CHAPTER 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel or any of it's characters.

Ok, I know I did a rush job on the last chapter, I was trying to get it up since it been about two weeks I got some time for this chapter so I'm going to use it. I want to thank all of you so far for your continuous reviews and suggestions.

Sorry for the spoon feeding information on the weapons... I didn't want you all to go Googlein' M240 and M203... so I added on the weapon's technical name after it. In the military we just us letters and numbers, we already know the names and stats of each weapon. (By the way, my personal favorite is the M16 M203 attatchment. That's a nice weapon right there.)

One more thing before I get to the story... I like to stick to the script when it comes to personalities and matching. So if I go astray with something let me know. My point of view with the Children of Manticore is basically the point of view Max has... they're siblings... so there will never be any pairings with transgenics, in any story of mine. Sorry, it just seems too weird.

P.S. 210 is Jondy- just in case you didn't know. I got her barcode from another story, and it seem to fit nicely. I wish I could remember the story I got it from... it deserves credit.

It was the second day and Logan hadn't gotten a minute of sleep, he couldn't even if he tried. Max's temperature reached 118 and she was in and out of consciousness, he kept her hooked to an IV gave her water when she would swallow, and fed her soup when she was conscious enough to chew. She had a seizure when she reached 115 and when he tried to give her milk to ease it, it backlashed terribly when she rolled over and threw up right next to him, he knew better next time than to give her dairy. But he worried about her now, she already went up to 118 and probably will rise more, what then? Maybe he should try to bring it down now before it got worse. He knew she could with stand more than the average human but that didn't mean it was good for her. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and she shivered profusely.

"Max... Max please wake up... Can you hear me? Max?"

"Logan?" She slowly opened her eyes, "What's going on? I don't feel good."

"Hey, don't worry you'll be alright. We had Sam over here and he bandaged you up, said he never seen someone come to him with so many injuries at once and still looking for more trouble like you do." He chuckled.

Max attempted a smile but failed. "Logan, it's cold can I get another cover?"

"Max your temperature is 118, maybe 119, we have to get it down I'm going to call Dr. Boran. Lay still ok?"

Max closed her eyes in response as he got on the phone,

"Dr Boran? Her temperature, it's 118 what do I do? She's sweating and shivering, I was up with her all night. Come over, please."

"Alright, I'm on my way." He said a little too casually.

Logan went to Max's side and put a hand on her forehead,

"Don't worry Max, he'll be right over. Can you speak?"

She nodded.

"Ok, now just hold on he'll be here soon."

"It's ok, Logan." She smiled, "This isn't real. When I wake up, I promise I'll come over and we can have dinner like we used to. Promise."

Her voice was just above a whisper and the fact that she couldn't tell what was reality and not scared him. "Max, just keep your eyes open."

"Ok. But I have to tell you something."

"What's that?"

"Alec and me... it's not true. I lied."

"I know, you told me, remember? At my apartment?"

"No, we were at my place. Ben, I told him about Ben. I was feeling so bad, I almost killed you, again." Her voice held the pain and she closed her eyes, "If I kill you how will I ever be able to live with myself? I can't."

"Max, stop." He said firmly, "Your not going to kill me."

"But Logan, don't you see?" She cut in, "I have to keep my distance there are no more miracles."

Logan checked the time, it's been almost fifteen minutes now so he waited and tried to get Max to keep babbling just a little bit more, anything to keep her conscious.

Her head felt clear, and her body felt rested, like she slept for a week straight. She sat up and looked at her arm, a clear liquid was going into her veins and she took the needle out and let it drop to the floor. Where was she? She looked to the door and threw the covers off only to find that she was in a hospital gown and bandaged under her chest and her leg in a splint. She hopped out the bed and onto the floor without the slightest sound escaping her all the while careful not to let her leg hit the ground.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Her heart leaped into her throat and a short gasp escaped her.

"Sorry," the dark skinned man with the deep masculine voice said, "Didn't mean to scare you."

