AN: Well, I am not sure how many of you will be interested in this, but I just had to write it, wouldn't leave me alone. Whatever the results .. blame Infie . ;-) hugs Infie cause she rocks
A/N2: I am an Alec fan, but no, this is NOT M/A. hope you will not mind too much.
A/N3: As usual, I have Infie to thank for taking the time to make this better. Thanks sweetie!
The Modern Lazarus
"What the hell have you dragged him into now?"
"Hey, Maxie , nice to see you too!" Alec turned to look at the pretty brunette and smiled approvingly at her wavy, shoulder length hair. She was wearing tight black pants and a black, long sleeved t-shirt. Black sneakers completed the outfit, which matched his perfectly. When she only glared at him, his smile turned a little more seductive and he wriggled his eyebrows. "You finally decided to take me on the offer of a little romp in the back room?"
"God, Alec, you are so childish!" She said, shaking her head.
"But cute." He winked.
"Insufferable."
"Well... that too." He checked his backpack one more time before looking up at her again. "So, long time no see... How's the mommy life treating you?"
She smiled "It's great. I mean, they are a handful, but also so very adorable."
He smiled back at her; it was always good to see her smiling. "And how's Logan?"
"He's good." She said warily and didn't expand on it. She knew he would make a wise-ass comment, and did not want to give him any ammunition.
"Just good, huh? Is that why you're here? Got bored of that old husband of yours and finally decided to have an affair with your younger, sexy, irresistible X5 friend, huh?" He bit his lower lip, looking up thoughtfully. "Yes, I understand how that would happen, I mean , I'm sure Logan tries his best, but no one can really compare to me, not really."
She looked at him open-mouthed. "You are so conceited it's not even funny."
"Oh, yeah, then why are you smiling?" he smirked.
"Am not!"
"Are too."
"Am n .. - " She couldn't finish the sentence. She was no longer able to contain the grin. "All right, fine, I am!" She admitted, "But you are still a conceited bastard."
He raised his hands in front of him, "Hey, I never argued that."
"Max!" Joshua's delighted bellow made them both look towards the door. "You came!"
"I sure did, Big Fella ." She grinned and jumped into the dog-man's arms for a hug. "I've missed you so much!"
" Lil ' Fella doesn't come to visit anymore." Joshua sweetly reprimanded her, making her blush. But he didn't let go of her as he put her back on the floor.
"I know, I know, I am sorry. But with the twins and Eyes Only, I've been really busy, you know?"
Joshua nodded.
"Great! Why does he get a hug and I don't?" Alec protested, pouting. "You love him more than me, huh? Fine! It's okay, I don't care..." He said with puppy dog eyes, before looking away from her.
His theatrics made Joshua snicker and Max shake her head and sigh deeply, before she finally caved in and walked to him. "Are you happy now?" She faked an exasperated tone as she put her arms around him.
He shook his head as if thoughtful before saying, "I guess..." and reluctantly hugging her back.
The embrace was not reluctant at all, though. They stayed like that for a few seconds. She was after all, Alec's best friend beside Joshua, even if they didn't see each other that often these days. She had Cindy and other human friends, but Alec was the only one like her, the one who knew everything she'd gone through, the one who'd been there beside her as it all went down. "It's great to see you, Maxie ." He whispered beside her ear, earnestly.
"You too." She whispered back.
They both started laughing as Joshua lifted them both in a huge hug, saying "All together. Family."
"That's right, all together." Alec agreed. "Now, are we going to go steal some jewelry or what?"
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Alec glanced up at Max's behind. He knew she'd rip his head off if she realized, but what was he supposed to do? Not notice that perfect little derriere waltzing in front of him? Sure, they were friends and she was married and all that, but he was still male. He stifled a chuckle thinking about Logan's face if he could see him right now. They had gone back to civilized terms in the time that had passed, especially after Max told the human nothing had ever happened between her and Alec. But that didn't mean he was still not a little wary of the X5; after all, he knew there was something between them he could never break. No matter what Alec had done or what he did in the future, he and Max had a bond that transcended anything the human would understand. And the fact that Alec was not bad to look at didn't help matters. Not bad to look at? Who was he kidding ? He was pretty hot, if he did say so himself. He mentally chastised himself. Focus, boy.
