Disclaimer: No infringement intended. Not affiliated in any way with anyone. Net worth is still a negative number. Nothing to sue here people, move along.

Author's note: I rather arbitrarily decided this takes place before Pollo Loco.

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Max awoke when the door bell rang.

"Hey. Thanks for coming by on such short notice," Logan said.

"Always happy to help. Although I must admit, I cannot imagine what you would need any of this for," said an unidentified female voice. Max immediately got out of bed. She was about to charge out there and confront this unidentified threat when she realized she left her clothes in the other bathroom.

"It's a very long story. To be blunt, I'm not really sure how much I can tell you. I don't really understand it myself."

"You're going to have to give me as much information as you can if I'm going to make any sort of diagnosis," said the unidentified female. Max wrapped a blanket around herself and blurred to the other bathroom.

"You'd better sit down. It goes without saying that this must remain completely confidential. Right?"

"Of course," said the unidentified female that was out there talking to Logan. Max never dressed so fast in her life. She left the bathroom to go and defend her territory, um, she meant Logan.

"How much do you know about recombinant DNA?" Logan asked.

"Not much. It's all highly theoretical." The woman sat on the sofa. She looked quizzically at Logan then slowly became alarmed as she watched Logan search for the right words. "Isn't it?"

Logan shook his head. Dr Shankar's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped. Max stalked into the room unnoticed. Eventually, Dr Shankar regained her composure. "I'd heard some pretty wild rumors but … you think someone is actually conducting experiments with human DNA?" It seemed far-fetched to Dr Shankar, but why else would she have been called?

"Yes. A covert government agency. Trying to create an advanced infantry soldier, a better warrior. They decided to start from scratch, manipulating DNA to create custom-made people. "

"What do you know? Do you have any proof?" asked Dr. Shankar.

"You could say that," Max said. Both Dr Shankar and Logan jumped.

"Dr. Shankar, this is Max. Max, this is Dr. Shankar. She's the medical examiner. She has been helping me, and Eyes Only, for years. You can trust her."

Max decided not to comment on the irony (?) of Logan telling her that she could trust Dr. Shankar with her big secret, when she obviously didn't know his. "I guess," Max said then she went to sit between Logan and this Dr. Shankar.

"So, what proof do you have?" asked Dr. Shankar.

Max laughed softly. "That would be … me."

"You're? But you're?"

"I know. I don't look like much of a soldier. What were they thinking?" Max made an exasperated gesture. "I was supposed to be this revved up girl. I'm … a mess." Max let out a bitter laugh and looked down. Logan reached out a hand to comfort her. The instant he actually touched her she pounced! It was only an instant; she stopped herself an inch from Logan's lips. Logan gasped and then Max dropped laying her head on his lap. "I'm … sorry," Max said quietly.

"What's wrong?" asked Dr. Shankar.

"Too much feline DNA in my cocktail. I'm in heat." Max sounded so lost. Logan hesitantly placed his hands on her and began to gently stroke her hair, hoping to sooth somehow.

Dr Shankar opened up her bag. "Oh. How do you know feline? A lot of species have extreme estrus cycles; humans, not having a noticeable one, are the exception."

Max purred.

Dr Shankar got over her shock relatively quickly. "Ok. I brought the veterinary reference, let's see which of these are feline safe."

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Max slept most of the next three days. Even when she was up, she was kind of subdued due to the cocktail that Dr Shankar gave her. Dr. Shankar was optimistic about using some variation of birth control pills to regulate her cycles, but it would take some experimentation to find out what dosage was required, and when. She had taken a blood sample to analyze, and was going to take another when Max was back to normal. Maybe they could whip up a cure for this after all.

Dr. Shankar gladly wrote Max a note describing the very scary feline fever that she had; then wrote another that she could actually give to Normal.

For once Max made it through her heat without being completely miserable or doing something she regretted.

By morning of the fourth day Max felt back her old self. She thanked Logan, promised to come by for dinner, and went home.

