World Unfrozen
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: I am reposting and editing all my one-shots. This is the sequel to While You Were Gone. Please read and review and tell me what you think.
Max and Alec ran together through the ruins of TC. They had managed to evacuate large portions of the population. Alec had finally gotten his wish. They would build a new nation but there was a price.
Frantically the pair searched the ruins for their mates.
"I should've made her leave," Alec said.
"You didn't have much of a choice. She refused to go. So did he," Max answered.
"They weren't going to leave without us. They both had to be on the last transport with us," Alec replied bitterly.
Max said nothing as she continued to search the ruins. She knew there was little chance that Jack and Gem had survived. The bombing had been unexpected. No one had been prepared for it at the time.
Neither Alec not Max had been there when the bombs had come raining down. They weren't there when the National Guard marched into TC. They had been across the Canadian border with a transport of kids.
"Are you alright?" Alec asked the seven month pregnant Max.
Max shuddered as the walked through what used to be apartments. Several bodies were scattered among the debris. It was when they got to the control room that Max collapsed.
The control room had been heavily hit. The entire room was burned out. Jack must have been at one of the consuls when the room became a fiery inferno. His charred remains were scattered across the floor.
Alec recognized Gem's corpse. She too had been burnt alive in the fire. He felt pain. But it was the sight of Jack that brought him back to reality. He would grieve for Gem later when he had the time. Right now he needed to take care of Max.
Max felt pain course through her body. She didn't want to go into labor right now. It was two months too soon.
Gently Alec stroked her hair. He whispered soothing words to her as knelt over her. "It will be okay, Maxie," he said.
"How can it be okay Alec?" Max demanded her spitfire attitude resurfacing. "Jack's dead. Gem's dead. We both have children. You have Eve and Rachel. I have my baby."
"Max, your baby needs you to remain calm. If you panic then you will loose it."
"I can't loose my baby. It's the last thing I have of Jack," Max said as she began to sob. "I loved him, Alec. I loved him so much. I never thought I would love anyone else after you."
"He knew you loved him, Max."
"You loved Gem. Alec, what are we going to do without them? I can't loose anyone else."
"Shh, it will be okay baby," Alec whispered.
Max laid her head on Alec's lap. The pair remained silent mourning their lost mates.
8 Months Before
"Morning Alec," Max smiled she walked into headquarters.
Alec just stared at Max bewildered. She never smiled. She hadn't smiled at him since he had told he loved her over a year ago.
"Morning Max," he said cautiously.
Gem walked in. She was beginning to show. Alec smiled tenderly at his mate. She was so excited about the pregnancy.
"Morning sweetheart," Alec said gently kissing Gem.
Gem just smiled. She loved it when Alec touched her. She then turned her attention towards Max.
"Good morning Max," Gem said smiling.
"How's the baby this morning?" Max asked curiously.
"Everything is good."
Max smiled before she headed into her office.
Alec just stared.
The day kept getting weirder and weirder. Max was in a good mood at all of their meetings. She didn't once yell at Alec or hit him. She even promised Mole that they would smuggle in some more cigars.
The most startling discovery of the day had been at lunchtime. Jack had spent all day working on the computers. Hacking and reprogramming was a long and tiring process. Both Luke and Dix believed that someone might try to hack into the system. They had had Jack installing virus protection all morning long.
Max smiled when Jack came over to where she was eating. Alec watched in amazement as Max leaned into Jack. He had noticed the pair's closeness before. He had always reasoned it was sisterly affection. He almost fell out his chair when Max kissed Jack tongue and all.
Gem too had been watching. She laughed lightly at her husband's shocked expression. "I had a bet on them," she said.
Alec looked at her in amusement. "What exactly was the bet on?"
"On when they would figure out how they felt for each other."
"You knew that those two had romantic feelings for each other?"
Gem laughed. "Max is always with Jack and Jack is always with Max. My guess is that something happened last night to convince them that they weren't feeling too much like siblings."
Alec just shook his head.
