A/N: Sorry it's been a while. I've had part of this for several months but haven't had the opportunity to finish until now.

Chapter 4

By the time they made it back to the Seattle, the sun was dipping below the horizon. Logan skillfully guided the car into its space. Max was out in a flash, depositing the chair pieces in his lap, and in a matter of minutes, they were riding in the elevator. When the door opened, he started toward the kitchen to help her clean up.

"What are you doing?" she asked, pulling the basket out of his reach. "Go check your email." She pointed toward the computer room.

He smiled his thanks and took off across the apartment. About ten minutes later, five of which he spent cursing the connection, he showed up beside her in the kitchen, a goofy grin stuck on his face.

"Well," she asked.

"She answered." He couldn't stop smiling.

"Obviously. What did she say?" Max prodded.

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as his smile expanded, if that was even possible. When he opened them, he exhaled and explained to her the gist of the correspondence. "She definitely thinks her methods are on track with what we've already done. While she hasn't personally worked with Manticore technology, she is familiar with the work of Dr. Yamamoto, the guy Vertes referred to before, and her mentor Taro Hasegawa. Hasegawa died about a year ago of a heart attack, and she's been carrying on their research by herself since then. She says she can't offer any guarantees, but she thinks there's a real good chance that she can help and wants to meet with us, probably on a web chat at first, so we can set up what we'll need in Hawaii and how to obtain DNA samples from the X5s and transport them back to her for analysis. This is going to happen. Isn't it crazy?"

She walked toward him and smoothed his hair back from his face. "It is crazy. Sounds like she really believes her treatments will work. That's what you've been waiting for." She knew she should have said we, but she couldn't make the word come out. She watched his smile shrink a little, but they both pushed on. "So how are we gonna get me out of here? I'm sure Lydecker is watching all the usual routes of escape. If he catches wind of our trip, it will be more like escape and evade than rest and relaxation, if ya know what I mean."

Logan's smile brightened again. "That's one thing I can take care of. You just leave all your travel documents and preparations up to me, and we'll have you under Lydecker's radar in no time."

"My hero," she grinned as she took her place on his lap. "So when's this web chat gonna happen?" she asked as her hands started over his body.

"Um, one o'clock her time, so we've got a couple hours, if you wanted to, uh, do something else for a little while."

"A couple of hours, huh?" Max asked, eyebrows raised. "Well, let's go."

Logan blushed. "I, uh, I mean I was just…" he stammered.

She let her hands travel down his jaw line, her fingers scratching against the scruffy growth. "Logan," she sighed. Weren't they moving past this yet?

"Sorry. I know."

"Are you ready?" she asked, hoping the answer would be yes. She wanted as much of him as he would give her.

He nodded. Together they made their way to the bedroom. Logan stopped off in the bathroom first as Max looked around the other room. She folded up some of the clothing strewn around the space and smoothed the bedcovers. When Logan appeared in the doorway, a suspicious, almost self-conscious smile was on his face.

"What?" she asked, holding her tongue from making an off-color comment. All she needed now was to embarrass him again.

"Bling left a little present in the bathroom."

"Ew," Max crinkled her nose. "Tell the man to flush."

"Not what I mean, Max," he sighed, holding up a little amber bottle. "Apparently he visited Sam Carr and the pharmacy."

"Amazing," quipped Max. "The rest of the city can't seem to find antibiotics and aspirin, yet you can find male enhancement without a problem. I see now how the other half lives."

"Very funny," countered Logan, "But I've never heard you complain when that other half gives you hot water or chicken or parts for the bike."

Max's scowl morphed into a grin. "I guess you're right, but I was just trying to make a point."

"Oh, I get your point, alright. It's just that you get mine, too."

"Sure," shrugged Max. "Don't see what there is to argue about, though. Go ahead and take one of those," she motioned to the bottle, "And get your skinny butt in bed with me."

"I think it takes a little time to work," he hedged.

"Are you afraid of the little blue pill, Logan?" she asked as she walked past him into the bathroom. She pulled a cup from the shelf and filled it with water and handed it to him. "Just take it, please. And try to relax."

"You're a very pushy nurse, you know?" he grumbled as he accepted the cup.

She rolled her eyes as she watched him swallow the tablet as she climbed back across the bed. "Why don't we just hang out here for now?" She settled back on the pillows. "We can wait and see what happens," she suggested, suddenly more patient that he'd ever seen her.

Logan sighed heavily as he scooted in beside her, leaning back against her so that his head rested against her chest. "I'm sorry this isn't easier, Max. I'm sorry this isn't normal." He apologized once again.

She leaned down and kissed his face lightly, answering him without words as her hands found their way across his chest. He moaned softly in her embrace. After several moments, he thought to check on the progress below.

"Uh, Max," he whispered hoarsely, amazement straining his voice. "It's, um, I mean, we're …"

She pulled away and slipped from underneath of him, moving around to his side. He watched her reach her hand forward to touch. Grinning, she looked up at him. "Okay?" she asked.

He nodded breathlessly. In a flash she was there, ready and on top of him, her mouth working in the ways they had already established would pleasure him. Simultaneously, he started with her neck, his tongue working furiously while his hands held firmly to her hips, keeping their bodies in rhythm, or at least letting his have an idea of what she was doing. As she continued up top, he felt his own release coming. But he had no idea how close she was. He looked up into the dark pools of her chocolaty eyes.

"Almost," she panted. He held tightly to her, willing his unwitting body to elicit a response from her perfect one. Second later, she shuddered and collapsed on his chest. Breathlessly and with flushed cheeks, she peered up toward his face, offering a satisfied grin. She climbed forward onto his chest.

He felt his own smile forming. He didn't need to ask her anything. Their eyes locked. She offered the most seductive nod Logan could have ever imagined. He sighed contentedly and let his head fall back against the pillow and reached his hand out to her. She slinked in beside him, leaving her leg draped across his waist. She found his mouth with hers and kissed deeply. He pulled her into him to return it before he nodded off, the kiss being the last thing he remembered before she nudged him awake two hours later.

"I didn't want to wake you, but the chat is in 25 minutes," she crooned into his ear. He let her help him sit forward, and he reached for the chair. She followed him into the bathroom, draping her body across his shoulder to peck him lightly on the cheek. As she straightened up, she attempted to smooth his hair, but each strand sprung back to its original skewed position. She started to back out of the room, and he grabbed her hand.

"Max, it's going to work, right?" he asked.

She leaned down and kissed his lips this time. The question felt extremely loaded, but she could answer him honestly in the moment. "Yes, Logan. It's working." He grinned back to her reflection in the mirror. "Now get ready to meet the doctor. You don't want to keep her waiting." He nodded and turned back to his own reflection, attempting to plaster his hair into submission with only a handful of water. Max grinned as she silently exited the bathroom. She'd let him figure that out on his own.