f a n f i c t i o n n a v i g a t i o n
when the rain begins to fall
don't dream it's over
dare to dream
never underestimate fate
christmas treats
awards
recommendations
Part 22
“I still want to help you with your search for your friend.”
Logan’s words come totally out of the blue, startling me. I’ve spent the last ten minutes or so lying on his couch, turning the same thoughts and ideas over in my head, again and again and again. I’m of course not getting anywhere at all with that, but oh well. It’s not like I’m in any kind of state to stand up, even less leave the apartment. What else is there to do?
At least now I have something new to think about. Logan obviously didn’t expect an answer straight away, he’s turned back to his computer.
Good. God knows I need some time to think this over.
Should I let Logan continue with his search? My initial reaction is of course to decline his offer, muddle my way through on my own.
But we all know how that turned out the first time around. And we all know how desperately I need to find Ava. Just look at what happened earlier…
I push my sleeves up to examine my arms. The friction of the soft cotton moving over my skin hurts like a bitch, making me wince. That’s when I realize that my forearms are covered with burns.
Shit. Not even Michael ever managed to fry himself. Guess that’s really saying it all.
The burns don’t look too bad, first degree only, but hell, they hurt.
I lay my hand on one arm, wince, close my eyes, concentrate…I feel a warmth spreading through my arm. Opening my eyes I realize that while most of the marks aren’t completely gone, the pain is. Repeat the process on the other arm, pull the sleeves down again…sigh.
This is a lot better. Now where was I?
Right…Logan, the search for Ava. Let’s make a mental list. I love lists. Have I mentioned that before? I’m really obsessed with lists. Maria always said it was sickening. But, well, Maria saw being organized as some kind of disease, so…getting off topic here. Back to the list.
Okay, pros first. Obviously, Logan has the better resources. I’ll probably find Ava a lot faster, meaning I’ll get my powers under control a lot faster, if he helps me. Big plus.
Also, two people searching is better than one. I can keep up my search while Logan keeps up his, both of us covering different places, using different methods, resources, checking out different possibilities.
Thirdly…um, I have a lot less work to do.
Now cons.
First of all, what if Logan stumbles over other information that I don’t want him to know about? Other FBI data, other strange occurrences in the town of Roswell…God knows that there are enough of those, and that each and every single one of them was alien related.
Except the time Pam Troy couldn’t find a date for the Homecoming Dance. Hehe.
Okay, getting distracted here, again. Not good.
Cons…of course. The most obvious of all. Do I want to stay in touch with Logan, see him all the time, constantly spend my time with him? No. But is it worth finding Ava quickly? Hmm. Something to think about. Maybe?
And as for Logan finding out other stuff I don’t want him to know about…who says he’ll stop looking into my background just because I won’t let him help me with my search for Ava anymore?
Somehow I doubt that he’ll stop, forget about it, about me, my secrets. He’s smelled blood. Reporters never ignore the smell of blood and that’s what he is, a reporter…sort of. And what was that about keeping your enemies closer?
Sigh. Looks like there’s not really much of a choice to make.
---------
“If you want me to find your friend, you’ll have to be honest with me,” Logan tells me, and suddenly I feel the urge to smack him.
“I was honest with you,” I snarl. I almost pout. Fuck, I just can’t stand people falsely accusing me of lying. God knows I’m not a saint. Lying has become something of a second nature to me, despite my intense dislike of it.
Doesn’t change the fact that I hate it when people don’t believe me though. And Logan obviously doesn’t believe me.
“Ava is Tess’…twin. They didn’t grow up together, so they don’t have the same last name. They didn’t even know about each other until a few months ago. As far as I know, Ava was just Ava…no last name that she used and if she did, it was fake. No idea what it could be.”
Logan seems to accept that. “Did you run away from home?” he suddenly asks, completely getting off subject here.
I glower at him. “No,” I growl. “It’s a lot more complicated than that.”
Okay, so technically maybe I did run away from home, but I had a good reason. It’s not like staying in Roswell was really an option. And I’m planning to go back, once I have these shitty, no-good-for-anything powers under control.
