I enjoyed this. I would have loved to see more about Logans family. It is nice to see some of the good. Logan must have gotten it from somewhere.

You write beautifully. Max praying to a God she didn't think saw her as one of his creations was inspired!

Where did the text go? I can see from the reviews that it is worth reading...can I find it some other place?

Lovely! Simply divine!

Just finished reading your story for the second time in fact! It's very well written. I love the way you've drawn Logan. If I read it slowly, I could really see him as I read, and I think that's the hardest thing to do when writing fan fiction - to make the characters spring to life. I haven't seen Camera yet, that's next weeks episode. I'm new to Dark Angel! My husband and I are now both besotted - for different reasons of course! Thanks again for your story! I really enjoyed it!

That was terrific. It was so great, loved it. Thanks a bundle for your magnificent writing.

Ah, I love it. The way you get so deeply into them...it's incredible. I feel so lucky to have read this.

This whole part was so good:

He would gladly give into his exhaustion now but his anger was wrapping around the pain like a fist, until he was wound so tight he felt he might shatter if Bling faltered and dropped him as he lifted him from the chair to the bed.

He tried to relax, to control his breathing, to make sure he was breathing. “Need help with that?” Bling looked from his face to the clean t-shirt he was mangling unconsciously in his grip.

“No.” His tone left no room for argument, not that that would necessarily deter Bling, however, his physical therapist knew when to leave him to own black moods. “I’ll go help Max in the kitchen then, or maybe it’s the kitchen that needs help by now.” He didn’t look at all surprised when his grin was not reciprocated.

And this part was just breathtaking:

“You OK?” Max. Her timing was always lousy.

“I’m fine.” He was grateful his hands shielded his face from her. He made no attempt to move them, wishing again he had turned off the light.

“You don’t sound so good.” He could feel her approaching.

“I said I’m fine.” The footsteps halted at the foot of the bed. “Got a headache. Listen, I’m going to try to get some sleep.” He turned, reaching out blindly for the light switch. Bad move—pain spasmed down his back, flattening him back down against the pillows with a gasp.

“Logan.” She was at his side in an instant. He closed his eyes, not wanting to look in hers. It took her several heartbeats to reach out and touch the moist trail down his face. Her touch was so light—he thought it would take more to make him break.

“Don’t.” The voice he heard was cold and hard. She recoiled as sharply as if he had slapped her face.

OMG. "He thought it would take more to make him break." You are amazing.

Brilliant, brilliant here. The way you talk about the chair - wow. Dead on.:

“It is easier for you if you’re in the chair?” The cutting retort that had been forming on his lips was lost in his shock at her coolly delivered comment. Her eyes locked on his. “Is it Logan? Nothing like adding a little steel fortification to the barricades, is there?” Neither of them moved. “It’s good strategy, but I can’t think why you want me around. Maybe you want to study my bio-engineered, military issued, armor plating. Maybe you admire it. Lucky Max she came with her defense system already installed—you’ve had to put so much time and effort into yours. Maybe you’re jealous of it. Oh wait, forgot you claimed to have found a beating heart under it. Must be defective huh?” She didn’t bother wiping away the tears running down her face.

And the evocation of Flushed...just phenomenal. I love that episode so much.:

She turned and headed for the door, footsteps slamming against the wooden floor.

“Max.” He didn’t know what to say to keep her. His voice sounded as broken as he felt. “Stay with me …please?” She stopped in the doorway, her back toward him. He counted the heartbeats again until she turned and retraced her steps. Switching off the light she slid into bed next to him. “You won’t leave?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He counted their heartbeats, amplified through the old mattress, until he fell asleep.

Finally, ending with some choice, in-character dialogue...with just enough humor and edge to keep the ending from sappiness:

“Sure. As long as you don’t try making me watch them in alphabetical order again.”

“No. Thought it might be better to go for a chronological approach.” Max rolled her eyes. “Let’s see, we’ve seen all the Jaws movies—they’re late 70’s. There were some good movies in the early 80s.” Max sighed. “There’s one you’ll love: Kathleen Turner, William Hurt … romance … intrigue….”

“What’s it called?”

“Body Heat.” The long silence that followed was less than companionable.

“So your little toe isn’t injured?” Logan decided the question was rhetorical.

“Smile and it will be.”

It was going to be a long journey and he was going to treasure every minute, every second.

The End

-

It was a long journey, and unquestionably one to be treasured. Reading the last two chapters, I felt...honored. Honored that you let us into the intimate hearts and intricate humanity of these characters. Letting us see the tears on Logan's face and feel the raw, hot, unmanageable pain that's beyond his capacity for control... I think I'm going to tear up myself. This is a phenomenal piece of writing. Thank you, gilenagile.

Oh my God, this is brilliant! Back to the incredible, intricate emotional stuff from before the slo-mo accident. Amazing. I love the details...Bling's t-shirt...Logan noticing him calling her "Grandma"...

This paragraph was incredible:

“Since I met him in the hospital in Seattle.” Logan raised a hand to lift his glasses, forgetting they were still missing, and rubbed his eyes, as if shielding them from the cartoon light bulb flashing above his head. It all made sense now, the phone calls on especially difficult days when the darkness was threatening to close in on him, the inquiries about his rehab when he had achieved a significant goal.

