Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel. Never have, never will. Dammit.

A/N: Okie dokie, here's chapter 6, please read and review.


Funeral for That Which Never Was

Chapter 6: Grief

And maybe I'm not up for being a victim of love…

It had been a week since Max had made the official move: breaking up with Logan—that is, if you can call ending a non-existent romantic relationship "breaking up." She had counted the days of freedom and reveled in their bliss. But total peace was halted by her answering machine. Every day, Logan had left messages. Message after message, it was like torture. Today, Logan left fourteen messages within the space of a single hour. If he was going to be this persistently immature, she would return the favor.

Max dialed the annoyingly familiar number. She rolled her eyes as the line connected. She briefly moved the phone away from her ear to press the star key, bringing her directly to his voicemail. Max had all she could do to keep from smashing her own phone against the apartment wall when she heard the message on his voicemail, swearing if she never heard his voice again it would be too soon and definitely uninvited. When the line finally beeped, indicating the beginning of her message time, she began. "You little worm. And I do mean the writhing, slimy kind. Never call me again. Don't even try to speak to me. I won't hear it. No amount of begging or pleading is going to make me do anything, be it 'come back to you' as you put it, or go on your little errand runs. Nothing." Again she moved the cordless phone from her ear and pressed the call-end button on the receiver. It didn't have nearly the effect of slamming the receiver down on a cradle, but it would suffice. The words she finally let out were enough of a relief that she didn't have to resort to such violent measures.

It was time to make it end, permanently. If he wouldn't stop calling her, which was a definite possibility, she would make it so he couldn't. Max once again lifted the receiver, dialing the area service provider without even looking at the keys. She lifted the device to her ear once again. While she waited for the line to be picked up by an operator, Max opened the old answering machine, removing the tape from within it. She eyed it from several angles, debating in her mind whether to keep it as evidence of a stalker. She could hand it over to the police—Sector cops, yeah right. They wouldn't do anything about it. Besides, she had all the protection she needed in her pinky finger. All she had to do was touch him and no more Logan. But she didn't want to kill him. She just wanted him to leave her alone.

The operator picked up. "Seattle Communication Services. How can I help you?"

"Yes. I would like to change my home telephone number." Max didn't intend to be short with the service worker. She was just frustrated with the situation. She tried to calm her temper. "Please." Max thought about how easiest to handle Logan, without killing him. The only other trusted protection she had was Alec. And he would believe her anyway, she wouldn't need the evidence of the tape to prove her case. She crushed small object in her hand, not even wincing as the sharper edges of plastic painfully stabbed at her skin. Max opened her palm and watched the tiny particles of plastic rain to the floor.

The operator spoke again, "Of course. All I need is your current address and your current telephone number and we can do that right now."

Max relayed the information with a smile in her voice, absently flicking at the plastic still sticking to her hand.

If the time came for it, Max would let Alec handle it. Alec. Max smiled at the thought. Alec would enjoy it too much. But then again, Max didn't have to watch what Alec did to Logan. Just give him permission. Max grinned at the thought of giving Alec permission to do anything. Usually he would say "screw permission. I've had to live by following orders all of my life. I don't think so." But Max knew that for this Alec wouldn't act until he had the A-OK from her. She knew that Alec held back whenever he saw Logan. For some odd reason, he thought she would be upset if anything were to happen to the older man, not to mention the innate fear that she would royally kick his ass if she knew that it was Alec who had maimed him. But now, Max welcomed it.

"Your new number will be effective within the hour." Max sighed gratefully as she heard the news. "Thank you for using our service, Ms. Guevera."

"No. Thank you." She replaced the cordless receiver in its cradle.

She walked around the partition to her own room to change out of her clothes and into a soft bathrobe. As she wrapped the material around her, she considered informing a few people of the changed number. But, then the issue came up of who would Logan most likely call find a new number for her? Safest bet to inform of the change would be Alec. He would be both Logan's first call and Max's most trusted of not giving over the information. Even under duress of torture, short of psy-ops, Alec wouldn't give it up.

On her way back around the wall to the bathroom, Max picked up the phone again, taking it with her to her sanctuary. She closed the door, barricading herself within the self-made haven. She turned on the faucet to the finally functioning hot water and waited while the tub filled, pouring a small amount of hard-to-find bubble bath in with the water. Max pulled back the sleeve of her robe and dunked her hand under the ripples, stirring the bubbles. When the tub had sufficiently filled, Max turned off the water and de-robed. She stepped into the hot water and sighed as she was finally able to sink into its comfort.

Finally, a bath which Logan couldn't call and interrupt with his superhero complex and an I-wanna-save-the-world-one-bad-guy-at-a-time assignment. As she sunk deep in her bath water, Max thought about her earlier contemplations. It seemed her mind would not let her have a Logan free night after all. But Max considered it of a much different, better variety of thought. She was thinking of how to prove to Logan just how over it really was.

Alec would be sure to help her, as soon as she explained the further developments. Alec would believe her when she told him that Logan was getting beyond obnoxious with his calls. She wouldn't even have to explain herself, especially given their conversation at Crash earlier that week. But why? Why did Alec automatically believe most everything that she said? Sure, there were times when he questioned her, but that's because he knew she was lying. He seemed to always be able to tell when she was lying. And with Alec, that wasn't very often. Max couldn't really lie to the man.

The truth came brutally sometimes, but it was always said. She never hid anything from him. Especially what was buried deepest in her heart: Ben. Given, Ben belonged to both of them. He had been Max's brother growing up in Manticore, yet he was also Alec's twin. At least that's how she justified it to herself. She couldn't explain what made her open up with Alec that night in her apartment, after she broke him out of jail. She just did. Excuse number one: It was an emotionally charged day. It was the first time when she let herself recognize that there was nothing between her and Logan, no future—she had yet to admit to herself that there was no past either. And she had almost lost a person who had come to mean more than she would like to admit.

Before she relaxed entirely in her bath, she decided to call Alec. Business first. She put a temper on her thoughts for the moment, cleared her throat and dialed his number.

"Alec," he said simply when he answered.

"Hey, it's me."

"What's up?" He paused for a second. "Are you taking a bath? Another bath?"

"Damn straight. Is it so unusual for a girl to take a bath twice in one week? This week just happens to have been one of the more stressful. This is my downtime, to be UN-interrupted by Logan calling and telling me that some bad guy needs to be taken down for the greater good. Blah, blah, blah." Max took a breath to calm herself. "Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up. As of today, I have a different phone number, don't tell him." She gave him her new number.

"Lips sealed per request." He made a motion of turning a key against his lips.

"Thanks. I'm going to submerge in my bubbles now. See ya."

"Bye, Max. And, uh, enjoy those bubbles." He smiled as he imagined her burying herself in the bubbles. She was like a kid sometimes.


A/N: I know it's kinda short, but I had big plans for chapter 7, and it seemed to just fit plot-wise to be this length. I hope you liked it and please review. Chapter 7 should be up as well, so please continue if you'd like, a.k.a. have time ;)