TITLE: FINDING THE LOST 

AUTHOR: SARGE

E-MAIL: SARGE2525@HOTMAIL.COM

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: LOGAN AND MAX SETTLE BACK TO WATCH THEIR HARD WORK UNFOLD AND LYDECKER SINK LIKE A ROCK.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DARK ANGEL. FOX, JAMES CAMRON, AND CHARLES EGLEE DO. I DO NOT OWN THEN AND I CLAIM
NO OWNERSHIP. REALLY I'M JUST WRITING THIS FOR FUN.

Max headed to the hospital after she was finished at Jam Pony. Going to visit Sketch and Cindy was the least that she could do. She heard from the attending
nurses that both patients were going to make it. They told her that she could talk to them for ten minutes. Since they didn't even know that Max was back in
town it came as quite a shock when Max walked into their shared hospital room. 

"Max!" both Cindy and Sketch said in surprise when they saw her. "What are you doing back in the city? From what your letter said you
were never coming back." 

"What can I say?" Max shrugged. "I heard that two of my best friends were critical and the guilt ambushed me. Can you ever forgive
me?"

"Hey, we already forgave you for coming back," Cindy told her. "If you've brought us some real food we might think about forgiving you
for leaving."

"See, Original. I always knew she'd come back," Sketch broke in. "I told you. Max is not like that. If I got in trouble she'd come back to
save me."

"Yep, and that's why you spent a month in prison," Cindy countered. "And Max didn't even come and visit you."

"That wasn't my fault," Sketch objected. "Max, you gotta believe me." 

"It's you, Sketch. I don't have to believe anything. Besides I'm here now, or at least until this entire mess is over."

"You leavin' again after that?" Cindy asked in surprise. "Have you seen Mr. Rich Boyfriend yet? You know, the guy that you ditched for
your family?"

"Logan wasn't my boyfriend and where did you think I was staying?"

"Sure, he wasn't your boyfriend and now you're staying at his house. Bling and I had a hell of time keeping him from taking a header off
the deep end after you left. Must have just been a coincidence, huh?"

"Wait, just a second," Max interrupted them. "Logan did 'what' after I left?" 

"Guess he didn't tell you huh?" Sketch asked. "Oh yeah. He was certifiable there for awhile. Well, a week or so. Then he just seemed to
pick up and move on." 

Max shook her head in disbelief. "Well anyway, I did actually bring you something," Max told them as she pulled out two boxes of
chocolate. "I believe that this is called sugar. In a very tasty form. Don't tell your doctors."

Both Sketch and Cindy grabbed the candy from her hands eagerly. They started eating it as fast as they could, each keeping one eye on
the door. 

"You bring us chocolate every time you come back and we'll forgive you for anything," Sketch told her. "Though bailing me out of jail
would have been a nice gesture too."

Max and Cindy had an actual meaningful conversation for the next few minutes before the nurse came and kicked Max out. 

"Wait, girl," Cindy objected before she left. "If you leave again and don't say goodbye in person I will hunt you down with Mr. Rich guy
and we will both kill you." 

Max just smiled and headed out of the room. When she got to the end of the hallway she was surprised to see Lydecker arguing with
the head doctor.

"I'm sorry. They've already had their visitor for the day," the doctor was objecting. "After what happened last time I don't think it would
be a good idea to put them through the stress again."

"Who was this that visited?" Lydecker demanded. "I only want authorized personnel in there to see them. They could be the mad bombers
that did this. They could be getting rid of evidence!" 

Max ducked through the door into the stairwell and took the steps two at a time. Time to tell Logan what she had seen. Lydecker was
very close to snapping. She only hoped that the good doctor could keep him away from Original Cindy and Sketch. They had looked
really pale, and hospital bandages just did not go well with Cindy's complexion. 

When Max reached Logan's apartment he was broadcasting the first of his new "Lydecker is evil" bulletins. It had some very nice quotes
from this morning after Max had left. 

"He's losing his cool fast," Max observed. "The president is giving him heat to find someone responsible by the end of the day or he's
sending in a team. He suggested that he knew something with Lydecker was shady. Needless to say Lydecker is falling." 

