Disclaimer: No infringement intended. Not affiliated in any way with anyone. Nothing to sue here people, move along. I don't own anything here. I am not making any money on this.

Huge THANK YOU to Maria for making time to Beta this no matter how hectic her RL gets.

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Scene 3: Awakening.

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When Max saw Jake behind the security desk she realized that it must be after midnight. How have I become so familiar with this one place? Was this what it was like to have a home?

The old security guard smiled at Max and unlocked the security doors for her. She didn't even have to state her business, like everyone else did after curfew. He nodded and said, "Hi Max."

Just one more sign that I have stayed around for far too long. "Hey, Jake! How's it goin'?" Max asked cheerfully, although she never broke her stride.

"Same-o, same-o. I'm still here." Jake gave her a little wink as she walked by.

Max knew exactly what he meant by that; not too good, but not too bad either. Jake had been a chef before the pulse. He had made good money at it, but there just weren't that many restaurants left; even fewer that actually required a gourmet chef. Logan had been able to hook him up with a couple of odd jobs helping out at special events, occasionally. In return Jake was able to acquire some hard to find ingredients for Logan; Max was reasonably certain he wasn't even marking them up. It was good to have connections.

Max was certain Jake thought that she was on a booty call from Logan. What else was anyone to think? Logan told them to admit her anytime, day or night. She was here at all hours. Sometimes she was delivering things, but most of the time that was small disks or files; nothing that anyone saw her with. If her cover were ever seriously blown being 'Max's sugar daddy' would not go over well for Logan. Lydecker wouldn't care how much Logan knew about her, the fact that he knew her at all would be enough to have him dragged in for an interrogation and his computer systems seized.

As soon as the elevator doors closed behind her she glanced at her pager. 12:34 a.m. blinked at her. Logan might still be awake, but probably not. She thought about leaving, but she couldn't think of any way to do so without arousing Jake's suspicions. She thought about jumping off the roof, but that hadn't been pleasant. She'd been lucky she hadn't twisted her ankle the first time, plus Jake would notice her bike was gone. Finally she decided that she would just get to Logan's apartment and go from there. Maybe he was up.

He wasn't.

She needed to stay awhile, to let Jake continue thinking that she was doing the innocuous thing he assumed that she was doing up in the penthouse with Logan. Why am I thinking about getting busy with Logan? I'll just leave Logan a note. Let him know I dropped by. Maybe poke around in the fridge for a few then go back down. How long does it usually take? Hmm, good question. I don't think me in heat is a very representative sample, maybe I'll look it up on the internet.

After a few minutes research on Logan's computer Max decided to defend Logan's reputation by reading one of his books for a couple of hours. She picked up a copy of 'A Passion for Mathematics; Numbers, Puzzles, Madness, Religion, and the Quest for Reality' by Clifford A. Pickover from a dusty bookshelf.

This might actually be interesting.

She hadn't gotten past the first chapter when she thought she heard Logan moan.

Hmm, maybe picking a book with 'passion' in the name wasn't such a hot idea. Was it hot in here? NO! I can't be in heat, it's only been two months.

Max breathed slowly, deeply, and deliberately; she was not in heat. It was too soon. Didn't one book say that if you don't spay your cat the heat cycles would become more frequent? Unless she …breeds. Oh, no.

Logan definitely moaned. Max snapped the book shut.

He couldn't be doing what Jake thinks he's doing … with another woman? Why would I even care? Denial, Max, that is the key. Deny, Deny, Deny. You are not in heat and you don't care if he … Oh, no, I can't even finish the thought! This is not a good sign. You don't care. You are imagining the pain. Now get your ass out of here and back out into the cold where you can convince yourself of that.

Max had just stood up to leave when she heard a faint "Max". She blurred to Logan. He was alone. The room was dark, but she could see him perfectly. He was sweating and thrashing slightly. She could see the light dusting of hair on his bare chest. His face was the picture of abject misery.

He's safe. He is just having a bad dream. Max to the rescue again. Max smiled in spite of herself as she reached out to rouse him from his night mare.

"Logan," she whispered. "Logan," she repeated louder this time. She reached out to touch Logan's shoulder, intent on gently shaking him awake.

Logan awoke with a gasp at her touch. He would have bolted upright, if he could have. His head and shoulders lifted a bit off the bed. His arms immediately wrapped around Max and pulled her to him. He was holding her with all the upper body strength that seven months in a wheelchair had added. "Max," he choked out, the sound ripped from deep within his soul.

"Logan, it's all right. It was just a bad dream. You're safe now." Max tried to soothe, but she really didn't know how. Thinking straight became increasingly difficult as she felt Logan's warmth seep into her. She cared about Logan and wanted to help him. She really did, but right at this moment she was more afraid of her own needs. She was definitely warm. If Logan wasn't very, very careful he was going to need saving from her, instead of by her. And he has no idea the danger that he is in, Max thought miserably.

