First off, kisses, hugs, and many thanks to all who have taken the time to review. I was nervous about posting this, but you have made me feel better about it. Thank you so much. If you haven't reviewed, pretty please! It really is food for a muses soul, and she's promising some interesting M/L moments in the future!
Thanks so much to Insane Troll Logic for betaing and pointing out some major faux-pas on my original draft. I hope they are all corrected.
Okay Authors Note - Funny story. Both ITL and myself finished our chapters about the same time and swapped. Neither of us had any idea that the other had written a dream sequence. So no this wasn't planned, it just kinda happened. Personally I thought it was kinda wierd but funny. Glad to say that our sequences were not similar, Thank God!
Note #2 - This takes place right after Max rescue's Alec from the jail during H/G. Leaving all of the other stuff in the previous chapters happening about the same time. So you have to take this all from Max's POV. I promise to stop swapping around so much after this chap, I just needed to do some foundation laying, then some decorating, the whole artsy-fartsy thing.
Oh yeah, I don't own anything! So please don't sue!
Chapter 3 - Reminding Me
She heard Europe was nice this time of year. Logan had always talked about the food and sights in Italy. Tuscany would be pretty. It probably was a lot prettier and less vile then this third-world-hell-hole where she lived for far too long.
Leaning the motorcycle into a hard turn Max felt Alec shift behind her, bringing her thoughts back to the sad tale unraveling as her life. Alec… She knew he looked like Ben, but never thought of the repercussions. Now she had to help prove his innocence. Max sighed as she approached her apartment, but the wind swallowed the sound.
She questioned herself again as to why she felt this blinding need to save as many Transgenics as possible. Oh yeah, I let them out, her mind replied bitterly. Which brought about another question, wasn't there some sort of statute of limitations on this responsibility thing? Without realizing it she had become Logan's field commander in his brigade to save widows, orphans, lost pets and now hopeless Transgenics. That thought just made her frown turn into a scowl.
They pulled up in front of her apartment and Max dismounted her Ninja and began to move-up to the apartment. Alec sighed at her silence and followed.
They stood wordlessly in the elevator until Alec finally broke the un-easy quiet that fell around them. "Thanks again, Max."
She snorted and pushed open the gates as the elevator came to a stop on her floor, leaving him to follow. When she entered the apartment, she parked her bike then headed for her room to change, noting that it was just after 2:00 in the morning.
Alec grabbed her elbow. "Max, what made you come and get me?"
"I knew you were innocent." she stated simply, pulling her arm from Alec's grasp. "I already told you that."
"That's not what I meant." Alec persisted, "You could have left me there and had one less troubled Transgenic to worry about." he cocked an eyebrow.
"You almost sold me out to White once. I figured you were out of get-outta-jail-free cards." she retorted.
She missed the look of recrimination etched in Alec's face as she turned her back on him and headed to her room to change.
"I'm not that person anymore, Max, and I wish you'd realize that." he whispered into the room.
Taking off her jacket, her pager dropped out of the pocket and she remembered that the batteries had died shortly after she left the hospital. She was pretty sure she had some extra in the kitchen. She'd replace them in a little while. For now she wanted the peace and quiet.
She stopped in the bathroom, splashed some cold water on her face, composed herself, then returned to the kitchen feeling slightly better. She grabbed the coffee pot and began to brew the synthetic blend, missing the real stuff she was able to get at Logan's. She decided to avoid Logan, and keep him farther then arms length from now on. It was just too dangerous. If she killed him…
"So how's Logan doing?" Alec asked, his timing seemed perfect as always.
"Let's just avoid that topic right now, okay?" Max said, dodging the question effectively.
"He's okay, right?" Alec said not letting the subject drop as quickly as she wanted.
"Joshua transfused him. Him and Original Cindy are at the hospital. Can we talk about something else now?" Max felt the irritation bleed into her voice. Right now it was just too painful to bring up her issues with Logan.
Without anything else to keep the conversation going, Alec, began to ask about Ben. The guilt poured through her in waves. The feelings she had been repressing for almost a year seemed to overwhelm her. The what-if's had crossed her mind for a long time after the incident.