"Get out!" Max said in surprise. "Lydecker is getting orders from the president?"

"Commander in chief of the military," Logan reminded her. "Lydecker's going to find out that bombing Seattle was like jumping from a
plane without a parachute."

"Ouch," Max said smiling. "Well as long as I get to watch him go splat. I should call Zach. He would enjoy watching this fall from grace."

"Zach might bring your entire family with him, and I don't think they'd like me," Logan reminded her. "He'd probably bring Michael."

"You and Michael in the same city, let alone the same room, is really not a good idea," Max agreed as she went to the window. "Michael
just loves defending my honor. What little there is." 

"Max, you don't kill people. That makes you an honorable person," Logan reminded her. "Besides I like you, and I don't blame Michael for
liking you too." 

"Yes, but you see Michael likes me in the throw-me-down and rip-our-clothes off kind of way. You and I are just friends."

"What makes you think I don't like you that way?" Logan asked teasingly as he pulled her into his arms. "I mean, I did drag you back to
Seattle." 

Max put her head on his shoulder, enjoying it for a few seconds before pulling away. 

"You didn't drag me anywhere. I came here after a newscast and a phone call. Jordan was quite upset, by the way. They'd never heard my
cell phone go off before. Imagine his surprise when it goes off in the middle of a newscast about Seattle and I blindly agree to leave.
Let's just say it wasn't pretty."

"I'm sure it was very hard," Logan said, trying to keep the sigh out of his voice as he held her. She was just so wonderful. He wanted to
hold her forever, but when she pulled away he let her go. If she wanted to get free she would. He saw no good reason to break his arms
trying to hold her. 

"So Lydecker is falling. We need to get to work on that plan to get him to think we're dead. We have it now we just have to put it in
motion." 

"So far all we have are a few quotes about a 'girl' that Lydecker bombed Seattle to catch. We don't have anything." 

"Lydecker could go on forever just calling me a 'girl'," Max snarled. "This blows. We need it fast before the general public can form it's
own manhunt to kill us all."

"Maybe you should take to Zach and get him down here after all," Logan told her. "He must know something about Lydecker and this
sort of thing."

"Logan, I know we wanted to catch Lydecker using his actual voice, but we have new voice technology. Technology that no one would
check for coming from "Eyes Only". Why don't we use your voice, and disguise it as Lydecker's talking about the bar codes? We could
set it up easy."

"Max, we are really stretching "Eyes Only"s credibility here. Who knows what the people would do with this information? They might want
bodies," Logan reminded her. "And since you'll all be alive there will be no bodies."

"The government has to cover it up somehow. It'll be the Roswell of this century," Max told Logan. "Maybe someday they'll be a TV show
about the twelve escapees from a secret government project. They'll be hunted every day by people who don't believe the military's
cover story about their deaths."

"Max, you have had way to much free time on your hands," Logan told her with a hint of amusement. "Okay. I'll do what I can. I'll get
Bling to help you with creating the site in an abandoned town a few cities over. We feed them live footage of the burning town and a few
select reports from friends of mine as townspeople and we might just have it made."

"I'm going to call Zach," Max announced. "Dawn, Zach, Jordan and I can be spread throughout the town playing the dead Manticore
projects. The rest of us can be in pieces. Work for you?"

"Anything to help you take down Lydecker," Logan answered. 

It took two days for everything to get set up perfectly. The plan went off without a hitch. Although it was still too soon to know if the
"deaths" of the Manticore children would be believed in the long-term, Logan had high hopes. It was at noon on a Wednesday when a
warrant for the arrest of General Lydecker was ordered. There would be no real trial. It was already suspected that he would be given
life in prison... unless somebody got to him first with a more permanent solution. He was already making statements that he was being
framed. Sure, there would be an investigation, but the chances of them finding anything weren't very good. To be honest, there just
wasn't any chance.

Zach, Dawn, Jordan Selina, and Michael had come to Seattle to help with the plan. Max had to work to keep Michael away from Logan
and Kendra. He had dutifully tried to kill them for finding out about the Manticore project escapees. Max had thrown him out a window
to prove that he'd regret trying it again. He still glared at them resentfully and made sure that Max was never more then two feet
closer to Logan then she was to him. Apparently he saw what the others didn't. 

