The Cure

by FugitiveJuliana

Alec can't watch unhappy Max anymore so he decides to get her the cure for her virus, but the consequences are unexpected.

Life in TC was slowly becoming routine. Max was their leader, Alec her SIC. They were starting to form something akin to a community. The only downside was that they couldn't walk freely outside its borders, but as long as no one endangered them here, most of the transgenics felt content.

The only one not content, it seemed to Alec, was Max. If anything, she was in a constant bad mood these days. At first he thought this had to do with her new leadership responsibilities. But she'd always been good at taking responsibility, and since the transgenics had been exposed in the whole wide world, her guilt and the burden she carried for letting them out into the world had somewhat diminished.

Her biggest challenge now was to make sure they had food and other means to survive. Alec's task in this was to help her organize heists and food runs. He loved this part of his responsibilities. Actually, he pretty much loved this whole set up. They were relatively safe, they had their own place, and he had some very lucrative schemes going in the outside world, too, so all was well.

Except for Max's moping. When he thought about it, the only other reason for Max to mope was, of course, Logan.

Frickin Logan.

Every time Alec was reminded of that, a stab of guilt pierced him. She could've been happy with Logan if it weren't for him, and he couldn't forget that. He was convinced Max couldn't forget it either. He'd proven his loyalty and acted responsibly, more or less, ever since they'd come to TC. So Max had no other reason to be snippy with him than her everlasting resentment at him costing her her cure.

And she'd been snippy a lot lately. Like when they discussed water limitations at TC.

"We'll have to limit the amount of water we use or we could run out of it," Max said as they held their regular morning meeting.

Mole just grumbled something. Alec presumed the lizard didn't exactly need a lot of water to wash. Or drink, since he mostly guzzled booze.

"But I want my shower," Alec complained, thinking about one of the only luxuries that his SIC position allowed him – a daily shower before bed, after he'd been up for twenty or more hours, doing all sorts of things for the transgenic people. He deserved a shower, didn't he?

"It can't always be about what you want, Alec," Max snapped, and that was that. He was only allowed two showers a week after that.

He fumed and bitched, but as he lay in bed that night, he knew Max was right. And he knew that more than the lack of showers, it was her attitude that stung. It was like she resented him being alive, like she wished she'd have let his head explode and grab the cure instead. On a night like this, Alec wished the same.

In the morning, however, rather than mope around he'd concocted a plan. A crazy plan that he was sure he would regret, but things couldn't go on like this much longer. He couldn't watch Max's sad face another day.

He considered telling her, but then changed his mind. When he passed Mole on his rounds early in the morning, he stopped to let him know he would be gone for a while.

"Where you going?" Mole asked.

"Just … gotta do something."

"Business?"

Mole knew about a few of his schemes, so Alec was happy to have him believe he was gone because of one of his shady arrangements.

"Yeah, business," he confirmed, even if it was anything but. "Listen, could you tell Max I'll be back in a few days."

"You didn't tell her?" Although Mole's words were reproachful, there was almost a smirk on his face. He always enjoyed conflict, particularly if it was Max ripping Alec's head off. So it surprised Alec that Mole didn't just out right chuckle when he told him that Max knew nothing about his trip.

"Well, then, our fearless leader will have you for dinner when you get back."

"I'm counting on her being too distracted for that," Alec half mumbled and before Mole could reply, he was out the door and on his bike.

With most of the Manticore affiliated people and transgenics fleeing to Canada, finding his target wasn't as hard as he'd expected it. But it did take him an entire day and all his money to make a deal with him. Penniless, but with his mission accomplished, he had to steal fuel to be able to return to TC.

It was early morning on the fourth day of his absence as he maneuvered his way past the national guards and into the toxic embrace of his home.

So symbolic of his entire life, he thought, to find refuge in a toxic place. From now on, it won't be just the chemical spills that were toxic. Things would change, and he wondered for a moment if he was capable of handling it. But he discarded the thought the next second because he knew he didn't have a choice. He'd screwed up too many times, killed too many people, done too horrible things to ever deserve a better ending.

He walked into the command room before even stopping at his place. He wanted to catch Max alone and he knew no one else was up this early.

She looked up when he opened the door, but her eyes needed a moment to acquire the scowl when she realized it was him.

"Well, look who finally decided to show up for duty," she said with a deceivingly sweet voice.

"Morning to you too."

She was silent for a moment, making him hope that maybe she'd skip the chastising this time. He should've known better.

"So …" she started. "You think you can just vanish for a few days, leaving us in the lurch here?"

"Max …"

"How am I supposed to trust you, Alec, when you go and do something so irresponsible?" she sighed.

"I know, Max. But it was important…"

"We've got responsibilities, you and I. You're my SIC and I need to be able to rely on you."

Max paused just long enough for him to actually get a sentence in. "I'm sorry. It wasn't cool of me not to tell you, but I couldn't."

She threw her hands in the air. "Can you at least tell me now what this was about?"

The change on her face was promising, he thought. Not so much disappointment anymore, more like tiredness. Perhaps even a little bit of interest in what he had to say. But not nearly enough for him to make him feel any better.

He hesitated. He knew there was no going back once he told her. He knew that and it hurt like a bitch, but he also couldn't not tell her. He couldn't live with himself if he didn't give her this.

"See, I didn't know it was going to work, so I didn't want you to get your hopes up and …"

For a change, words didn't come easy this time. This was too real, too important to take it lightly.

"I still don't have a clue what you're on about, Alec, and I don't have the whole day. Spit it out."

Her eyes flashed with that passion he'd become so accustomed too. If he'd ever doubted about her being their leader, he knew now it made sense. She was the only one capable of giving them purpose and the strength to achieve it.

Rather than struggle for more empty words, he reached into his jacket pocket and produced the small vial.

"What's this?" she asked as she reached for it.

"It's the cure," he said hoarsely.

"Cure?"

"For your virus."

There was a knot forming in his throat and every word was harder to get out.

She looked at him like he just told her the best joke.

"I found the doctor that took the exploding chip out of my neck. The one that you paid to make you the cure?"

She just shook her head confused, staring at the vial, like it was some sort of a threat. He could understand her disbelief.

"I got connections," he continued. "So I traced him down to a small place in Canada. It took some convincing, but he finally agreed to do it."

"Just like that?" she asked.

"Like I said, it took some convincing," he said cryptically.

"I think I don't want to know the details," she said.

He was amazed that she managed to be scornful even when she should've been grateful for his effort. But he refused to acknowledge it. It wasn't like he hadn't known things would only get worse after this.

"Anyways," he drawled. "He says the cure is a sure thing. But …"

"Of course there's a but," she sighed.

"When the antibodies enter your blood stream, they're going to wreak havoc."

"Meaning?"

"You might develop a fever, you'll probably feel sick as a dog. The doc didn't exactly know how your body is going to react to it, but he says it will work. Once the sickness passes, you'll be cured."

"You sure?" she asked doubtfully.