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Logan buried himself in his work. He didn't think Max was mad at him for anything he had done, although he did remember he'd confessed a desire for her, and a complete lack of the ability to do anything about it. Was she going to be too embarrassed to be around him now? As usual the only thing that gave him solace was throwing himself into Eyes Only. He was able to lose track of everything, his embarrassment, Max's potential embarrassment, Max's bare ass, and the time.

"Hey! You forget you invited me for dinner?" Max asked from in behind him.

Logan jumped. "No, I completely lost track of the time." He turned around to look at her. She was smiling at him. Logan was relieved that she wasn't mad; he smiled back at her.

"Can the downtrodden spare you for a few?" Max teased.

"I think so. I'll go get started on dinner."

"Cool." Max gave him her best smile and followed him to his kitchen. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she dared to ask.

She could see Logan stiffen, so she quickly added, "I know you don't need help. Usually everything is done before I get here, but …y'know I got nothing else to do. Assuming you trust me not to poison anything…or incinerate things." Logan just looked at her. "How much could I screw things up with your supervision?" She tried cajoling him; it worked.

He smiled and pointed. "There's a pot in under there."

Max smiled and helped him make dinner. Once dinner was in the oven Logan turned to Max. "So," he said. She laughed. He grinned and continued, "Dinner will be ready in about thirty five minutes."

"So," Max began teasingly. "I'm sorry about my behavior. I hurt you and I'm sorry."

"You didn't hurt me." Loganwas puzzled.

"You seemed pretty upset. When I … saw that you fell."

"It wasn't the fallen part." Max just stared at him. He let out a sigh and continued, "It wasn't just the fallen part. I'm not happy with the way …half of me looks so …it's embarrassing."

"No offence Logan, but I think my embarrassing beats your embarrassing on this one, but that's my fault."

"It is not your fault!" Logan insisted. "Max, you couldn't help what they did to you."

Max raised an eyebrow at him.

"And I'm working on that too." Logan realized that the main cause of his embarrassment was what they did to him.

"Anyway, I'm sorry. I never meant to upset you. My judgment was shot."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, or ashamed of. I know who you are, Max. You said some things you didn't mean." Logan tried to smile and put everything behind him.

Max frowned. "No. Actually, I didn't. I just said things I wouldn't have admitted. I mean, I know about your injury and what it has likely done to your … physical capabilities. I don't know what all that does to your sex drive, which is a psychological phenomenon, but I never would have thought that you would be even remotely interested in a …closer relationship with … well, a freak that escaped from a lab."

Logan had been shocked speechless, again. It was the only reason she got to finish. He got over it. "Max, come here," Logan implored as he opened his arms to indicate she should come very close indeed. She gladly crawled into his lap and buried her head in his shoulder. He embraced her and stroked her hair. "I can't," he finally said softly. "Max, I don't know what you want."

Max took his face in her hands and kissed him. "I want you, Logan Cale."

"I'm broken."

"I'm flawed. We don't have to be alone!" Max implored. "I don't want either one of us to be alone. I …Logan." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears and it was more than Logan could take. He nodded and embraced her. They sat there, holding each other, taking comfort from the mere touch of the other.

Eventually, Logan spoke. "So you've done research on spinal cord injuries?"

"Yes."

"So you know …?"

Max nodded. "Now that you've let Dr. Shankar in on my little secret, she can help figure out how to stop your body from rejecting my pluripotents. Or we could find another transgenic more like you or … something." Max had some ideas. "But for now, you keep saying that you can't, but you haven't told me what you want." Max bit at her lip nervously as she awaited his answer, on which so much depended.

"I want you but," Logan said sadly.

"You know there are some things that we could do …for now ... together. If you want to," Max offered nervously.

Logan kissed her. "You won't mind that …?" Logan was too embarrassed to continue.

"Logan, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. I know. Everything I want is right here. I just want to be with you."

Logan finally smiled. "There are a few things I could do." Logan hesitantly placed his hand on Max. He slowly slid his hand up her smooth stomach towards her breast, all the while watching her for approval.

She smiled. "Feel freely," she purred.

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The End ... of this story.