OUR LIFE
Title: Our Life - response to Shana's DA fanfic challenge
Author: IzaAcklesfan izabelevans & jracklesfan77 aka Shana
Rating: R (for language)
Show: DA - (AU)
Genre: Humour
Pairing: MA
Type: WIP
Summary: In an alternate universe where Manticore released all the transgenics into the world, fully granted citizenship and rights like any American. No one hates or fears them.
They have all moved on to bigger and better things, applying their training, education and abilities in the outside world.
Challenge Must-Haves:
1. Alec must hold a prominent job
2. Biggs and Zack are in the Army – but they have to start way at the bottom
3. Mole must present a TV show – where he gets his material from is up to you.
4. Eyes Only must play an idiot part. No bashing, just make his character not quite so bright…or his actions. No name calling; just plain, silly fun.
5. There must be a transgenic Christmas Dinner or other holiday gathering and everyone's invited.
Any other characters and side stories are fair game! Enjoy!
A/N¹: We've borrowed the character 'Axel' from izabelevans' fic 'Everyone's Got Secrets'. Hope you all enjoy him as much as we do!
A/N²: A big thanks to Mrs. for ideas and input. You're a great sounding board!
A/N³: Pollo Loco never happened. Everything and everyone is fair game as far as we're concerned!
Well, here's our take on what happened...
Chapter 1
Alec bent forward over his desk resting his head in his hands. The tension of the past few days was beginning to wear on his nerves and he couldn't deny it any longer. He needed help.
The Human Resources department was being reorganized. For that matter so were Finance, Strategy, Development and Patents. With the recent merger and acquisition, JRA Media Corporation had doubled in size. This called for changes in all the internal divisions and the paperwork was endless. It left HR with no time to find him the assistant he needed.
His head ached. I hate resumes. I hate interviews. I hate secretaries! Frustrated that the only choice left was to conduct the interviews himself, he sighed. It would make the need for an assistant even greater now that he would have less time to get any actual work done.
Reaching over, he dialled the extension he needed: Reception.
"Good morning."
"'Morning Nita. Would you have someone send up the PA candidate resumes from HR? And please, don't put any calls through. I'm officially a ghost today."
"Certainly, Mr. McDowell."
Alec hung up the phone and quickly lost himself in the documents piled in front of him.
The jangling of the telephone broke his concentration. Good for nothing receptionists! No calls means No. Calls! But he hit speaker and spoke calmly.
"Yes, Nita?"
"Mr. McDowell, sir, I'm sorry to interrupt. But there is a Mr. Jonas Cale here to see you?"
Alec jumped from his seat and ran a shaky hand through his hair. Shit. My 11 o'clock ! I'm totally unprepared for this!
"Send him up."
Cale Industries held contracts for police and military hoverdrones and an assortment of other such advanced surveillance technology. JRA Media developed the hardware that enabled the hoverdrones to function properly. Today's meeting was meant to resolve some issues with faulty programming and to discuss the possibility of upgrading the existing hardware to include special access rights for elite personnel. JRA's well recognized and highly sought after speciality: smart card access.
Rummaging through his filing cabinet, Alec quickly withdrew the plans and charts he had put together the night before. I need painkillers. God, my head! He'd been working around the clock to prepare everything and he sincerely hoped Cale would agree to the proposal.
A knock on the door brought him out of his daze. "Come in."
The sight that greeted him took his breath away. A beautiful, slim brunette with long, wavy black hair and honey-brown doe-eyes set against smooth, caramel skin stepped aside and ushered in a slightly portly man with a receding hairline. Alec couldn't keep his eyes off the girl and he grinned, noticing the way her full lips curved when she spoke.
"Mr. Cale here to see you, Mr. McDowell. If there's anything else you need…?"
"Coffee?" he turned briefly to Jonas Cale who nodded in response. "Coffee would be wonderful, Miss…?" he left the question hanging as he sought her name, extending his hand in greeting.
"Guevara. Maxine Guevara." She reached out and firmly shook it.
She left the room silently, returning minutes later with a tray of coffee, tea and biscuits. Gently placing them on the table, she turned to leave.
"Miss Guevara?" Alec called out to her, admiring her figure from behind. Ah, that's a fine piece of ass!
"Sir?"
"I'd like a word with you after this meeting, if you can spare the time?" he couldn't for the life of him understand why he was doing this. But the urge was too great.
"I'm sure Reception can spare me for a little while." She smiled and left.
Max stalked down the hallway, biting the inside of her cheek in frustration. She hated her job and the first day wasn't even over yet!