Michael did see something that the others didn't see. Danger. This Logan Cale was a huge danger to Max. Max would be killed because
of her foolish sentimentality in this situation unless she was taken out of it. Being in this world had made her soft. She was no longer
able to recognize danger, instead she fell for it. No one had missed the way she was defensive of Logan, even without ever being
physical. She was smart enough to know that it would throw Michael over the edge, and that Logan wouldn't stand a chance. 

"So, Max, the job's done," Zach reminded her as he stepped forward to stand at her side. He glanced back at Kendra and Logan as if
daring them to disagree. 

Logan was desperately was starting to wish that he hadn't let Max call in her sibs. It occurred to him that he was just a glutton for
punishment lately. He was going to disagree with Zach. 

"It's not over," Logan told them. "You don't understand. The city still wants some sort of blood. It's going to be Lydecker's, and he's
going to have those still loyal to him try to make the city pay. I need Max for another week." 

"You can have Dawn," Michael said as he stood. "Max needs to come home now. Dawn can help you."

"Dawn doesn't have the personality I need," Logan argued. "Kendra and Max also have stuff to settle with their apartment."

"Max," Zach said as she turned to face him. "One week. We are not leaving Seattle, but we'll let you be. You have one week and then you
are coming home."

"Don't give me orders, Zach," Max warned him testily. "Just because I'm your second in command doesn't actually mean that I follow
orders."

"I'm surprised that this bit of information comes as news to him," Kendra muttered. Then she added in a louder voice, "Max, you have
to help get Normal out of jail." 

"Do I have to?" Max whined as she watched the others start to leave. To her surprise she saw that Michael was sitting down again.
"Michael. Get gone."

"I'm not leaving until you get one thing straight, Max," he told her. "You are not of this place. This is not your home. You have enemies
here that you can't even see." 

"I have people here that care, too," Max objected. "Something you used to do before you became obsessed." 

"The enemy is whoever will get you killed; no matter whose side he's on," Michael told her before standing. He walked over to Logan and
stood glaring at him. "She's going to leave in a week. If you stand in the way of that, she won't be able to save you."

"Michael!" Zach yelled sharply from the door. "He just saved our lives and got rid of Lydecker. Don't you dare threaten his life." 

Michael walked out of the apartment smiling as he saw the pained look on Logan's face at the idea of Max leaving. So this is what
had brought Max back. Someone who was going to get her killed. They'd have to talk about that once she was sensible again.

Logan definitely did not like Michael and from the look on her face, Max wasn't too pleased with him currently either. Now was
Logan's only chance to say what he wanted to say. He would do anything starting now to get Max to stay, and he knew Kendra was
going to help him. 

"Kendra, when do Sketch and Cindy get out of the hospital?" Logan asked, his mind already planning. He had to get Max to stay, and
he would. If he couldn't talk her out of going back home to Michael then he'd just been delusional when he thought that he'd talked
people into believing his "Eyes Only" broadcasts. Then again, he had proof that a lot of his ideas had been understood. Many of the
scumbags that "Eyes Only" had profiled were no longer in office. Some of that also had to do with Max. 

"Tomorrow at noon," Kendra answered. "They need a ride." 

"They got it," Logan promised her. "However, Max, since apparently I only have you for a week I'm going to put you to good use."

"Oh what joy," Max murmured. "You know, Logan, we have to find a new way for you to pay me since I've found my siblings."

"I can think of one way," Kendra volunteered, a smile on her face. "I'm surprised you haven't already considered it." 

"Kendra, you've been spending way to much time with Cindy," Max said. "I don't think so. Now come on, Logan. Tell. You know I don't
like to go into a situation blind."

"We have an AWOL good guy," Logan told her. "He works on the Seattle Police Force. Maybe you remember him. If you don't Cindy
might." 

"Sure Lydecker didn't just get to him?" Max asked. "He might even be in jail someplace. Well, actually if it was Lydecker I'd vote for
dead." 

"He's not dead," Logan said firmly. "I know that for a fact. We also have a terrorist group that is taking advantage of the situation.
They'll make themselves known to the city in a few days. If their demands aren't met, they intend to break this city by making sure
that food isn't available even to people like myself."