"He swears on it. And I have ways of finding him if it turns out he was wrong."

Alec offered her a grin, but he could feel how weak it was. This was not something you joked about. He wasn't Logan's fan, but he didn't want him dead. Mostly, he didn't want to see Max broken-hearted.

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. On a second try, she said so quietly he barely heard her, "I don't know what to say."

"Thank you would be nice."

Her lips trembled as she stared at the vial. Then she raised her eyes to him and launched herself into his arms.

"Thank you," she whispered in his neck and he could feel her warm breath, and the only thing he could think about was that in a few days Logan would be the one to feel her breath, her touch on his skin. For a moment he hated the guy. The next moment he hated himself for his weakness.

She let go of him and he felt her absence acutely. To cover for it, he said, "When are you going to take it? I mean, when your body starts reacting against it, you'll need help."

"Oh, I never thought about it. I don't know. I need to talk to Logan first. But would you …"

"Of course. Just let me know."

He suspected it was the hug that had made the situation so awkward afterwards. So he turned and walked to the door, needing to get some air before Joshua showed up and read his discomfort like he had the bad habit of doing.

When he pulled the door open, Max said, "Alec …"

She didn't finish it and when he turned to look at her, she just stared back. He nodded. He understood how words failed her. He had little to say himself.

Logan and she talked about it that entire night. She wanted to try it, but Logan was afraid of the side effects of the cure. She wasn't entirely certain whether it would work and when she examined this thought she had to admit it was because Alec had given her the cure. Despite everything she still wasn't ready to completely trust him. She was so ashamed of that that she didn't confide in Logan about it.

In the end, they resolved to try the cure the next day. Max refused to tell Alec about it because she was convinced that the side effects wouldn't be grave enough for her to need help. But by noon, her temperature was spiking and she felt dizzy. Still, she decided to take a nap, convinced she would feel better afterwards.

It was only when she didn't respond to Logan's phone call and he called Alec and told him about it that Alec knocked on her door.

She didn't hear the knock or him entering her room when she didn't respond.

"Max?" he called from the entrance.

The apartment was silent as he walked to her bedroom. In any other situation, she'd have probably killed him for it, but as it was, he found her half unconscious.

"Max? Are you okay?"

She mumbled something in reply. Alec couldn't understand her words but if could read minds he'd see that she was impressed with his restraint for not bitching at her for not telling him that she took the cure.

He offered her a glass of water and then took her shoes off that she had left on earlier. He covered her shivering body and sat at her bedside.

He took his phone out and dialed Mole.

"What?" Mole answered.

"Hey, Mole, could you take over the command of TC for a couple of days? Max is out cold with a fever and I'm gonna stay around and see if she needs anything."

"A fever? Is it catching?"

"Nope, nothing a lizard could catch, don't worry," Alec said with a hint of a smile in his voice.

"Har fucking har. I'll take care of it. I'll call if I need anything."

"Sure thing."

Alec sat with his back against Max's bed, his head leaning on the mattress. He dozed on and off, checked on Max, lifted her head when she wanted a sip of water, changed her cool compress every once in a while and made sure her state didn't become worse.

In the evening, Mole dropped off a plate of cold food and Alec barely touched it.

He hadn't expected the side effects to be so severe. He was considering sending one of his buddies to find the Doc and demand answers. In the end, he decided to wait another twelve hours.

The night passed relatively quietly, except for the two times that Max vomited. The first time was around midnight and it was so unexpected he didn't manage to even get her a bucket.

His stomach turned at the smell but he had no choice but to change her bed.

"Upsie daisy," he groaned as he lifted her body and carried her to the ratty couch, so he could change the sheets. When he carried her back to bed, he realized her clothes were soaked through with sweat.

"Hey Max," he shook her to wake her up.

"Huh?" She barely opened her eyes.

"Your clothes are wet. You should change."

She groaned and her eyes drifted closed again.

"Damn," he cursed, not knowing what to do.

Rather than going through her wardrobe for a change of clothes, he just took her shirt and pants off and left her in her underwear under the sheets.

He hadn't predicted that an hour later she would throw up again and he'd have to drag her half naked to the small sink.

Her clammy skin was slippery in his hands as she hung onto him, conscious enough to clasp her hand over her mouth until they reached the sink and she threw up with violent spasms shaking her body.

It hurt to watch her, but it was too late now to do anything other than wait, Alec thought, half regretting his decision to get her the cure.

She murmured her thanks when he escorted her back to bed, the words shivery with fever.

She slept relatively calmly the rest of the night and even Alec got some shuteye.

When he woke up, she was talking in her sleep. A grin curved his lips when he realized she was dishing out orders to him and Mole.

The sound must've awakened her too, since she slowly opened her bloodshot eyes. She looked gingerly around her.

"Alec?"

"I'm here, Max." He stood from the floor and bent closer to her.

"What happened? Why are you here?"

Before answering he checked her forehead. The temperature was closer to her normal one, but not quite low enough yet.

"Don't you remember anything?"

She tried speaking, but her mouth was dry and he went to pour some water in a glass. She made a sip like he'd offered her the best whiskey ever produced.

"I remember taking the cure," she said, her voice hoarse and dry. "After that, not much."

"You've been out cold for most of yesterday."

"How did you …"

"Logan called me. You were feverish and you didn't answer his calls. You puked. But it seems you're getting better."

She nodded, but after a while, she added, "I feel weird."

"Weird how?" Alec asked and sat on the edge of the bed. He touched her forehead again just to make sure he hadn't been mistaken earlier. She seemed much better than last night but he was no doctor.

"Sort of … tingly," she said slowly as if inspecting her limbs.

"Tingly?" He raised his eyebrows. The doctor didn't mention any tingly-ness.

"And hungry."

His face spread into a smile. "All right, that's a good sign."

She smiled too, albeit faintly. He rose up to run for some food, when she added, "I want milk."

"Milk?" He sat back down. "Are you sure?"

She nodded and started moving under the covers. "Where are my clothes?"

He wouldn't put it past Max to berate him for taking her clothes off even if it was a medical emergency. But she didn't seem like she was about to bite his head off. Her eyes were unfocused and she was pale. Also distracted by scratching her … stomach, maybe. He couldn't be sure because she made a lot of movements all of a sudden.

"I itch all over," she complained.

At least her voice was getting stronger, he thought.

"Probably from all the sweat. You want to shower? I'll go get some … milk in the meantime," he said, still doubting that milk was going to quench her hunger.

When she didn't shoo him out of the room but instead asked him to help her into the shower, he concluded her fever hadn't yet broken.

"Can't you go on your own?" he suggested as nicely as possible. Touching her when she was half naked and out cold was one thing. Touching her when she was naked and conscious quite another.

"I'm weak. What if I slip?" There was something in her voice and her stare that should've alerted him. But he sort of cherished the chance to take care of her for the last few hours before Logan took over the job for the rest of all eternity. So he was blind and stupid. Careless.