It took Logan's sleep clouded brain a few moments to process what was going on. Max was here, in his arms. She's wearing a long sleeve t-shirt, not a soft cashmere sweater.

"It's OK Logan. Being tossed off a building would give anyone nightmares." Max couldn't control herself. She wrapped her arms around Logan's sweat covered body, appreciating the feel of his slick skin under her fingertips.

Logan's breathing slowly calmed as he realized what had happened, or more precisely, what had not happened. It was just a bad dream, a night mare. But, what is Max doing here? I don't care. As long as she is going to let me hold her, I will. "Max." Logan's voice was husky, although whether it was from sleep or something else, Max could not say.

Max sat there touching Logan, holding Logan, smelling the enticing musk that was Logan. She was becoming more and more aroused until she couldn't deny she must be in heat. She could not have pulled away if she wanted to, and it had nothing to do with Logan's improved upper body strength.

Maybe if I don't move for three days I won't attack him, she thought

Max expected to be miserable. She was always miserable when she felt aroused, soon to be out of control. However, as she sat there in the dark, holding Logan to her, feeling his skin under her skin, she was not miserable. Not even close. She concentrated on her breathing and took stock of how she felt. She was definitely becoming aroused.

Dam heat, she cursed.

Yet she still was not miserable. Her breathing was speeding up. Her sense of touch seemed to be more acute. She could feel the tightening of her breasts. She was aware of … moisture … but … she wasn't miserable. She wasn't desperate or out of control. If anything she felt … happy. She sighed and gave up trying to figure out this weird heat. She'd had too few chances in her life to be happy to waste even a second of this one.

I wonder if he is wearing anything?

Logan laid on his bed, clutching Max to him, enjoying having his face pillowed on her chest. He had never thought he would have this pleasure, and was certain he never would again. He tried to memorize every sensation. He was comforted by the fact that she smelled faintly of gasoline and something else he couldn't place that was probably cheap soap. He convinced himself that he must be imagining when he felt her nipples pucker under his chest. He just enjoyed as his breathing slowed.

Which one of us is shaking?

Neither ever wanted to move as they held each other, enjoying every second.

Eventually, Max laid Logan down on the bed.

"Thank you," Logan murmured sleepily.

"I thought you had fallen asleep." Max pulled back to take advantage of the fact that she could see in the dark, even if Logan couldn't.

Was it wrong to look at him when he thought he was safely hidden in the darkness? Probably. So knock it off! No. Max sighed. She was tired of arguing with herself.

Beside the infatuated couple the clock displayed 3am.

Logan smiled. "I think I did." He reached out to take Max's hand in his. He ran his fingers over hers in a gentle caress.

Max couldn't think with him doing that. She could feel herself becoming mass of excited nerve endings. Her already enhanced senses craved more of Logan's touch like nothing she'd ever wanted before. Totally against her better judgment, against her will her other hand slipped under the covers intent on a small recon mission to determine the presence or absence of pajamas, underwear, or any other scrap of clothing on Logan.

"Max?" Logan murmured softly to her.

Max's errant hand immediately retreated but she gave no other reaction simply because she couldn't think of one.

"Not that I am complaining, but why are you here in the middle of the night?" Logan asked, breaking the erotic direction of Max's thoughts.

"I …" Max struggled to come up with some way to explain to Logan what was going on without insulting or scaring him. This was made more difficult by the fact that she didn't really understand herself. She was saved by a bell, specifically the soft chime of the elevator. She heard it clearly when the elevator stopped at this floor and the doors opened. Regardless of whether the sound represented a mistake, Jake, or danger, it instantly had her full attention.

Logan could tell that she had heard something and so waited quietly.

When Max heard the front door open and the crisp snap of someone cracking open the box of the security system she knew they were in danger. "You expecting more company?" she asked as she pulled her jacket back on.

"No."

"You got it. Do you have a gun in here?"

"Yes. Top drawer."

Max retrieved the gun quickly and handed it to Logan.

"Wait here," she ordered him.

Logan noticed she retrieved the gun without having to search for it in the dark and reached the obvious conclusion. "You can see?"

"Yeah," she confirmed.

Logan grinned. "Good. Hand me the big remote that was by the gun."

Max complied immediately. A faint light under the door let her know that the intruders were coming closer.

"Get behind the bed. Shoot any of them that make it past me."

"Here." Logan pressed a button on his elaborate toy. All the power in the apartment immediately went off. "That should give you a little bit of an advantage."

Max grinned despite the danger of the situation. She could hear the intruders cursing yet another brownout. I'll never again complain about men and their toys.

"Logan, you are awesome!" Max embraced Logan quickly and then pulled him to the floor on the other side of the bed, so that he has his bed as cover between him and the door. One quick glance as she was lowering him gently to the floor confirmed he's naked. "Thank you!" Max gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she sped out the door. "More later. I've got some asses to kick."

A stunned Logan grabbed his cell phone to call security.

To be Continued …