A/n: Thanks once again for your reviews, everyone. I just love reading them.

I know I'm posting this earlier than I said, but knowing you lot I don't think I'll get any complaints. Especially since this chapter is pretty much pure, unadulterated fluff. You can't not love it.

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Chapter 25: Happy; For A Change

Sandeman sat back in his chair, raising a hand to stifle a yawn. "That's the last of it," he announced, placing a vial of deep pink liquid in a rack before him. "Prepared, filtered and ready for dispersal."

"You really think this idea could work?" Asked Lydecker.

"I believe so. Not what I originally intended, but the theory is sound. Have someone contact New Terminal City and tell the volunteers to be ready to leave as soon as we can get the cure and the rockets to them. I'm going to check on Logan before I try and get some sleep."

Lydecker passed the message on to Original Cindy and Bling, who was to be their courier for the evening. The therapist packed the vials safely into the cooler prepared for them before heading out to deliver his precious cargo. Lydecker then moved on to the room Max had insisted she share with Logan.

"How's he doing?" He asked Sandeman quietly from the doorway, not wanting to disturb Max.

"Much improved from yesterday," Sandeman replied. "At one point, I must confess, I thought we'd lost him, but it seems he's strong willed. He should make a full recovery."

"What better motivation to fight than love?" Asked Lydecker rhetorically, a hint of wistfulness present in his voice.

"True," the old doctor agreed, checking Logan's IV one last time. "Well, I'm going to get some rest. You should too; you look exhausted."

"In a minute," said Lydecker. Sandeman gave him a searching glance, and then left the former colonel alone in the room with the unconscious couple.

Lydecker sat down in a chair beside Max's bed. "This is the third time I've done this, Max," he told her. "I wouldn't do it for anyone else. I'll be leaving soon, and I wanted to tell you a few things before I go. I know you'd never listen to me if you were awake, so I'm taking my opportunity now."

"The other X5s were always so eager to protect you because Sandeman programmed them to. They had to keep you safe above all others to fulfil your purpose; and that's why they rebelled and escaped. It was never your fault."

"And I... I protected you because you were based on my wife; another precaution on Sandeman's part. It meant that I would minimise any risks to you during training and missions; or it would have, if you'd stuck around that long."

"I worried, you know. Every live ordnance drill I sent you on, every time you sustained even a scratch I worried. I did my best to minimise the experiments done on you too; the dangerous ones at least."

"I wanted to bring you back more than any of the others. You were good at evading me though; too good, really. It wasn't until Seattle that you started slipping up. And now I know why." Lydecker cast a glance over to the other bed in the room.

"You found him, and you were prepared to give your life for him, like he was for you. I'm glad you found a love as strong as I had with Marie. I always taught you emotions like that were a weakness, but it was never the truth. I just wanted to protect you all from the pain I've felt, these twenty five years since I lost her. If it hadn't been for you kids, I'd never have made it. I'm not saying my life has been a virtuous one, but I would have been dead from the bottle years ago if it hadn't been for you."

"You may not be my blood daughter, Max, but you're the closest thing I have," Lydecker said, dropping his voice to a whisper. "And... for what it's worth, I always loved you as one."

Confession made, Lydecker rose, rolling his shoulders a little. He reached out a hand, as if to stroke Max's hair, and then hesitated, fearing to wake her. The colonel went to leave the room, and then paused in the doorway to look back at the still peaceful couple.

"You hurt her, Cale," he declared, threateningly, "and I guarantee you won't live to regret it."

With that last comment, he left them alone, never noticing that Sandeman had been hovering outside, listening to every word with a faint smile on his face.

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Logan's eyes fluttered open at last, revealing deep blue irises clouded by his illness. They focussed with an effort on the beautiful dark haired woman in the next bed, and the corner of his mouth curved up in a smile to watch her sleep so peacefully. Logan had no sense of time passing as he just drank in the sight of his beloved Max, curled up on her side so she was facing him.

When Max awoke, the first thing she thought of was Logan. She looked over to the face she had studied almost every waking moment of the past few days as he fought against the virus seeking to destroy him. It almost didn't register at first that his eyes were open.

"Logan?" Said Max, her voice a little hoarse from sleep.