She didn't even blink as she threw the covers off and sat up. There was no snappy order not to look. No death glare in her eyes when she caught him glancing at her naked legs.

When he helped her up, she almost vibrated with a strange sort of energy. Her skin was still clammy and hot from the fever. Only, it was a different sort of fever.

She seemed to be clenching her teeth as he supported her across the room.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She didn't respond but it looked like she was trying to avoid his eyes.

"Max?"

"I'm fine," she snapped then. That sounded a lot more like her old self.

Later, Alec could swear he had moped the floor dry in the bathroom after Max vomited for the second time. But it looked like the floor was still slippery when they finally reached the shower, because Max seemed to have slipped. She grabbed at him for balance, tipping them both until they landed on the hard floor.

Alec let out an 'umph' when his back collided with the tiles and then another one when Max landed on top of him.

"Shit. You okay?" He hurried to check her for any injuries.

She just stared at him unblinking.

"Max? Talk to me."

He fingered her scalp but it didn't seem likely that she'd hit her head when he broke their fall. It was only when he wanted to check her eye reflex that he realized her hand had slipped under his shirt and was pawing at his abdomen.

"Max?" he said slightly panicked. He was on the verge of slapping her out of it, but he didn't have the time because her hand crept lower and he unceremoniously pushed her to her back and jumped up.

"What the hell!"

It was quite the irony for her to be groping him just as she'd gotten the cure for her Logan-hating virus.

At his horrified reaction she squeaked and drew her knees to her chest, curling into a ball on the cold floor.

"Sorry, sorry," she kept saying with a trembling voice.

"What's going on?" he demanded as he bowed down to her but still kept a safe distance. Just in case.

"I feel strange. Like … like …"

She made a deep sound in her throat and he wondered if she was chocking. But then the sound changed and it resembled a moan.

"Holy crap! You're in heat." There was dread in his voice as he said it.

Max just looked pleadingly at him. "Do something," she begged.

Like what? he wanted to ask. What did one do when a cat was in heat and she still couldn't touch the tomcat without killing him?

Could this get any worse? Alec wondered, cursing himself for starting this in the first place. He should've just left things as they were. Max and Logan would either continue to long after each other and get a kick out of it, or they would've grown out of love and given other people a chance.

But he knew, even if he could, he wouldn't have changed a thing. The goal was a happy Max and if they had to get through a rough patch together for it, so be it.

Even if he was the one to bear the full brunt of it and get nothing in return. At least Logan would get some once this was over. He, on the other hand, was getting groped and having sex-eyes thrown at him, and he could do nothing about it. How unfair was that?

Oh well, life had always been a bit unfair when it came to him. He'd just have to get over it.

He didn't know how to get Max into the shower without touching her. He was afraid that once she felt his hands on her, she'd jump him. He almost grinned at the thought. It would have been funny if it weren't so unfair.

"You'll have to get into the shower on your own," he said, almost begging.

When she looked at him, there was a war raging in her eyes. It was like she wanted to fuck him and kill him at the same time. Or maybe she wanted to kill herself for wanting him. He couldn't really tell.

She dragged herself under the shower head and he turned on the cold tap with almost vicious resoluteness.

He left her there and went in search of some food, hoping that the icy water would do its thing and he would be safe on his return.

The effects of the heat appeared on and off for the next two days. It wasn't full heat, just glimpses of it, probably triggered by the antibodies or Max's reaction to them. So there were moments when they could normally talk and act like usually, but then her fever would spike or she'd be sick again, and afterwards her eyes would gain a strange glint and Alec knew to move as far away as her small bedroom allowed.

Max kept saying she was sorry and he kept repeating it was just the side effects. More than anything he was trying to convince himself that this was not real. The want in her eyes was fake, an empty promise. Worse. It was preparation for Max finally getting together with Logan.

Had there ever been a more ironical situation? Alec wondered.

But the moments when she was lucid and unaffected by heat were nice. Often during these talks he thought of how far they'd come, how much their relationship had changed over the past months. While this filled him with warmth and gratitude, it also hurt, because it meant so little in the face of things to come.

"So … once this virus bitch goes down …" he said the second evening of their quarantine, "we should probably all avoid this place for a while, huh?" There was a wicked smile on his lips.

She scowled, but her lips twitched, when she said, "Shut up. Logan won't be coming here, anyway. This place is too toxic for him."

"The good thing is that I'll be temporarily promoted in return for you getting laid."

"You've got a filthy mind."

She lay in her bed and Alec was sitting on the floor next to it, leaning on the wall.

"It's the truth. And a sad one, at that. Who knew the roles would get reversed with you getting some and me being the responsible leader of the transgenic nation."

That actually made her chuckle. He was glad that she was feeling good enough to laugh, but also that she didn't see through his joking.

"Logan and I, we're not like that," she said after a pause.

He studied her face. He knew that she felt his gaze but she didn't acknowledge it. "You keep saying that, Max. What are you two like then?"

"I don't know." She shrugged, but when he expected her to continue, she didn't. Instead, her head sort of lolled to the side.

When he bent closer to check on her, he saw her eyes were closed and sweat beads were gathering on her forehead.

"Here we go again," he groaned and sat back again, gathering strength for another onslaught of the fever and then the heat.

This time the fever only lasted for a couple of hours and invariably she woke up hungry and horny. He was tempted to laugh when she opened her eyes and there was that hungry gleam in them.

"Just when Logan is within your reach you decide you want to jump me, huh?" he murmured, but he regretted the joking words when he saw the struggle on her face. Despite her hormones kicking in full force, her reason still wouldn't let her scratch the itch. So she fought her own body and so far, she was winning. He wondered how long she was going to last and how much effort would be required on his part to keep her off. Because he was not as chaste and reasonable as she was, and when it came to her, his will was weak.

She cowered in the corner of the room for the most part of the afternoon. Her eyes flashed every time she caught him moving or looking at her, but she suppressed the reaction just as quickly. Her body trembled with the effort not to give in to heat, but she was managing. For now.

She went to have a cold shower when she couldn't handle the tension any longer, and Alec downed a large glass of icy water at the sink. He had been ready for the sickness and spasms, heat not so much. The tempting smell of her, the way her lips parted when she looked at him: it was getting too much. He was too much of a male to ignore it for long. At least in this respect, Manticore knew what they were doing.

He heard a movement in the shower stall and went to check on her. The water tap was turned off but Max wasn't there.

She stood in front of the mirror, wrapped in a towel. He mentally groaned when he saw her shoulders glimmering with water drops and her hair dripping from the shower. Just fucking perfect.

He wanted to back out of the tiny space, but she caught sight of him in the mirror and before he knew what hit him, he was pressed up against the wall by the door.

"Max," he warned with the last vestiges of sanity. He hadn't slept much in the past three days, ate even less, and his senses had been attacked by the smell and images of a hot cat in heat. How could he possibly be blamed for losing it? But he undoubtedly would be blamed if he let anything happen.

