SETTING: After Shorties in Love, but before Pollo Loco.
DISCLAIMERS: Is this really necessary? Come on. You know I own nothing.
FEEDBACK: That button at the bottom of the page is there for a reason. If you want, you can also email me.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This fic is dedicated to my fellow Max/Logan shippers. My fellow MW fans might get a kick out of it too. ;)
___________________________________________________________________
Four days.
He hadn't paged her in four days.
Why hadn't he called?
It was just as well, Max reminded herself. Her Ninja had been out of commission for those four days, thanks to a refinery fire. The usual gas shortage was bad enough--why did things like this have to happen just when her gauge hit E? For the fiftieth time she kicked herself for letting it get so low. That's what happens when you spend all your time eating dinner by candlelight instead of doing what you need to do. It's done you good to spend some time away from Logan's.
Still, the fact that he hadn't called bugged her. Eyes Only must have been having a slow week. That she didn't mind; she did mind his never calling just to talk. I know he's not the most verbose person in the world, but come on, a girl's gotta have something. Was she going to have to remind him again how rude it was to only call when he needed something? He'd been doing so much better about that, too.
Original Cindy walked into their apartment and caught Max muttering under her breath. "S'matter, boo?"
"Ahhh...nothing. Frustrated 'bout my baby." Max hoped the fact that she was on the floor polishing her Ninja when she said this would convince Original Cindy she was telling the truth. She wasn't in the mood for lectures today. Or teasing.
"Well, you're in luck, 'cause guess who got word there's a line on Fremont?"
"A gas line?" That was enough to make her ears perk up.
"No. A conga line." Original Cindy leaned on the Ninja and winked at Max. "Sugar, go get your gas. I know you been dying to see your boy."
"Will you stop?" It wasn't the fact that Original Cindy was right that bothered Max. It was that annoying smirk on her face. "I really don't want to hear it. I just need some fresh air."
She stood up and brushed the dust off her pants. It didn't matter how many times Original Cindy called Logan Max's boyfriend. It didn't matter how badly Max wanted it to be true. He wasn't. Plain and simple.
He was, however, addictive. She needed to see him. Now.
********************************
...or maybe later.
The gas line was huge.
Great, she thought to herself. I got Logan on my mind and now I gotta wait around for ages while peeps fill up every can they have. Not like I have a choice though. Who knows when there'll be another batch available.
I could take a minute first and call him...
"Bling? Hey. Logan around?"
"Nope. He was gone when I got here. Must've been in a hurry today, 'cause the last few days he at least stuck around for a while before taking off. I don't even know where he's been going. Anyway, I'm on the way out the door myself."
"You're bailing in the middle of your shift? That's unusual." Logan had hired him for housework as well as for PT, and he took his job seriously. Sometimes Max wished she could afford to pay him to clean up her messes. Maybe that way she'd get the Manticore neatness streak out of her blood.
"My sister's having an emergency C-section. Just got the call."
"Oh. Hope everything's all right."
"Thanks, Max. I'll let you know how it goes."
She felt better for about two minutes after hanging up the phone and getting in line, but it wasn't long before the doubts crept in. So Logan had been leaving every day...and not talking to her...and not telling anybody where he was. What if he was seeing someone else?
Stop it, Max. He can see anyone he wants to. But she didn't believe herself for a minute. She'd be heartbroken if he started seeing another woman, even though he wasn't technically seeing her to begin with.
There had to be another explanation. He was off doing some Eyes Only stuff. Yeah. Although Max had to wonder what kind of mission was so important and so secretive that even she wasn't in the loop on it.
Maybe after I'm done here I'll go take a peek...see if he's got any files lying around. I miss his fridge anyway.
*******************************
Max called out his name upon breaking into his apartment, just in case he had returned while she was aging in line. There was no answer, though, and she proceeded to poke around.
The place was a mess. Max didn't pay it much mind. Like he'd said, Bling had been called to leave in a hurry. She grabbed an apple from the fridge and wandered around, stopping when she noticed the computer screen.
Funny...he left some files open onscreen. He never does that. He's too paranoid about the informant net falling into the wrong hands.
The other file was a blueprint. In seconds Max recognized it as a warehouse she had burgled a year or two back, located in a bad part of town. The guy must be storing the cheese there. I'll get a call in a day or two and wind up reacquainting myself with the building. Good to know I can plan my week around these Pierpont files, whatever the guy's dealio is.
Pierpont Lemkin?
Max's blood ran cold as the pieces fell into place. The messy apartment. The wide-open files. Logan being gone when Bling arrived. Somebody had busted in and finally gotten to Eyes Only!
Oh, God...please let him be all right...