Hi there! Me again. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far. I know I'm moving slowly on this but I write a ton of stuff then re-read, chapterise and add loads more into the mix - believe me, this chapter started out at just 200 words!

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be!

FYI - set sometime S1. No virus, no white, no cult, nothing except pure Max/Logan fluff!

Chapter 3 - Get Ready

"Hey," shouted Cindy from her room, "You comin' with to the market or not?"

"It's everyone else's junk. Why would you go to a Flea Market?" Max asked as she put their breakfast dishes in the sink.

"'Cause Original Cindy finds the cutest pre-pulse clothes that people are almost giving away. And it's not junk, it's vintage!"

"Whatever! It'll keep my mind off my…"

"…impending date! Whatever. Just as long as we done by 3, got a little somthin' somthin' to do for a friend."

The two girls went to the Market and both found something to wear that evening. Max had already decided to wear her best jeans and Cindy found her a beautiful black vest top and a skinny bronze sequin scarf to wrap around her neck. Max had found Cindy a pair of black leather pants and a glittery black top that caught the sparkle in Cindy's eyes. They were back at their apartment by 2.30 and Max's protests did not deter Original Cindy insisting that even though she was going out for a little while, the rest of the day would be a 'pampering session' where they would paint toenails and blow-dry hair until it was time to get changed and head out.

Logan was stressed. He had spent the morning shopping and that had not been fun, due to the drizzle that still consumed the city, until he had been on his way back from the store and seen Max and Cindy at the market. They looked like they were having so much fun checking out clothes and suggesting outfits to each-other. He half hid himself behind a stall full of papier mache models and just watched them. 'To look at her now, anyone would just think she was a normal girl, with normal problems.' He smiled as Original Cindy wrapped a skinny bronze coloured scarf around Max's neck and he saw how the colour complemented her skin tone. As Max bartered the price and paid for the scarf, Logan couldn't help but wonder if she was going to wear it for him later.

Logan arrived back at his apartment at 2 and stored all the groceries away, except for the beef his contact had been able to score for him, which he placed in a bowl and sploshed in a generous glug of his special marinade just as Bling arrived at 2.15 for his exercise session. The session with Bling did not go well and before the first set of 10 was done, Bling had already threatened to smack Logan with one of the hand weights if he didn't concentrate.

Bling gave up after an hour and was packing up his equipment as the two heard a knock at the door.

"Jam Pony Messanger!"

"Is that...?" enquired Bling as Logan made his way to the door.

"Original Cindy? Yeah. She's doing me a favour," Logan explained as he opened the door, "Hey Cindy. How's things?" Cindy handed Logan the parcel he had been waiting for and breezed past Logan to bump fists with Bling.

"S'all good. Hey Bling!"

"Hi Cindy. His grumpyness got you working on your day off?"

"Yeah. Grumpy, huh? More likely stressin' over his date tonight with Max."

"It's not a date!" interrupted Logan.

"Well, see Logan here has agreed to an 'anti-date' to get Max all to himself on Valentine's Day. Told my girl that it would be better than hangin' with the crew at Crash coz we all got dates and Max don't. Original Cindy is waiting to see if hotboy here decides to get over himself and ask the girl to be his main squeeze!"

"I'm right here you know!" Logan looked between the two with a mixture of mild annoyance and frustration on his face. Bling just laughed at Cindy's explanation.

"Man, no wonder you're not on this planet today. Your first Valentines with Max! No pressure there, then!" Bling laughed again and Cindy nodded in agreement.

"Okay, so Cindy gonna leave you guys now and get back to my girl Max. Gonna be buzy getting supergirl ready for a night of hot monkey lovin' with sugga-daddy here."

Not long after Original Cindy made her exit, Bling decided to leave Logan to his preparations with the comment, 'Anti-date, my ass!'. The parcel Logan had been waiting for was on the table in the lounge and he carried it to his room and left it on his bed. He spent the next two hours slicing and sautéing for the meal he had promised Max, he had finally decided on Thai sweet chilli beef with noodles. At 6 he showered and changed into tan combats and a fine cream sweater and then went about setting candles and finding CDs to make the evening perfect. Then he sat in the living room, watching the door and waiting for Max to arrive.

TBC