"Alec," she moaned and it was half a plea to stop her, half a demand to do her, and everything in him trembled at the sound of it.

"Think of Logan," he tried reasoning with her, but the only thing that went through his mind was 'fuck, fuck, fuck, this can't be happening'.

"Just think of Logan," he repeated aloud again.

Max's eyes cleared a bit and her breathing calmed, but she was still pressing him against the wall. He could push her off of him, but he was afraid that any provocation would only get her more aroused. And he could smell her and it did wondrous things to his body. They could do magic together, he knew. If only she'd have realized it earlier, before he risked his life and fortune to get her the cure.

But this wasn't her talking, he reminded herself. It was Manticore dictating her what to do. This wasn't Max at all, regardless of how wonderfully her body leaned into his and made his knees weak.

"Max," he said again just so she'd hear his voice and realize he was not the one she wanted. But he could see that her resolve was thinning as the hours passed and the heat tormented her. He hadn't gone through several rounds of sickness and fever and he was exhausted.

Torturously slowly she backed away. His wrists were tingling and red from her grip. He forced his breathing to calm down.

She averted her eyes as she passed him. He stayed in the bathroom to give her the chance to get dressed. He didn't want a repeat of her attack simply because he desired it too much and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep her off for much longer.

He found her lying in bed, covered over her head. He hoped dearly she was dressed underneath but he didn't dare ask.

The room was vibrating with tension as he sat against the furthest wall from the bed and watched her. But Max barely moved and she didn't try to corner him again. Which was a relief, but still, his nerves were on high alert for the rest of the day and half the night. Shortly after midnight, he heard her breath relax as she fell asleep. It was only then that he let his guard down and closed his bloodshot eyes, too.

When morning came, he waited for her first move because that way it was easiest to assess her state.

On this fourth day of the side effects wreaking havoc in their lives, she looked at him from under the covers with clear, lucid eyes.

"Hey," she said with a voice rough from sleep.

"Hey." He stood up and neared the bed, perhaps less careful than he should've been, but too tired to care. He sat down on the edge.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her.

"Better." She threw the covers back and sat up. "I'm thirsty."

She walked to the kitchen area. She seemed steady and fine. The dark circles under her eyes were the only evidence of the hell she'd been through.

Alec thought he must look a lot worse than she did.

"So, what's your plan?" he asked from the bed. It was still warm and smelling of her. And this was probably the last time in his life that he was so close to it.

She gulped down two glasses of water and then searched the cabinet for a pack of something that she ate straight from the bag.

She finished it before answering.

"I'll wait for another day, just in case. But you can go," she said when she looked at him. "You look beat. Get some sleep. I'll call you if things turn for the worse again," she added when he started to speak.

"You sure?"

She nodded. "And then I'll call Sam to come over here when Logan and I … well, touch for the first time, so he's present in case the virus mutated again or some such shit."

"Okay," Alec said slowly, getting up. He really did need a good night's sleep before discussing Max touching Logan. His stomach roiled at the idea. It occurred to him that there would be a lot of touching in the future. He would either have to handle it or move out of TC. The second would be difficult, but the first would be harder.

"Hey, Alec."

"Huh?" He was already on his way to the door.

"Thank you. For everything. I've put you through hell, I know." She looked ashamed and contrite.

So he waved his hand, not wanting to make her feel worse. "'S fine."

"No, I mean it," she insisted and came closer. And to his shock, she reached up and closed her arms around his neck. Her smell assaulted him again, making him dizzy with want, but he quelled it and buried his face in her hair instead. Her embrace offered little comfort and when it got too much, he practically pushed her away and ran out the door, mumbling something about needing to shower and sleep and eat.

Alec decided not to witness Max and Logan's first touch. It was just too symbolic, but also somehow gross. Instead, he spent the day in his bed, catching up on much needed sleep and reprieve from the turmoil his senses had gone through in the four days with Max. Somehow, those were one of the best and the worst days of his life. He'd never been closer to her before, holding her almost naked in his arms without her biting his head off, but he'd also never been more aware of the distance the future would put between them. Every time he touched her or wiped the sweat from her brow, the image of Logan appeared in front of his eyes and filled him with rage at how unfair life was.

But at least Max had gotten what she wanted and that was all that should matter.

It was Mole who reported to him of the successful elimination of the virus. So Alec guessed Max and Logan were all cozy and touchy feely at Logan's place when he started towards the command room early the next day.

He should've known Max wouldn't desert her duties for some long-awaited sex with her not-like-that boyfriend.

He sighed when he saw her behind her desk. But rather than saying anything, he went straight for the coffee machine. All the weaknesses the side effects had revealed in her were gone, so he suspected if he said the wrong thing, some ass kicking would undoubtedly follow.

"I hear the virus is gone," he said when the quiet became too obvious.

She looked up from some papers and slowly said, "Yeah."

Her response was somehow anticlimactic after everything that had happened the past week.

"So I though you and Logan would be hard at it," he said, thinking for the first time that perhaps his crudeness was a safety mechanism, at least when it came to Max.

"And you think because it was you who got me the cure you now have the right to butt into our private lives?" she asked mildly annoyed.

He shrugged. "I'm just surprised that you're here, is all."

"I have work to do. Logan can wait now that … well, you know."

"He can?" he said with raised eyebrows. He knew he couldn't if it were him. He'd want to … Well, he'd just want her.

Max just made a face and ignored him afterwards. He was grateful when Mole and Joshua turned up a few minutes later.

But things didn't change much after that. Max was in her office every day, all day. OC stopped by a few times but when Alec asked her about Max and Logan she just frowned in response.

"What was the point of me getting the cure for them if nothing's changed?" he asked her.

"It's changed," she said, shrugging, like the answer was obvious.

"How? It all seems the same to me," he argued.

They were both sipping coffee as he escorted her towards the exit.

"Alec, not everyone is as exhibitionistic as you."

"Gee thanks," he said and pretended to look hurt, but she jabbed her elbow in his side and he chuckled.

OC continued, "They're both private and quiet, Alec. They're grooving, trust me."

"It doesn't seem so to me. Max's just as tense as always. It's like the virus's still here. What was the point? Tell me."

OC stopped him with her hand on his arm. "Max is Max, you know that. She won't just magically kick it back and enjoy life."

Alec rubbed the bridge of his nose. The headache that had persisted for the past two days was still going strong. "I just wanted her to be happy, you know? She'd sacrificed so much for everyone here. I just thought … But you're right. Doesn't matter what I do, Max is still Max, huh?"

She watched him with kind eyes, the sort he rarely noticed with OC. He suspected it didn't mean anything good. He was right.

"God, you two. I could just kill you."

"What did I do?"

"You never learn to appreciate what you've got and it pisses me off. She wanted Logan and now she has him she's all blah … And you. Don't get me started 'bout you."

He was about to protest again, because really, he'd done his best and if ever this was the one time he thought he didn't deserve to be blamed for anything. Leave it to OC to bitch about it anyway.

