Statements: Without a doubt I need to sit down with some DA episodes next week when I get the chance. These characters are way too foreign to me after two months away (Eee and not seeing an epi for at least 6 months, haha and that was me watching Logan fall about a dozen times to get that part of this story right, so not really an episode). That also being said first half is from over two months ago and inside the apartment is from now. So if there isn't a mesh between the two that's why.

Thanks for the killer reviews last time guys.

Testing the Waters

Streets of Seattle:

Something had been plaguing her since she'd first headed out with Original Cindy almost two hours ago and two trips back to Jam Pony. The 'six months' comment.

What exactly had those last two nights been?

Had she just been a willing body?

'Not like you put up much of a fight girl,' that nagging voice pointed out, 'hell you practically pounced on him.'

Had it all just been because she was there?

"Something wrong boo?" Cindy asked pounding down the cement stairs to Max and their bikes after making a drop off.

Her head shook.

"Sure about that one?"

"Yea," she nodded, "I need to go check on something, I'll meet you back at work."

"Something being a six foot, green eyed something?"

"He's six two," she conveyed with a brief smile.

"You sure it's all good?"

"Always," she smiled, "haven't you been listening to Herbal?" her voice light and joking.

"Anything you say Sug, see ya back there," Original Cindy nodded, not at all believing her friend.

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Fogle Towers

"What are you doing?" she asked herself aloud as the elevator started its climb.

"What are you going to do walk into his apartment and ask, 'Hey'd you just fuck me cause I was there?'"

"And now you're talking to yourself, this is not a good sign," her head shook as her eyes lowered.

Gonna look pathetic, she thought to herself, hoping this was like many other days where the cameras were somehow busted and no one was watching this waiting to give her a smirk on her return trip down to retrieve her bike.

The problem was she didn't actually care about them, but about the one she was going to see now. She'd just left a matter of hours ago and now she was turning up again? Desperate, clingy, in short pathetic.

She should turn around now. Yet she stayed on.

'Come on, you can do this. Turned up at his place plenty of times before just because you missed him.'

Shit, she'd missed him.

Not good. Not good.

Then came the ping and the doors opened. She stared straight ahead for a moment, not even realizing she was supposed to move.

--------------

His door opened in a matter of seconds under her skilled fingers, he'd offered her a key, but she'd turned it down. Hadn't wanted anything they could trace back to Logan in case they found her. Of course a quick sweep of her room would pretty much guarantee that they would or a five second conversation with anyone she worked with…

Bling's instructions reached her ears first and she let out a sigh of relief knowing she wouldn't be quite so 'on the spot.' " Logan I want to see your knee almost touching the floor."

"Shouldn't we be working on more important things than my ass?"

Max smirked to herself, at the comment itself and how very 'un-Logan' it was.

"Lunges work more than your glutes Logan," she could hear the dry humor in Bling's voice, "maybe if you're not feeling that we should increase your weights."

"The ball's just fine," Logan's slightly strained voice replied.

"That's what I thought and maybe you shouldn't be complaining about working your ass. Spent the last six months sitting on it."

'What a damn fine ass it is though,' she thought to herself.

She shoved the door back so it slammed into the frame, "Hey," she called out and started walking, just forward so they wouldn't know she already knew their direction.

"In the living room," Logan called out and stood tossing the medicine ball Bling had been inflicting on him onto the couch.

"Any chance I can grub some food? Normal's on a warpath and I'm not allowed a break," she walked in with a carefree smile.

He returned it, slightly sweat soaked in a pair of white and navy basketball shorts and a black tee shirt, he made an unexpectedly appetizing sight.

"Yea well if you're anything like this one," Bling began rolling his eyes as he smiled, "I can't say I blame your boss today."

" Logan being a bum?" she asked with arms crossed as she leaned against the wall.

"He's been fine, once I managed to get him out of bed that is, it was like trying to wake a kid for school."

"Yea," she smiled directly at Logan, remembering not only to having drag him out of bed, but convince him to let her to leave it, "I can see that happening."

He smiled back.

"Okay you're useless," he shook his head at Logan, "you've done everything major. Try to finish once Max leaves. I don't think you want any replays of the other night."

Logan frowned being reminded of that, but days had passed without another incidence, he was sure it was fine. "Will do," he nodded, "thanks for coming. Sorry about this morning."

"Try your alarm tomorrow Logan or tell me if I need to start giving you wake up calls too."

"Will do," he nodded.

"Bye Bling," Max smiled.

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"You got in trouble," she smirked like a child after they stood there simply smiling and staring at each other until they heard the click of the door signaling Bling's departure.

"You're one to speak," he joked back.

"Hmm yea, but I tried to get out of bed this morning, you…'

"I had my priorities in order?" he offering with a teasing look.

His priorities?

As soon as that thought started to warm her it was replaced with another. Was she the priority or was it simply sex?