Right. Like he was going to be able to with Max sticking her butt in his face and...
"Why did you slow down?" he whispered.
She glared back at him, her index finger before her lips. He rolled his eyes at her, like anyone would have heard that. She made a hand signal for two and down. The guards. Two of them were walking below the vent where Max had stopped. Alec playfully wriggled his eyebrows and watched her shake her head and look at him menacingly. The words 'Don't you dare' formed on those beautiful lips of hers. He grinned. She was so easy to tease.
They waited until the guards moved away before opening the vent shaft and sliding soundlessly to the floor. This was as good a place as any to enter the building. People just never learned. They always tried to save money on security. Well, their loss.
He followed Max smirking. She'd busted into his room in TC like a tornado, demanding explanations as to where Alec was taking Joshua. As if he didn't know the reason she was there had less to do with Joshua than with the fact that she needed some transgenic action. She'd forgotten all about it and now was leading him, who had planned the heist.
"So, things not very active at the Eyes Only front, huh?" He asked in a whisper.
"Oh, well, Logan was meeting one of his old E.O. contacts tonight. Of course, he pretended to be going to visit his cousin, who I can't stand, and suggested I have a night alone with the kids." She rolled her eyes. "He feels guilty because he thinks I resent it somehow." She waved a hand, "True, got me into a lot of unnecessary trouble, but if it weren't for all those silly missions, I wouldn't have known him, I wouldn't have hooked up with some of my siblings, I wouldn't have gone back to Manticore and destroyed it , and yeah, yeah, I wouldn't even have met you…" she added the last bit with a reluctant drawl at his compelling eyes, "and I wouldn't have had such a great excuse to have fun." She finished with a wink.
Alec shook his head. Geez , he loved this Max. He knew he would have fallen hard for her if he'd met this Max way back when. She was a bundle of energy, so full of life, and so happy. Now he could understand what Sketchy and Cindy had been talking about when they first met Alec. And he understood about Logan. Alec remembered thinking it was hopeless for those two. Two such serious people, so intent on their work, on doing what was best for others, on feeling guilty for the sins of the world. But after knowing this Max, he understood it. This woman walking so sexily in front of him complemented the older man's seriousness. She was daring where he was cautious, she was decisive where he was more into weighting the consequences, she was irreverent where he was respectful.
It was only after White had … disappeared… and the transgenics were all settled and she had got the cure for her and Logan's situation that she had become this wonderful person. Alec had cared for her before, even with all of her annoying habits and her gloominess and all; she'd been his friend. But now he actually liked her.
He guessed it was a good thing she hadn't been like that then. He wasn't sure he would have wanted to be in love with a woman that so clearly loved someone else. Plus, she hadn't much liked him then. He snickered. She hadn't liked him at all.
"So you decided to dump the little rascals with aunt Cindy and come hang out with your old pals and get into some trouble yourself, huh?" He asked with a smile in his voice.
"First of all, they are not little rascals, they are just… unusually active." She said, lifting her chin defiantly, daring him to contradict her, "second of all, you love them even more than they adore you," he raised his hands, he wasn't trying to deny that one, "and third of all, I am not planning on getting myself into any kind of trouble tonight, thank you very much."
"Oh, come on. If you weren't looking for trouble, why would you go anywhere with me? I am clumsy, idiot, can't-do-no-good Alec, 'member?" He took the tools from the pouch in his belt and started working on the safe.
She turned from her own safe and looked at him, willing him to look into her eyes. "You are none of that." She said softly, her eyes completely intent on his. He grinned. "Well… except clumsy, of course." She waved her hand, "I swear I don't know what they were thinking when they mixed up your DNA. Can't figure out what kind of animal could be awkward, really."
He looked offended, "I don't know what you're talking about," he said as he dropped the pouch of diamonds in his left hand, then the ruby necklace in his right as he tried to catch it. A series of movements worthy of the best circus juggler followed, as more and more things just 'fell' from the safe and Alec tried to keep them all in the air. Max could not suppress her giggle when all of the elements ended up landing smoothly in the leather bag that mysteriously appeared in his hands. He bowed with a flourish making her giggle some more.
"Show off."
"Envious."
"Shut up." She punched him on the shoulder.
"Why? Truth hurt?" He shoved her away.
She kicked his shin. "As if!"