"You had your chance and you blew it, so stop moaning 'bout it. I've had it up to here with your transgenic asses. Guess they forgot to enhance your common sense when they mixed those cocktails."

She huffed and pushed her empty Styrofoam cup in his hand.

"I'm outta here."

"Come on, OC," he whined.

"No, Alec. I ain't gonna listen to you bitch 'bout Max when you're being equally stupid."

"I'm not…" But he didn't manage to finish.

"You are too. You had one year to get her for yourself, and what did you do? Fucked up every chance you got."

"I didn't stand a chance, you know that. There was always Logan. It still is."

"Is it? So why isn't she all blissed out with the virus gone?"

"I'm asking you that. You're her friend, how come you don't know?"

"Cause I don't understand a single thing anymore, Alec. Now leave me be, cause I need to chill my brain from all your transgenic drama."

She left without a backward glance and Alec was left alone and pissed off.

He grumbled all the way to his room, but it did little to make him feel better. He decided to get some sleep and to forget this whole thing, pretend nothing mattered as long as Max didn't jump down his throat. He would not interfere in her relationship with Logan, it wasn't his business.

In the next couple of months, he saw them holding hands a few times or walking out of TC with Logan's arm across her shoulders. But just as often he heard them fight in her office and once at her place when he came to get her for a crisis meeting. Maybe that was just the nature of their relationship, he thought and forced himself not to think about it.

And he didn't. For the most part.

Three months later they were planning a heist in a rich collector's house. Logan's part involved the security systems in the mansion. Mole was the designated getaway driver, Alec and Max were supposed to enter the building and snatch an antique vase that would score them two dozen bucks to buy food and supplies.

As opposed to the regular TC meetings that were held every morning, this one was held in the command room, but late in the evening.

Joshua joined them when he brought them food.

"Thanks, man," Alec said as he grabbed a bag from him.

"Can I stay?" Joshua begged, and to Alec's surprise Max agreed. She liked to keep these things as secret as possible. Alec agreed with her that the fewer people (or mutants) that knew about how they gathered the money for TC, the better. You couldn't trust anyone these days. Joshua, however, was an exception. He was glad to have him around to lighten the tension that was already building in the room because Mole hadn't showed up yet, so there were just Logan, Max and him present.

Finally, the lizard appeared, as always grumbling about something.

"Okay, we can begin," Max said, holding a piece of pizza with one hand and spreading a blueprint on the table with the other. Alec held one of the corners so it didn't roll back up as she explained the layout and the possible hurdles on their way.

"We'll go in through the roof. There's a roof window that's not connected with the alarm system."

She pointed it out on the page. Next she followed the hallways and staircases with her finger and Alec had no difficulty envisioning how the heist would proceed.

"Now, the difficult part," she said, and switched the blueprint for a blowup of the gallery room.

"This is where most of the traps are located. Logan has marked them with red xs." She pointed out a few just to get an idea how many cameras and alarm triggers there were in the room.

"Each artifact is secured with an alarm, but the vase is secured by two alarms. One is triggered when the glass cover is removed, the other when the vase is taken from the base. This one is triggered by the weight change."

Alec nodded. "So we don't remove the glass but cut a hole into it and we replace the weight swiftly enough for the detector not to notice it."

"Exactly."

"Full of tricks," Joshua mumbled through a mouthful of food that dribbled all over his shirt.

"What's the exact weight?" Alec asked again, looking at Max.

But it was Logan who replied. "According to my research it's supposed to be around three pounds."

"You're joking?" Alec said, incredulous.

"There's not much info about it," Logan snapped back.

"What if you're off for a pound?" Alec asked. "How sensitive is the detector?"

"He doesn't know that either," Max replied before Logan could.

"So we're relying on guesswork," Alec concluded, rubbing the back of his neck. This was going to suck, he knew that much. It was never good to be unprepared when it came to this kind of collector fuckers.

Mole, who had been silent this entire time, asked, "What happens if you trigger the alarm?"

Max let go of the blueprints and leaned back in her chair. "According to Logan's calculations, we've got five minutes to vanish."

Alec thought about it, repeating every step on the way in his mind and decided it was doable. "Okay."

"Okay," Max breathed a sigh of relief.

Mole just nodded, but then scowled when Alec slapped his shoulder and said, "Just make sure you fix the starter and the car starts when it needs to as opposed to when it wants to."

Alec grinned and even Max's lips twitched when Mole stared darkly at them.

"We're going tomorrow night," Max said.

Alec sat back and finished his drink, talking with Joshua while Mole left soon after they'd determined all the details.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Max walk to her desk and Logan followed her. He hugged her shoulders and she smiled up at him, but she didn't say anything when he quietly told her to be careful.

Soon afterward, Alec had decided he's had enough and left for his room.

The hours before the heist, Alec was tense. He'd never before been so apprehensive about a mission, but this just wasn't his day. He'd scalded his tongue with coffee in the morning and slipped on the stairs when going to his room to get changed for the heist. His shin still hurt like a bitch.

And it was raining like every single day for the past month.

A lot depended on this mission. Max wanted to organize a proper Christmas for everyone at TC. Most of them had never celebrated it before so this was a big deal for her. Naturally, he wanted to make it happen just to make her happy.

On the way to the mansion, he snagged his pants on a wire poking out of the car seat and he bitched about it for the rest of the way until Max smacked his head after Mole threatened he'd throw him out on the street.

The rain was coming down in sheets and Max and Alec were soaked through by the time they dropped through the roof window. They were leaving muddy traces on their way to the gallery.

"Let's roll," Alec said when he spotted the vase in its glass casing. The action had returned his good mood and he forgot about his bad day.

Everything went smoothly. Even the piece of clay they swapped for the vase was roughly the same weight so the alarm didn't go off. He saw Max's eyes smile as she carefully placed the vase in her backpack and gave him the sign to retreat.

He followed her, checking behind them every now and again to see if everything was still quiet. And it was. They'd avoided all the cameras and alarms and were climbing out of the roof window before they knew it.

Max was ahead and was already descending on the rope when Alec slipped on the wet roof and fell. He tried stopping by grabbing the gutter, but he missed it by an inch and dived into a free fall. Max's rope swung in the air as she jumped to the ground and Alec managed to grab onto it as he fell head first, but at the same time his foot got tangled in it. His body swayed with the force of the sudden stop and he slammed against an upstairs window.

"Alec!" Max hissed below but the same instant an alarm was triggered by him hitting the windowpane. Lights turned on in the yard.

"Go!" Alec yelled, but she hesitated.

He tried to disentangle himself or at least stop swaying and at the same time he was motioning to Max to beat it before she got caught.

She reached for the rope to climb up to him, but they suddenly heard dogs barking.

"Max, go!" Alec ordered her, ignoring her superiority in the chain of command.

"No."

"For god's sakes, go," he now nearly begged. "I'll be fine," he promised.

She turned and ran and simultaneously, the rope let go and he fell to the ground, landing on his side.

