A/N: Thanks again for your reviews. Happy Holidays to all the readers and writers out there!

Chapter 13

By 4 pm, Max realized that she shouldn't have told Logan as much about the meet-up protocols as she already had. His anxiety escalated to a point that she felt the need to force him out of the apartment, lest she have to field one more question about her meeting with Zack. She sent him with Bling and a list of necessities that they would find in no fewer than four stores. Once they had gone, she rechecked the message line for any last minute instructions and prepared for the rendezvous with Zack. She'd made her way to the parking garage and was double checking the Ninja when Logan and Bling returned around 6:45.

"He's not coming." Logan sighed as he came around the car.

"I'm going to the second location. He left a message."

"You'll be okay?"

She grinned as she reached forward to kiss him. "I'll be hungry when I get back."

"I know what you're doing," he accused playfully.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she brushed him off with another kiss and stood to straddle the bike. "Don't wait up." She started the engine and sped off.

"She's kidding, right?" He asked, a little bewildered, as he glanced over toward Bling, who was retrieving bags from the back of the Aztek.

"Let's get this stuff upstairs, and you can try to figure it out," the bigger man reasoned.

Logan just shrugged his shoulders and headed to the elevator.

Once they'd unloaded their purchases, Logan decided to start dinner, inviting Bling to hang around if he so desired. The therapist begged off, citing plans in another Sector. They said their goodbyes in the front hall, and Logan returned to the kitchen to find Zack waiting for him.

He found himself less surprised than he probably should have been, but things like this happened when you had X-5s in your life. "What are you doing here? Max just left to meet you."

Zack cleared his throat and looked at the floor. "I know. I figured this way we could talk."

"But she'll be expecting you."

"She'll know to come back here."

Logan sat silently, trying to think of something to say or do. Finally Zack pointed to the groceries on the counter.

"Were you gonna make dinner for her?"

"And me, and you if you want," Logan managed as he busied himself filling a pot with water to boil.

"I didn't really come for that, but if you're offerin' I'm not sayin' no." He slouched onto a barstool.

"So what exactly did you come for, Zack?" Logan asked now retrieving a cutting board and knife. He attacked a carrot as he waited for the answer.

He answered quickly, though, like he had expected the question and had already prepared an answer. "To talk. To clear things up between us."

"Okay." Logan turned back to the stove. When he pivoted back to the island, Zack had picked up the knife and had turned his attention to the potatoes. Logan blinked a couple of times before he opened his mouth to speak again.

"Oh. You want these peeled, right?" Zack asked.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"I guess you know all about the DNA now."

Logan rubbed salt, pepper and garlic into the roast he'd just unwrapped, his back to Zack. "I do."

"And your doctor says I'm the closest match, which of course I would be."

"Yeah. That's about right."

"Max asked if I knew anything more about your dad or your uncle or whatever, but I don't. I just saw the name Cale," Zack explained.

"It's okay." Logan collected the carrots, potatoes and onions Zack had finished chopping and added them to the roasting pan and placed it into the oven. "But I need your help."

Zack nodded as Logan turned back to him. "I know you do."

Logan continued. "And I know you don't like the fact that Max is here with me, that she didn't leave with you."

"If she's not willing to go underground when she's in danger, then she puts the rest of us in danger." Zack's eyes bored deep into Logan. "And since she's been here with you, she won't go. And I don't know why that is. I don't know if it's because she thinks she needs to protect you or if it's something else.

Logan felt his jaw clenching as Zack spoke. He fought to relax it before he answered. "I'd hope it's because she loves me and wants to be with me."

Zack's eyes narrowed. "Tinga left when I asked her to. She left her child, Logan."

"You'll have to take that up with her, man." Logan shook his head and sighed. "She makes her own choices; you know that better than anyone."

"Her choices have been different since she hooked up here with you."