"Great. So, you're telling me I have to do a search, rescue, and destroy mission tomorrow. For a police detective. Hey, that works,"
she said brightly. "We can get Normal out of prison at the same time. I'm sure Sketchy and Cindy won't thank me, but that's okay." 

"Max, look at it this way. You get to beat people up." Logan told her. "Which means you get to do something with all that energy
that's had you bouncing around for the last two days. You do realize that you've been driving everyone crazy, don't you? Bling has
threatened to come up with a program for you." 

"I'd like to try and see him keep up," Max said with a smirk. "I'm good at what I do." 

"Yes, Max, you're the best at what you do. Then again, it may be that you're my best hit girl because you're my only hit girl," Logan
reminded her. "And you're leaving... again." 

"Well, I could ask them to let you keep Dawn around for awhile," Max suggested. "Honestly, I told them I'd come back when I could."

"I know you did. Maybe they think they need you for something," Logan said. He was trying not to sound like he felt, because he felt
like he wanted to tear her family to pieces for trying to take her away from him. 

"Well, they're just going to have to deal with the fact that if the jobs aren't done I'm not leaving you without some kind of help,"
Max announced. "It was wrong to do it in the first place, and I'll do anything to avoid Michael."

"So why don't you tell him to leave you alone?" Logan asked her. 

"Did he seem all that surprised at being thrown out the window?" Max asked him. "I've told him before. He's very dense. Reminds me
of you in some ways." 

Logan was insulted by that comment. In no way was he dense, he thought defensively. It just wasn't the way things were. If he were
dense, he'd be like everyone else in the city. He'd be walking around with his head so far into the dirt that he couldn't see the light of
day. 

"Mind explaining that last comment?" Logan asked her.

"Well, like I said before, when I first met you I thought you were a jerk. You wouldn't leave me alone. Since then I seem to have
gained wisdom, but honestly, persistence is not always the key."

"Oh shut up," Logan said teasingly. "Where would you be without me?"

"We went over this already," Max reminded him. "Now give me what I need so I can do my job. You have new bad people to expose."

"Fine. Just remember not to get hurt," Logan told her. "Michael already wants to kill me, and I don't think I want Zach to hate me
too." 

"Nah. Zach is one of the only people who understands me. If I were you I'd be worried about Jordan. He's the one who has big brother
issues."

"Jordan? As in the one you freaked out when you came here?"

"Yep. He even stopped calling me that horrid nickname," Max answered. "Well, for awhile at least." 

"What nickname?" Logan asked. While he knew it would be pushing it, knowing nicknames could be a helpful blackmail technique.
Not that he would blackmail Max. Well, if it came right down to it he might. He really didn't want her to leave. What he wanted was
to spend the next several hours kissing her. Don't go there, Logan, he warned himself. Therein lies danger. 

"I'm not stupid Logan," Max answered. "Now... floor plans. I have work to do."

Logan pulled out a folder and handed it to her. She looked through it, her face staying blank. Finally she looked up at him and smiled.

"Not a problem," Max answered as she headed for the door. "Do you want me to drop him someplace or bring him back here?"

"Drop him," Logan replied as he headed toward her computer. "You do realize that this is going to take the entire night, right? They've
got him pretty far outside the city."

"I'll be back by 1:00 tomorrow," Max promised as she walked out. "Don't worry. I'll get your guy, and I'll get Normal, and then we
can figure out the next step." 

Logan watched Max go, wondering if he and Max's other friends could really find a way to convince her to stay in Seattle. From the
way Kendra had been talking lately it was clear that she missed Max a lot. At least she had the smarts not to suggest anything to
Max before they had plan. Tomorrow they had a planning session; Kendra, Cindy, Sketch, and himself. Four people could make a
huge difference. Max had flirted with him. Yep, they stood a chance. While neither Logan nor Max had any idea what they were to
each other at this point in time, Logan knew what he wanted them to be. Logan wanted her to be his girlfriend, but he'd settle for
having her live in Seattle and helping him. He was smart though. He wasn't going to completely stop Max from hanging out with her
siblings. They would find some way to make this work. 


* * * 

end part eleven