The barking was ever closer, as he tried breathing in. His ribs protested, but more than getting air he needed to vanish.

It was difficult, with spotlights lighting up just about every inch of the huge yard. He crawled into some bushes, and then ran to the outside wall. The dogs were almost right behind him. They sounded like some mean beasts and he wished Joshua were there to growl back at them.

But since he was on his own, he jumped up, reaching the top of the wall just as the first dog launched itself at his legs. Its jaws snapped just above his ankle. But Alec was too fast for the dog to really sink his teeth in. The scratch still stung.

He flung his legs over the wall and landed in mud by the side of the road. Mole and Max were long gone. He supposed the five minutes for the getaway didn't include the vicious dogs that were still barking and growling on the other side of the wall.

He trekked most of the way back to TC, avoiding sector police and other scumbags. But rather than going through the guards outside their camp, he opted for the less distinguished, but safer way: the sewers.

He emerged just a few yards from the main building, panting, sweaty and soaked from the rain.

He took a moment to catch his breath and inspect the dog bite. Then he dragged his sore body up the stairs. He didn't reach the command room yet when he heard Max's voice. She came at him like a cannon ball and he nearly toppled over.

"Alec! You okay? Did they follow you here? You hurt?"

At the same time as she fired questions at him she was already searching him for injuries.

"I'm fine," he said, exhausted. "Just a dog bite and some fractured ribs."

"Quick, Mole, get the doctor."

"On it," Mole said and it was only then that Alec noticed him and Logan standing in the door to command room. The next second Mole vanished down the hallway to get another X5 who was a trained doctor.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Alec reassured Max again as she took his backpack off gingerly.

"Where does it hurt?"

"All over," he said, chuckled, and then winced as the movement sent a jarring pain down his back.

He hobbled towards his room with Max close behind, watching his every move.

"Relax," he tried calming her when they reached his door. "I'm alive."

"You were lucky. Those beasts could've torn you apart."

Logan caught up with them just as Alec lowered himself on the couch.

"I was clumsy, that's what I was."

"What happened?" Logan asked, but no one answered since Mole and the doctor entered that exact moment.

Alec tried taking off his boots, but Max swatted away his hands and took them off herself. He lay back on the couch after he peeled off the soaked jacket.

The doctor looked a lot like a Nordic warrior so Alec was a little apprehensive when he bowed down and lifted his t-shirt to inspect his ribs.

Alec moaned when he pressed on his chest. He saw an ugly bruise already taking its shape on his side.

"Can you check the bite?"

"Bite?"

Alec pulled up his trouser leg and revealed the bloody skin underneath. The doctor inspected it carefully, instructing Max to get him some water and a clean towel. He even made a few stitches before bandaging it up.

"You'll be fine in a few days," he finally said.

"I know."

"Just take it easy until your ribs heal. Okay?"

"Sure thing, Doc."

"What if the dog had rabies?" Max asked, concerned.

"That wouldn't be much different than Alec's normal character," Mole said from the door.

Alec chuckled and then groaned with the piercing pain.

"If any signs appear, we'll give him a shot with antibodies."

"So he'll be fine?" Max asked, and the doctor nodded.

She exhaled relieved.

Once the doctor was gone, Logan asked what had happened.

"Stupid mistake," Alec grumbled. "I slipped on the wet roof."

"It could've happened to anyone," Max argued.

"But it happened to me."

"And you two just left him?" Logan asked, looking at Mole and Max.

"I told them to go. The alarm went off and we were in danger of getting caught."

"I thought you never left your own behind," Logan said, staring pointedly at Max.

Alec thought of Max telling him about Ben and how torn up she had been about leaving him behind. He hated Logan for reminding her and reawakening the pain.

"Didn't you hear me? I ordered her to go," Alec repeated less friendly this time. "They had the vase and I wasn't injured that bad. It made sense for me to try and escape on my own, rather than for the three of us to wait like sitting ducks for the dogs to catch us."

"I trust his judgment," Mole pointed out, but then added, "Which is most often a mistake, but he was right this time. That's all that counts, if you ask me."

After that, he left the room and closed the door. The departure of the loud lizard made the room seem more spacious . But tensions were still high with Logan and Max staring at each other.

Finally, Logan looked away and left on Mole's trail.

Alec wanted to ask what that was about, but he was too tired to care.

"Do you need anything?" Max asked.

He shook his head no. "I'll get rid of the wet clothes and hit the sack."

"How about some food? You're always hungry after a mission."

She'd noticed that? Huh.

"Nah, too tired to eat right now. But thanks."

"Call me if you need anything. Okay?"

"Yes, m'am."

He grinned at her and she smiled back. "You did good tonight, Alec. We've got the vase. Logan should be able to sell it quickly."

"That's good."

"Night."

She hesitated by the door, but when he said 'Night' she finally left.

It wasn't long before they had the money from the sale of the stolen vase and Max asked several transgenics to help her with organizing Christmas celebrations. But Alec refused to get involved. Christmas had never been his thing. That didn't stop Max from pestering him, though.

When he found her note in his room to get her a Christmas tree, he marched to the command room to tell her unequivocally that he would have nothing to do with it.

In front of the door, he paused when he heard loud voices coming from within. He recognized Max's first, but the next moment he heard Logan lose his temper.

Alec groaned and started to turn around, but Logan almost knocked him down when he stormed out and just barely missed him.

"Sorry," he mumbled, but didn't even pause in his step.

Alec considered retreating, but Max had already noticed him through the open door, so he had no choice but to enter.

"What?" she snapped.

He was tempted to snap back, but held his tongue. Fingering her note, he tried to decide on the right words, but he couldn't keep quiet any longer. The Christmas tree was all but forgotten, when he asked, "What is it with you and Logan anyway?"

She came closer and if he hadn't known her better he'd have been afraid at her pissed off expression.

"That's none of your business."

"Isn't it, though? The cure cost me all my money and nearly my life, too. I'd say that makes it my business."

His soft-spoken words seemed to have an effect on her, since her stance changed and she sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, Alec. But things are complicated between Logan and me."

"Things were complicated when you couldn't touch. I risked everything to fix that for you, and things are still complicated."

"Look … I know we owe you for the cure. I promise I'll repay you the money …"

"Max," Alec cut her short, "this isn't about the money. You don't owe me anything. I just …" He lost his courage it seemed because he wasn't able to finish what he was about to say.

"Just what, Alec?"

She was so close he could see the question in her dark eyes. So close, he could even feel her body temperature. Too close.

"I just wanted to see you happy, you know? To have something good in your life." He shrugged, trying to be all casual once he realized he sounded like a wimp.

"I have good in my life. I have you and Joshua and OC. And I have Logan, either way."

His heart sped up when she said 'I have you' and he hoped to god she didn't catch his heartbeat. But when she grouped him with everyone else, disappointment set in and his face fell. Just friends.

Her hand touched his shoulder when she said, "But thank you, Alec."

"Sure."

