack. "Best birthday present you could have asked for right now, huh?"

"I'd have to agree," Zack said. He smiled back at Becky.

"Happy birthday, big brother," Becky said.

TBC