Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel, its characters, or any of its affiliates. They belong to James Cameron. Yadayadayada…

A/N: This is just a short story I thought of late at night. Hope you like it. Drop me a review to let me know what you think.


It had been a week since the incident. Since then, Max had been on edge, her shoulders tensing every time he came near her. Nothing happened though. Not at work, or at Crash, or anywhere else she had run into him. She was finally starting to let the relief sink in, thinking that he hadn't noticed anything amiss.

Max shut her locker and almost jumped 5 feet into the air when she suddenly noticed Alec standing next to her. He gave her a strange look at her reaction, and then shrugged it off.

"What do you want?" she asked, figuring that her usual hostile approach would be in order.

"You've been avoiding me." A statement, not a question.

She put on the appropriate denial look, raising her eyebrows high. "No, I haven't. What are you talking about, pretty boy?"

"You've been acting weird all week. What gives?"

"None of your business, Alec," she replied.

"Are you okay?"

The concern in his voice made her look up, and she was surprised to see the obvious worry in his face. Worry for her. She felt a strange warmth flow to her heart, realizing that he genuinely cared about her. She smiled at him, a real smile, not a fake one she had plastered on.

"Nothing's wrong with me Alec. I'm fine." He relaxed a bit, noting the sincerity in her voice.

"I still don't get why you haven't been talking to me then," he said.

"I've been busy," she answered evasively. Yeah, just stealing some of your stuff.

A week before, she had dropped by Alec's apartment to see if he was up for a little B&E. It was a two man job, and she had little alternatives for a partner. And if she was being honest with herself, she felt more comfortable knowing that it was him who was watching her back. She had walked in, and it was immediately obvious that he wasn't there. She had started to leave, when she saw it.

A light blue towel, hanging from the handle of the bathroom door. Something inside her possessed her to move closer, and take it in her hands. Of its own volition, her mind started to go places she never wanted to admit she thought about. Alec uses this when he gets out of the shower. For some reason, she pressed the towel against her nose, and inhaled the scent that was a mixture of laundry detergent and something that was so unmistakably Alec.

She had a weird urge. Crazy even. It was insane, but she really wanted to take it with her.

So she did.

And the next day, she realized with horror what she had done. She had stolen Alec's towel. It was ridiculous. It was preposterous. Yet somehow, she liked having it.

She lived in fear of Alec finding out that she had taken it. She was afraid of the questions he would ask, and of the mocking he would do. But mostly, she was afraid of the question, why?

Because she wasn't sure she could ever admit it. She would rather go on a date with White first.

"Well, if you're sure you're okay," Alec said, starting to push off from her locker.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She paused for a beat. "Thanks."

"Anytime." He walked away, and then stopped a moment. "Hey Max?"

"Yeah?" she said absently.

"It's the weirdest thing. I can't seem to find my favorite towel. You wouldn't happen to know what happened to it, would you?"

Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked at him. She caught his look. There was a twinkle in his eyes.

He knew.


A/N: Well, there you have it. Hope you liked it. Drop me a review; let me know what you thought. :)