Title: The Muse

Name: Joy

Email: [email protected]

Rating: PG 13

Logan's Penthouse was warm and cozy the way she remembered as she opened and shut the door. She entered quietly, carrying her catchall full of her most important belongings. Logan was in the kitchen cooking, as always, "Max… that you?" His head turned to see the blonde before him that he knew so well. She dropped her bag to the side as he inspected her with his eyes.

"Nope," she said biting her lower lip. "Just me." Logan went to her instinctively, kissing her lips lightly, then enveloping her in his arms, just as he had a thousand times before. Their intimacy hadn't changed, even if everything else had. She looked into his crystal blue eyes the way she had for years, seeking approval and acceptance.

"What's wrong?" slipped passed his lips. He could tell, something wasn't right. Make up couldn't cover the deep dark circles under her eyes. // Samantha… Her eyes don't sparkle. Why? // "You're in a lot of pain, aren't you?" She nodded and then his mind knew why she had come to him.

Max was bored silly at close to one a.m. She had been to Crash, driven her motorcycle at breakneck speeds, and decided to hit Logan up for entertainment. She broke into his place hoping to sneak up on him at his computer, but was sourly disappointed that he wasn't there. Things had been going really well with them. They were edging closer to romance on a daily basis, as boundaries and personal fears began to dissipate. Tonight, in Max's mind, was merely about flirting, but the sight of a woman walking out of Logan's bedroom door wearing only the top half to a silk pajama set, changed Max's mood entirely.

Max focused on the woman's surprised face, before turning for the door. "Max…" the woman called out.

Curiosity got the better of her, "How'd ya know my name?"

"Since you're the only woman Logan mentions in letters or phone calls, I thought it was a pretty fair guess you would be the woman slinking around his apartment in the middle of the night… Agh…Don't get the wrong idea… I threw up all over the pants earlier."

Max looked at her quizzically but still moved into solider mode, "Well, I'm sorry your sick. I'm sure Logan will take good care of you," she said dripping with sweetness. "Just tell him I stopped by."

"Don't play that with me!" the blonde stated angrily.

"Excuse me!" Max said annoyed in fighting stance.

"I pose no threat to you so you can drop the 'tude… I'm not the enemy, military brat… I was Logan's girlfriend in high school. We've stayed friends over the years… He is being a good friend; that's all. I have no desire to revisit the past. You're still the queen bee of this hive…. K."

The woman's frankness impressed Max. //Maybe I'm closer to Logan's type then I thought… Wait… What am I thinking? // "Uh… Logan and I are just friends," Max said plainly.

"Right… That is why if you had laser beams for eyes, I would have been dead on sight… You don't fool me. Ya like him and he likes you," Sami responded, walking into the kitchen.

"Ya think?" // Why did I ask that? //

"Yeah… Ah…" Samantha began to writhe in pain for a few seconds. "Sorry. Tumors' really giving me fits tonight. Oh, I'm Samantha. Sam or Sami is fine… I was going to get some milk, then head back to bed. I'll send him out so you can talk. I'm not opposed to you making him squirm," Sam said with a genuine smile as she poured the milk. Max rewarded her with one in kind.

Samantha walked through the doorway of Logan's bedroom with the silhouette of Max behind her in the frame of the door. She climbed back into bed next to him. For all Sam had said, their closeness was hard for watch for Max, especially when he gathered Sami closer to himself.

"Loggie."

"Yeah?"

"Max is in the living room. I think she'd like to talk to you."

Logan's eyes snapped open and he saw the figure in the door. He scrambled from the bed as Sam tried to suppress the laughter that was escaping her lips. He made it to the door unaware that he was shirtless. He stumbled into the living room as Max backed up from the frame with a slight smirk. "Hi… Ah…" was all Logan could manage.

"Hi… Nice chest. Pushing that chair did your body good."

"Ah… Right," Logan looked around, headed back to his bedroom and grabbed a shirt quickly. "Ah, wh-what brings you by?"

"Nice cover."

"Huh?" he said groggily, "Uh, you met Sam."

"Yeah… Nice girl… I have to say I'm jealous though," Max said with an evil glint. "I mean when there is the possibility of me staying its always, 'the guest room of course.'"