"Totally true." He avoided her next blow.
"Oh, please!" she feinted a left cross, and swung the bag in her right hand at him instead. He ducked in the last moment, and the sack hit a display case behind him. A glass display case. Hit by a bag full of heavy, hard stones. Alec was sure his own face mirrored the horror in hers as they heard the crystal shattering.
"Oops." She said, as the alarm started its distant wailing. "I guess we are in trouble after all." She grinned innocently.
He burst out laughing and motioned to the stairs to the roof. "Shall we?"
"By all means."
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The man standing before him had a distinct, slightly British accent that Logan Cale wasn't sure which part of the Islands to associate with.
He was lean, not too tall but not small either, with a build that could be that of a swimmer or runner. He had short dark hair, dark eyes and a prominent, straight nose. Overall, the man gave little impression at all. He would not have stood out in a crowd. The only unusual thing about him was that clipped way of speaking.
He was wearing a cream-coloured turtleneck sweater, loose at the waist; black trousers and a long, dark overcoat. His hands were inside the pockets of his coat as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. Logan wasn't sure whether the gesture denoted impatience or was just to keep away the cold of the cloudy autumn evening.
Cale eyed him carefully. The man did not look particularly dangerous or threatening in any way. But he could be accompanied. Even if the park he had chosen for the meet provided no decent coverage for someone to hide for at least a mile around, Logan didn't want to take any chances.
He, better than anyone, knew things weren't always as they seemed.
He himself had an alter ego that only a select few knew about; the journalist-crusader 'Eyes-Only'. Eyes Only was the nightmare of Seattle authorities and crooks. He had built a sophisticated net of informants. All his contacts always thought he was just one more link in the chain, never suspecting he was the man himself. And it was through that network he'd found out about Manticore, and had the biggest break of his life stumbled upon him, or broke into his apartment, to be more precise.
Her name was Max. She was one of the Manticore escapees. And she'd chosen his penthouse as her target, one more in the line of the many B&Es in her short life. Chance, coincidence, fate, destiny? Who knew? Things were never easy for them, but many close calls, a trip back to Manticore on her part, the setting of every transgenic into freedom, a genetically retro targeted virus and a cult bent on destroying transgenics in particular and humans in general later, they were together. Again, fate? Logan didn't know. All he did know is that he was married to the most wonderful woman alive and had two beautiful kids with her. And none of it would have been possible if it weren't for the government carrying on secret and implausible operations and his having been curious but careful enough to find out about them, and not get killed in the process.
So here he was again. Taking calculated risks. He could no more give up on his Eyes Only life than he could stop breathing. He hadn't told Max where he'd be. She would have wanted to come along, and he wasn't sure how she'd react to this man.
He was one of Eyes Only's old contacts. Logan had not heard from him in over 5 or 6 years. In fact, he was the one who had first stirred his curiosity about Manticore. He was a scientist who worked at the project. He had never provided details, but had given Logan hints and tidbits of information. Not much, but just what Logan had needed. After all, he wouldn't have been so interested if he'd been given the full 411.
He didn't know what the guy wanted after such a long time, though. As most Manticore scientists, the guy had disappeared when the place went down. Some fled the country, most had suffered mysterious accidents or sudden deaths. Logan remembered trying to contact this guy when he'd been searching for a cure for the virus that had prevented him from even touching Max for over a year. He had been told he'd died. Killed in a drive-by shooting.
"Funny, last thing I knew about you was what I read in the obituaries. You don't look that dead to me right now, you know?" He said by way of greeting. "Someone perform a séance and bring you back from the dead or something?"
A lopsided smile touched the man's lips. Aloud he just said: "Well, one does what one must to survive. Manticore wanted to see me dead; I gave them what they wanted." He shrugged.
Logan conceded the point with a nod. It was what he would have done if he had been in the guy's place. "So…"
"So?" the man returned, a raised eyebrow.
Logan shook his head. The man had always been annoyingly reluctant to say anything unless it was dragged out of him. "You called me, man. What do you want that involves Eyes Only ?" Two could play the game.
"Not easily distracted, are you?" The scientist asked dryly. "Very well." He pursed his lips. "What I wanted was actually to know what he knows about something."
"What makes you think I would ask him anything for you?" Logan replied. "And what makes you think he would answer even if I did?"
