A/N – I've been MIA for a while…well more than a while. But this came to me while listening to M83's "In the Cold I'm Standing." A quick snapshot sometime post S2 finale when Alec is captured and presumed dead.

In the Cold I'm Standing

By Liz Wyatt

"The recovery truck is pulling up through the south gate," Dix shouted to the group in headquarters

Max finally opened her eyes and unraveled her arms from the protective grip they had formed around her body awaiting any news from the recovery team. Mole wasn't thrilled that she was making her presence known in HQ again after he had to forcibly remove her from power in the week prior. She had been angry in the beginning – a flicker of any emotion that she could muster at the time.

"She's of no use to lead any of us right now. If you don't take her out of here, I'll be the one to remove her," Mole was aggravated.

"Let's just chill out for a minute here. Max will be back to her old self soon. No one can blame her for mourning," explained 'Bones' an X-series and the resident doctor at Terminal City. He and several other tactical leaders had taken more active roles in advising Max and her team in the recent months. It had been his supply run that had started the whole issue.

"Girlie there isn't functioning. After the last recovery attempt she went full on catatonic. What are we supposed to do if the Familiars take advantage now?" Mole argued.

"I hate to agree with Mole on this one, but he has a point. White has been pretty quiet, but it's only a matter of time. I mean I liked Alec, we all did, but he's gone." Dix offered.

With that Max had left HQ and not returned until tonight.

They were right. She hadn't been serving as a leader.

She had suffered loss before. Zack, Tinga, Ben, they all stung. But the loss of Alec had awoken something inside Max that she couldn't understand. Alec, Joshua, Cindy, Sketchy, Logan – they had become her real family. That's why when Alec had been captured, Max lost it.

Alec's 6 member team had been ambushed and tortured for weeks before Max could attempt another rescue mission that ended up costing them more soldiers as the building went up in a blaze. At the time, she refused to believe he was dead. She refused to give up hope, but then in an instant that hope was gone and she couldn't deny it. She couldn't breathe, couldn't function. A piece of her was gone. She just hadn't realized that Alec had become that pivotal piece for her.

"Team says two survivors. The welcoming party is ready for them at the infirmary. Ground crew is reporting a lot of onlookers," Dix shared as they all watched the security monitor show the truck pull through the gate checkpoint.

"You gonna go say hi princess?" Mole threw toward Max as he passed her leaning against a support beam off to the side from the main room. Her eyes were sunken from the torment her mind and body had been playing on her. Wordlessly, she removed herself from her position and walked slowly into the cold night air. Mole moved through the alleys with Max trailing slightly behind. He would glance every so often to see if she was still there and then shake his head seemingly laughing at her hesitance.

When they rounded the corner to the infirmary, she could hear the engine cutting through the air in the distance. The truck pulled in from the road to Max's right. There were at least 20 transgenics awaiting the arrival. Bones had taken a cart out to meet the group in case of injuries.

Max halted away from the group, but maintained an easy view of the scene.

The truck engine turned off and the back doors swung open. Bones helped the first passenger out, an X-series. Then came Alec slowly jumping out of the truck to the asphalt below. Max could tell from the way he favored his left side that he was banged up. He wasn't walking all too quickly either, but she wasn't sure if that was due to his injuries of the loud cheers from the crowd that had gathered and was now moving to greet him. There were hugs and pats on the back. Max had no idea that Alec knew so many people in TC.

"Alright, that's enough guys. We need to get him inside for evaluation. You all can visit later," Bones shouted with an approving smile. As the group dispersed, Bones moved toward Alec and locked eyes with Max in the distance. Alec followed the doctor's gaze and turned his body around to face her direction as well.

Max stuffed her hands in her leather jacket pocket and shot her head down trying to look disinterested – or invisible if she was lucky.

Alec said something to Bones and the doctor nodded before heading back inside the infirmary doors. For a moment he paused just simply looking toward her. Max darted her eyes anywhere but him as he then began walking toward her. She hadn't intended to engage with him yet. She wasn't quite sure how she might behave, as she hadn't been very good at conversation in the past few weeks.