She stared at him wordlessly and cautiously, the white lab coat was a dead give away to the fact that he was a doctor.

"My name's Dr. Boran, Logan should be back any second. He asked that I watch you while he stepped out. How are you feeling?"

"Like I shouldn't trust you." She retorted.

"I see you two met." A familiar voice said behind her.

Turning, she saw Logan and smiled broadly, "Logan..." then with curious look crossing her face she asked, "What's going on?"

"How about you lay down and me and Dr. Boran will explain everything, alright." He stepped towards her and she instantly took a step back and hit her leg, only a slight hurt expression crossed her and when he reached out his hand she jerked back further.

"I... I got it," she said without looking at him.

"Max, how much of this do you remember?" Dr Boran asked.

"Where's Sam?" She asked Logan with a distrustful look at the doctor.

"He'll be here in a little while. You and Dr Boran should talk. Don't worry, he's a good man, now what do you remember?"

With a slight hesitation she said, "Well, not much... just a dream really, I guess I had. That's all"

"What dream?" He asked, knowing all too well that the events that occurred while she regained consciousness might have seemed like a dream to her.

"Well," she began slowly, "I remember you and White talking about Ray. He tried to get me to give the location but I didn't... You were there, and Alec... I think White gave me a hallucinogen I can't really remember the reality from the hallucinations."

"Keep going, no matter what you think just say what you remember." Logan encouraged.

"You and him were arguing, and you grabbed my hand, but that's impossible cause of... you know. Then... I think I saw Ace, but even that I don't think was real, I haven't seen him since before the escape. I don't know, you and Alec and then you helping me into a house... It's all jumbled I don't really remember everything clearly."

Max bowed her head trying to recall all of the events but some of the memories just didn't make sense to her and telling Logan about some fantasy dream of him grabbing her hand and telling her that everything was going to be alright seemed dumb and stupid of her to have, not to mention embarrassing. Speaking of embarrassing, she thought again who dressed her and rescued her out of White's cell, and bandaged her up and put her in the gown, she hoped to God it was Dr Boran.

"Max, I have a lot to explain to you." Logan breathed. "White would do anything to get Ray back and I no choice but to bring him in. When I saw your bike, totaled and what he did to you I knew I had to risk Ray and come to get you. I had Mole and the others set up a plan to fight off the familiars and give me and Alec enough time to get you. We brought you extra clothes and I saw why White had been so interested with you. The markings on your stomach and legs..."

That ruled out the question who dressed her, not only did Logan but Alec as well, how humiliating.

"Sandeman is trying to tell you something and it seems to me that his message is almost complete. You didn't imagine me grabbing your hand, that was real, and I did tell you everything would be okay, because I knew it would be. Ace? He was there too, after Alec and I dressed you," He saw her face flush slightly and she looked down almost shamefully, why was beyond him, she was too beautiful to be ashamed of herself or self concious. He decided to not acknowledge her reaction and continue, "we got you in Ace's car and came here. We're in a safe house just outside the city, Mole had three X5s who are "undercover" set this up, it's nice. We took time to disinfect some of your wounds and he bandaged you up. He said that your ribs and leg will be fine in a week or so to just take it easy, and you sprained your ankle possibly but that should be ok in a matter of days. The only thing we had to wait on was your fever, it reached almost 122 before Dr. Boran here could put it down. The only thing that worked was a cold bath and boy was that hard to do with you kicking and screaming, I never felt so bad. But the fever went away and your blood work just came through not too long ago, your clean. I thought it might be best if you slept a little longer than you normally would cause of the whole ordeal."

Max's heart rate seemed to kick up a few notches because of something her heart was trying to tell her but her brain couldn't understand the message. What did he mean by clean? Her blood work came back clean? Did that mean the fever? No... she concluded, the look on Logan's face was saying that this was even bigger than a killer 122 degree fever.

"What are you talking about?" She asked trying not to look too expectant even though the answer was clear now.

"The virus Max... your clean." Logan went to sit next to her but she moved over.