Which, the way things are looking, will be when hell freezes over to never.
Either way, what I did does not really qualify as running away from home. I…temporarily changed my location to solve an otherwise unsolvable problem.
“I’m sure your parents are worried about you.” God damn it, can’t he keep his fucking nose out of my fucking business?!
“I’ve talked to them,” I saw through clenched teeth. “They know I’m okay.” But, shit, guilt settles into my stomach. It’s been two weeks since the last time we talked. I need to call them again.
Logan finally seems to get the message, he drops the subject, turning back the computer, continuing whatever it is he was doing before I interrupted him to tell him that I still wanted his help with my search.
He’s silent for a few minutes and I return to the couch. I’m still sorta wobbly. Just a bit more rest and I’ll trust my body enough to safely take me back to Joshua’s.
I’m drifting somewhere between sleep and consciousness when Logan’s voice jars me awake.
“Before I forget, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Those passports you fixed for me, they were really good work. I was wondering if you might consider helping me again. I’ve managed to convince a woman to testify against a known weapons dealer that I’ve been after for quite some time, but of course only if I can guarantee her safety. I have to get her out of the country until the trail starts, so I need some fake papers for her. Interested?”
I’m about to decline and I guess Logan sensed that, because he adds, “Of course I’d pay you.”
I’m all ears. “How much?”
He thinks it over. “Five-hundred dollars?”
I just stare. Did he really just say five-hundred? As in five times one-hundred? As in five, zero, zero? Oh my God, is he insane?
Swallow. “What do you need?”
“A fake passport and a fake birth certificate. That should cover it.”
“Sure, great, of course. Anytime. You need anything else done, let me know.” Wow. I’m getting rich because Logan has lost his mind.
Should I feel bad about that? Nah.
---------
“Was that M earlier at the door?” I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel like making conversation. I’ve been lying on this stupid couch for close to an hour now and I still don’t feel like I could make it home…or even out the door…without collapsing somewhere along the way.
“Yeah.” Logan’s answer is short, an obvious sign that he doesn’t want to talk about this. Well, tough luck. I do.
“What did she want?”
“Nothing. Just something about supplies for Terminal City.”
“You two still fighting, huh?” I ask knowingly.
“We’re not fighting.” Oh yeah? His scowl tells me a whole other story.
“You’re not exactly getting along either,” I point out. I know I must really be annoying Logan with my questions, but he’s polite enough not to show it. Wonder why he bothers since God knows I never do.
“What happened between you two?” Alec mentioned that Logan has been involved in the transgenic thing and with M for quite some time, but he never went into details. I’m getting really curious here and I don’t give a shit that it’s none of my damn business. Nobody else seems to when it comes to my business, so why should I?
“That’s complicated.”
I sigh heavily. “Isn’t it always?”
Logan looks up form his computer, glances at me. There’s something in his eyes. Is it…recognition?
Before I have time to dwell on it, Logan suddenly starts talking. A bit hesitant at first, but then it all just gushes out. He talks and talks and talks…about how he and M met, them working together, falling for each other. Too afraid to admit their feelings, too afraid to act on them. Waiting until it was too late.
Sounds awfully familiar, the whole of it. Too familiar for my liking.
Hitting to close to home? You bet.
“You want my advice?” I ask Logan once he’s done with his tale. “Let go. The longer you hold on to someone, something that wasn’t ever even yours to begin with, the more you’re gonna get hurt in the end.” I know I sound bitter, that I’m projecting what happened with my Max on his Max, but I don’t care. “Let go now while you still can before she finds someone new and rips your heart out in the process.”
“She already has,” he says softly, so softly that I almost don’t hear him, his voice tinged with sadness.
“What?” Okay, that surprises me. If she’s with someone else then how come I’ve never seen her with her new guy? How come nobody ever mentioned it? “Who is it?”
When he speaks again his voice has a certain edge that I’ve never heard before, practically spitting out the name. “Alec. She’s with Alec.”
Chapter: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43
back