Chinese Whispers – part one

"Stay with me!" he snapped.

She tried to open her eyes again, tried to obey his tense demand. But all she could manage was a weak noise before passing out.

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Max walked in to Terminal City's Command area, bruised, covered in dried blood and six hours after she was supposed to make radio contact.

Alec was leaning against the central table where most of the City meetings were held – no-one ever discussed where they were conducted but eight opinionated people will gravitate to the largest space for arm waving and heated debate so the consistent pattern was setting a precedence.

He looked troubled. And mildly curious. She waited, strangely calm.

"There's a rumour," he began, fiddling with a pen but keeping hold of her gaze, "That White gave you blood..." he let the question hang between them.

Max looked away; bit her lip; considered lying...

She nodded in confirmation.

"Why the hell would he do that?!"

She shouldn't smile. Max knew it would seem flippant, would give the impression that she didn't think the situation was serious. But they'd been through a lot – the Transgenic and the Familiar – and Max had tricked White into the responsibility of explaining things, so she couldn't help her lips curving just a tiny bit when she replied to Alec's outburst.

"You'll have to ask him..."

Alec frowned.

"What's going on? Something happened,"

"Nothing happened, Alec. Stop worrying." Max interrupted, which was enough to keep him digging. He shook his head at her denial.

"I'll find out," he warned. "It would be easier to 'fess up now. And I wouldn't be so pissed at the waste of time and resources..."

Max couldn't help the disbelieving snort.

"Since when have you cared about time!"

His expression turned sombre as he answered,

"Since you disappeared for two months and I took over your duties until you came back."

Max fought the rush of emotions at the memories. The smile disappeared, her voice soft as she pointed out,

"Now you know why I was on your case all the time."

"That's why I'm on yours now." His logic was as maddening as the smirk that was trying to climb onto his face.

"I'll tell you," she promised with a growl. "But first I'd quite like Mosh to check me out in Medical."

Alec nodded – he couldn't ignore the fact that things had been bad for her to need a transfusion. That it was White who had donated blood, was simply a mystery that he would wait to get answers for.

But as he watched Max head to the Infirmary, Alec couldn't shake the feeling of premonition that he wouldn't like the answer she gave him...