After an awkward pause when neither of them knew what to say, he cleared his throat. "Anyways … A Christmas tree, Max? I thought I told you I want nothing to do with this."

He waved her note in front of her.

"Oh come on. That's all I'm asking. Just a tree."

"No," he said firmly.

"Please?"

"No!"

"You're willing to go to Canada to get me the cure but you're not willing to get me a tree? How does that add up?" she said exasperated.

"Add it up anyway you like, I'm not doing it. And that's final. No more notes. Or begging," he pointed his finger when he recognized the look in her eyes.

She closed her mouth just as she was about to say something.

Two days later he bitched and grumbled as he dragged the heavy ass tree up the stairs and into the biggest room in TC where the trannies were already decorating the place.

"Good enough?" he asked her with a dark scowl permanently plastered on his face.

"Perfect," she said sweetly, and as soon as she took it over, he was out of there.

He preferred a solitary evening to a bunch of confused trannies getting ready for their first Christmas. As he stared out the window in his room, the rain that had drenched him through when he was out getting the tree changed to snow and silence fell on the city. It was the strangest thing. He'd never seen the city so quiet or peaceful. But he knew it was all an illusion.

He watched Logan leave through the fence when darkness fell. Due to transfusions with transgenic blood he was able to prolong his stays in TC. The past two days he'd watch him be all friendly around Max. They'd joked and laughed and all their differences seemed to be forgotten.

Life was a bitch, particularly around Christmas. That was why Alec's plans included a bottle of pre-pulse whiskey and a whole lot of solitude.

It was almost midnight when a knock rang through his dark room. He'd been lounging on the couch, watching the TV for a while until he got bored with it and turned it off. But he wasn't tired yet to go to bed, so he sat in the dark and tried hard not to think too much.

"It's open," he called out and thought about what a great feeling it was not to have to check who was in front of his door. No White, no sector police, no other bastard out to get him. Just other freaks like him. The wonders of freedom.

The door opened and there was Max standing in the dim lighting of the hallway.

"Hey," he said, still a little bit pissed at her because of the tree.

"Hey you," she said back and entered the room.

She switched on the light switch and blinded him for a second.

"What's up?"

She didn't reply right away. Instead she just stood by the door and watched him.

"Something wrong?" he tried again when her expression was starting to worry him.

"No, nothing wrong," she said and honest to god smiled. It was the sort of a smile he rarely saw on her face. It confused him even more than her silence.

"What then?"

"Just wanted to check on you. If you're okay."

He frowned. "I'm fine. Why?"

Slowly she walked to the couch. He pulled his knees up to give her some space to sit.

"You seemed to be really upset about that tree. I figured, maybe you had a reason to hate Christmas so much. And that maybe you needed a friend to get through it."

"Ah, no. Hate's too strong a word. I just don't care for it, is all."

"Why?" She frowned at him.

"Come on, Max, we were made in a lab, what's a family holiday got to do with us?"

"We're family," she said firmly. "And it's more about having the chance to forget about our worries for a day and just enjoy ourselves."

"I get it, Max. It's just not my thing, okay?"

Her intense stare was getting too much, so he got up to get something to drink.

"So you'd rather spend it here, alone in the dark, than with me and the rest of transgenics?"

"Aren't you going to spend it with Logan?" he asked off-handedly from where he was pouring himself a glass of water. His quarters were a lot smaller than hers because he was just SIC, so he didn't own a kitchen or a living room. It was just the one room with a mattress on the floor, a couch, a sink and a tiny bathroom behind a partition wall. But it was quite enough seeing how most days he only used the space for showering and sleeping.

"Nah, I'll be keeping Joshua company. I kinda hoped you'd be there too."

He heard her stand up from the couch, but he didn't turn to her. He felt her walk up to him and then hesitate for a second before her hand touched his side.

"Alec?"

"What?"

But she didn't say anything. Instead her hand caressed his side gently, moving in a soft circle that was starting to drive him crazy. Her touch eliminated the last traces of the pain from his broken ribs.

"I just … I worry about you," she said quietly.

"Don't."

She gave an exasperated laugh. "How can you expect me not to, Alec? You're my best friend and …"

"And what?"

He finally turned to look at her. He couldn't interpret her expression and that frightened him. It frightened him more when her hand moved from his side to his chest and then slowly slid up to his neck.

He hated what that did to him. Hated that she had such power over him. And it pissed him off that she knew how to use it.

He smacked her hand off, but her only reaction was to step closer to him and unnerve him even more.

He fought back the only way he knew how. He pushed her against the wall, holding her hands in a grip above her head.

"What do you want, Max?" he asked through his teeth.

"You."

"What?" he squeaked and then laughed incredulously.

But the laughter died when her mouth pressed against his. It knocked the breath out of him. He knew there were things to be said, objections made, questions asked, but her tongue licked his mind clean and he didn't have a single word left.

She pressed into him and he could feel her every curve molding to his body and he doubted even White would be able to drag him away from her in that instant.

Before he knew it, she was pushing him backwards toward the mattress and they landed on it with a soft thud. He was nearly consumed with the heat of her lips and hands. With her every touch, he craved her more. He didn't remember when their clothes had come off or even if anything had been said at all. That night he discovered heaven. No wonder, with him whispering her name over and over again like a prayer. He'd never before been so submissive in bed, but with Max it felt natural. Every time he let her take the lead, it was a proof of her desire. And he craved it, this confirmation of her wanting him. That night, life as he had known it was over.

He woke up to daylight. He needed a moment to come to. It was more than deep slumber he was awaking from; it was like he was coming out of a strange enchantment. He stretched his arm across the mattress only to encounter a cold sheet.

He opened his eyes and found himself alone in his bed. For a second, he wasn't sure he hadn't only dreamt last night's events. But then he saw his clothes scattered on the floor and his doubts were gone. But so was Max.

"Fuck," he groaned and burrowed deeper under the covers, refusing to face the world just yet on such a fucked up morning.

When it came time to join the others at their morning meeting, he steeled himself for the day ahead. He was an X5, he could pretend all was cool. He just couldn't decide whether he wanted to.

He sat with Mole, drinking coffee, as they waited for Logan to show up. Max had been going through some papers on her desk when he entered, but then she left the command room.

"What's up with you two?" Mole asked over the rim of his mug.

"Nothing. Why?"

"I may be a freak, but I can add two and two together."

"Does it add up?" Alec asked with a hint of a smile.

"It also detracts from the usually jovial atmosphere in here. So you couldn't keep it in your pants yet again?"

Alec raised his eyebrows. The lizard either had impressive powers of observation or he was just guessing.

"Your long face and her longer shadows under her eyes speak for themselves. Keep it in your pants next time, yeah? I hate it when I have to watch you mope around. You're no fun and you prefer to drink alone and that's not fine with me."

Alec grinned a little. Mole was a true piece of art, ugly as he was. "I love you, Mole, you know that."

Max and Logan entered then and at least Logan seemed to be in a good mood.