"No, that's impossible," her voice sounded almost accusingly.

"Yes, it is. That blood sample I took from you, Max remember? Dr Boran here made a virus to target yours, and I carried it. When I grabbed your hand back at White's that was the begining. The fever was to kill the one I gave you, it was your body's natural response to the infection. We're ok now aren't we? I mean in a couple of weeks what's that to almost a year?"

She looked over at Dr. Boran who bore an identical smile to Logan's, "What made you so smart to kill this thing? How do I even know it's really gone?" She said trying to soften her tone.

"I have some explaining to do for you, Max..." He said taking a seat. "I'm highly recognized on boards as one of the best geneticist in the world. I've studied at some of the top labs money can buy and worked on some of the most exclusive, top secret projects in the world... including Manticore."

She sat back and looked at him with too many emotions to distinguish a true feeling, but kept her mouth shut. She couldn't keep some of the childhood images from her mind...spy... enemy... adversary.

"I told Logan here everything before giving him the other virus he wouldn't dare risk your life for anything." This did not seem to ease her and Logan knew that, it seemed that Dr Boran got the message too, "I was one of the techs that did the in vitro work on the embryos my partner and I, Sandeman."

"You know Sandeman?" She asked surprisingly.

"Yes, a hard working man as I remember. We worked on ours together. We had your barcodes to imprint into your genetic code, and we decided to make ours similar so they could have something in common. All of you had basic standards that we had to imprint into your system, then it was up to us to add on any necessary battle productive enhancements we thought you might need. Some of you could naturally hold your breath for nearly ten minutes before coming up for air, or be quick and agile. Sandeman and I thought it might be a good idea to make ours have the ability to stay up for days for those long missions, you two could keep each other company on night watch together while the others got some rest. I knew if your last three was 452 then you were his project, mine came out a female too but she was blonde and had blue eyes. Sandeman took such a long time to finish his work on you. Then your mother who started to back out of the idea of giving you up. She tried running away but was apprehended not too long after and you were taken at just seven months long. They stitched her up and let her recover before sending her to a psychiatric facility."

Max couldn't contain the emotions from showing on her face and just stared determinedly back at him. "Do you know where?"

"We'll get to that in a moment." He said and continued. "Well, Sandeman stuck around for a few years to watch you grow into a small child, then they sent in Lydecker to commence your training and take over all of you. He was supposed to supervise you and work on you when need be but he up and left one day before anyone knew, asked me to watch you and keep you safe, he said you were important to him and that one day you would be special to all of us. He didn't say anything further and I had to take over his and mine. I did double the work for years until both of you escaped and when you did they transferred me out."

"We... which one of us did you work on?" She asked although she had a slight idea of who it was.

"Her last three was 210. She was almost like your equal... you two were just like the others but could stay up for days. I don't know her name though... it was forbidden to call you it, but believe me or not, I looked out for her and you later on... as best I could."

"Jondy..." She said to herself remembering her sister, they were the only two that could stay up for long periods of time. "What about my mother... did you know her?"

"Like I said, you were Sandeman's project, so he knew where she went and her condition, but I did get her name, I'll send it to Logan once I get out of here. Sorry to say but that will have to be now, I hope I made a big difference for you and Logan here, I was hoping to it make up to you somehow and I hope I did in some small way. Maybe one day I'll run into Jondy... I'd love to see how she turned out, I'll bet she's just as beautiful as you, and just as good and successful. I'll keep in touch, and if I hear anything on Sandeman I'll tell him to give you a call."

She couldn't think of anything else to say so instead she looked at Logan, who had stayed silent the entire time, for an answer.

"Uh, doctor before you go, can I speak with you outside? I'll be right back, Max how about you rest a little." Logan smiled slightly.

They walked out leaving Max to think about all that he told her. She wondered if everything after this would be alright... she wasn't sure but she trusted Logan and what ever he had in mind must be what he thought was best. In a few more moments Logan returned and sat beside her grabbing her hand, her heart skipped a beat from excitement, and she jerked it back.

