A/n: Thank you so much for your kind reviews, everyone.
I'm afraid the non- cliffy thing isn't going to happen, Maria. It's not my fault, it's the ECWS, honest!
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Chapter 2:
Zack, Syl and Krit sat around the table in one of Logan's safe houses, all watching Lydecker mistrustfully as he slept on the couch.
"What are we gonna do with him?" Asked Krit.
"Way I see it, we have three options," Zack answered. "Kill him, keep him around or let him go."
"Personally, I'm not too keen on option three," said Syl. "I trust Lydecker considerably less far than I can throw him."
"Me neither," said Krit. "Who knows what he could get up to."
"I say we kill him and get it over with," said Zack. "Leaving him alive risks tactical exposure."
"But we might need what he knows," said Syl. "If it turns out he could tell us how to cure our seizures... or the aging disease that got Brin..."
"Or tell whoever else is looking for us what we look like and how to find Max?" Said Zack.
"Max can't be dumb enough to stick around Seattle after this, though, can she?" Asked Krit.
"I've been trying to get her to leave for eight months," said Zack. "She refused even when Lydecker knew she was here."
"Is it because of this Logan guy?" Syl smiled as Zack scowled at the name. "It is, isn't it?"
"How sweet," added Krit. "Dumb, but sweet. Why didn't she just take him with her?"
"Too conspicuous," grunted Zack. "And he'd have slowed her down. He knew that, even if she didn't. Anyway, we were discussing Lydecker."
"We should wait, and ask Maxie what she thinks," said Syl. "It's her ass on the line too."
"If anything, we should be asking all of the others," remarked Krit. "They have every right to know what's gone down. And I doubt that Manticore will be too worried about us right now; this is the perfect opportunity for an X5 reunion."
"No way," said Zack immediately. "Just because they're out of the game right now doesn't mean they will be in future. And there's no way I'd be able to keep you all safe if every one of you knew where all the others lived."
"Come on, Zack, we haven't seen our siblings in more than eleven years," argued Syl. "If you had your way none of us would see any of the others."
"This is the first time since the escape Manticore hasn't been actively looking for us, Zack," said Krit. "If we're not going to get to see them now, then when? Another ten years? Twenty? Never?"
"I'll think about it," grunted Zack, "when we know exactly what the situation is with them. I'll contact my informant, and if they're really shutting down the project..."
"Wow, Zack. I didn't think it was possible, but I think you're starting to relax," said Syl with a grin.
"Go wash your mouth out, soldier," replied Zack, but he couldn't resist the smile creeping over his features.
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Finally, after much longer than Max would have liked, Logan's eyes fluttered open.
"Max?" He said blearily.
"I'm here, Logan," she replied.
"How'd I get here?" He asked, squinting around at the familiar surroundings of his bedroom.
"Drove the van back to the warehouse, then brought you home in the Aztec. How're you feeling?" Max asked tentatively.
"I've been better," he replied, reaching for his glasses on the nightstand. His crystal blue eyes avoided her gaze as he spoke again. "Where's my chair?" He asked.
Wordlessly, Max rose and pushed it closer to the bed, setting the brakes for him. She watched while he transferred, and then wheeled slowly into his ensuite bathroom. After a couple of minutes, the shower started. Max just moved into the kitchen and made the coffee while she waited.
It was a long time before Logan emerged, hair still damp, in sweats and a t shirt that had clearly been the first thing he'd laid a hand on. He accepted the coffee Max poured him without comment and wedged it between his unfeeling legs as he pushed over to the window. Max watched him carefully, trying to guess his thoughts, but his expression was blank, mind elsewhere. She thought she had a good idea where; in a small clearing in a forest, watching a woman and a girl face off against one another.
The stress of being ignored was starting to get to Max; it was true she'd never been good at being patient.
"You still speaking to me?" She asked, when she couldn't bear it any longer.
"I was just thinking," he replied distantly.
"Care to share?" Asked Max.
"Not really."
"Look, Logan, if you're going to be mad at me could you just yell? It'd make this a hell of a lot simpler, not to mention quicker."
"I'm not mad at you, Max." That brought her up short.
"You're not? But... I knocked you out."
"You did what you had to to protect me. How can I be mad at you for that?"
"Then... why are you being so off with me? What did I do? Or are you just freaked out, now you've seen who I used to be?"
"It's not you, Max. Well, not like you mean."
"Then what?" Max made her way over to him, crouching beside his chair. Logan just stared out of the window, oblivious to her proximity.
"I killed a child last night, Max. I didn't even hesitate before I pulled the trigger."
"You had no choice, Logan. She was trying to kill me."
