---

We just stood there, faces, eyes, lips inches from each other. I could here
him breathing heavily, his breath mixing with my own. Logan standing! I never
thought I could feel this way, so...vulnerable. When he was in his
wheelchair, I didn't have to worry about all these confused mixed up feelings
in my head, but now he's not just my boss, he's a man, and I can't believe
that I want him so much, but I know that he can't get involved with someone
like me, a project, an experiment. He's too smart and dedicated to that
saving the world crap. God, what's wrong with me?? I'm not supposed to be
thinking this way! I'm a genetically-enhanced fighting machine, a soldier. I
can't...love. I shouldn't be creating these emotional attachments to people.
But I know I love him-Yes I love Logan Cale- And I think I've always loved
him. Why else would I stay in this fucking city "fighting injustice" for
people that I don't even care about for this stupid cause? Now I know that I
couldn't leave him. God! I can't handle this! I never knew I could experience
these emotions! My body is going crazy with this longing, but my brain says
to just leave before I do something I know I'll regret...Uh oh. Too late.

**********************************************

I can't believe that I'm kissing Max! Her lips are so soft...they make my
legs so weak that I don't think I can stand much longer. No, I could walk a
thousand miles just to see her face, and smell her, and touch her hair, and
kiss her. What are you thinking, you idiot? Max could never love you the way
you love her. She's too good for you. So beautiful, strong...your just a
geeky former cripple who spends his days glued to a computer screen and has
to send someone else to do his dirty work. I don't deserve her. I ruined any
chance I had a long time ago when I told her that we didn't have "that kind
of relationship". What was I thinking? Why couldn't I just suck it up and
say, "Max, I love you so much that I don't think I could live a single day
without you, and you're the only person that  I want to spend the rest of my
life with," ? But of course I couldn't do that.          She shouldn't even
be associated with me, with such a price on my head for my actions as Eyes
Only. But I have to be with her. If only she would want to be with me...

*************************************************************

Max was the first to break the kiss. "No," she breathed, but her eyes didn't
break his gaze.

"Max, I...." Logan began.

"Shhhhhh," she whispered, placing a finger to his lips

"But Max, I have to tell you how I feel. I love you so much. I was so stupid
for not telling you before. I guess I was just scared. I know you can't love
me the way I love you, but I can't deny these feelings that are in my heart."
he trailed off.

"Logan," she broke off. "I can't stay here. When you stood up, it changed
everything between us, everything I knew, and now I don't know how I feel. I
think I love you, but I can't let you get mixed up with me. If Lydecker found
you...I couldn't bear that something happened to you because of me. I just
need to think."

She turned and moved toward the door. Were those tears in her eyes? She
sniffled as she slammed the door and wiped her arm across her eyes.

"Max! Max, please!" Logan called, but it was useless. She was gone, the
apartment empty. It felt as if his heart had just been ripped out of his
chest and he was dead inside. He might as well have been dead; without Max,
what was worth living for? He could no longer stand and crashed back down
into his wheel chair.

He knew it. He knew she could never love him. She had admitted that she had
had feelings for him, but if she truly loved him, she never would have left.
Why do I do this stupid things? Why did I go and ruin our friendship? Shit,
I thought I could do anything...save the free world, stop evil, but I just
drove the person I love most out of my life forever. Nice going, Eyes Only.

************************************************************
The tears were flowing freely now. She ran down the street in the dark night,
cursing herself and crying. What have I done? She thought. He loves me, he
loves me for who I am, and I went and threw it away. And I love him. I have
to go back. I have to tell him that I love him and that I can't live with out
him. I hope he still wants me.

She turned back and ran as hard as she could back to his apartment building.
It seemed like eternity before the elevator went "bing" on his floor. She
sprinted down the hall and threw open the door.

She was just where she had left him, slumped in his wheelchair, tear stains
on his cheeks.

"Logan!" She rushed over to him and kissed him hard. Her hands went around
his neck, his went through her hair. They finally broke after a minute.

"Logan. I was so stupid. I love you so much. I was just so scared, and so
confused, and I love you, and I just hope that you can forgive me and and
love me again." Her eyes searched his, begging and pleading.

"Forgive you? You'll have to kill me just to let you leave me again. Oh Max,
you don't know how long I've waited to tell you how I feel. I love you too."

They kissed again, and they knew that they would never leave each other ever
again.