"Sorry... I'm not used to..." she trailed off.

"Don't apologize..." He said softly, "You will be soon." He stuck his hand back out to her.

Slowly she put hers back in his and he placed the other on top and she tried to keep the heat in her cheeks from being so noticeable. She smiled at him uncertainly,

"This is nice."

"Yes it is, and we can talk and hang out until you feel better just let me know what you want to do..." He said staring very deeply at her.

He was so intense sometimes and it seemed that he could always get out what he wanted to say before she could. She wanted so badly to tell him how she felt, but something always kept her back, and she realized slowly that maybe Alec was right, she was a chump, especially when it came to Logan.

"Logan, there's something I really want to tell you, there are a lot of things that I want to say... I just don't know how to..." She said slowly removing her hand from his.

"Max, don't force yourself to say anything you're not ready to. Every thing's fine now just take your time and rest, ok? I'm going to get us a ride back to my place and once we get there I'm sure you'll be starving-"

"I'm starving right now," Max smiled.

He laughed, "I figured that I'll be back soon I'm going to call Alec to get us that ride."

Max laid back and looked around the room, it seemed so nice to be a safe house. She heard Logan talking in the next room and just relaxed for a while. It wouldn't be long before they were back to his house and things could get back to the way they used to be, like before.

As the weeks went by what Sam and Dr Boran said were true, she was completely healed and had a clean bill of health. Logan received her mother's name and was working on the location of her whereabouts and anything else he could pull up on her, he promised he'd give her everything he had on her once he had it. She only stayed at Logan's for a short time until she went back to Original Cindy and her place where she finished healing and getting well.

"So Boo," Original Cindy said in her usual savvy voice, "You going to Logan's? I mean you ain't broke or nothin' no more, that virus bitch is gone and you two can finally get some alone time to-"

"Original Cindy." Max jumped in before she could finish the next word, "We just got back in to things I just want to take it slow... it's been a long year."

"I think any slower and you'd be going backwards, and I know you don't want that to happen. Aight Boo, you just take it easy, Original Cindy's goin' to Crash, she met her a nice lil' chica to kick it with and don't want to be late. I'll see you lata' gurl."

Max threw on her jacket and added the hoodie and shades to go along with it, at least this way she looked more discrete and less noticeable. Without her bike she had to rely on her catburgler skills to score a car and it only took her almost two minutes to find and drive her new temporary ride to Sector 9 and leave it blocks and blocks from his apartment. She decided to drop through the skylight for old times sake. She dropped the jacket, hoodie, and shades in the guest bedroom before sneaking up on Logan who was just finishing dinner.

"Smells good in here." She said.

"I hoped it would by the time you got here. Sorry I made you get here the hard way, but I wanted to surprise you and have dinner ready all at once. I'm only one man." Logan said handing her a glass of wine.

"Surprise me? Your cooking never fails to surprise me." She said taking a sip.

Logan laughed, "No, not that kind of surprise. It's outside, I thought you might like it. Hope so anyway."

"How will I know what it is?" She asked walking up to him now although a small part of her still wanted to take a step back she fought that feeling though.

"You'll see it, tell me what you think." He said rather coyly.

She smiled and went outside quickly to see what he had given to her, and in the middle of all her guesses she didn't have to second guess once she laid eyes on it- a brand new 2015, 300R, jet black Kawasaki Ninja sat right out front. Before she wondered how he got it or even thought about returning such an expensive gift... she squealed in excitement and ran right up to it,

"Oh my God..." She said almost breathlessly, "Hello, how are you?"

She ran her fingertips along the sleek black exterior, checked the gas and the mileage, and hopped on for the feel, there was no doubt in her mind- she was definitely keeping it. It was time to go thank the man that not only saved her life once, but countless times but who was also making her dinner and loved her unconditionally. She didn't know how she could ever show him the love that he showed her, how could she make up for the past year? The pain she caused? She wasn't sure, but she was determined to try.

