Okay answering a question for X52-599 the rest of you can go along to the story. I don't know if Zack will be in this story or not, I've thought about it a few times and I haven't decided anything about that yet. I was actually going to make Cale into a mini-Zack, but then I decided that was just a little too much. And yea that whole barcode thing, I don't think Max and Logan really expected the whole world to find out that soon about transgenics, I mean hey a barcode tattoo when you already don't remember can easily be said to be something you did while you were drunk (removing it only lasts for a couple of weeks). I think he had all of his strength back, besides from his arm and that should have been healed within a few months I believe they said. Thanks for reading, I look forward to your story and welcome to Dark Angel, doesn't it just pull ya in? I was seriously depressed when the end credits rolled on Freak Nation, I wasn't ready for them to go yet, I'm guessing you weren't either.

Chapter 21

Hey…

"Hey Max can you give these to Logan?" Alec said as he extended his hand which contained a clipboard full of papers.

She glared, what the hell! Did this guy think she was his secretary?

He gave her the patented cocky Alec grin, "Pretty please?"

She shook her head and sighed as she took the board from him and made a face at Cale who was playing on the floor who giggled as she started walking towards the office that Alec and Logan had originally used as a bedroom at the start of the siege.

He looked up and over as the door opened, his deep attention to the numerous papers scattered in front of him broken.

She admired him sitting there in the swivel chair that no longer rolled, but was actually propped up by a few paperbacks where a wheel was missing. He was wearing a fitted navy blue tee shirt and jeans and his hair almost completely free of product, he'd kept on keeping it cut short and his face scruff-less for once. She'd never met anyone who looked so good in just a pair of jeans, Logan was always the hottest to her when he was trying the least.

"Hey" she smiled

"Hey yourself" he smiled back, "Please don't tell me you're bringing me more work." his eyes dropped down to the clipboard.

"I have no idea what is it I'm bringing you…Alec's playing Normal today." she walked over and dropped the board down on the table before leaning up against it, just far enough away from Logan with his bare arms and hands…A rarity for either of them these days.

He looked down at the papers in front of him and then up at her, "I've missed you hovering over me as I work." he said with a teasing grin.

"I don't hover."

He raised an eyebrow looking at her. He laughed as he stood "The good news is now I can hover." he stood over her.

"Logan" she whispered, she'd missed him being this near, "You shouldn't be this close, you've got too much skin showing."

"Are you worried I'm suddenly going to lose my balance and fall?" he teased and pretended to fall towards her. She tensed up, there was no where for her to go, she was trapped in between him and the desk.

"Logan stop"

"Why?"

"Because it's not safe." she was saying the words even though she knew she didn't want him to go anywhere…Just to be close to him…

"What if I told you it was, would you want me to move then?" his eyes grew serious as they gazed down into hers.

She swallowed deeply, "What are you saying Logan?"

He didn't bother with words, he leaned in closer, cupped the back of her head and brought their lips together.

When he finally ended the kiss she looked up still completely baffled.

"Did you really doubt me? Did you really think I wouldn't find a cure Max? Did you give up on us Max?" he asked with his hand on the side of her face.

"If I'd really given up on us, I would have left along with Sam." She stayed because she couldn't leave him, she'd tried so many times, but in the end, she'd risk anything just to stay. He outweighed every other obligation she had, the most important member of her family by far.

"I love you so much Max." he said looking down at her.

"I love you too" she whispered, "I love you so much Logan. I won't fuck this up again…I swear."

He smiled and bent his head down, she lifted up to reach his lips. No more waiting, she thought, no more waiting ever…

He groaned as she deepened the kiss and her hands started to trail over his body. It was leaner than it had ever been, muscles even more defined by months of no excess and hard work. He pulled her closer, causing her to stand instead of lean on the desk as his hands found their way in under her shirt and rested on her waist. "I thought you were against the idea of a quickie." he smiled as he felt her fingers on his belt.

"We have the rest of our life to take it slow." she said looking up as she undid his belt.

He looked down and smiled, but he didn't say anything, he kissed her again deeply as his hands trailed further up her body.

"How about I help you with that?" she said breaking away and taking off her shirt in a single fluid motion.

His eyes darkened as he admired her.

She almost laughed, this was never how she expected to be with Logan. Standing before him with short blonde hair, in a pink bra and jeans, ready to make love with him on the floor of an office in a Toxic City and not in his plush spacious bed as she had dreamed of so many times.

"God you're beautiful" he said pulling her back.

Her hands slipped in under his shirt as he made love to her neck in a way she hadn't imagined possible, was it that all other guys were just clueless or was it they weren't Logan? His lips started trailing down her body and her hands moved to his hair, lips trailed down over her bra, then down her stomach, he smiled as he reached the waistband of her jeans. She smiled as he looked up and grinned. He undid the button, then slid down the fly before rejoining her fully standing. He kissed her again.

She laughed and toppled him to the floor. A phone started to ring as she was sitting on top of him looking down at his laughing face. She looked around, where was that coming from?

Her eyes opened and took in her quarters and Cale sleeping a few inches away from her. She felt her skin slightly damp, it felt like she'd been sleeping under a heat lamp. Heat, she realized…It had only been a dream…No cure…No Logan…

The phone rang again and she looked around the room trying to find the noise, she'd been too distracted to fully hear. She grabbed it and answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Max"

"Logan?"

"Yea, I didn't wake you did I? It's almost 7."

Max was still in a state of confusion, she barely even wondered why she'd slept so long. "What's up?" she asked automatically

"Just thought you might want to know, the national guard is being pulled back from the gates."

"Are you serious?"

"Yea just got a call from my guy in Washington, they finally decided this morning. They're going to be asking for a sit-down soon to try to work out some sort of agreement."

"Uh, that's great"

"Max, you don't seem as excited by this as I thought you'd be."

"It's just early. Not really awake yet."

He laughed, "I'll let you go then. I just wanted to share the news."

"Thanks."

She hit end on her cell and let her hand fall limply in front of her and for the first time ever Max cried while in heat and not afterward. Slow and silent tears. Until finally her body started to shake and her breaths became small gasps for air. She pulled her legs up to her body and buried her face in her knees. It was just a dream…He was never going to be hers again. That almost sense of peace that had come when she realized months ago that there would be no cure disappeared and the blinding pain of realizing she had to live her life without having him fully returned.