7 Months Before
Max stared at the test in front of her. She had suspected for a few days but now she knew. Part of her was excited and part of her was terrified. She and Jack had only been together for a month as a couple. True, they had been friends longer than that and they had known each other their entire lives but that didn't mean that they were ready for this.
Max sat at the dinner table. She didn't touch any of her food. She watched Jack eat as if it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly as he took her hand.
"Promise you won't get mad," she whispered.
Jack's eyes lit up at that phrase. He nodded in response.
"I've been feeling different lately. I didn't know what was different but then I heard Gem talking. She said that she had felt different when she became pregnant. So I went out and bought a home pregnancy kit. I took all three of the tests in the box. They all came back positive."
Jack looked up at Max. "We're having a baby?" he asked softly.
She nodded her head miserably.
Jack laughed. "Why are you upset? Don't you want it?"
"Of course I want it, but do you?" Max asked confused by his good-natured laughter.
Jack kissed her on the forehead. "It will be a right, love. You'll see. Of course I want the baby."
Max smiled.
It was Mole who found them sitting in the burnt out control room. He saw the bodies. Mole had rather liked Jack and he had always been fond of Gem. He was upset about the two transgenics' deaths. Nothing upset him more, however, than seeing both Alec and Max lying on the floor motionless. The pair was in shock and neither one of them looked like they were coming out of it soon.
"Come on Alec. You have to snap out of it," Mole said. "It's too dangerous for you to stay here."
Alec stared straight through Mole. Mole felt a chill run through his body. He had never seen Alec look so emotionless in his entire life.
Alec's eyes glowed a primitive green-gold. He turned towards Max. Somehow instinctually he recognized the danger she was in. He knelt down over her and picked her up bridal style. He needed to get her out of there.
Max cuddled into Alec. She felt safe with his arms wrapped around her. His smell let her know that she wasn't alone.
Neither one of the pair could think. They just let their feral sides take over. Max recognized Alec as an unmated male, and an alpha. Alec recognized Max as an alpha, and a pregnant unmated female. She needed protection and he needed a mate.
Their feral sides both recognized what it would it could take their human sides months or even years to realize. Jack and Gem were never coming back. Max and Alec were now both unmated. The connection between Max and Alec had never disappeared. Jack and Gem had even recognized the connection between Max and Alec. Neither mate had been threatened by it.
"You are always going to love her," Gem told Alec after Rachel was born. "You are always going to. I can't change that."
"I chose you, Gem. I chose you. I love you," Alec whispered.
Gem smiled sadly. "You and Max are soul mates Alec. You and I are friends. Yes, we love each other but it will never be the same as you and Max."
Max snuggled deeper into Jack. The pair were sleeping in.
"I love you Max. You know I do but I know that no matter what Alec is always going to be in your heart," Jack said softly.
"I love you, Jack. Alec is just Alec," Max answered.
"I know you love me. I know you do but it's not the same as how you feel for Alec. You love Alec like I loved Eva. Max, you will survive if you loose me but if you loose Alec…."
"You loved Eva?" Max asked quietly.
"Very much and when she died I wanted to die. I love you, Max. I really do. But a part of you will always belong to Alec and a part of me will always belong to Eva. It doesn't mean that I don't love you. It just means that how we love each other is different."
Weeks passed. Alec took care of the transgenics. The new colony was starting out really well. He spent at least two hours a day with his daughters. He knew that one-year-old Eve and three-month-old Rachel needed him. They couldn't understand what had happened to Gem. They just knew that their mother was gone.
The rest of the time Alec spent taking care of Max. Max was on bed rest and she couldn't do anything for herself. Alec was the only person who could tolerate Max's bitchy behavior. He ignored her when she threw things at him. He wasn't bothered by her swearing. He knew part of it was hormones and part of it was grief.
Two Months Later
Max felt the pain course through her body. Her baby was coming. Alec heard her cries and came running. He noticed that Max was going through contractions.
"Max, I'm going to go get a doctor. I'll be right back," Alec said softly.
"No," Max said as she grabbed his hand. "You can't go. Please don't leave me, Alec. I can't do this by myself."
Alec called for Dalton who was watching Eve and Rachel in the other room. Dalton came running.
