TITLE: FINDING THE LOST

AUTHOR: SARGE

E-MAIL: sarge2525@hotmail.com

SUMMARY: MAX IS IN MONTANA AND FINDS WHAT SHE IS LOOKING FOR. WILL SHE FIND MORE THEN THAT?

RATING: PG-13

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DARK ANGEL. JAMES CAMRON, CHARLESS EGLESSE AND FOX HOWEVER HAVE ALL THE
RIGHTS. I GUESS YOU COULD SAY ALL THE SIBLINGS ARE MINE BECAUSE THE ONLY THEY'VE CONFIRMED IS ZACH, BUT
HEY IF THEY WANT THEM THEY CAN HAVE THEM.

Max stared at the person she had spent so long trying to find. She tried to come up with something other than his
name, which would have sounded much more intelligent.




"So, this is what little Max grew up to be," Zach said softly as he hugged her quickly. "Seven of the others are
here, Max. I don't know how many are out, but you're home now."




"Thirteen of us got out including me," Max answered. "Did the seven include you?"




"No," Zach said. "We make nine. Four more and our unit is back."




"Is that a good thing?" Max asked carefully. She could tell that's what Zach wanted. He felt responsible for them
all. It was a part of him. However, Zach had to face that those four might not want to stay with them. She
wasn't sure if she did. Then again, Zach hadn't even offered to let her stay yet.




"It's always a good thing to find my team. I'm so glad you came, Max. I have you back now." Zach held her close
in a brotherly embrace. Max returned the hug like a long-lost sister.




"So, the girl in the store really was Selina?" Max asked as she stepped back a little.




"Yes. It was Selina that brought me to you. A few of the others were in town today as well," Zach told her. "None
of them saw you, or if they did they didn't notice."




"Glad to know I'm not a sore thumb," Max said smiling faintly. "So, you gonna introduce me to the others or am I
going to stand here all night?" 




"I suppose that I could introduce you to the others," Zach told her. "However, it's late and you might not want to
draw attention to yourself."




"Zach, they think I'm your cousin. I don't think they'll notice if I leave with my newly-found cousin after my
parents have just died." 




"We don't have parents," Zach answered stiffly then softened a bit. "It is a good story though, so let's go."Zach
saw her head towards her motorcycle, and he shook his head.




"Max, I did bring a car," he commented, amused that she felt the need to ride a motorcycle. It fit with some of
her training though. Zach may have been section leader, but Max had been Lydecker's personal project. To her an
inclosed space was a dangerous space.




"Oh. A car," Max said, slowly edging toward it. "How long is the trip?"




"Don't worry. It's safe here," Zach promised as Max climbed into the car without any further hesitation. "We all
protect each other. If you hadn't been you, I would have dealt with the problem." 




Max didn't say anything. The training from their youth showed in all of them. While they all had the same basic
skills some of them had developed them in a more complicated way. Zach, as section leader, had to protect his
squad. He would do anything to that end. Max was his second. She would protect Zach. Zach had to be glad to
have her back. The others were here as well though.




"So, who else is here?" Max asked. 




"Selina, Brad, Megan, Dawn, Carina, Jordan, and Michael," Zach answered. "Selina and I are engaged." 




Max stared at Zach with a look of pure shock. Engaged to Selina? What had happened in the last few years?
Marriage plans were the last thing she had ever expected Zach to announce. This wasn't really welcome news.
Sure, she was happy for Zach, but she was in shock. Not something she wanted the other siblings to see.




"Are you serious?" Max asked him, trying to sound calm. 




"Surprised?" Zach asked. "Brad said you would be. Dawn told him that he was jealous."




"So, what do you guys do for a living?" Max asked suddenly to change the subject. She had to wonder how eight
of them were able to live without drawing attention to themselves.




"We run a computer company from our farmhouse. We have enough money."




"Really? Is it good computer stuff? I know a guy that could use it," Max said and then regretted it. Thinking about
Logan made her think about home. While she was very glad to have found Zach and the others she already missed
Logan and his good-intentioned cable hacks. "Looks like the Pulse didn't do much damage around here."




"No. I hear Washington got it bad. So did Oregon and California," Zach said. "We supply a guy in Washington.
Gave him some high tech stuff. He's probably still trying to figure out how to use it." 




Max could tell from Zach's tone that he wasn't talking about Washington just because he knew that she came
from there. It seemed that he just wanted to keep her informed about what they were doing. 




"Sounds interesting," Max replied. "Any idea why he wanted it?"




"Not a clue. He's well spoken for a rich kid," Zach answered. "Then again, I bet you could pull of a few tricks of
your own. What did you do?"