Alec glanced at Max and caught her eyes for a second but they didn't give anything away. He tried ignoring her for the rest of the meeting and he escaped the office as soon as he could. He found Joshua helping some other transgenics with the final decorations on the Christmas tree. Alec scowled at it as he passed it like the tree was to be blamed for everything.

"Hey, Joshua, I need your help."

Dog man was eager to help him, so Alec dragged him into one of the old laboratories where they spent their day cleaning it up and sorting through the waste. Alec thought if they had to celebrate Christmas, they at least needed a worthy present, so he decided to convert one of the labs into a doctor's office. Most of the equipment was still useable, it just needed to be sorted out.

He had Dalton bring them pizza and drinks when they took a short break in the early afternoon. But it was getting dark when Joshua finally broached the subject.

"Alec in trouble?"

"Huh?" Alec looked up from two full bins of rubbish to be thrown away.

Joshua repeated his question and pointed upstairs. "With Max?"

"No. Why?"

"Alec prefer to spend his day with Joshua. Must be trouble between Alec and Max."

Alec was starting to believe that dogs could smell one's fear.

"I spend time with you all the time," he said instead of admitting to anything.

"You spend time with Joshua and Max, but now you avoid Max all day."

"It's complicated," Alec grumbled.

"Virus bitch gone down but Max and Logan not getting busy."

Alec looked up again at Joshua's words. "What do you mean?"

"Alec and Max getting busy?" Joshua responded with a question of his own.

The directness of his question shocked Alec into silence. He started stammering, but Joshua howled like a dog and then added, "Alec and Max good together."

"Not really, no. Things don't always work out the way we want them to. But that's fine, we're still friends," Alec added quickly when he saw Joshua's face fall. "We're fine."

"Alec in a bad mood, Joshua can tell. Max sad, too. That is not fine."

"Yeah, well, life isn't a fairytale."

"Fellas celebrate Christmas together. Joshua make things better."

The last thing Alec needed was for Joshua to interfere and start making suggestions about getting busy. He had until tomorrow to convince him not to mention anything to Max.

"I think I'll try to catch up on sleep over the holidays," Alec said as he hauled the trash out the door just to avoid any more probing from Joshua.

When he returned a few moments later it seemed that now Joshua, too, was pissed at him for not wanting to celebrate Christmas. Fuck the holidays, Alec thought, as he threw himself even more passionately into work so as to get the place ready as soon as possible.

It was late evening by the time they finished. Joshua shook the dust off his clothes and looked proudly around the tidy room.

"Max happy with this," he said.

"You think?" Alec asked hopefully.

Joshua slapped his back and laughed. They walked up into the common area where several transgenics were loitering and discussing the coming Christmas Day.

Alec just grumbled and left Joshua after thanking him for the help.

"I'll go hit the sack. I'm beat."

He couldn't remember the last time he felt so exhausted. Maybe after that mission gone bad. He felt more like an ordinary than a transgenic right now and it was a strange sensation. Was he getting old? Did transgenics get old?

He took a shower, but there was no hot water left. Without even having dinner, he dragged himself to his mattress and pulled the covers over his head.

Thankfully, sleep overtook him almost instantly. It had been a long day.

It was still dark when he woke up, and there was a rustling noise somewhere close. He was instantly alert, but then he recognized her smell.

"Max?"

She didn't respond, but he realized she was trying to get into bed with him. He started moving away, trying to avoid her, and landed on the floor in the process.

He cursed and hit the light switch.

Max froze in her movements, staring at him apprehensively.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snapped, the sleepiness long gone.

Max still didn't say anything, she just looked mighty guilty.

"Either get out or answer me," Alec threatened, getting up from the bed and searching for a sweater to pull over the t-shirt.

"Could you come here?" Max said. "So we can talk?"

"I can talk from here."

"Please?"

Alec sighed, lowering his head between the shoulders. Slowly he moved back towards the bed and sat down on its edge. Max was sitting on the other side.

"Care to explain what you're doing here?" He didn't want to ask her about last night. He didn't want to think about it, so he focused on the now.

"I wanted to talk to you. I haven't seen you all day."

He refused to feel guilty for avoiding her. She had been the one to sneak out in the middle of the night.

When he didn't say anything, she said, "You should know Logan and I are just friends."

He raised his eyebrows but didn't want to bring up the cure again.

"It seems like we've … I don't know. Grown out of love over the past year? It just didn't work out despite the cure. For which I'm still grateful, by the way. I'm at least not in danger of killing my friend now. Because that's what we are, Logan and I."

"Okay," he said, not wanting to admit how glad he was to hear that. "So what does that make us?"

"What would you want us to be?"

"As you so nicely reminded me a while ago, it can't always be about what I want," he said, sounding more aggressive than he intended to.

"Alec …"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Why did you get me the cure?" Max asked.

"For you to get rid of the virus," he said, like it should be obvious. "So you could be with Logan. It was what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. But last night …"

Alec winced as she said the words, but she didn't let him interrupt her. Instead, she went on, "I had the feeling that was not what you wanted. So why, Alec?"

Oddly, he thought about what Mole would say if he saw their fearless leader now, sitting all tiny on the edge of his bed, hugging herself as though she were scared.

"Believe it or not, I had no ulterior motives."

"But …"

She fell silent, as if she were embarrassed to continue.

"What, Max?" He was determined not to give an inch, regardless of how distressed she looked.

But when she still hesitated and her eyes avoided his, he sighed and gave in yet again. "You thought I wanted you for myself?"

She blushed vigorously and Alec realized he'd never seen her blush before. It was an odd sight. It was almost unnatural for Max to be shy.

"I did. But most of all, I wanted you to be happy. I knew you'd never be happy with me, so ..."

He shrugged and stood up to get himself a drink. If he was hoping to escape her, he was mistaken. She followed him to the sink.

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I wouldn't be happy with you?"

"I don't know. Call it a gut feeling," he said and laughed sadly.

She paused for a moment before she said, "Last night I was happy."

"Uh-huh. Guess that's why you sneaked away in the middle of the night." He raised an eyebrow, but it was more out of curiosity than derision.

"I needed to think. Everything happened so fast. Logan and I, we barely just decided to call it quits and the next second I found myself in your bed. And the way it made me feel … It threw me. Everything was so intense. It cracked me open. And during the day today, I realized so many things about … everything. You, me, us. I saw you in a new light, because I figured if the things you said last night were true, but you were willing to get me and Logan the cure … well, that was a selfless act if I ever saw one. I'd never left with such difficulty as last night. But I had too because I was a mess. I still am …"

"Max."

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking. You're not making any sense."

She looked at him as if she were about to kick his ass. But then she inhaled deeply and started again. "In a single night, you made me realize there's a lot more between us than I thought. That clear enough?"

He pretended to think it over. "Maybe." Then he grinned. "Yes. Definitely."

"So, am I forgiven?"

"Maybe."

"Can I stay?"

"Yes. Definitely."