Nope, no new part, just edited...I read through it again and those little typos drove me nuts! BTW, I didn't touch any of the tenses...was it *that* bad? :-) Or were you all just kidding? (It's so sad...I can't tell...)

*****

She didn't expect to ever see him again. It was all her fault and there wasn't a damn thing that she could do about it. What plagued her most was the fact that the whole thing could've been prevented if she wasn't so weak.

Logan was dead.

Zack had left her.

All because she was pathetic...weak. At first, she entertained the hope that, perhaps, Zack would suddenly come back and everything would be fine. Just like it was before. They would forget the past, and they would move on...together. But, as the days flew by, she gradually lost all hope of any contact with him. The reality of the situation had hit her hard.

She was alone.

Loneliness wasn't a new sensation for her. Max had felt it all too many times. But true solitude...only twice. This time was worse. It gnawed and tore at her insides. She could drop dead, and no one in the world would know, nor would they care. Before, she never experienced the security of unconditional support. She was too young and that very idea wouldn't have even been fathomable. She could be by herself, and never feel the torture of wanting more.

But then Logan, that bastard, had to make her dependant on him, make her need him. And then he left. He left! She would've died then and there without Zack's strong support. The endless nights that he sat up with her, just because she didn't want to be alone. His sweet insistence... 'I don't need sleep.' They didn't have to say anything to each other, because he understood.

And she made him leave! She caused the crumble of their once unbreakable bond. He would've never denied her anything, and what did she do? She fucked him.

He was gone, and she couldn't blame him. Why would he stay with someone who selfishly ruined a lifetime of familiarity and closeness? All because of one goddamn night of loneliness.

*****

Max stepped out onto the rock hard pavement, her face was emotionless against the bitter wind. It pricked like tiny daggers against her skin, not really surprising, considering it was one o'clock in the morning, and it was during the dead of winter. Even after two years, she couldn't bear to leave Seattle. In some twisted dark corner of her mind, it was a semblance of 'home' for her. It seemed that, lately, she held on tight to anything and everything that once was. It would've been so easy to start anew, but somehow, that didn't appeal to her.

Little moments of pushing things away would have helped her peace of mind, but she was forever plagued with being constantly conscious, always thinking, and wondering, all at the same time, never forgetting.

Inhaling the fresh scent of recent rainfall, she slowly made her way towards the shipyard. Each step was mechanical; her eyes were devoid of the shine they once held. Now, they were dull, emotionless. There was nothing to look forward to, she was about to do what she did every single day. She would arrive at the site, pack fish for low pay, and then go back 'home'.

That night was no different, or at least it wouldn't have been. Except, she felt another presence. The feeling of isolation momentarily lifting; yet the uneasiness remained. Shrugging off the discomfort, she continued on, only her footsteps echoed against the asphalt.

She looked skyward, wishing for the clouds to lift, for the rain to leave. But the clouds were forever obscuring the light, always casting an unmistakable darkness. Just as well, the sun would probably manage to only remind her of what once was, but never to be again.

Reaching the shipyard, the foreman pointed over to the stack of huge crates. Without one word of disagreement, she set to work. Her boss never questioned her ability; the fact that she was willing to do heavy lifting for horseshit was good enough for him. Max set to work, automatically transporting the crates of rotting fish carcasses, and sorting them. The first few moments were always discomforting, but after a few minutes, she sets back into her familiar groove, unconsciously working.

After the first few hours of monotonous sorting, the foreman usually leaves, and she worked alone. No one else wanted the night shift.

In the middle of fifth hour, Max felt that familiar presence again, the feeling of being watched. Pushing away the uncomfortable notion to the very dark depths of her mind, she continued stacking and sorting, not letting the feeling persist.

Quickening her pace ever so slightly, she moved to the edge of the dock. She bent over and prepared herself for a large crate. Her fingers took a tight hold of the edges, and she lifted the whole thing up with relative ease.

But just then, that feeling of unease rushed back to her at full force. Her cloudy mind snapped to the present as she lost her balance. Then she fell.

It never would've happened before. Before, she could've easily anchor her foot down and effortlessly stand up straight again. However, over time, she started living in the past, never concentrating. Over time, she became less like the person she was, and more like a machine. Her senses dulled, and all she could think about while she plummeted towards the icy salt water, was the eerie presence that was still there.

Her body smashed against the rock-solid waves. After the soft, yet all too brief, falling sensation, the contact with the waves halted her descend with a hard crash. Following the initial contact, the water relented and started to envelope her, plunging her into a soundless world.

Her mind told her to fight against the waves, to swim up and get air. But throughout the whole ordeal, she remained unnaturally calm. Her body continued to stay suspended in the watery environment. Max didn't know how long she had been under. Could've been seconds, or maybe it could've been hours, she couldn't tell.

Why wasn't she swimming up to the surface? Perhaps it was because she felt at peace. Under the waves, it was quiet. There were no distractions. She didn't think so much. Maybe she should stay under...

Just then, an arm shot down and roughly pulled her away from the calm place. All of a sudden, Max heard the distractions again, the rain that fell softly, the streetlight that hummed, the sound of her lungs coughing. She was coughing? Funny, she didn't even know that water had gotten into her lungs.