Surprisingly, she found herself telling Alec things that she hadn't shared with anyone, even Logan. Thinking about that, she wondered why she never told Logan. Because you didn't want him to see you as any more of a monster then you already felt like, her mind chimed in once again. When they started to get closer, Ben had never come up. Now that the damn virus kept them apart, she didn't think there was a reason to pour anymore salt and lemon juice on the already throbbing wounds. Logan would hate her enough when this was all over.
With the exception of the brown-out, the night was uneventful. Max and Alec talked for almost three hours, until he started to doze off. She was pretty sure that Alec came to the realization that she saw him like Ben used to be for her, a brother. Most of the shit she put him through was just what Logan had speculated: spats and sibling rivalry. Even though she didn't grow up with Alec, they acted like a brother and sister.
Alec eventually fell asleep on the couch leaving Max to be alone with her thoughts. She wondered when Original Cindy would be home. She was probably still pissed that Max had taken off. One more person I keep hurting. Max thought bitterly as she sat on her bed.
The darkness had settled in and the candles flickered softly as the air blew through the poorly insulated windows. Max thought about how things were the first year with Logan. His words after dealing with gossamer crept into her mind. That year we wasted, dancing around each other, afraid of actually admitting how we felt... If I had that time back, I would do that so differently.
Logan hadn't heard her say that she loved him too. She regretted not stopping him or saying it louder, but she hoped that her silence might make it easier on him. Her mind spiraled back to the last moments in the car. The way he kissed her… The few times they had kissed it had been like a fire running through her. She wanted so much more of him. He was the contradiction of giving and demanding, hard and soft, open and restrained.
She flopped back onto her bed and closed her eyes. Her treacherous mind had kept playing images from the past year and a half. It was like being back at Manticore and forced to watch the training. Only this time she didn't want it to stop. It was all she had left of Logan. She had to give him up, for his own safety. She hated how unfair it was to either of them, that they never even got a chance.
Somewhere in her thoughts she fell asleep and dreamed…
The sun was nearly blinding. Her feet were bare and she was standing on a soft sand. When her eyes adjusted she found herself on a beach with pristine waters and beach for miles. Tropical trees dotted the landscape. Glancing in both directions she found herself alone, but could feel another presence close by. In the sand she found her name written and underneath it was Logan's. Only Logan's name was half-erased by the water, only allowing the tops of the letters spelling his name to be seen clearly.
"Hello?" Max said softly. Wondering if Logan was the presence she felt, she chanced calling his name. "Logan?" her voice gained some strength. "Where am I?"
The silence was resounding. She might have thought she was deaf if it weren't for the sounds of the waves pounding on the shores. Hating the inaction Max spun on heel to her left and began to walk. She walked for what felt like hours, but found herself in the exact same spot that she started.
When Max looked at the names scrawled in the sand she found that both names weren't carved this time, but raised as though impressed from underneath. The bottom half of Logan's was still missing, but it looked as if it was trying to peak through.
A shrill beep startled her out of her ponderings and the world around her spun.
Max woke up in her bed. The power had come back on and the answering machine beeped shrilly to let her know there were messages waiting to be heard.
"MAX!" Alec's voice groaned from the living room. "Would you turn that damn thing off!"
"Coming," she uttered softly, throwing back her covers, the remnants of the dream still flickering at the edges of her mind. When she got to the counter she saw that there were five new messages and hit play.
Max, it's Sketchy. Listen ol' buddy and pal. I really need your help wi-
beep
"Not even going there today Sketch." Max said as she hit the erase button. Max grabbed a mug and turned on the heat under the left-over coffee, twirling the mug idly as she listened to the messages.
Max, it's Cindy. You home, boo? If you're ignoring me, so help your genetically revved ass… Listen, Call me at the hospital.
Beep
Boo, where the hell are you? It's like one in the morning. You need to call Original Cindy like now.
Beep
I guess you're still out doing God knows what. You need to call me at the hospital. In case you don't know the number it's 236-555-988-71655.
Beep
Max. This is the last time I'm trying. It's like two AM, you ain't returned any of Original Cindy's calls or pages. You need to get your ass down here like now. I'm still at the hospital and things are not all good! Get over yourself and get down here! Logan's got some big problems!
A crash sounded in the kitchen as the mug Max was holding shattered to the floor. Alec heard the last message and looked up from his place on the couch to see the terror etched in Max's face as the ceramic pieces skittered across the floor.
"Oh God!" Max let out as she scrambled to her room to throw on clothes.
Please R&R - I really hope it was okay!