What a pig! she thought in revulsion, remembering the appreciative looks Mr. McDowell had sent her way, the obvious admiration of her womanly assets. All men are pigs. Women are more than just bodies! And THIS woman is much, much more! I'd love to kick his sorry ass…all the way to Kentucky
Max hated having to be sweet and polite. It was so totally against her nature to be submissive. And calling anyone "Sir" made her stomach convulse. It brought back too many bad memories.
She returned to Reception and set about finishing up her tasks. Her deft fingers filed, photocopied and collated piles of papers. Between the incessant ring of the telephone and non-stop chatter of her co-workers she was developing a splitting headache. Why did I ever let Cindy talk me into getting a job in a corporate setting? She was kicking herself mentally for giving in. Working at Jam Pony had been fun, and she'd been able to manipulate her boss, Normal , into letting her do things she knew no one else would ever let her get away with. Money. It all boils down to cold, hard cash.
Taking her lunch, she made her way to the roof. The company had one thing down pat. They created a comfortable working environment and offered the best possible amenities to their employees. The rooftop garden was one such perk. Small tables with comfortable chairs were placed along the edge of the walls surrounding the roof. A small fountain spouted clear water in the center of the pavilion. Potted plants and flowers lined the enclosure and gave the space a soft, homey feel.
Max took a seat and began to eat. She was interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing and the awareness of a heady scent of irresistible, spicy aftershave. She whirled around, startled.
"Mr. McDowell! What a pleasant surprise!" she smiled a fake smile and resisted the urge to scowl.
"Please, call me Alec." he said. "May I join you?"
She waved to the empty seat across from her and eyed her companion. He was good looking. Liar. He's breathtaking! She mentally shook herself. Looks aren't everything. Get a grip, girl! He had the sculpted face of Adonis. Soft, dark blonde hair, hazel eyes, straight nose, long neck…and she couldn't help but wonder what was beneath the tailored, designer suit. He was gorgeous.
"So, Miss Guevara, I haven't seen you here before."
"God, no one calls me that. It's Max. And yeah, first day." She sighed wearily. She was bored. The job didn't challenge her. She finished her tasks in record time and having nothing to do was grating on her nerves.
He raised an eyebrow at the obvious displeasure in her tone. She offered an explanation.
"I hate being confined indoors. My previous job gave me lots more freedom. I hate being bored."
Alec chuckled heartily. "Where were you working before?"
"Jam Pony Messenger Service."
He pulled back slightly in surprise. "You were a messenger?"
"Yeah. I like action. I hate sitting all the time. Hate monotony. I like challenges, the constant change of pace. The whole meet and greet thing just doesn't do it for me, y'know? I wasn't made to sit pretty. I'm a kick-ass kinda girl. This job sucks." She laughed suddenly and raised her hand to her mouth. Ooops! Did I just tell the Vice President of the corporation that I hate my job? "Um, I didn't say that! Traitorous, evil tongue."
Alec laughed and smirked. "My lips are sealed. And," He paused, sitting forward and looking directly into her eyes, "I can relate. Hmm…let's see. Can you type?"
Max eyed him suspiciously. Why did he care if she could type or not? But she decided to play along, see where things went.
"Nope."
"Hmmm. Have you ever dealt with suppliers and contractors?"
"Uh uh."
"I see. Um, any sales experience?"
"Not really."
"Have you ever taken minutes at a meeting?"
"No."
"Do you think you could?"
"What?" She was twisting the hem of her shirt. The direction this conversation had taken astonished her. One minute she was complaining about her job the next it sounded like he was going to offer her another one. "Um, sure I could. I mean, I'm a quick study."
Maybe for a human he thought to himself. Being Manticore bred he knew his enhanced abilities allowed him to learn new skills in no time at all. He'd give her a couple weeks to get settled. IF she agreed to take the job. You can't seriously be considering employing a secretary with no skills whatsoever. What's with you man? What is it about her? He had no idea why he was so drawn to Max. It was more than her looks. She radiated an indefinable magnetism, and it took his breath away.
"Would you like to work for me? I'm in desperate need of a personal assistant. Someone who's up for a challenge, who likes to dig in, take initiative, roll with the punches as they come. I need someone with attitude, yet who knows when to pull back and let things slide. You think you could do that? We can deal with the administrative bits along the way. That is, if you're game?"
Max inhaled sharply. She'd known Alec for all of what, half an hour? But the longer she was with him, the more she liked him. Her first impression was crumbling. The guy exuded power and success. And stepping up the ladder was definitely something she couldn't pass up. It was just an added bonus that she found him attractive.