She was disoriented, yet she didn't care.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

That voice...it was so familiar. Her foggy mind fought hard to recall.

Zack.

Max tilted her face up to look at the person that pulled her out. His unmistakable jaw was tight and his eyes bored into hers. "Answer me!"

She sat there, dripping, her mind not comprehending totally. It had been so long since she had spoken to anyone, and this wasn't just anyone. This was Zack.

He was checking her forehead, seeing if she suffered more damage than it looked like. But all Max could do was sit there and stare blankly at him. A million emotions rushed at her full force, much more than she knew how to deal with. What was going to happen? Was he back for good? What does it all mean?

"Dammit Max! Say something!"

Her pulse quickened, her breathing shallow as she gazed up at him again. She didn't think that she would ever see him again, but now that he was there, flesh and bones, she didn't know what to say.
 
 

Zack waited. Shit, what the hell was wrong with her? The woman in front of him wasn't the Max that he knew. She was a shell of her former self. Her hair was plastered to her face and her body shook with shivers. Yet, all she could do was stare at him.

It had hurt so much, leaving her. But he had to. How could he ever look at her again without feeling like a sick bastard? He took advantage of her vulnerable state and destroyed their bond. He accepted it, accepted the fact that all he could do was watch her and protect her from a far away distance. No contact, ever again.

However, one cruel twist of fate changed his plan. He found himself creeping out of the shadows and running towards her. He found himself reaching down into the freezing waters and pulling her out when her own body wouldn't.

She looked so lost; so hopeless that he couldn't help but lower his tone. "Max? Are you okay?"

Her lower lip quivered as she fought to form the words. "Zack..."

He never thought that he would ever hear her utter his name ever again. The sound of it was like music to his ears. Reaching out to her, he pulled her shaking body into his arms and wordlessly, the two of them headed to her apartment.

*****

Zack stared down at her small figure, huddled in a large blanket. Handing her a cup of steaming water, since that was all she had, he leaned against the counter. He tried to ask her how she was feeling, if she was okay, but she managed to only reply with one-word answers and it was making him mad.

"Thanks."

"Yeah." His reply was curt and he practically spat it out.

He stood there, watching her watch him. Neither of them saying a word. The only noise was of Max, sipping the steaming liquid. Unable to stand the silence any longer, Zack sighed loudly. "Want to tell me what that was all about?"

Her face reflected the ultimate calmness. It made him wonder when and how she lost her fieriness, her undeniable personality. "I fell."

"Why didn't you do something about it? You were down there for ten minutes!" He couldn't help it. He was angry, she didn't care what happened anymore, and she wasn't Max anymore.

"Zack...please..."

"What? You want me to drop it? This is not going to be something we ignore and pretend to forget! What the hell is going on with you?"

"I don't know."

Her soft responses caused a surge of anger to well up in him. The person in front of him wasn't her. "Dammit, can you stop sounding like that? You fall into the water, stayed there, and you don't know why?" He was shouting now, and he saw her eyes flinch every time he shouted, but he just couldn't stop.
"I didn't want to come back up, right away." Her eye drifted towards the ground, and stayed there.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

He shook his head. It was so hard. She used to be able to tell him anything, but it wasn't like that anymore. "What happened to you, Max?"

With the shrug of her shoulders, he growled and headed towards the door.

"Fine, don't want to talk to me? I'll make it easier on you. Bye."

Her head snapped up. The chance that he might walk out of her life for good pulled her out of her own little world and back to the present. "When will you come back again?"

"Does it matter to you?"

"Yes." She replied without hesitation. "We should talk."

"Talk?" His voice was incredulous, "I've been trying to do that all night. Well, forget it. I'm all 'talked' out."

"So that's it? You're leaving, forever?"

His ears perked at hearing her familiar biting tone. He turned around, only to have his hopes squelched at seeing her dejected face.
 
 

Max sat there. She felt so frail...weak. After accepting the fact that he was never coming back, the sight of him in front of her just flipped her whole world upside down. "Please don't go." Fuck, she hated the way she sounded. So pitiful. She knew exactly what he was asking her, but she couldn't answer. What happened to her? Everybody left her, that's what.

"Things aren't the same anymore."

"We can try." No...what the hell was she saying? They'll never be the same again. "Just don't leave me for good." Her mind kick and screamed at the pleading tone. She sounded so fucking pathetic! And he saw it, too. The look on his face said it all.

"Max..."

"Please, Zack?" Were those tears in her eyes? Shit.

It had all came so suddenly. His abrupt return...which reminded her, what the fuck did he think he was doing? How long has he been following her? Why?

She pushed all the questions to the back of her mind; all that mattered at the present moment was getting him back. She could save those other questions for later...just have to deal with those later. "Zack?"
 
 

Zack stood uncomfortably under her unwavering gaze. What should he do? He should accept the fact that the Max he knew was long gone. Maybe he can rebuild their relationship with this new Max. Or would it be doomed by their past mistakes? Was he willing to risk it?

Returning her pleading gaze, he found himself unable to deny her anything, just like always, he relented. "Okay."

He saw her smile for the first time that night, the brightness returning to her eyes again as the sun flooded though the window behind her. Maybe they'll be all right.

*****
End part 2