"You know how she 'hooked up here' with me? She was trying to find you and the others. She thought I'd have the resources and contacts to help her. She figured that out after she robbed my place."

Zack grinned and managed a chuckle. "She did that?"

He nodded. "Yeah. She did. And this was right before I got shot. She was kind of tangled up in that, so maybe she feels a little responsible or guilty or protective or whatever." He paused. "And maybe I don't hate that. So maybe some of this is my fault."

Zack let that go but instead asked, "What about this doctor?"

Logan nodded. He'd had the same thoughts. "As far as I can tell, she's the real deal. A former mentor of hers spent at least some time at Manticore, but he died a couple of years ago. I can't find that she's on their radar at all. I think she's safe. And I think that we'll be safe in Hawaii, but I can't guarantee that."

"So we could be sitting ducks on an island in the middle of the ocean?" Zack asked, only half joking.

Logan blanched. "I hadn't really thought about it like that. Shit."

"I'm sure it's fine," he backtracked.

Logan allowed himself to exhale. "I may not be thinking clearly on this, Zack, but she said she can help Max."

"How's that?"

"She thinks she can do something about the seizures. Maybe the heat cycles, too."

"For real?"

"That's what she says." Logan grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge and placed one in front of Zack. "I think it's a long-shot for me to realistically get significant long-term results. I'm prepared for that, but if she can help Max, God. How can I not be a part of that? How can you not be a part of that?"

Zack stared at the wall for a long moment before he turned back to Logan. "That's what this is all about?"

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Zack. It's a little about me. Having it back was indescribable, and losing it again was almost enough to do me in. Like worse than the original injury. So the thought of going through that again is terrifying, but not terrifying enough not to try it again. Dr. Vertes thought her immunosuppression was going to work." He shrugged and took a long pull on his beer. "I have to try."

Zack took a drink of his own beer. "I can understand that," he decided with a nod of the head. "I'll go."

Logan nodded. "I love her, Zack. I'm going to do what I can to keep her safe. And I realize that may not be enough for you."

"It's not that."

"Is it something else?"

"It's nothing."

"There's obviously something, Zack. Is it me? Is it her? What?"

Zack blew out a long breath. "I take care of us. That's the way it's always been. She knew that, but she's been out here on her own for so long. And when they didn't know where she was, I could live with that. But now." He sighed again. "I don't know anymore."

"I think it would be easier on both of us if we could at least try to work together on this. She may not particularly like it, but maybe for the sake of our sanity we should think about it."

Zack chuckled again. "Maybe we should." He glanced up at the clock above the stove. "What else are you making? She'll be back soon, and we'll need to butter her up a little before we spring the idea of the two of us joining ranks on her."

"I have some ice cream that's only been refrozen like twice," Logan recalled. "Maybe sundaes?"

Zack smiled broadly now. "That sounds like her kind of idea."

An hour and a half later Max breezed through the front door in a bit of a huff. Logan had stowed Zack in the living room for the time being and disposed of the second beer bottle. He met her in the kitchen.

"Hey."

"Smells good."

"So?"

She shook her head sadly. "He wasn't there. He gave me the signal for the third meeting which is this weekend at the cabin."

Logan couldn't contain himself any longer. "He's here. He's been here."

"He what?" She walked past him and into the living room. "Zack?" He stood as she approached. "What's going on?"

"I thought Logan and I needed to discuss a few things first."

"So you sent me on a wild goose chase?"

"You got to spend the past two hours on your bike and climbing the Space Needle. I feel like that's a pretty good night."

She couldn't help but laugh as she turned back to Logan. "And you agree?"

"I think I have to. He's transgenic, but our human DNA is common."

"Oh good grief." She rolled her eyes. "I can't fight you both."

Zack smiled. "That was exactly our thought."

"And we have dinner," Logan chimed in.

"Well, that does work in your favor." She took a seat at the dining room table. "You two can get to work on that while you tell me all about this truce and what's in it for me."

TBC