"I tried to stay out of everyone's way," Max answered. "It doesn't matter now, Zach. I only have to go back to
tell them I quit... or whatever it is you want me to do."




"You'd stay?" Zach asked. He almost seemed surprised. "Because we did find one of the others who wouldn't have
anything to do with us."




"Some people need to broaden their world view," Max answered. "I've lived in two states since I got out and
neither of them were Montana. I guess this will do for awhile." 




When they got to the farm house ten minutes later Max could tell everyone had been waiting for Zach. They each
stood at a window but hidden in the shadow. You'd have to know just where to look in order to see them.




"Lydecker would have a lot of fun training us now," Max commented dryly. "After all these years that we've lived
in freedom."




"That's his problem," Zach answered. "When do you have to go back?" 




"Day after tomorrow would be a good day," Max told him. "Just to close that chapter of my life. You know us,
Zach. We have to keep moving. I probably would have had to leave where I was soon anyway." 




Max felt sort of guilty about all this. She was leaving Logan in the dirt. She was sure he wouldn't be too happy
about that. She hoped that Eyes Only didn't suffer too much for it. She spent the last few seconds before
jumping out of the car trying to convince herself that Logan wouldn't really miss her. He might miss having
someone that could help him out once in awhile, but he wouldn't really miss her as a person. After those few
seconds of rationalization she still wasn't convinced.




"So, it's really her," Selina said from the doorway. "I didn't believe it when you told me that I'd seen Max."




"Who else could it be?" Zach asked her.




"From the sound of it, there's only one more of our girls still out there and she has blonde hair." 




Lydecker had been pissed about Selina's red hair and Grace's blonde hair, Max remembered. He hadn't been too
pleased about how they'd all have to wear hats in the field. He'd thought that it was inefficient. 




A young man walked up to Selina's left. Zach had only mentioned three other males so Max assumed that this one
was either Michael, Brad, or Jordan. It had been so long since she'd seen any of them that she couldn't positively
identify him yet. When the rest of them came outside however, Max suddenly felt very glad to be home. She
followed them into the house. They showed her that she would be Dawn's roommate. That was fine with her. She
was used to having a roommate. But now, with a roommate who understood her, she could stay awake all night
and no one would care. They left her to unpack but Dawn remained. Since Dawn wanted to get to know her new
roommate too Max decided to start asking questions. Important questions. 




"Do you guys still get the seizures?" Max asked softly as she put away her stuff. 




"Yeah," Dawn answered. "Good thing that we know all the Trypto. suppliers. There are suppliers within a three
state range and we can break in any time."




"Lucky. I tried it when my roommate flushed my pills. She thought I was a drug addict. I had such bad seizures
that I actually got caught." Max winced at the thought. "But as you can tell, no harm no foul." 




Dawn explained many of the house rules explaining that you didn't have to answer any question you didn't want
to. You could tell them as much or as little as you wanted to. Dawn then dragged Max downstairs so that the
others could meet her and get to know her.




Michael stayed close to Max. Sense Selina had no urge to be anyone's second in command the title had passed to
Michael, but now that Max was back it went back to the original holder. Still something about Max touched
Michael as he watched her all night. She was calm, but happy. There was no way however to miss the dangerous
edge in Max's eyes or in the way she moved. She was on alert even among friends because she had just met
them and didn't know they were friends. Michael was going to get very close to Max from now on. They had
spoken just a few words, but Michael already knew that Max was meant to help him. Zach had Selina now, Dawn
and Carina talked to each other. The others seemed to be loaners, or just hung out together. Michael wasn't
looking for a girlfriend, but rather a soul mate and that's what he thought Max was, and he wasn't going to lose
her.




"So Max how do you like your new home?" Michael asked her.




"I'll like it better when I'm back for good." Max answered. "I have to head back to where I came from for awhile,
but I'll be back. Nothing could keep me away."

True to her word Max left the day after the next on her motorcycle. It was all any of them could do to let her go.
They hoped that she would return, and Michael had wanted to go with her. Michael however had been overruled
by Zach who thought that it wouldn't be fair. Michael would be crowding into a past Max didn't talk about. after
that Michael had stopped asking to go, but he was counting down the days until Max came back.




Max thought it was very strange the eagerness in which Michael had gotten to know her. Jordan was already
calling her Maxie claiming big brother rights. She had a family. Zach was like a brother as were most of the others.
Max couldn't wait to return, but at the same time she dreaded returning home because that meant excuses, and
she didn't want to have to leave Logan. However Logan had helped her find her family so he understood what was
happening. Most likely he'd be surprised she came back. He might have even found someone to replace her by
now. Right sure he had, and America was super power again.