"Logan!" She cried, "I love it!" She jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly knocking him off balance a little.

"Whoa, Max." He laughed, "I thought you might. Come on dinner's ready, let's eat."

Dinner was no surprise either the soft classical music entertaining the backround, the dimmed lights and candles lit the apartment, but instead of the usual two helpings she stuck to one, knowing that she needed her stomach to be light for what was to "maybe" come. It wasn't that she expected anything or wanted anything to happen real bad, it was just her trying to plan for a future possibility. Yeah, she concluded, I'm just being prepared. I'm not expecting anything or want something to happen, I'm just being prepared. Besides, Logan looks tired, too tired to talk and hang out or do anything but have dinner and call it a night. Maybe he has some big Eyes Only case he has to do and that's what we'll discuss before he sees me tomorrow...

"Max." Logan said interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes?" She cleared her throat.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah," she said unable to look at him, taking another sip of wine. "Everything's fine right?"

He scooted next to her setting his glass down and hers down too, "Max," he lifted her chin to his forcing her to look him in the eyes.

She hoped to God that he couldn't see right through her, and remembered happily that he couldn't hear her heart hammering against her chest this very moment.

"We can go how ever fast or slow you want to. I waited for you this long... I just don't want to ever lose you again. I... I love you."

He leaned in and kissed her before she could back away or even realize he did it. The kiss was tender at first like he waited for her to respond to kiss back, and when she did ever so slightly he deepened it. Her emotions swelled within her and it took all of her not to back out like she did countless times before. He finally ended it and held her chin softly,

"You don't know how much you mean to me, Max."

"Logan," she said keeping the tears at bay, "I love you too."

They kissed once again and she vaguely remembered the events that followed right after but what she did remember was the soft piano music coming from the stereo, the lighted candles in the bedroom, and the silky bedroom sheets and covers that enveloped her skin. It was perfect, almost like a dream, she only saw him and his perfectness before her. He had to have felt the same, she knew he had to. By the time the next cd was in mid-play they laid together for the rest of the night and before she realized it the sun was up and she was laying on his chest. She hadn't fell asleep peacefully in a long time, it was a nice change and she felt well rested.

"Morning," Logan smiled down at her his arm around her shoulder.

"Hey... how long was I out?" She felt rested and a little self conscious now that she saw she was hidden only with a sheet.

"Since the end of the second cd from last night. You look beautiful."

"Logan, it's too early for quirks. I'm hungry, you wanna feed me, or are we just going to lay here starving?"

"I'll see what I can wrestle up." He kissed her before pulling on a pair of pajama pants and making his way to the bathroom.

By the time he was in the kitchen cooking she had hopped in the shower and recollected the events from the previous night. They had finally been able to share the love they had for one another and she was not going to back out now. She was determined to make it work between them and maybe now they could share a normal relationship and a normal life.

How could anything be more perfect? Sure the protesters were still outside of the gates of Terminal City, and they were still low on supplies and she lived off of Logan and her nifty ability to acquire other people's items so she could fence them for some money, but her and Logan were right where she wanted them to be and she loved him now more than ever. White was more pissed about losing Ray a second time that he swore to her a very painful and long death, and promised no less for Logan as well. He didn't know where he lived and she hoped it stayed that way. That was the last encounter she had with him and it was through a one time hacked message on their very poorly set up television set. As the others laughed it off, her and Alec knew better than to take White as a joke. Alec put an arm around her and told her that everything would be all right, but she doubted that highly. She figured she might just want to keep her head low and out of the spot light for a while and just let the whole thing blow over. Besides, she got what she wanted- the virus gone and her and Logan an item. She figured she'd hang with Original Cindy for awhile then head over to Terminal City to come up with a plan with Joshua, Alec, Mole and the rest of them, besides she really wanted to see Ace again. Only tomorrow would know what it would bring, she wasn't sure how she should feel about it but she was determined to face it either way.