"Hey." He tried with a smile.

At that point she knew she was going to have to face him. Glancing up to his eyes she was still tense with her shoulders locked and hands pushing to the edge of her inner jacket pocket.

"Hi," was all she could muster quietly.

"hmm…so how've you been Maxie. I miss much?" He tried again with a goofy grin. Although his face held the same old Alec playfulness, she could see the dried blood in his hair and the bruises along his cheek down to his collarbone that indicated he had been through quite a lot.

Something in her drove her body forward. Silently with her left hand she reached into his hair to push along the side of his hairline. His eyes studied her perplexed. Once she realized what she had done and recognition splashed her face, she shook her head in disbelief. He met her eyes questioning her without words.

She smiled small and then quickly crossed her arms over her chest uncomfortable.

"You okay?" He asked concerned.

"I think I should be asking you that." She laughed slightly, still more quiet than he was used to.

"Max – " He began.

"I'm fine Alec. Happy you're home." She paused wanting to say more, but unsure how to even start. Her body ached to be near him, to touch him, to know that this wasn't a dream. She'd spent so much time slowly losing her mind in the dark of the night, that it wouldn't surprise her if her subconscious had concocted this moment to help her cope.

He reached out tentatively to pull her arm away from her body, thereby unlocking her protective stance. She watched him grip her forearm and concentrate on her face as she watched his movement.

"I missed this place." He said.

"I missed you," she said before she could take it back.

She made a decision to embrace this moment, even if it was just a dream. She groped her way into a hug with him. Her arms snaked around his shoulders as she stood on her toes to secure her hold. He swept his arms under her ribcage to hold her back. He could feel the desperate pull in her body as she coughed to cover up a swell her chest.

"Sorry," she apologized pulling away and trying to study the ground once more. She shook her head as a few stray tears found their way to escape down her cheek. He was stunned and it showed.

"Maxie…" he started while moving to hold her waist with one hand and wipe the fallen tears with his thumb. "I know you were really trying to go for my solid butt with that hug, but you didn't need to cry because you missed seeing it everyday." He laughed.

She let out a small laugh as she wiped away a few more tears to relieve her own emotions.

"Honestly Max. I appreciate what you guys must have gone through to get us back. For a while there, I wasn't sure I would see this place again," he confessed stepping back from her personal space, but staying close.

"Yeah, well everyone sort of thought you guys were dead, so for a while there we thought we might not see you again," she stated bluntly.

"Seriously. Ye of little faith! I mean this is what attempt number 5 on my life in the past year?" he joked.

"It was pretty convincing…" she started, but opted not to elaborate any further. He didn't need to know the mess she had been.

"I'm sorry," he stated lamely as if it was his fault.

"Don't be. You're back and that is all that matters." She offered a strained smile. The clouds had turned and a light drizzle of rain was starting to make it's way through TC.

He paused studying her as the rain picked up.

"Yeah, speaking of, I should really check-in with Bones." Alec motioned his thumb toward the infirmary behind him.

"Yeah. Definitely." Max said with a small dismissive wave.

Alec turned to walk toward the infirmary glancing briefly in her direction through the rain.

Something stirred in Max. Even with the rain beginning to mat her hair along the side of her face, he couldn't force herself to leave him.

"Alec!" she yelled out into the night. He stopped and turned around to face her with a confused expression. Max rushed toward him. He held his arms out questioning her.

"Max, what's – " he started, but was cut off as she grabbed his face in her hands and pushed her lips onto his. She held the kiss for a few seconds as he stood there stunned. When she pulled back he still looked confused, but intrigued.

"I thought you were dead…" She croaked out in explanation.

Recognition crossed his features and he reached out to pull her body toward him. His lips crashed onto hers fiercely as she eagerly accepted. After a hurried slew of kisses, he gently pulled back lightly, but stayed with their foreheads touching as the rain poured around them. Both acknowledging that they had survived the storm and found each other once again.