"I could have aimed for the arm, shoulder maybe, but I hit her in the chest, because I wanted to kill her. Right there, in that second, I wanted to murder that little girl. Because she was a threat to you. I let my feelings for you cloud my mind until that was all that mattered, knowing you were all right. No matter who had to suffer to keep you safe."
"And when she fell..." Logan faltered, and then tried again, his voice shaky. When she fell, I was happy. No, I was ecstatic, because she was down and you weren't. How could I feel that, Max? Feel joy at taking life?"
Max took his jaw in her fingers, turning his head to face her. The brilliant eyes she'd always loved were haunted, clouded with pain and self doubt.
"You think I wouldn't have done the same, if it had been you in front of that gun?" She asked softly. "You did the right thing, Logan. It was war, and you won." She began to lean in to kiss him, but Logan jerked away, unable to meet her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Max, I just... I can't do this right now."
Max covered her disappointment quickly, not wanting him to feel guiltier than he did already. "It's ok," she said. "I understand. We have all the time in the world, remember?"
"Yeah. I guess we do," he said softly, before changing the subject, like he always did. "You want something to eat?"
"Sure, if you feel like cooking."
"How does bacon and eggs sound? I'm pretty sure Bling managed to score some at the market the other day."
"Like I'd turn down anything you offered," said Max, her tone approaching their normal banter. She sat up on the counter like she always did while Logan burrowed around in the back of the refrigerator.
"I wouldn't, you know," she added, more seriously.
"Wouldn't what?" Logan asked, distracted by his search.
"Wouldn't turn you down. Whatever you're willing to give me, I'll take, so long as you're still in my life. Whether it's just a quid pro quo or the whole deal; flowers, jewellery..." her voice dropped to a shy whisper. "A potential public humiliation..." Logan stilled as he was preparing to back out of the fridge, lap laden with food. "And if I wanted to give you everything?" He asked, trying to control his voice while he hid behind the door.
"Then you'd make me the happiest chimera on the face of the Earth," Max replied honestly, wondering if she was pushing him too far.
Logan was silent for a moment. "You get lost in there?" She joked timidly. "Logan?" Max asked, when he still didn't respond.
Logan wheeled out and shut the fridge door behind him, meeting Max's nervous gaze with his own searching one.
"Max..." he began.
And then the door swung open and Bling's voice cut through the air.
"Logan? You here?" Both of them closed their eyes and sighed, as the therapist made his way into the kitchen. "Everything ok?" He asked.
"Yeah, everything's fine, Bling," said Logan tiredly, turning his chair towards the stove. "I was just about to make bacon and eggs; you want some?"
"I don't wanna intrude, if you two have things to talk about..." said Bling slowly, catching on that he was interrupting.
"No, it's cool," said Max. "I should be going soon anyway. Gotta check in with OC before I swing by the safe house to catch up with the family."
"You sure? I just wanted to check you got back ok; wasn't planning on sticking around."
"It's fine, Bling," said Logan, dumping the contents of his lap on the counter. "There's fresh coffee in the pot; help yourself."
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Renfro paced restlessly in the waiting room of the committee building. The night before had been the biggest disaster of her career. The entire DNA database had been destroyed by four rogue X5s and a disgruntled former employee she was supposed to have contained. To make it worse, a number of regular soldiers and three X-series had been killed, with many more injured. And not one of the attackers had sustained more than a superficial wound, as far as anyone knew.
There was no way the committee would blame the losses on anyone but her. If they'd recaptured even one X5 Renfro knew she could have salvaged the operation. Unless she could give them something, anything, in the meeting in the next five minutes both Elizabeth Renfro and the Manticore Project were as good as dead.
Just then, her cell phone rang and she picked up, hopeful it would be something she could use. "Renfro."
"X5 734 reporting, ma'am," came the cold voice of Brin.
"What do you have?" The director asked, trying not to sound desperate.
"An X7 who was shot in the woods relayed some information to the rest of her unit before losing consciousness, ma'am. It seems she encountered X5 452 and attempted to fire on her when another individual shot the X7. He is believed to be a civilian."
"Do we have an ID?"
"No, ma'am; the X7 was unable to transmit more than a vague description. However, we believe we have recovered the weapon used. We should be able to take fingerprints and DNA from that. We also have a partial name."
"A name?" What is it?
"Logan, ma'am."
Renfro drew in a long breath, and then let it go in heartfelt relief.
"Good work, 734. I'll see to it that you get a promotion for this. You may have just saved the entire Manticore project."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Brin, as Renfro hung up, a sadistic smile starting to form on her features.
"Director Renfro, the Committee will see you now," said a secretary sweetly.
Renfro stepped confidently into the shadowed board room, her stiletto heels soundless on the thick pile carpet.
"Well, Elizabeth," said a deep, commanding voice from one of the circle of chairs. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Gentlemen," Renfro began, "some new information has come to light..."
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So? What did you think?