The man's smirk became more pronounced. "Well, I don't think you'll need to actually ask him. Not unless you have a really serious personality disorder, in which case, I am not sure I really want an answer." He reflected, furrowing his brow in mock concern.
Logan's face remained blank. "What is that supposed to mean, exactly?"
"Oh, come on, my friend. You didn't really expect me not to know who you really were, did you? Do you think I would have risked my own safety with an underling when I first contacted you? If there is one thing I value, it's my own head."
"But…how?" Logan asked. It was clear there was no point trying to pretend anymore.
"The eyes. I was a scientist in a top-secret project that involves genetics and the study of detailed traits… and I wasn't exactly born yesterday. You don't survive to be my age by not knowing how to get the information you need."
Logan frowned at the choice of words. The guy didn't look that much older than Logan himself. He looked closely. In fact, the guy's non-descript look extended to his age… Logan couldn't peg that either. Then again, working where he had, it was natural the guy felt old. "Alright, so what did you want to know?" He asked. If the man had not turned him in so far, he seriously doubted he would now.
The man's lips quirked sardonically. "Care to go somewhere we can sit down?"
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"Lo- gan ! I'm home!" Max voiced ever so delicately as she entered the house. What used to be a shabby old house inhabited by Joshua, their dog-faced friend, was now a cozy home, large enough to comfortably host the family of four and all of Logan's computer equipment, but without the sophistication of Logan's previous penthouse which had not really been Max's style.
"In here." He answered far more softly. He knew she'd hear anyway. He heard her move into the kids' bedroom, probably carrying the already asleep boys to bed.
"Now how did I just know you'd be sitting in front of a screen?" Another voice said with a trace of mockery.
"Alec?"
"The one and only!" Alec bowed with a flourish, managing to balance little sleeping Sean in his arms so that he didn't even stir. Of course, if he hadn't woken up after Max's shout, Logan doubted he would until the next morning.
"Hey, man." Logan shook Alec's hand, taking off his glasses at the same time and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, taking good care of the little lady, of course." Alec smiled brightly, knowing it would remind Logan of the time Max made him believe there was something going on between her and the other transgenic. "You know? You shouldn't leave her alone. Especially with a fine specimen such as myself around…"
Logan glared at him, but only momentarily. He and Alec weren't the best of friends, but Logan understood how important he was for Max, and he also was confident enough Max wouldn't be fooling around with anyone else. No matter how handsome or strong or smart or just irritatingly perfect that someone else was. Plus, the kids just adored their uncle Alec. And, yeah, Logan could admit that essentially, deep down, Alec was a good guy.
"Are you finished basking in your own ego or do you need a bit more time?" he just asked.
"Ouch, see? That hurt. Is it any wonder I have to resort to self praise, when you hurt my delicate self-esteem so often?" Alec said as he moved into Sean's room to put him in bed.
"Coffee, anyone?" Max cut in before it could go on any longer. Who knew how long these two could keep that up?
"I'll have tea, thank you, babe."
"Do you have any beer? Or have you finally gone all posh on me and have only wine now?" Alec raised an eyebrow at her, coming back into the room.
She just rolled her eyes at him, walking towards the kitchen. As she passed by her husband, she bent down to kiss him, mumbling sweet things that made Alec raise his hands and say: "Alright, alright, don't worry, I'll get it. You go on just as if I wasn't here..." He walked out of the room muttering something that sounded like " Geez , as if you hadn't been married for years, now!"
"He gone?" Max whispered by Logan's ear.
Logan peeked over her shoulder and nodded, grinning. "Works every time." He winked. "Hi, baby." She said softly.
"Hey yourself." And then he kissed his wife properly.
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"So what were you guys up to tonight?" Logan asked, moving his empty plate to the side to lean on his elbows. His eyes went from one transgenic to the other, watching them devour the third serving of spaghetti. "I kind of had the impression you were going to stay home…?" He raised an eyebrow at Max.
She smiled and muttered through a mouthful of pasta: "hmm, righft , ' causemm you went to fisit youmr coushimmm ."
Alec laughed. "Really, Logan, I thought you could have taught her some manners by now!"
Logan just looked at him blandly and focused back on Max, "Fine, so I didn't go visit my cousin, but you already knew that. So why don't you tell me where you two were?"