"I - I didn't think you'd be open to the suggestion to sleeping next to me… Besides, its so I know when she is getting up because she's sick. I keep the hair out of her face and rub her back." Logan said a little more at ease with the situation.

"How sweet."

"It kind of is when you think about it," Logan said as his mind wandered. // Samantha under one arm and Max under the other. Heads on my chest. //

"What was that face? What were you thinking?" Max asked in annoyance.

"No rational man would answer that question."

"Oh, that good huh… I'm just wired, so I stopped by. She's having a rough night so I'll go…" Max said hoping he would stop her.

"Max… Uh, wait one second…" as he slipped back into the bedroom.

"What are you doing in here?" Samantha demanded.

"I was checking on you."

"The only woman you have been at all interested in, in months, is in your living room; she is ok with us; & came she came by to play. GO … I can throw up by myself for a while."

"You sure you're OK?"

"Logan, I'm dying but fine… GO."

Logan reentered his living room to find Max leaning against the couch. "Sam is going back to sleep, so if you want to play chess or watch TV, that'd be OK."

Max wrinkled her face, "I was hoping for something a little more active. Hey, how 'bout we try those legs at dancing?" she said with a twinkle in her eye.

"I've not done this for a while, so don't judge me too harshly."

"Well, I've never formally danced so no worries." Logan gave her one of his heart breaking smiles, that she could feel in her whole body. He went over to his electronic miracle to play some music, selecting some slow classical that would be easy to lead and follow to.

He stood before Max a little nervous, as he tentatively put his hand at the small of her back. Her top was to short so a couple of his fingers lingered on her bare skin. He really wanted to put his whole hand under her shirt, running his fingers over her back. Holding her this intimately would have to be enough tonight or he might go nuts. Once he was in the right position, he led Max around the room who seemed happy to be held close; rationalizing it was good for his legs, although it felt amazing to be in his arms. After a few songs, he had to take a breather to give his legs a rest so they sat down, drinking wine and talking quietly.

A loud crash from the master bathroom disturbed the serene moment. They couple ran to the bathroom to find Samantha on the floor. "Sam, Sam, … Come on, Sami, Samantha!" Logan started out quietly then shouting while shaking his friend. She had fallen and hit her head on the counter apparently. She was breathing and had a pulse but she was out cold.

"I'll call an ambulance," Max turned for to get the phone.

"No!"

"What? She needs to get to a hospital."

"She has a do not resuscitate order on her chart that her family will not honor," Logan sought Max's eyes for understanding. "That's why she's here. She's here to die the way she wants… Call Bling."

Max hurried to the phone and got Bling out of bed quickly to help. She watched as this man she respected and admired carried the body of a former love to his bed. She heard him quietly seeking solace in an unseen force, "Lord, please. Just a few days to say goodbye. That's all I'm asking, just a few days." With that a tear ran down his cheek and landed on Samantha's face.

Max cleared her throat before entering, "Uh… Bling is on his way."

"Thanks."

"I should go. You need time… alone," Max offered as Logan clutched the other woman for dear life.

"You don't have to go…"

"Yeah, I do, but I'll check on you tomorrow."

"Max, thanks for the dance. You are and incredible partner," Logan said with sincerity.

"You too…" Max said as she turned from the strange seen. He was an incredible partner she was realizing, in a variety of ways. She was seeing the fruition of his bond of love and commitment to another. She knew this would be very hard for him, but for the first time when he was hurting, he wanted her to be there. He wasn't hiding his pain from her.

Max could not comprehend what the death of Samantha meant to Logan. She was his first; his great lost love; his longest friend; his greatest lover; all and all his Muse. He had no clue what was to come but in the end he knew he would have to finally let her go and hope he was strong enough to continue. Max's presence in the midst of the confusion of his heart made things all the more surreal. She was coming closer to becoming his partner. The tension in his heart was released in a low wail of anguish as he tried to figure out how his life had become so complicated in a matter of hours. He gazed down at his tears upon Samantha's face, and once again he kissed her lips, hoping to wake Sleeping Beauty.

***********

There is more to come. The triangle is temporary, I promise.