Rating: PG
Show: Dark
Angel
Type: WIP/Series
Summary: A quiet moment with Max and
Alec…if that's even possible…
Disclaimer: I don't own
them. expletive deleted in order to keep rating.
Spoilers: From
show, through 'Exposure'. In my head, this takes place right
after Metamorphosis II: Aggression
For once, a new day dawned bright and clear over Seattle. Even the toxic air of Terminal City seemed fresh and clean this morning. The surveillance cameras showed that the streets of TC were all quiet and seemingly devoid of life. Yet, as usual, the building that the transgenics thought of as Central Command – a large, squat structure in the heart of the dead zone – was bustling with early morning activity. Transhumans, anomalies, and more X-series transgenics than there had been just a few short days earlier were scattered throughout the building. Some talked in small groups, some repaired equipment, some gathered on the platform around the main bank of surveillance monitors. Their chatter created a constant low buzz of sound that seemed to vibrate the air around them.
Max watched all the movement from her perch high above in the rafters on a bare steel crossbeam. She'd been sleeping a little more than usual in the last few days, but she was still waking long before daybreak. The tiny apartment that Joshua had found for her was comfortable enough. Her big-hearted friend had managed to find three units in a dilapidated building not too far from Central, one each for himself, Max, and Alec. There were usable spaces on the lower floors of the building, but the upper floors were totally impassable – at least until they got a work crew to clear and repair them.
As a result, Max just couldn't find the height she needed at her new (temporary, damn it) home. But, sitting here on the highest girders of Central, her legs hanging below in the emptiness, a calm close to that which she normally found atop the Space Needle settled over her. It wasn't quite the same, but it would do in a pinch.
So, she sat, as she had been for hours before the first of the sun's rays cast a blush across the city skyline. She was trying not to think about anything at all. She'd come to realize in the last few days that she needed to stop overanalyzing everything and just be. Be still, be quiet, be herself. She could remember a time when she didn't worry over and wallow in every single facet of her life. There was a time when she made a decision, acted on it, and was content with what came after. Sure things weren't always roses, but she spent more time back then enjoying her life than crying over what was wrong in it. In a nutshell, she was trying to take the advice of her younger self and lighten the hell up.
Footsteps approached, so soundless that had she not been a transgenic she never would have heard them. She could tell by the gait that whoever was coming toward her was tall and most likely male. She inhaled deeply and knew who it was before he said a word.
"So, are we brooding? Again?" Alec's voice was softly mocking as he loomed over her.
Max didn't even glance at him. "Nah. I was enjoying the silence and the view. Now I'm just enjoying the view."
Without waiting for an invitation, Alec plopped down next to her. He sighed as his eyes roamed over the scene below. "Things don't look so bad from up here."
"Yeah."
He was kicking his legs back and forth in the air beneath them, like a small child might. Alec didn't seem to realize that he was doing it. Kiddie Alec strikes again, Max thought. She smirked, but said nothing, even when she felt Alec's gaze on her face.
"You feelin' better? You look like you are."
"Yeah, thanks. Feeling more myself, anyway."
"Oh, great. I've missed being belittled and slapped around on a regular basis. So glad the bitch is back."
She elbowed him hard in the ribs and tried not to crack a smile when he grunted and made a show of rubbing his side. "Did you climb all this way just to annoy me?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Oh, goody." Her words were spoken with her sharpest sarcasm, but the truth was that the warmth of Alec at her shoulder was comforting. She'd never admit it or the fact that she found the scent of him familiar and soothing. In some way she couldn't explain, Alec grounded her.
"OC's been calling you. She finally called me when she couldn't reach you." He handed Max the phone he'd bought her less than a week ago.
She nodded and tucked the phone into her back pocket. "I guess I haven't gotten used to having my own yet. What'd Cindy say?"
"She was just checking in. Wanted to make sure you were okay. Said she made up some story for Normal to smooth things over until we can get back. And she thought you might want some of your own clothes." He glanced pointedly at Max's hand plucking at the second-hand fatigues and worn sweatshirt she was wearing. "I'll pick them up later today."
"Thanks." There was gratitude and no little surprise in Max's voice.
"No problem," he replied, giving a little shrug at her small smile before letting his eyes sweep away from her and over the floor of Central.
