Disclaimer:

Disclaimer: As you read this next chapter... if your a fan of the former NBC/now TNT series The Pretender, you may come to read phrases taken from certain episodes of the show. Characters from the series do not belong to me. The same goes for the characters for "Dark Angel" except Daisy.

Notes: I'm loving all of your reviews. I appreciate it very much, and thank you for being honest. Some likes it, some are a little confused, and others are taken back... I love it.

Chapter 3: Christian

The same evening

Max's Crib

[Max comes home from her side trip to Father Destry's church. Tired, she removes her jacket and heads to the bathroom. A second passes by and she senses she isn't alone. Alert she looks around]

Voice: Max

Max: [Scurries around] Logan

Logan: I'm sorry if I scared you

[Logan's voice matching the sound of a young boy scared.]

Logan: [his voice cracking] help me

Max: What do you need? [Assuming it's another one of his Eyes Only Missions]

Logan: [Looking straight into her eyes] no... I mean... help... me. I need to take you somewhere

Around a half hour or so later

[Logan drives Max to the place he kept to himself since Max came back. He found out about a month ago that his parents owned an estate/chateau outside the city, and it was left to him by his father before he past away. He never knew about it till then, only because Mr. Cale knows that his brother Jonas would've done anything and everything to take it from his son. The only other person who knew about this place is Original Cindy, and even that wasn't intentional. As the two passes the gate of Ocean View, Max is amazed of what she sees]

Max: [Amazed] what is this place?

Logan: Its called Ocean View [Pointing to the ocean that overlooks the chateau] parent's owned it, of course I never, I found out about it a month ago

Max: [A little upset] it took you this long to tell me

[Logan doesn't say anything. As they exit his Aztec, Logan leads Max to the front door and inside gives her a tour. He didn't have to say anything, the architectural design of the estate and beautiful pieces of chosen art and furniture all spoke for itself]

Logan: [Entering the study with Max behind him] I called someone tonight... his name is Sydney

[Max doesn't say anything she just listens. Logan taking a deep breath]

God! This is hard. I didn't think it would be this difficult. Why can't the words just come out like everything else I say in my life?

[Logan decides to change the topic]

Logan: [Low voice] do you know my name Max?

[At this point, even Max is uncertain about what Logan is trying to say, or even who exactly he is]

Max: [Confused] how could you ask me that... your Logan Cale [A short pause] Jr. [She thinks a little longer] Right?

Logan: Right [agreeing and then he heads to the grand piano and starts playing a kind of medley of different classical music]

Max: [Taken away by what Logan displays] Original Cindy told me you were a pianist. God she was right

Logan: [Smiles] Christian

Max: What about him?

Logan: My name is Logan Christian Cale [Laughs to himself]

Max: [Shocked] the boy [Referring to the photo]

Logan: Don't worry, I'm just as confused as you are [He stops playing] its' always been like that in my life.

Flashback

Max recalls the time when she and Logan attended his cousins wedding. Logan's words crossing her thoughts.

"With all the secrets and lies and discriminations, it's easier to just let it slide"

(This is in reference to "Art Attack")

End of Flashback

[Max stares back to Logan]

Logan: [Recollecting told to him over the years] Immediately after graduation, my mother became an intern for a man named Parker or a Mr. Raines I think it was. They... He was one of the higher authorities over at the Centre. [Pauses] While she was there, she met someone. A man named Jarod by accident or so she thought. As isolated as he was, they fell in love and met in secret. [Max is stunned by the revelation] My mother quickly began to realize that the Centre is more than what it seems. [Noticing Max's uneasiness] are you still with me?

Max: [Snapping out of it] yeah, I am

Logan: [He continues] A short time later she met a potential business associate from Cale Enterprises. Take a wild guess that it was... [Allowing her to finish his sentence]

Max: [Answering] Logan Cale

Logan: [Brief sign] the two became close friends in there off-hours, which were few. At the same time she finds out she's pregnant, and the Centre knew. They knew all along. [He looks out the window] they were nothing but pawns to them. They concocted the whole thing without even blinking. [Turns to face Max again] They figured a smart girl like that together with the genius guy like him can spawn and an even brighter offspring. I can't recall what else actually happened... they kind of did something to me

Max: Why didn't you [Logan Cuts in]

Logan: Why didn't I tell you? It's simple really. I never cared. [His voice becomes cold] Never had the desire or passion to know or to even attempt to understand... until you [Max cuts in]

Max: Died.

Logan: Yeah... the whole predicament opened my mind up. [Places his hand softly on Max's right cheek] much to my distaste

Max: [Upset] so the whole 'he had a son when he escaped' part of your story was a ploy not to discuss it with me?

Logan: [Feeling guilty] I know I haven't been honest with a lot of things about my life, especially with you... it isn't fair to you and I'm sorry. [Max places her hand on top of Logan's] Its' never been about not wanting you to know, it's always really been me not having to deal with it.