"So food," he said tapping the chair he was propped up against as he pushed away from it, "I haven't done a very good job of that this weekend have I?"

"Good thing the weekend's over," she said with a turn of her heel to lead the way. 'Shit, did I just say that?' She turned back, "Not that…Just that whole lack of food thing…"

He chuckled and nodded as a hand ran over the back of his neck, "I know what you mean."

An inward sigh of relief. "So food?" she asked more than willing to move this conversation back onto steady ground despite her earlier intentions.

"Food," he nodded and once more headed towards the kitchen.

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"How much time do you have?" he asked as he perused the contents of his fridge.

"Around negative five minutes," she offered looking at his clock pretty sure OC would have made it back there already and Normal would be chomping at the bit for her.

"Ah so this is a snatch and run," he said grabbing the stack of cold cuts he tended to keep handy.

"Don't knock the snatch and run, it's a classic," she said hopping up on a stool.

He turned with the food in hand, "I'm a few flights up for the classic snatch and run."

Shit, shit, shit. Hell of a lot easier to grab food street level.

"Yea," she said answering him unperturbed, "but considering the state of my wallet at the moment, it would have had to actually been a snatch and run."

He smiled, as always amused by her more than anyone he'd ever met. "So turkey, ham, swiss?" he asked moving to go grab what he was guessing was a slightly old loaf of whole wheat bread since he'd missed his normal shopping this weekend.

"Hmm," she murmured thinking about it, "let's go all out and go with all three since I didn't get breakfast this morning either."

"I need to get you some power bars don't I?" Logan chuckled to himself as he slathered on the mayo, part for Max's tastes, part to soften the bread and drown out the stale taste.

"Huh?"

"Power bars, energy bars?" he said knowing some form of those bars still existed out there.

"Meal replacement in the form of a chalky rectangle? Been there, done that, no thank you," she rolled her eyes. Did that mean there would be more missed meals in the future?

He laughed once more as he quickly put together her sandwich, "So what are your plans tonight?" he asked forcing an ease that wasn't coming naturally.

"Told my girl I'd hit up Crash with her since I was MIA this weekend," she lied, not wanting to just be a warm willing body.

"Oh," he continued making the sandwich unaffected.

"Why what's up?" she leaned back a bit in her stool.

"Thought I'd make up for my poor manners this weekend and offer you dinner."

"Could always hit up Crash with us," she found herself suddenly offering.

He paused and looked up, "I've tasted their coffee, I don't think I want to taste their food."

"Just as well they don't serve it then, we could pick up a pie though, nothing better than pizza and beer."

He looked up with eyebrows raised.

"It's at least top ten," she corrected with a nod.

He laughed.

"So what do you say?"

"What time?" he asked slicing her sandwich in two.

"Meet me after work, I'll ride with you?"

"Sounds good."

"You gonna bail on me again?" Shit, shit, shit, how did these things keep coming out of her mouth?

"I don't recall bailing on you last time, I said I'd try to make it. I'm a lot swifter on my feet now if you haven't noticed."

Oh she'd noticed.

Suddenly a wrapped up sandwich was being dropped down next to her and Logan was standing in front of her.

"So I'll see you after work?" she asked looking up and ordering herself to breathe. How does his sweat smell good?

"I'll be there, I'm looking forward to finally experiencing Crash properly after hearing you talk about it all the time."

Her head tilted and she looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing," she shrugged.

His brow furrowed in amusement, "Worried I'll do something to embarrass you?"

Oh crap, she realized, her friends. No Logan definitely wouldn't be the one embarrassing her tonight. "Just doubtful you want to experience Crash properly," she replied with her original thought.

"Should I be scared asking why?" his lips twitched up.

Why is he so close? She mentally cursed, struggling to hold onto her thoughts, "Experiencing Crash properly isn't for the faint of heart."

"Oh really, what does it imply?" he took another step closer, his legs finally touching her own.

"Pissing on a street, having to be carried back to your place, luckily you don't have hair for me to hold back as you spend half the night regretting you were ever born, let alone dumb enough to drink and tossing up everything you've even just looked at in the past two weeks, then of course getting up and doing it again the next night."

His eyes opened a little wider in amusement and so did his nostrils, she noticed with a fluttering in her stomach that was making her wonder if she would be the one with her head in the bowl soon.

"I'll have to get back to you on that."

"Thought so," she smiled. You need to go Max, Normal? Remember him, pain in your ass that makes sure you can roam around this city as you please?

"So after work?" she repeated.

"I'll be there."

Now the question is will Original Cindy find out how Max knows Sketchy's size in the next chapter…. :-P

(I love imagining the chorus of "Noooo." Now for those who want to know, Max answered it in this one, just got to have paid attention).

Thanks for reading guys!

If you're curious I think 'Attempts at Living' will be up next since for the life of me I keep writing 2 chapters ahead of the current chapter of 'Embedded.' I swear chapter 34 is out to get me.