You and Me -- Chapter 10a

Disclaimer:  The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Tinga, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me.  No money is being made off of this fic.  I only own the original characters.

“He really kissed you?” Jamie asked as she and Max walked down the street the following afternoon. “Mark really planted a nice wet one on your lips?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it a nice wet one,” Max said. She blushed a little bit as she recalled the kiss. “I would refer to it more as a nice, soft, tender, yet passionate kiss with all kinds of electricity, but yes. Mark did kiss me.”

Jamie squealed and jumped a little. “I knew it! I knew you guys had the hots for each other.”

“We’ve got something,” Max conceded. “I’m not exactly sure if either of us knows exactly what it is at this point. Mark in particular seemed a little bit thrown for a loop, but that’s how he is, you know? Knows exactly what to do in the most extreme of circumstances, but when it comes to women he usually gets as tongue-tied as anything” She grinned. “He wants something. He definitely wants to take whatever it is that we’ve got farther, but he’s got to let his brain settle down a little bit.” Max laughed a little. “Not too much, though.”

“I hear you,” Jamie agreed.

“Does this mean that you’re definitely not going after Mark anymore, Jamie?” Max teased.

Jamie stuck her tongue out at Max, but then she laughed. “You’re hysterical, Kara.”

“Good to know,” Max said cheerfully.

“Now all I need to do is find myself a man,” Jamie said. “Easier said than done.”

“Yeah, it’s not like any of the men that work at the company with us are real prizes,” Max said. “The ones that could be called boyfriend material are already somebody’s significant other and even then, I’ve got my doubts about them.”

“I hear ya,” Jamie said. She stretched her arms out, just missing hitting Max.

“Thanks a lot,” Max said.

“You’re always welcome,” Jamie said. “Oh, I was thinking about maybe having a party at my apartment next week. Would you be interesting in coming?”

“I’ll think about it,” Max said. “As long as that horn dog friend of yours who lives down the hall from you doesn’t show up, I’ll most likely be there.”

“Just tell him that you have a guy and he’ll back off,” Jamie said. She grinned wickedly. “You could even bring Mark himself. I bet even with a cast on his leg, he could intimidate the hell out of the guy.”

Max laughed. I don’t doubt that for a nanosecond! You should have been there the time when I was seven and Zack came back to the barracks after those bastard doctors broke his collarbone and right arm just for fun and he still managed to practically make Krit, Richie, Ben, and Cody piss in their pants after he caught them trying to pull a welcome back prank! “Mark can definitely intimidate the hell out of people when he wants to. Even back when we were kids, he could scare people like nobody else.”

“Some people have that gift,” Jamie said. “Brian was like that. Brett, on the other hand, was a complete opposite of Brian most of the time. He had his serious moments, but he like to laugh and joke every chance that he got. He had—has, really—the craziest sense of humor sometimes. We both do. Damn, I miss him.”

“Maybe he’ll get some time off of his job and you’ll be able to see him,” Max suggested.

“I hope so,” Jamie said. She grew quiet for a few moments before she smiled again. “I just gotta keep hoping.”

“Wow, you’re turning into such an optimist,” Max said in mock surprise. “I’m shocked.”

“I do what I can,” Jamie said. She ran a little ahead of Max, but then she turned her head around so that she could face her. “Which reminds me, wasn’t it you who said back when we—hey, watch it, you mor—“ She froze suddenly. Max frowned and ran up to where Jamie was sitting on the sidewalk after having bumped into somebody.

“What’s going on?” she asked. Max looked down at Jamie and frowned again. Jamie was staring wide-eyed in absolute shock at the person in front of her and was as white as a sheet. “Jamie, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She turned to look at the other person. It was a young man about Jamie’s age, slightly older than Max. He was tall and had brown hair, but what threw Max for a loop was his clear resemblance to Jamie. Could this be one of her brothers? If it is, why would she react like this? And why the hell do I think I know this guy from somewhere? It’s not just the face, I mean it is, but I could swear that I’ve actually met him before!

“Zane?” Jamie finally whispered.

“What!” Max yelled.

“What’s going on here?” Max, Jamie, and the mystery man turned to look to see Zack standing behind Max. Max watched in surprise as the young man’s face became sheepish and even slightly frightened.

“Um…hey, bro,” he said. “I didn’t know that you were in Toronto.”

Max’s jaw hit the floor. Holy shit, that is Zane! I’d know that look on his face anywhere. But how does Jamie…unless…

“Bro?” Jamie said uncertainly. She looked up at Zack and blinked, her eyes wide. “Zack?”

It hit Max and Zack at the same time like a ton of bricks. “Lana?”