Max: You're not alone

Logan: [Smiles] I know that now... [He kisses her] come with me, I'm gonna introduce you to someone

Another half hour passes

Crawford Neighborhood (Evening)

[Sydney, in his leather-type overcoat and 50's style hat is pacing the street of Crawford waiting anxiously for the man who called him up late yesterday evening. With him he carries a gun, but only for protection. Standing at the corner to which he was asked to appear, he hears voice behind him]

Logan: You alone?

Sydney: Yes, as a matter of fact I am.

Logan: [Suspecting he's carrying] Loaded?

Sydney: [Uncomfortable] yeah

Logan: Just wondering

Sydney: Is it safe to presume I can turn around

[He hears nothing but silence. He slowly moves to turn around]

Sydney: [Stares at him] who are you?

Logan: [Looks away] an old acquaintance

[Sydney tries to analyze the facial features and mannerism of the man standing before him. It took him a minute or so to realize who he is, but for Logan it seemed to take forever]

Sydney: [Finally recognizes him] my God! Could it be? [Moves closer to him] Christian

[Logan's expression was blank after hearing his name for the first time in so long, unsure of himself how to feel]

Sydney: [Confirming] it is you

Logan: [Looks him in the eye] hello Sydney

Sydney: It's been a long time

Logan: [Disagreeing] no... Not really, I don't waste my nights thinking of you or any of the other past crap in my life

Sydney: You're bitter, it's expected

Logan: You're the psychiatrist. You know how I think and feel better than anyone does

Sydney: That's where you're wrong Christian... your mind forbidden itself to go there

Logan: Whatever

Sydney: You look well

[Logan shakes off his words, turns away from him and starts walking away. Halfway across the street, he stops, and looks over his shoulder]

Logan: Are you coming?

[Sydney follows him; he also makes sure to keep his distance]

Cut to Warehouse

[Max is sitting around anxiously awaiting Logan's arrival. The door opens, Logan and a middle-aged man she's unfamiliar with comes in]

Logan: [To Max] Hey

Max: Hey yourself [Looks to the man next to him] who's he?

Sydney: [Gestures his hand out] My name is Sydney

Max: [Shakes his hand] Max

[Sydney motions to Logan about Max]

Logan: She stays. Whatever it is you say to me, Max will hear it

Sydney: Can I trust her?

Logan: [Clarifying] you can't trust me, so it makes it even

[Sydney agrees to his terms]

Logan: Recognize this place?

Sydney: [Looks around] Yes I do

Logan: Good, cuz I sure don't... so go ahead, explain

[Max stands between the two men unsure of what to do]

Look at his eyes [Logan] I've never imagined him to be so angry. I guess being the savior of humanity has its' limits. It's always been different with me. Everything is starting to make sense now, slowly but surely. Dealing with Manticore was entirely different to the situation I find myself in now. I don't know what to do.

Logan: What happened to me?

Sydney: It took you this long to ask me that?

Logan: [Faces Max] it was beaten out of me

Sydney: [Nodding] Christian, I was only assigned to teach you. Be there for you, and build up your potential. Then we realized that you somehow subconsciously suppressed your talent

Logan: Subconsciously... [Thrown by his statement] I'm sorry but I don't remember any of this. To be perfectly blunt, I barely remember a damn thing or have you forgotten you stabbed a needle in my brain

Max: He what? [She blurts out]

What the hell did they do to you, I understand now why Logan hates needles

Sydney: Your father wanted it that way and for good reason

Logan: My father? [Laughs] You mean the all-talented Jarod. A man whose a complete stranger to me. A man whose devoted his whole life to saving others and not giving a damn about getting to know the son he so effortlessly forgot about?

Sydney: [Defending his absent father] it wasn't like that. The situation back then was complicated

Logan: Operative word there is 'then' and 'was' Sydney [Curious himself] where is he now? [Sydney doesn't answer] I thought so [He moves away and walks out of sight]

Sydney: Christian! [He calls for him]

Max: Let him go [Equally angry] and his name is Logan if you don't mind [she adds]

Sydney: [His eyes trailing off] he was a bright boy

Max: He still is

To be continued.......

Author's Notes: You guys may like it, you may not, or you might still be confused. But with this chapter, I hope you guys have a little idea of where I'm going with this.

To clarify some things, I don't know whether I will bring out Daisy. Cuz you know, she came to Seattle as a favor for Logan back in Revelations, so I'm still debating whether she goes back to Chicago or staying in Seattle, but it'll be kind of unrealistic if she suddenly decides to stay, because the girls got her own life.

Lydecker is gone for now. So don't go off wondering about him.

I'm still debating to myself if I should bring Jarod into the mix. I don't know, that remains to be decided. If you have any questions, e-mail me at [email protected] or whatever