You and Me -- Chapter 5

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.

Notes:  Spoiler-ish stuff for “411 on the D.L.”

“Just give me a second,” Max said the next morning to Zack as she paused to get her apartment key out of her pocket. She unlocked the door and opened it and helped Zack inside. “Do you want to lie back down or do you want to watch TV or what?”

“Max, I’m not an invalid,” Zack said. He carefully made his way over to her living room couch and sat down, wincing.

Max sighed. “Invalid…maybe not. But you’re still in a lot of pain no matter what your tough guy act says. You heard what that doc at the clinic told you. He pretty much said exactly what Jamie did last night. Plus, even when we take into account how fast we heal, those ribs are going to be painful for at least another few days.” She took off her jacket and tossed it onto an armchair as she went into the kitchen to get a snack. “I’m still amazed that you found that place.”

“It’s one of the things I do,” Zack said. “While I’m checking out places to relocate one of us, I scout out everything thoroughly, including finding places that will patch up somebody and won’t take blood with no questions asked if they’re paid enough. I told you before that I liked to visit this city even before I got you settled here so I know every possible aspect of it, including that one.”

“That makes sense,” Max said. She left the kitchen and sat down next to Zack on the couch and extended the plate that she had been carrying to him. “Want a cracker?”

“Thanks,” Zack said.

Max took also grabbed a cracker off the plate and ate it. She swallowed and turned back to Zack. “What were you doing in the area? I thought that you weren’t going to be stopping in to check up on me for another few weeks.”

“I wasn’t,” Zack said. “I was taking the long way to…the person that I’m supposed to check up on next. I already called and let them know that I’m going to be delayed for at least a week.”

“Oh,” Max said. She felt a little annoyed that Zack wouldn’t tell her where he’d been heading, but pushed it aside. She suddenly recalled something that Zack had mention when they’d met back up with each other the first time back in Seattle. “Zack, you said that twelve of us made it out. How do you know?”

“More recon,” Zack said. “A few days after the escape, once the immediate danger had passed, I went back to the area and hung as close as I could without being detected. I got lucky on that day. I overheard a few of the guards that were on perimeter duty mention a meeting that Lydecker would have to attend the following day. I knew that there was a checkpoint about a mile down the road from Manticore, so I hid myself there the next day and sure enough, a few vehicles approached the checkpoint just after dawn. I managed to stow aboard one of them and when Lydecker arrived at his meeting, I did surveillance. It was pretty much a report to the committee that oversaw Manticore on what had happened the night we left and that’s when I found out not only how many got out safely, but who did.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, that twelve included me. I wish…”

“I know,” Max said quietly. “Have you found the rest of us eleven?”

“No,” Zack admitted. “I’ve found you, Brin…” He paused briefly. “…Tinga, Krit, Zane, Ben, Syl, and Jondy. I still haven’t found Angie, Lana, or Duke yet.”

Max frowned. “Didn’t you pair Duke off with Cody…” She trailed off when she saw the look in Zack’s eyes and bit her lip. “Is he dead or did he get recaptured?”

“Recaptured,” Zack said. “He and Duke apparently were shot at before they could reach the perimeter fence. Duke wasn’t hit and made it over, but Cody was shot in the leg and taken by the TAC team. I wanted to go back for him, and for the others who’d been recaptured as well, but there was no way.”

Max, as gently as she could, wrapped her arms around Zack. “You were still a kid, Zack. There wasn’t anything that you could have done. I think a lot about what could have been too.” She hesitated. “Sometimes, especially during or after a seizure, I feel so guilty. I felt like Eva’s death was my fault because I had that damn seizure that night and if I hadn’t gotten sick like that, we wouldn’t have been in that hallway at that moment and Lydecker wouldn’t have killed her in front of us.”

“It’s not your fault, Maxie,” Zack said softly. “It never was and never will be. Something had to give and what happened with you and to Jack just happened to be the breaking point. It was inevitable.”

“I know,” Max said. “But don’t you just hate it when your brain is telling you the wrong thing and your heart is telling you what’s right?”

“Yeah,” Zack said. “I do.” Their eyes met and they felt themselves being drawn towards each other. Their lips had barely brushed each other when Zack suddenly pulled back, wincing. “Damn.”

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry,” Max said apologetically. “Did I hurt you?”

“No, my ribs are still hurting,” Zack said. He looked down for a second before back up at Max.

“Do you want to lie back down in bed?” Max asked.

“You’re starting to sound remarkably like Tinga,” Zack observed.

“Well, you are a big baby sometimes so I’m not surprised,” Max teased. “I’ll go get you some ice. I’ll be back in a minute.” She got up and quickly went back into the kitchen and grabbed a plastic baggie and started to fill it with ice from her freezer, though her thoughts were miles away.

What was that? Did I really come within a hair of actually kissing Zack? This is too weird. It’s Zack! Even if it wasn’t Zack, the guy has just been in a stupid motorcycle accident! You are not supposed to kiss injured men. It’s not right. She shook her head. If it’s not right, then how come I feel like my lips are almost tingling from where his only brushed mine, and barely at that? Why am I disappointed that’s all that happened? I just…I don’t know.