Facing Death

By: lfbrox

Story: Set in early second season. Logan can walk (just because I like him to). And lots of transgenics are on the run and the other X-series are all out too. Lydecker, Renfro and White are the enemies – as a team this time.

Rating: R (or more for later chapters)

AN: Okay. So I haven't finished my story 'Hormones' yet. But believe me. I'm going to. But I just stumbled over this word document with this story I wrote like a year or more ago. It was 3 pages and I figured I correct some things and add some things and see if it is potable. Before I knew it, it was 9 pages. So I decided to post it. Not all of it though J

I know. It seems like my stories all have the same topic. Being desperate to find a cure, find a cure – but with a waiting twist – getting it on and being interrupted, again and again. And at the end there's a lot of smut/fluff and that's the end. Do not expect anything different here.

The reason for that is that every time I watch an episode, see them hiding their feelings and struggling. I feel like screaming: Hey guys. There is an easier, more shipper friendly way of doing it. And I sit down and write and it all turns out to be sappy, kinky with a happy ending. I can't help it. Believe me. I sat down and tried to write something different. I can't. Sue me. I'm just a sucker for M/L misery finally being put to an end. And as I'm very team oriented J I always feel like sharing everything as soon as I have written it. So I hope you enjoy. (Btw. I have written it and read it through once. Any typos and things that don't make sense are my fault because I was to lazy going through it again. But how often in a row can you read a chapter?)

Additional Info about the fic:

You have to suppose that this fic starts after "Hit a sister back". So the whole Lydecker and X5's versus Manticore didn't happen. Also Max didn't die, she was only captured somehow (I leave that somehow up to you). Thus, Lydecker didn't switch sides, Renfro didn't die, Manticore lab didn't blow up. Also suppose that all the X5's that have escaped (including Ben) are still on the run. All but Brin who actually got captured and turned. Let's also suppose that Logan's body didn't reject Max stem cells and he can walk without the exo. So suppose Max escapes with the help of EO (I leave that one up to you too). So now Lydecker and Renfro are after her and after EO – so the virus is really there. (Lets suppose they got Logan's blood when he rescued Max from Manticore). Oh and about White. I feel free to throw him in the mix whenever I feel the need arises.

Chapter 1: The Dating Game - Plan

Max hurried up to Logan's apartment and slammed the door shut behind her. She rushed in the computer room were Logan talked on the phone. He turned around in his chair and smiled at her. "Thank you Doctor Richmond, we'll come to you first thing tomorrow morning. And again, thank you sooooooo much. You're our hero." Hearing Logan say that made Max heart jump.

Could this be possible? Did Logan finally track down someone who could kill that god damn virus that kept them from touching? Logan hung up and looked at Max who just stared at him with questioning eyes. Logan got up and walked towards the living room and behind his couch. He smiled and said: "Yep Max, Dr. Richmond has the cure to our virus. Tomorrow morning we both get injections so we will be immune against that virus forever. Max can you believe this? God I'm sooooo happy. I thought it's better to position myself behind that couch which will keep me from running over to you and throw my arms around you."

Max smiled widely and was glad that Logan was behind that couch. She felt so overwhelmed with feelings that she didn't know what to say. She felt happy, relieved, insecure and a little scared. Now that the virus will be gone they have no excuse anymore why they can't be together - on a more intimate level.

Logan opened a bottle of wine. He poured two glasses and went over to Max who was staring out the window. "A penny for your thoughts" Logan said.

"I don't know Logan, this really comes so surprising. I've almost given up hope that we could beat this virus. And now. In 12 hours we have beaten that bastard of a virus. But what then?"

Logan handed her the glass of wine carefully and sat down on the couch. Max followed him. "I understand that you're a little scared. I'm a little scared myself. But Max, this is what we've been waiting and hoping for . Those months we couldn't touch made it so clear to me. Max, I wanne be with you, and only you. OK, some things will change. But for the better. We will still be working together, you still work at Jam Pony's and I am Eyes Only. We still have dinner together and talk. The only difference will be that we both feel happier and stronger."

"But we will also feel much more vulnerable then. I will be more worried about you and you about me. I couldn't focus on beating the bad guy's ass because I'd be worried they kill you while I do that." Max replied. But Logan just shook his head: " We already worry about one another. You already get yourself in danger to rescue me. It will always be that way. Why can't we add a little more fun, some love and happiness in our life's in addition to that?"

Max saw his point and tried to focus on the good sides of a relationship with Logan and had to smile. He was right. What would change. Nothing but the fact that after a long and hard day at work she'd come to Logan and he would hold her and comfort her and she'd be better immediately.

The next morning:

"Pull up your sleeves, would you", Dr. Richmond requests. He had prepared the injections already. He gave both the injections in separate rooms and called them in his office afterwards. They both sat there not knowing if they could already touch or not. So they decided to wait what Dr. Richmond had to say.

