Max rode her black Ninja down the streets of Seattle. It had been
a year and a half since she left with Zach to Canada. But now she was
back. Something, or better yet someone, called to her. The tiny little voice
in her head that said "Go back." That voice wouldn’t let her forget. And
besides, what did she have to lose? Lydecker wasn’t looking for her
anymore. In fact, he’d never be looking for her or any of the others ever again.
He was dead. And Max had killed him. She remembered holding the gun,
firing, seeing Lydecker on the ground, bleeding. She didn’t remember having
regrets about it though. "How can you regret killing the man who would kill you
if he caught you?" she thought. Thinking of her regrets though, she
realized she did have one. But now she was going to fix it. Before she left for
Canada, she kissed Logan. She told herself it was just too say goodbye,
a thank-you-for-everything kiss, but the tiny voice inside her head told
her otherwise. And that voice just wouldn’t shut up. "I’ll have to remember
to kill that voice." she said, turning the corner.

        Max rode up to Logan’s building, lifting her face to look way up to
the top. "Please be there." Max whispered. Hoping nothing had happened to
him while she was gone. Sneaking past the doorman, who was conveniently
asleep, she boarded the elevator. "C’mon, c’mon." she demanded the elevator to
go faster. Finally, the doors opened and she walked out. As she approached
Logan’s door, she put her ear to it and listened. She heard typing.
Logan. Quietly jimmying the lock, she opened the door and crept inside. Though
slightly different, his apartment looked the same.

        He sat as his computer, as always.  "Too busy to know I’m here." she
thought with a smile. Though busy typing away at something, Logan
couldn’t help but notice the scent of cherry. He sighed, and Max noticed it.
"Ahem." she said.

        Turning around slowly, Logan’s eyes beheld what they had been longing
to see for a year and a half. "M- Max?" he whispered, barely able to
believe his eyes. "Is that you?"

        "Well aren’t you going to say hello?" she said, trying to remain
positive, even though inside she felt like crying at the sight of him. His hair
was messy, as always, but there was something about his face. It seemed,
changed. Max noted he wasn’t in his wheelchair either.

        He got up out of his chair and walked over to her. His expression of
disbelief changed to a smile when he realized it was truly her, and she
had come back to him. He puts his arms around her and pulled her closer to
him, feeling her body next to his, smelling the familiar scent of her.

        "Logan..." said Max, pulling away a little to study his face. Smiling
sadly, she said "What happened to you? You look so... so..."

        "Different?"

        "Yeah."

        "Ah... yes... well... "

        They stood there a minute, holding each other. "Lydecker’s dead." Max
said suddenly.

        "How do you know?" Logan asked.

        "I’m the one who killed him. I knew he would do the same to me, but
I’m the one who got the gun."

        "Any regrets?"
 
        "Nope. Well, not about killing him that is."
 
        Logan reached up and pulled a strand of hair from her face. His blue
eyes glistened and slowly a tear fell down his cheek.

        "Logan," said Max. "Why are you crying?"

        He said nothing. All he did was kiss her. Slowly and gently, until Max
could feel her whole body tingle. His heart began to pound and so did
hers. The moment was perfect, and neither wanted it to end. When they parted,
she looked into his intense blue eyes.

        "Max," he began. "I told myself it was best to just let you leave. But
I  regretted it every day until now.  I always thought that your regarded
me as nothing but your meal-ticket. But I never stopped hoping we were more
than that.  And, somehow, I knew that you felt the same way."

        "Logan... I -" Max stammered out.>

        "After you left I didn’t know what I would do. But now that you’re
back, I think I do."

        "Really?" she asked. "And what’s that?"

        Logan dropped to one knee. "Max," he said. "Will you marry me, and be
mine forever?"

        Tears in her eyes, Max answered, "Yes." She dropped on her knees next
to Logan. And they kissed once more.

        Then Logan stood up and extended his hand to Max. She took and he
helped her up. Leading her over to the living room, Logan pushed a button on
his stereo, and music began playing, softly. "May I have this dance?" he
whispered.
       "Of course." whispered Max.

        He took her hand in his, and the began to dance around the room. Their
bodies moved together in perfect syncopation, as if they were one. They
were, and both of them knew it.

                              ~ FIN ~