Disclaimer- None of the characters of Dark Angel belong to me (sob) they are property of James Cameron and Charles H Eglee

Summary- Max is the new leader of TC, Alec her unofficial sidekick. What happens after FN? (I'm sorry that doesn't explain it at all, just read it's a combination of stuff not just one plot that continues like how different episodes have different plots) M/A

Background Info- Takes place after Freak Nation. It's been a couple of weeks or so since the siege began. Max is the official leader of TC and Alec is the unofficial 'sidekick' but equally as respected. OC and Sketchy have left because of the toxins of Terminal City but Logan is still there, helping out here and there. Dix is the computer whiz with the monocle and Mole is, well we should all know Mole. I've invented some characters, don't think they play a big part.

A/N- For starters, this is my first DA fic and I don't know where it's going. Think of it as a consolidated season 3 but not quite season 3. I'm confusing aren't I? O well, read and find out.

A/N2-The words in ** are thoughts and I use italics all over the place to mean different things.

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Chapter 1- Aftermath

Max poured over the plans that Dix, Mole and various other 'nomalies had drawn up. She was trying to figure out the best, and safest routes in and out of Terminal City; it was obvious that they would need to venture out soon, it had barely been a month but supplies were running low and a couple of X-5s were feeling the lack of trytophan. She hadn't slept for three days straight and shark DNA or not that rusty, creaky bed she had been assigned was beginning to look like heaven. She could just imagine the soft comfort of sleep as it overtook her…

"Hey Max" came a familiar voice from the doorway, snapping her out of her reverie.

 Max automatically reacted, "What the hell do you want Alec?" she snapped.

"Jeez relax Max; I was just wondering if you wanted any help"

When she turned around she saw the cocky smile on his face but she also the slight hardness in the set of his jaw, "Sorry, I'm just so tired…"

"It's Ok, I get it. So need me?"

"Well no, I don't need you, but I want you"

His eyebrows rose and he smirked, "Is that a fact?"

Bemused, Max thought back on what she had said then something clicked, "eww, no not that way Alec, I want you to help out"

He pouted in mock disappointment "Sure, what do I do?"

"Well for starters you can sort this stuff out, then this and go over that tell me what you think, then…" 15 mins later she had given him a huge list of things to do.

"Is that all?" he asked in a small voice.

"Nope there's more but that'll do for now, maybe I can catch Logan, gotta blaze" Just before she walked out she turned back "Oh, umm Alec?" He glanced up at her "Thanks" She expected some smart-alec comment but he just grinned "Anytime Maxie". Max smiled wearily and with a halfhearted "Don't call me that" dashed out. "Anytime at all" he whispered after her retreating back.

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 "Hey you"

"Hey yourself" Logan replied turning around to smile longingly at Max.

He had been typing away at his laptop, coming up with places to hit up for money, food and other supplies including weapons. He hadn't been getting much more sleep than Max. She moved to sit on the table next to him, facing the door, but kept her distance.

"Listen, about this whole TC thing…"

"No Logan," she interrupted him "You have to go"

He looked up at her pleadingly, her features softened, "Listen I know you don't want to but I can't risk losing you to some other chemically-engineered virus, it's like if it isn't your bio-hazard girlfriend then it's the toxins of TC, no way are you staying here. The only reason I let you stay so long is the transfusion you got from Joshua, it's given you some immunity but it'll wear off. OC and Sketch left yesterday" A slight tinge of pain entered her voice at this point "You have to leave by the end of the week" she ended in a whisper.

"Right, I'll be ready to go. I'll have finished the lists by tomorrow, I won't be needed then, you and Alec will manage fine" he tried to hide the bitterness he felt.

Max was puzzled, "Me and Alec? Oh right, about that…"

"It's all right; everyone's willing to follow the two leaders of TC"

"We're… wait, TWO leaders? What… never mind" She looks nervous "IliedtoyouAlecandmearenottogether" she blurted.

"Umm, Max could you repeat that?"

She sighed "I lied to you, Alec and me aren't together. I did it to keep you safe"   

Logan smiled it was like someone had turned the light back on, "Really?"

"Really really"

Logan grabbed Max's hand, she almost jerked away then realised he was wearing gloves. They just sat there for a while.

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That's the way Alec found them when he came in, just staring into each others eyes, two star-crossed lovers, how sweet. It made him want to hurl.

"Uh Max, we have a situation" he put a hand behind him to quickly scratch his head in thought, "Maaaaaaax" didn't work "Yo Maxie!" he barked, okay that worked her head whipped around so fast, he was surprised she hadn't broken it.

"What did you do this time Alec?" she asked testily

"I didn't do anything, and why don't you come find out yourself" He'd figured out that Max had told Logan already, and if she hadn't well he wasn't that big a chimp Alec supposed, he must've figured it out.

She glared at him evilly, all previous gratitude forgotten as she inwardly cursed the devil of a man before her that in her opinion had just stolen what could possibly have been the last moments she had left with the man she loved. "Fine" she said through clenched teeth and stalked out punching him on the way.