"Actually, I went to check on this one here, 'cause I called Joshua and he told me they were going on some job tonight. Can you believe he was taking Josh on a heist?" She said, opening big eyes at him. "Naturally, I had to go in and stop that."
Alec snorted, not even bothering to comment.
Logan gave her one of his looks. "Sure, cause Joshua hasn't been going on 'heists' all the time since we've been married." Alec smirked, nodding once at Logan, to show his agreement. "You were dying to go test your skills a bit, were you not?" Logan smiled.
"Well, if you knew what I'd be doing, then why did you ask?" Max retorted defiantly.
"Because I wasn't sure which one of your friends the felons-to-be you were going to go see." At Max's questioning look he clarified, "Well, I am pretty sure Cindy is going to get herself arrested for either indecent behavior or verbal aggression one of these days."
Alec chuckled. Max didn't. "Hey! That is my friend you are talking about!"
Alec put on a hurt expression, "Oh, right, you take offense at her being called a felon to be, but me? Nooooo , of course not." He pouted, "Nice to know you care."
"Oh, for the love of .."
"No, no, it's okay. I can nurse my own wounds, thank you very much." He waved his hand dismissively at her.
"Well, I am sorry, but who almost got arrested tonight?"
"Excuse me? Who knocked over the display?"
"Well, only because you wouldn't stop wi .. -"
"Kids!" Logan interrupted them. They both turned to look at him, blinking. Logan sighed. Some things never changed. "Why don't you tell me where this display that got knocked over was?" When they both started talking simultaneously, he raised one hand. "You go first." He signaled Max. "Ever heard of chivalry?" He raised an eyebrow when Alec started to protest. He decided to ignore the mumble that came out of the male transgenic's mouth. He really didn't want to know.
Max started telling him about the jewels they'd stolen and how they had accidentally tripped an alarm, but that they'd got away just fine and that they'd been able to sell the goods before any cops had been notified of what had been stolen.
"Which brings us to the reason I am here, besides giving you the pleasure of my company: I wanted to give you this." Alec handed Logan a wad of cash he took out of the pocket of his jacket, which was hanging off the back of his chair.
"What is this for?"
"Well, a contribution for the great cause." He shrugged. "It's not just from me. You've done a great deal for us. We like to repay our debts."
"It's not a debt. I do it because I believe it's a good cause." Logan looked him intently in the eyes. "And even if it were you've more than repaid it by now."
"I know. But still." Alec shrugged again. "You can consider it Max's cut on the heist. After all, she was there, whatever good that did…"
Max's mouth fell open, she stood up, placed a hand on her hips and glared at him. "How dare you? If it wasn't for me, you'd still be tangled up in that wire fence."
"Oh, yeah? If you hadn't chosen the most unlikely of places to get through the fence my coat would not have been tangled in it." Alec said , leaning back in his chair, savouring the exchange he could feel coming.
"Well, if you had not been wearing a stupid coat while going stealing, it wouldn't have been a problem."
"Well, I wasn't planning on getting out through that place. And why was I trying to jump the fence instead of going back the way I had gone in, huh? Because someone tripped the alarm."
"Well, if you hadn't been a sissy and tried to dodge the sack, the case wouldn't have been hit." There was a lot of hand waving involved by now.
"Excuse me, but I didn't try to duck it, I did duck it!" Alec's eyebrows rose cockily, "And if you hadn't lost your temper, I wouldn't have needed to duck in the first place."
"Well, if you hadn't been so annoying, I wouldn't have had to control my temper."
"Oh, yeah? So now it is my fault that you decided to come along? If you hadn't, none of it would have happened."
Logan looked from one to the other and sighed. This could go on forever. Logan decided to cut it short before they went through all the 'if you hadn't' of all the years they had known each other. Or even the years before that.
"So I met this Manticore doctor today." He said casually.
A bucket of freezing water would not have been more effective. Words just suddenly stopped flowing out of their mouths. They froze in their places, turned to look at him, back at each other, and then leaned closer to him.
"Come again?" Max said, her expression almost completely blank, except for a slight trace of disbelief.
Alec's face was a perfect mask of nonchalance, of carefully studied carelessness. "Yeah, buddy, I think we wanna hear where you were tonight."
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I am always interested in what people think hint, hint