"I think I'd like that." Max smiled broadly and stretched out a hand to shake on it. He grasped her hand firmly with both his own and returned the smile. His smile could melt butter.
Alec walked over to the wall and hopped on, swinging his legs like a little boy. "So, Max, tell me about yourself?"
"As much as I'd like to indulge you, Mr. McDowell," she started slowly but he interrupted her before she could finish.
"Please, it's Alec. I work better in an informal setting."
"Fine. Alec it is. Unfortunately, I still have work to do. My lunch hour's over. Back to reception and the daily drudge." She reluctantly rose to leave. Alec grinned at her.
"There IS work to do…but the telephones can be answered by any number of incompetents and YOU are needed elsewhere. You, my dear, will make your way to your new office. I'll square it with Personnel and Security. We'll have our first meeting in…30 minutes?" he cocked his head as he waited for her reply. The girl has spunk. He liked that. He needed someone lively and entertaining in his life and he had the feeling he wouldn't be disappointed.
"30 minutes works for me. See ya, Alec." She sauced his name slightly. Whatever this was, it was comfortable. I think I'm gonna like it here.
It was close to the end of the day and Alec hadn't seen Max in hours. He'd sent her to the research room to pull some files on one of the company's competitors. How long does it take to get a little info? He was getting more and more irritated by the minute. Maybe this was a mistake…
Max walked into his office suddenly, arms laden with files. Spreading them out on his desk she came around to stand by his side.
"I got the information you wanted. I separated everything into sections, from stocks to income to employee turnover, acquisitions and bids and finally technological development. I hope you don't mind that I went ahead and compared notes to our company's holdings and advances. It turned up some enlightening revelations."
Shaking his head in wonder, he looked at the girl standing beside him. For someone with no training, she'd exceeded his expectations. "What did you discover?"
"I'm sorry to have to say this, but it looks as if we have an inside leak. A mole. There are too many similarities in our developments and the bids on stocks come way too close to each other in timing.
"As for the typing and filing you wanted done? Give me a few hours to figure it out. I'm sure I can have everything ready by lunch tomorrow."
The genuine smile that lit his face made her gasp. His eyes sparkled and she felt herself drawn to him. Max, don't do this to yourself! Don't ruin your chance here. Keep telling yourself he's a pig. Keep him at a distance...
"I think you've earned dinner. Care to join me?" he suggested. Alec wanted to know more about this girl. She seemed more competent than he'd given her credit for, more competent than made sense, given her lack of experience. In fact, he was slightly suspicious.
Without thinking, she accepted his invitation.
"I'll pick you up at 8. Dress casual." And with that he picked up his briefcase and left.
Max made her way down to the car park. She was tired. She shouldn't have accepted Alec's invitation to dinner. Mixing business with pleasure was bound to lead to a shitload of problems. Dammit girl! You aren't thinking straight! But it was too late now to do anything but enjoy the evening ahead.
She crossed the lot and approached her car. But the squeal of tires caused her to spin around quickly. At the far end of the car park she could see Alec. Her enhanced vision zoomed in on him and she saw him fumble with his keys, seemingly absorbed in thought. The car she'd heard just seconds before was hurtling toward him at breakneck speed. Omigod. It's heading straight at Alec!
Without concern for exposure, Max blurred to Alec's side, shoving him to the ground and rolling them both under the car and out the other side. She grabbed his hand and pulled him after her.
Bullets suddenly whizzed through the air, barely missing their targets and the two dashed to safety. Max hardly realized that Alec was blurring just as fast as she was. Alec on the other hand did. Something about the girl rushing along beside him made him frown. How can she run so fast?
As they approached the service elevator, the doors opened and a lone figure raised his weapon, aiming at Alec. Max took a quick look above, calculated the distance and flipping herself, she launched her legs into the air and tucked them tightly around a pipe. Gripping Alec's arms, she hauled him up and then swung down again. She dropped to a crouch, rolled and came up in front of their would-be assailant. Sweeping his legs out from beneath him, she pinned the man easily, removed his weapon and with a strong punch, sent him into oblivion.
Alec dropped silently to the ground and stared at her in wonder.
"Are you transgenic?" he asked in a quivering whisper.
Max shivered. Oh shit. I've gotta get out of here!
She made a mad dash for the exit, fully intending to put as much distance between herself and Alec as possible. Thoughts of Manticore, Lydecker and Psy-Ops plagued her mind with a ruthlessness that left her cold and vulnerable.
How could I have been so stupid! She kept repeating to herself. You couldn't let him die, you couldn't let anything happen to him.
TBC
Chapter 2