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Mole was fairly worked up. "These bunch of raving lunatics just drove through the cursed perimeter in a damned jeep. They knocked down a good bit of fence too, claiming to be transgenics X-5s no less ha! I didn't see any barcodes. Ordinaries think they can infiltrate us, I say kill 'em"

"Mole!" Max snapped "There will be no killing of any sort. Did they at least try to prove that they were X-5s? Blurring, cat vision, body temperature, anything?!"

Mole looked sheepish "Well actually they offered, but we kind of locked them up in the storage room. They were asking for you, called you 452, we were suspicious"

"Well, take me to them" Max waited expectantly, Mole blinked "What?" "Take me to them!!!!" she screamed, her nerves were frayed and she was in no mood to act patient.

Alec had been watching this little exchange from the sidelines, he stepped in "I'll take you to them, Mole which storage room?" Mole opened his voice to mouth his protest but Alec looked at him warningly "5th door on the left wing" he said in a defeated voice "But I still don't think she should go alone". "Relax" Alec replied "I can take care of her"

"I don't need you to 'take care of me' " Max said frostily

"Don't I know it" he muttered rubbing the spot on his shoulder that was still sore from Max's punch.

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Alec fumbled with the lock, "Hurry it up already" Max hissed.

"Max is that you?" came a muffled voice through the door. It sounded exactly like… but no it couldn't be, could it? She quickly shoved Alec out of the way and wrenched the door open. "Syl? Oh my…" She flung her arms around her sister hugging for all she was worth before proceeding to similarly squeeze the life out of Zane, Krit and Jondy. Jondy was beginning to have trouble breathing "Uh, Max" then she become conscious of the fact that Max was softly sobbing into her shirt "Shh baby sister, it's ok we're here now, it's ok"

Alec watched Max as she cried her heart out, something that he knew she wouldn't have the luxury of doing anytime soon, it would be showing weakness and Max couldn't afford that now that she was the leader of TC.

He watched jealously as her other 'brothers' and sister gathered around in a group hug to comfort her, she would never allow him to do that for her. He gave a wry smile thinking about how far they had come from Manticore where everything was viewed with cold objectivity- no emotions, no friends, no thought, no loyalties except for Manticore. He looked at the happy group one more time before deciding he wasn't needed and going back to the pile of work he had in Max's office.

Just as he was leaving Zane caught sight of him "Ben? Ben is that you?"

He froze. Max lifted a tearstained face to look over at him, "No that's his twin, Alec X5-494"

"X5R" he corrected softly. He realised everyone was staring at him, the cocky grin snapped back in place. "Yeah, me and good ol' Maxie here were breeding partners back at Manticore"

"Breeding partners? Really?" Zane raised an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly; his eyes were sparkling in amusement.

"Yup, we clicked right away. Oh we got along very well, twice was it Max?"

Max flushed and glared at him heatedly "Nothing happened, I kind of kicked him really hard in the stomach when he told me that we were to 'copulate every night until I got pregnant' – not exactly the kind of love poetry to get a girl in the mood- and informed him that that was 'the only physical contact me and him were gonna have'. Of course like the smart-ass that he is, he just stole my bunk and slept, that's actually how he got his name- smart-alec, Alec. My second choice was Dick"

"You'll have to excuse Maxie; she has a peculiar fixation with my ass plus she's got this whole 'tough chic' thing going" he leaned forward and whispered in a conspiratory voice "Personally I think it's rather unbecoming, very unfeminene"

Max looked offended 'I do not, and I thought I told you not to call me that?!"

"Yeah well, you think a lot of things Maxie" he winked

"And what does that mean?"

"I don't know, you tell me"

"Alec, if you don't stop your…"

"Whoa, whoa there. If you guys didn't follow orders then how come Renfro didn't fry you?" Syl asked

"Well, Alec kind of lied and said that we had 'copulated' twice for good measure. He helped me escape. Of course" her voice hardened "He was under orders to gain my trust that entire time, they wanted me to escape; they placed a genetically targeted retrovirus in me, I'm the carrier, they figured I'd infect Logan, which I did; he was No.1 on their hitlist" She was glaring at him accusingly "At least I managed to get the antigen, no thanks to you".

"Hey, just following orders"

"Is that your excuse for everything?"

"Just about" he replied levelly

"So I suppose all the times you've messed up, the virus, the baseball, my research papers, almost getting Joshua killed, almost getting Logan killed, let's not forget me, then …

Suddenly an alarm sounded, the loud sirens affected the X-5s sensitive hearing and they cringed in pain. "MAX!!! WE NEED YOU DOWN HERE!" Mole yelled, his eyes quickly flicked at the strangers taking in the situation, apparently he considered it safe enough. "We're being attacked" he rasped.

Max dashed out, "Move it Alec!" He nodded at the confused newcomers "Welcome to Terminal City" then he walked out. 

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