"Hey, you," he whispered in response, the smile widening.

"Hey, yourself," replied Max, as a brilliant grin stole over her features.

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"Any news from Max?" Asked Jondy, dropping casually into a chair in the command centre.

"Nothing since Bling showed up last night," said Alec. "Told you blue was your colour," he added, nodding towards the sky blue scarf wrapped around her head to hide her shorn hair and bandage.

"I never disagreed with you," said Jondy, fiddling with the scarf. "I just still think I look like a nun."

"Hey! I went to a lot of trouble to get that for you," Alec protested, hurt. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find silk in Seattle?"

"Aww, don't think I don't appreciate the thought, Alec, because I do," Jondy reassured him, rising to wrap her arms around his waist. "I'm just bummed about my hair. It took me twelve years to grow it, and now I have to start all over again."

"Sorry, baby," said Alec, pulling her close. "But you know, I find short hair on a woman kind of a turn on..."

"Oh yeah?" Jondy grinned.

"Hell yeah. Especially if she's as beautiful as you..." Alec leaned down and kissed her, rousing several disgusted sounds from Mole, cleaning his favourite shotgun in the corner.

"Could you two knock it off?" He asked. "The rest of us would rather skip the floor show."

"Just because you're not getting any, Mole," mumbled Alec, barely breaking the kiss.

"You come here and say that to my face, pretty boy," growled Mole, chewing fiercely on his cigar as he got to his feet.

"Hey, leave them alone, Mole," protested Luke mildly. "I think it's nice to see someone around here happy for a change."

"Yeah, and you need to build up your tolerance," remarked Dix. "Max will be back soon and the virus is cured. Her and Logan are gonna be all over each other. And she won't take any BS about it from you."

Mole grunted, gathering up his gun and the cleaning equipment. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my quarters," he said. "If I stay here, I may just have to puke."

"Missing you already, Mole," managed Jondy.

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"How you feeling?" Asked Logan, after a long moment of just smiling at one another.

"Shouldn't that be my line?" Said Max. "You're the one who nearly died. In fact, technically you did die for a minute there."

"I did? Guess I feel pretty good considering, then," he replied. "How long was I out?"

"Three days," she told him.

"Seriously? What'd I miss?"

"Not much. I've been pretty out of it too with all the blood donations. Sebastian managed to get hold of those pop rockets we needed, and Sandeman's been using his med techs and equipment to prepare the blood to go in them. We have a unit of X5 volunteers spreading out across the globe right now to set them off where they'll be most effective."

"Sounds like you coped pretty well without me," said Logan.

"No," Max replied. "I never could cope without you. And I never want to try again. I love you, Logan."

"I love you too, Max," he answered. "So... is the virus cured now?"

"Yeah. Sandeman said after this we only needed to inject a little of your blood into me and it'd be gone for good. We did it a couple hours ago; it should have worked by now."

"Good," said Logan. "Because there's something I've been wanting to do with you ever since we first met, and now I think you might be up for it."

"Oh yeah?" Said Max, with a suggestive quirk of her eyebrow. "And what might that be, Mr Cale?"

"Come over here and I'll tell you," said Logan, his eyes twinkling irresistibly at her. Max rose slowly from her bed and slinked over to Logan's, swaying her hips far more than usual for his benefit. Logan gazed admiringly at her body, awed by her beauty.

She cocked a hip as she reached him and asked in a husky voice, "So what was it you wanted to do with me?"

"Just this," said Logan, reaching out to take her hand and pull her into the bed with him. Max followed the gentle tug willingly, as Logan gathered her close into his arms and rested his forehead against hers. Max had never felt so safe in her life.

"I love you, Max," murmured Logan. "And no matter what happens, I'm never gonna stop loving you as long as I live. I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you, my angel... And I will never leave you. Ever."

"I know," said Max. "You're not going anywhere, right?" Her eyes began to drift shut as she relaxed into his warm embrace, breathing in his scent.

"Right." He hesitated. "I was kinda hoping to be able to do this properly, but somehow I doubt that's going to be possible anytime soon." Logan took a deep breath.

"Max Guavera, would you do me the very great honour of becoming my wife?"

Max's dark eyes snapped open. "What?" She asked, in total shock.

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