That seemed to be the end of their conversation, and Max thought she might be able to regain the semi-meditative state she'd had before Alec's arrival. So for the next few minutes she tried to ignore his tuneless humming, his constant small movements, and the way he kept glancing at her. She was so not going to be the first to break.
Alec lasted a full ten minutes before he did. Better than she'd expected.
"Aw c'mon, Maxie!" He threw his hands up and heaved a loud sigh of pure dissatisfaction. "Aren't you bored yet?" Before she could answer, he plowed ahead, rolling his eyes and talking with his hands. "No, of course you're not bored. You're probably sitting there branding all the trannies down below with the most ridiculous names you can come up with. In the hopes that just one of them is still going by his or her designation. Poor bastards."
Max couldn't hide the blush that crept up her cheeks. That was exactly what she had been doing. But she'd be damned if she was gonna admit it to her personal smartass. "You know, sometimes I wonder if Manticore didn't include a little yippy lapdog in your cocktail. I swear, you talk more than anyone I know."
He wagged his eyebrows at her and smirked mischievously. "Wanna scratch behind my ears and find out?"
"Not particularly, no."
"Fine, be that way." He chuckled and switched subjects. "So, I'm gonna make some questionably legal modifications to my new ride after I meet up with OC. Wanna help?"
"What new ride?"
"A classic Duke II. The person I, uh, liberated it from made a few enhancements. But I think we could do better."
"You liberated it?"
"Yeah."
"You mean you stole it."
"Oh potato, tomato."
"Alec."
"Hey, you're the one who said we needed to get me some better wheels." She just gave him a look, which he completely ignored. "Besides, there was no theft deterrent system on the thing. A cry for help, I thought. It was just a matter of time before someone took it. Better me than some punk who wouldn't appreciate what he had, which clearly her previous owner did not. Really it's like I gave the bike an owner upgrade."
"Do you even listen to yourself when you talk? Total word vomit."
"So…that's a 'yes' to helping me, right?"
Max donned her most put-upon expression and heaved a heavy sigh. "Sure. Whatever. I mean, don't expect it to be as fast as my baby. But, I guess we could probably give you enough of an edge not to be a complete embarrassment." She grinned at him. "Well, anymore than you already are."
"Thanks ever so much for your generosity."
"Anything for a friend."
The silence that came over them this time was sweet and companionable. And it lasted a record fifteen minutes, during which Alec sat absolutely still. It actually made Max a little nervous. Just when she thought she might be the one to lose this round, he came to her rescue.
"You know we really should be ashamed of ourselves. We're totally living the kitty cat stereotype of being suckers for heights. Next thing you know we'll start purring and licking ourselves." The corners of his mouth turned down slightly and his eyes went thoughtful. "Though, you know, if you get the urge to lick something, I'd be happy to volunteer."
"Alec?"
He gave her a cheeky grin. "Max?"
"Do you really want me to push you off this beam? 'Cause you know, I'd be happy to volunteer." She gave him her sweetest, most fake smile.
He chuckled and hopped to his feet with the absolute balance and agility that more than anything spoke of his feline ancestry. "Enough quiet. Josh and an X3 have commandeered mess and are whipping up something that could be called breakfast. You hungry?"
"And here I thought we'd all stop being experimented on when I burned Manticore down."
"Ha! You made another joke! That's two in a row! Way to go, Maxie!"
Max rolled her eyes and said, "Shut up, moron." But, she took the hand he offered and stood. She smiled a little at his back, as Alec lead the way down to another day in Terminal City.
THE END…of this one anyway…
Author's Note: This was a little practice for me after my lengthy, uh, shall we call it my hiatus? Anyway, please let me know if this feels disconnected after the end of Vol. 2 or if the characters' voices seem forced. I'm trying really hard to finish the first chapter of Vol. 3, writing every day and such…so, I'd hate to be fucking up my characters or my 'verse (LKH, anyone?) and not have y'all point it out to me…
Also, to my old readers who've stuck around and prodded me and rec'd the soon-to-be-an-actual-trilogy to others, I can't thank you enough for your loyalty and for staying with me through the ridiculously long no-update periods. You have my undying love and affection.
To the new readers, you lucky bastards! You'll never have to wait as long as those other suckers!! ;)
Heh.