And Logan's dialogue:

“You were discussing me, behind my back.” His head jerked up. Did he really feel the anger he heard in his own voice?

“I’m not a kid who needs watching.”

And Anna's response! Oh my God!

“No, you’re a talented, vital, intelligent man who has always taken the weight of the world on his shoulders."

And the ending:

"You have people who love you and want to be part of your life. You shouldn’t waste a minute, not a second.”

The familiar words echoed in his mind, only it wasn’t his father’s disapproving, disappointed voice he heard but Charlie’s. Charlie, standing with Case wrapped in his arms, declaring his love for a woman he might never see again. He leaned forward closing his hand around hers.

Brilliant!

Poor, battered Logan. I love the part where he realizes his clothes are missing!

“Where did they put my clothes?”

She was looking in the empty closet when the thought struck her. “Jake must have left them in the ambulance.”

“What do you mean?” Something in her face made him stop all attempt at motion, except for his jaw, which was falling of its own accord, something he had never seen before nor ever expected to see. Max was blushing.

-

LOL. What is she going to have to admit to now?

Touching and then funny. Mmmm.

Oh, yeah! As soon as I saw the words "space heater," I knew this was heading in the right direction. :)

I love all the stripping off of clothes - for high-minded medical purposes, of course. :) :)

To be honest, I felt the accident scene could have been tightened up a bit...but I love the direction this is going...

Come on, come on! GET TO THE SHIPPY PART. My God, girl, who told you I had patience? ;) Things need to turn warm and snuggly, pronto! LOL.

“I can do it.”

Only Logan! Leave him his willpower; *I* need to know what happens next!

I love the last two paragraphs!

"He could have, but a familiar voice was yelling at him, ordering him to hold on."

Max's voice, to judge from the next paragraph, but at the moment I read it, I wondered if it were Anna's voice in his mind. I like the idea that Anna - or his mother - might be that for him, a voice in his mind lovingly ordering him to hold on.

"Logan heard her calling to him somewhere in the distance. Why didn’t she just come in, like she usually did. Maybe he’d locked the door, he couldn’t remember. Since when would a locked door deter Max from getting what she wanted? He’d just stay where he was and wait until she sauntered around the corner of his office. If he could just stay awake until then, … he was sure there was something important he had to tell her."

This is wonderfully done - you show his deluded state without having to *tell* us too much, and you make his semiconscious thoughts plausible. Reminds me of those moments when I attempt to "interpret" the sound of my alarm clock in a dream ;).

"Since when would a locked door deter Max from getting what she wanted?"

This line cracks me up. Obviously, Logan hasn't completely lost his grip on logic!

Suspense! Poor Logan - he must be cold and drenched out there. I'll bet his fingers are half-frozen in the rain. Hmmm...I imagine Max will rescue him and warm him up in the next chapter. Could be very touching - or there could be a big fight, if Logan can't handle his vulnerability or Max can't handle her emotions at the thought of losing him. Which would be touching in its own way. Lots of potential here!

My favorite lines:

In fact, his old drill sergeant was beginning to seem like Mister Rogers compared to this girl.

Her reaction when informed the truck didn’t have four-wheel drive was enough to stop him from approaching his self appointed CO with a direct question of any sort.

As for Logan being OK – she was on the narrow trail barreling through the forest before her mind could accept the improbability of that being true.

"He had told himself that he was lonely and she was beautiful and enigmatic and such thoughts were understandable."

Wonderful!

"Logan felt a wave of helplessness wash over him as his arms gave out and he found himself face down on the cold mountainside. He forced himself to take some deep breaths. Breathing was good, … so was focus. Focus on the task and breath through the pain and frustration. He knew how to do this – he’d had plenty of practice.

His arms felt nothing as he pulled up and twisted himself roughly into the wheelchair. He cursed loudly as he forced his body to do his bidding. And it was going to do what had to be done. In his mind he set aside all his doubts and self-pity, casting them to the wind, now whipping ferociously into his face as he started off for the trail to the farmhouse. All he allowed himself to feel was his anger, using it to focus on his mission, to ignore anything that got in the way. He knew how to do this – he’d had plenty of practice."

Again, very good, very true Logan.

Your characterizations in this story are great.

Oh my God! I loved this:

He wanted to be mad at her but all he could think of was sliding his hand around her neck, pushing his fingers through her soft disheveled hair, and drawing her toward him for a kiss. Instead, he tightened his grip on the wheels of the chair. “Even cats can fall, you know.”

Max leaping into the tree was nice, too - scaring him - reminding us she's an X5.

The conversation at the end was great. I hadn't thought about what she did or didn't confide in him after Pollo Loco. I really liked this; it seemed like such an interesting question and definitely got the attention of my philosophical side:

“He was a good man. He just lost himself along the way. At least that’s what mom said before she died. I don’t know, maybe we’re all doomed to accept our real nature in the end. Look at Jonas, believe it or not he used to be fun and charming but that killer instinct was always there under the surface.”

But this seemed to come too easily:

“Don’t you believe that we are what we are, no salvation possible?”

He looked into her dark eyes, now brimming over with tears. “Maybe we just need to find our way.”

I'd rather think about what it means to have to accept what we are.