"Well, Max, Logan. Congratulations. You've beaten that virus. But not so fast. You have to wait another week and then come back. I'll check your blood and then I can tell you if it worked for good. So you better not touch for a week. But what is one week more to the two of you after all those month." Logan and Max look at each other and both share the same thought "One more week is a hell of a lot".

Kind of happy and a little frustrated they leave the doctors office. They kind of imagined this moment somewhat different from that. But Max had to go to work and they decide to talk about it later over dinner.

Later that night:

Logan had been talking to Bling all day about what to do about this. And Max collected a whole truckload of good advises from Original Cindy. She walked into the door of the penthouse as usual. But this time she had a smile on her face which kind of calmed Logan a bit. "What's up? What's with the unusual mimic?" Logan asked seeing her smile all calm and relaxed with no trace of the haunted look she usually portrayed followed by some lame excuse and some serious running.

"I suggest you cook something nice, we open a bottle of wine and I tell you in the meantime what the dealio is." Logan headed for the kitchen and started scanning the refrigerator.

"Pasta will be just fine. I boil the water." Max said, got rid of her jacket and went to work pouring some water in a big pot and putting it on a stove while Logan stood there watching her. Done with her work she turned around to Logan looking at him with questioning eyes. After a while of him still not answering she finally asked "What?"

Logan seemed to snap out of his staring and cleared his throat. "Sorry Max. You are just too adorable you know that. I could just watch you all night." He said and went to get the wine and 2 glasses.

"Well. You're welcome to stare away as much as you want. But only if you manage to cook something nice while you do that." Max finished with a smirk and hopped on the counter to turn the staring game around and watch Logan pour the wine. He brought her a glass and went to work cutting some peppers and onions for the pasta and some other vegetables for their salad. He knew Max was watching him and he didn't mind at all.

After talking a while about their days Logan finally remembered that Max mentioned something about a dealio she wanted to tell him about. "So Max. What ideas have you and Original Cindy come up with for us?"

"Right. Okay. So here's what we're doing the next week: We're dating!"

Logan laughed "We do what?".

"We date", Max repeated, "Every couple starts dating without getting all hot and heavy. So that's exactly what we are going to do. We are dating. Dinner, a movie, some nice conversations to get to know each other."

Logan: "But we already know each other Max...." Logan started but was quickly interrupted by a very enthusiastic Max "Yeah, we know each other. But only on a more working level. Or a more friends level. Let's dig deeper than that."

Logan gave up "Fine with me. Let's date."

"Good. Very good", Max said while hopping off the counter to pour them more wine.

"When do we start dating? Tonight? I mean we have wine, candles, dinner, music and only each other. That's what I would define as a date, right?"

"No Logan. Maybe for other people this might seem like a date. But we did exactly that for the past 1 ½ years on a regular basis. And I enjoy it. Any attempt to change it and make it more 'dateish' would be wrong. Let's not date tonight. Let's be the regular Max and Logan for tonight. And tomorrow night we start going out and do things we normally not do together." Max finished. She didn't want their dinners to become awkward from now on, so she decided to keep it like it is – just in case things didn't go as smoothly as they hoped for.

"Fine with me. Let's eat then. Could you get the wine?" he asked while he collected plates, silverware and brought it to the table. Max grabbed the wine and the salad and sat down on the table pouring some more wine while Logan served the food. They enjoyed a nice and uneventful dinner talking about nothing in particular. Just about their day some more, some Sketchy and Normal stories, some things that happened to Logan that day. But they didn't talk about Manticore and other bad guys. They usually drift off to that topic but tonight, despite wanting it to keep their dinner the way it has always been; they both intentionally avoided that topic.

Afterwards they cleaned the dishes and sat down on the couch to have some coffee after a very filling meal. They kept on talking throughout the whole time and they couldn't seem to run out of things to talk about. They felt relaxed and under no pressure what so ever. They felt comfortable with each other and both couldn't believe how easy that was.

"What are we gonna do tomorrow?" Max asked after a while, figuring they should plan that dating thing a little. They couldn't expect it to be as easy as their dinner tonight.

"I don't know Max. I thought you had it all figured out." Logan stated.

"No. I just had the dating thing figured out. We still have to decide what to do for I don't know – 4 nights?" she said and asked. It was unusual for them to spend every night together. They saw each other every day. But not every night. So Max figured 4 out of 7 nights would still be a lot.

"4 dates? But that can't be. You know what is happening after the 3rd date Max. Right?" Logan said with a grin. Max threw a pillow at him and laughed.

"Well not with us Logan. Our magic number will have to be 5." She said with a seductive grin and look. Logan swallowed hard seeing that and thinking about what it meant. And all of a sudden he wasn't so sure anymore that this dating thing would be easy. It looked as if he would have a really hard time during all of this.

End of Chapter one.

AN: So what do you think? In Character? Continue or not? Let your voices be heard. Because they are being considered. Later.

Lfbrox