Max sat up on the space needle staring at the full moon. She remembered back at Manticore, the nomalies always seemed to get noiser and a little more strange over the three nights of the full moon. Although she hated to admit it, so did the X5 siblings. Ben, who was usually so chatty and always telling them stories, would go strangely quiet. Jondy, who had always been so quiet and nervous, would get this look in her bright blue eyes, that dared anyone to cross her. Not even the guards would go near her over the full moon nights.
It was on nights like this, Max missed her brothers and sisters the most. Sighing at the moon, she returned to her apartment.
"Hey, sugar." Original Cindy looked up from watching the television when she heard Max come in. "I thought you'd be staying with Logan."
"No. He's busy fighting for another cause with Asha." Max screwed her nose up. "I didn't want to intrude." She was feeling sorry for herself and she knew it. Before she had met Logan, Max was never concerned about anyone but herself. She kept herself closed off, he had changed all of that.
"Boo, you know he ain't interested in Asha other than being her friend." Original Cindy was usually happy to humour Max when she got in these self piting moods. Not tonight though. "Now you get your transgenic arse over to his castle and give him something other than work to think about."
Max frowned at her friend. "What's got your panties in a twist." The full moon must have been effecting everyone. It wasn't like Original Cindy to be so grouchy with her.
"Everyone waited a whole year for you and Logan to stop dancing around each other and admit you loved each other." Original Cindy was practically yelling at her. "Then you got given that damn virus and ...." She seemed to suddenly become aware that she was yelling. "Sorry Boo. Gotta switch to decaf coffee."
Max shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. Think I'll go for a ride." She turned and opened the door, only to find Logan standing outside. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Asha were working."
Logan smiled at her. "There's always tomorrow. Besides, I missed you." He took her face in his hands and kissed her so passionately, that she just about lost her balance.
"Well, I think I'll turn in for the night." Original Cindy switched the television off and retreated to her room.
Max took a step back. "Are you alright?" It wasn't like Logan to be so impulsive or to push aside work. "You're not coming down with something are you?" Max almost kicked herself. What was she saying? She wished Logan would do this more often.
"Max!" Alec ran up to them, still standing in the doorway. "There's something weird going on with Joshua. He's howling at the moon."
"So tell him to stop." Max wasn't really listening as Logan was kissing her neck. "It's probably because of the full moon. Just explain to him, he'll get caught and end up in a cage if he doesn't stop."
"I did." Alec seemed oblivious to Logan's presense. "He said the moon started it by howling at him first." He looked at Max as though he had just noticed that she was attractive. "Have you done something different with your hair?"
Max rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll go and talk to him." Max knew for certain it was the full moon playing games with them, when Alec started asking about her hair. "I won't be long." She gently pushed Logan away.
"It's ok. I'll come with you." Logan took hold of her hand and started heading down the corridor. "You coming Alec?"
Alec shrugged his shoulders and shut the door to Max's apartment. "Sure. The more, the merrier."
At Joshua's house, they found the big man sitting in his back yard howling up at the sky. His neighbours were yelling abuse at him out of their windows. Alec sat down beside Joshua and looked up at the sky. "So I take it the moon's still picking a fight with you."
Joshua nodded. "Don't like the way he's looking at me. I think he's laughing at me." He frowned up at the moon.
"Who's laughing at you?" Max crouched the other side of Joshua. She couldn't see anyone, let alone hear anyone laughing.
"The man in the moon." Joshua replied as if it were so obvious. "He's laughing at you too."
"Well, I think we should just ignore him and go inside." Max tugged on Joshua's hand and led him into the house. "Between you and the man in the moon, you're both upsetting the neighbours."
"He started it." Joshua complained.
"Well, you're going to finish it." Max scolded him. It was like talking to a child. Once she was happy that Joshua would stay inside and not howl at the moon, Max got back into the car with Alec and Logan.
Just as Logan started the car, a naked man streaked across the road. "Well, that's something you don't see every day."
"Actually, that's Fred." Alec pointed out. "It's sort of a regular gig with him."
Logan looked over his shoulder at Alec. "I was talking about the lobster tattoo he has on his rear." He pulled the car out onto the street. "Where to?"
"I think we should all go to our separate homes and lock ourselves in until the full moon is finished." Max was starting to get seriously freaked by the weirdness that was surrounding her tonight.
"That's rather selfish, Max." Alec leaned forward. "You could at least offer to lock yourself up with Logan." He slapped Logan on the back as though they had been friends for years. Usually, the two men couldn't stand each other. Alec was always trying to bait Logan. "How do you put up with her Logan?"
"It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it." Logan joked back. He realised that he would have to apologie for that comment in the morning. It just seemed to have popped out. "Where can I drop you off, Alec?"
Alec pointed out the windscreen. "Just drop me over there by the guy dressed like a chicken. He looks like he's having fun."
The man was running up and down the street holding his head. Feathers were flying off of his costume onto the street as he ran. As they got closer to him, they could hear him yelling "The sky is falling, the sky is falling."
Alec grinned. "This is going to be a blast." He crawled out of the car, waving goodbye to Logan and Max. "See ya tomorrow if the sky doesn't fall on us."
Logan watched Alec's antics for a moment. "Is it just me or are we all acting strange tonight?" He spotted a drunk at the entrance of an alleyway staring up at the moon. A second later the drunk smiled and blew the moon a kiss.
"I'm telling you, it's the full moon." Max giggled at the drunk. "Makes everyone act strange." She glanced over to where Alec was now doing some strange sort of tribal dance with the chicken man. "Some more than others. I think we'd better head home before we catch what they have."
Logan turned to see what Max was looking at and laughed. "Sure, but they actually look as though they're having fun." He pulled the car away from the curb and drove Max back to her apartment building.
He walked her up to her door. Logan knew Max could take care of herself, but he still needed to make sure that she got back to her apartment safely. "Make sure you lock your door. There's a lot of crazy people out there tonight." He joked with her. "Goodnight." He leaned forward and kissed her goodbye.
"You know, maybe Alec had the right idea before." Max shot Logan a sexy smile before grabbing the front of his shirt and pulled him inside the apartment. "I think I'd better lock you in here with me. It'll be much safer." She flicked the lock behind him and put the chain across the door.
"Got no arguments there." Logan pulled her closer.
"You know the full moon lasts for three nights, don't you?" Max informed him.
"There nothing else we can do then," Logan tried to look serious. "I'm just going to have to stay locked in here with you for three nights." A moment later they had both forgotten all about the full moon and the weirdness they had encountered that night.
THE END