"Quick go get a medic or one of the doctors," Alec said. "Max is having the baby."
Dalton blurred out of the room.
Alec sat with Max for the next thirty-six hours of labor. He didn't eat, and he didn't sleep. He spoke to her softly and stroked her hair. He was there when the medic handed Max a beautiful baby boy.
"You did it Maxie," he said softly as he kissed the top of her head.
Max smiled at Alec as she gazed at her son. He was so beautiful and so much like Jack.
"What are you going to call him?" OC asked as she walked into the room. She had decided to migrant with her boo.
"I want to name him after his dad," Max answered softly.
Five Months Later
Months passed and Max became used to being a mother. Jack frequently woke during the middle of night. He had inherited her shark DNA. Max had moved in with Alec some months before. The two of them were taking care of the three children. It was difficult at first but gradually it became better.
"I'm surprised they're all asleep," Max said as she sat down next to Alec on the couch.
"I think we do pretty good with a five month-old, an eight-month-old, and a one year old," Alec said as he flipped through the channels.
Max smiled at Alec. Sometimes he was like a big kid. Other times he was a responsible adult. She never knew who she was dealing with.
Alec noticed Max watching him. He turned to face her and before he knew it they were kissing. Max felt fire run through her body at the kiss. Her whole body tingled. She had never felt this way before. She wanted to be Alec's. She wanted him to be hers. Slowly Max broke the kiss before she got too carried away.
Alec hated the breaking of contact. He watched Max pull away his eyes glittering with hurt. "You don't love me?" Alec asked.
Max looked at him. He sounded so much like a little boy. "It's not that Alec. It's just what if it is too soon? Jack and Gem haven't been dead for a year."
"Gem told me once that she knew that I would always love you," Alec said softly looking at Max.
"Jack told me the same thing," Max answered.
Max moved closer to Alec. She laid right into him. "I do love you, Alec. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone."
Alec smiled. "I love you too, Maxie."
Six Years Later
Max snuggled into Alec. She just wanted to sleep in today but her children had other plans.
"Dad," five-year-old Ben screamed as he jumped on Alec.
Ben was the spitting image of Alec. He was always in the thick of things.
"What?" Alec grunted.
"Can I sleep with you and Mom?" Ben pleaded. His big hazel eyes in a perfect puppy dog look.
"Okay but go to sleep. It's only four o'clock in the morning," Alec grunted as Ben squirmed in between his parents.
Everything was quiet for another five minutes.
"Mom," seven-year-old Eve said poking Max.
"What?" Max asked half-asleep.
"Can I share with you and Dad too?"
"Come on in," Max said making room for her daughter.
Ten minutes later six-year-old Rachel burst in crying. Both Max and Alec woke up immediately. "There's a monster under my bed," Rachel said.
Max gently pulled Rachel into bed. Alec went to go check under the bed. Sure enough six-year-old Jack was under the bed.
"How many times are you going pull this prank?" Alec asked his son.
"I don't know Dad. It's fun. Can I sleep with you and Mom too?" Jack asked.
Alec tousled Jack's hair. "Come on, but don't do this again."
Max woke up at seven to find Alec watching her sleep.
"Are you okay baby?" she asked.
"Just fine," Alec answered looking at her. "I can't believe you married me. Sometimes I think I'm going to wake up and find out I've been dreaming."
Max just smiled as she moved closer to Alec. The pair fell asleep.
In shadows a few ghosts watched the proceedings. "Took them long enough," Eva said.
"Well you know Max. She was always stubborn," Tinga giggled.
Jack stood next to Eva. Silently he went over to his son.
"Are you alright?" Eva asked as she grabbed his hand.
Jack just smiled. "Yeah, I still can't believe he's mine."
Ben chuckled as he looked at his brother. Gem stood next to Ben.
"They named their son after you," Gem commented.
"I know," Ben replied as he gazed at his baby sister.
"Max is a good mom to my girls," Gem said smiling.
The ghosts left the room as quietly as they had come. Only Ben remained behind.
"You did real good little brother," he said. "I'm proud of you."
Ben walked away but not before Alec caught a glimpse of him.
THE END