Disclaimer the characters of Dark Angel do not belong to me they belong to James Cameron. If they belonged to me I would have made a telemovie tying up Freak Nation.
If you knew what I really thought
I truly hate his guts. I want to kill him I fantasise about it every day and the ironic thing is when I first met him, I kinda liked the guy.
She loves him so much, she can't comprehend my hatred for him, she doesn't suspect doesn't want to. Women even transgenic women can be so stupid.
I can't believe she is so idiotic to think that I'm happy for her, moving in with that asshole.
Alec picked up the last of Gem's stuff and carried it out to the van. He couldn't believe it had taken four years and a child together, before she'd agreed to move in with him. There was such a thing as being overly independent.
Alec was happy at twenty seven to settle down. He had had enough sexual variety in the year he had got out of Manticore to satisfy most guys, he reckoned. All were ordinaries apart from CeCe, not that anyone had ever known about the two of them. Apart from Joshua at the time, and then Gem and Max two years later. After CeCe had died he hadn't felt like or been in a position to hook up with another X5 or X6. Alec would never consider seriously being in a long term relationship with an ordinary woman. They were too vulnerable and often too stupid in comparison with him. So he had been happy to drift back into his love them and leave them pattern, with ordinary women preferably blondes. He didn't want anyone who reminded him of Rachel.
Then one rainy afternoon he got talking to Gem at her coffee shop, really talking and he realised she was funny and warm as well as sexy as all hell. He asked her out and Gem refused. Alec had been astonished and asked Max what the hell was wrong, with either him or Gem.
Max had explained Gem had had such a bad first sexual experience with her breeding partner; she had been utterly put off sex for the past three years. Max had had a talk with Gem. Alec had never known what Max had said, but Gem had come round to his place that night and asked him out.
He hasn't changed his spot's leopard's don't do that, and isn't that what he is, part leopard? Part panther definitely like her. She's so graceful like all the X5s. I could stare at her for hours, at her freckles and her long auburn hair. The way she dances round in her coffee shop, in her green sweater and brown jeans. Singing along to the retro grunge station, she likes to listen to. She always wears this silver pendant, he gave her three years ago and I want to lean over the counter as she makes my latte and rip it off her. So she isn't soiled by anything that comes from him.
Gem was unpacking her crockery into the kitchen cupboard. Alec and Gem had bought this their first house together, on the outskirts of Terminal City. It was a home handy man's dream or nightmare depending on your point of view. They were confident they could do the place up successfully. The best thing about the house at present, was the decent sized back yard for the kids to play in.
Not that their son Regan (named after Normal their favourite ordinary) needed that much space he was still an infant, but five year old Eve certainly did.
Max and Logan were kindly baby sitting Eve and Regan for them. It was sad for Max never being able to have children due to the whole non junk DNA thing, Gem reflected. Not that Logan cared, he was totally happy just Max and him. Gem knew it was getting to Max however.
Just as well Alec liked kids. Gem thought gratefully because who knew if his vasectomy might repair itself, the way her transgenic body had slowly grown immune to the IUD she had been relying on for birth control.
Birth control had been a nightmare for the transgenics. Condoms broke. Normal contraceptive pills were ineffective after six months, as the females bodies adjusted to the false hormones.
Dr Sam Carr, Seattle's resident expert on transgenic medicine thought it was because every one had been pumped full of hormones as children.
It was hideous seeing her pregnant with his child and having to pretend nothing was wrong, offer false congratulations to them both. Trying hard not to puke as he would come in to the cafe all the time, under flimsy pretexts to check up on her during her whole gestation process. It was sick making. Because I knew the truth about the bastard, even if she didn't.
Sketchy and Dix were tying a lamp on the top of the car. Alec gave a quick warning. "Be careful of that it's art deco and her favourite."
"Well you never want to piss off an X5 female." Sketchy laughed tying the lamp securely.
"You know us transgenics too well Theodore." Dix informed him snidely. "Still more material for your articles on us I guess, right?"
"Hey speaking of that. American Home and Garden would be willing to pay you and Gem for an article, on how you guys do up your Craftsman Bungalow." Sketchy offered Alec.
"Tempting," Said Alec as he shoved the box in the car with the other stuff. "But no thanks Sketch, why advertise our location to all the fundamentalist nut jobs who want us and our little abominations burnt at the stake?"
"Understand man, but it would pay for the new bathroom, that money pit house of yours so desperately needs." Sketchy pointed out, getting in the car and doing up his seat belt.
Of course he contaminates her life with ordinaries. Putting her and her children at risk by having them move out of Terminal City. I saw them the day they had been to the open house. She had had doubts about moving out but he pointed out Max with an even higher profile had successfully moved out of the ghetto, so why shouldn't they? Referring to the only place transgenics can feel safe as the ghetto. Max is another race traitor marrying that ordinary Logan and she wonders why she can't have kids, stupid bitch.
Sketchy drove his car out of Terminal City and carefully indicated to turn left. He drove the short distance to Alec's new house, which was located at the top of a steep hill. To Sketchy's shock the brakes didn't work as he crested the hill.
"What the fuck," Sketchy muttered freaked out, pumping the brakes as hard as he could. The car started to hurtle down the hill. Alec could see instantly what was happening and grabbed the steering wheel off Sketchy. They drove the car left, into someone's front garden. Five doors down from his house, great first impression on the neighbours Alec reflected ruefully.
Of all the ordinaries Mr Charming hangs round with, I can't stand his friendship with the Journalist Scum Calvin Theodore the most. Always poking round with a camera when he's not wanted.
I remember in the early days Theodore wanted to talk to her about the forced breeding scheme. It was great watching her tell him to fuck off, and mind his own damn business. Of course the little ferret got the information out of someone and it got splashed all over the papers, so the male X5s came across as rapists. Just the kind of publicity we needed.
The car crash caused serious apologising to be needed to Mrs Vonmeijden and promises to repair her wall tomorrow. They unloaded the car, so it could be towed to a garage for repairs. Alec finally got to be alone with Sketchy.
"You need to get the police in man, call Matt Sung or Clemente. Someone sabotaged your brakes." Alec said concerned.
"Well journalists make enemies." Sketch shrugged casually. "The list after five years of investigative journalism is long my friend."
Gem came back down picking up another box and dropping off some homemade muffins as an apology to Mrs Vonmeijden.
"Hey," Said Alec trying to snatch one. "Those were meant to be for us."
"I've got leftover cake at home." Gem placated him. "I can't believe someone is trying to kill you Sketchy, you are obviously a real player in Emerald City at the moment and you still helped insignificant us move today." She kissed him on the cheek. "You're a star."
A weird side effect of her having the bad taste to screw him, was that she became tactile with every adult male suddenly. Like this door had been unlocked in her psyche. She had always kept very much to herself but the past five years she's far more relaxed with touching everyone. I don't know whether to hate him about that or not.
Gem and Alec dropped Sketchy home in Gem's car. Gem turned the radio onto her normal grunge hits of the nineties music station and Alec pressed the button for the Classical Music station. Gem switched it back. They had this battle every time they got into the car.
"This is a real worry about Sketchy huh?" Gem said driving back to their new home.
"He's running with the big guys now. He knew it could happen, he's had death threats before." Alec said calmly.
"Yeah, anyhoo I'm glad you're both okay." Gem said flicking on her indicator.
"Well that's a relief." Alec said. "I guess you must be a little fond of me then huh?"
"A little bit yeah" Gem smiled at her mate. "Max said we could leave the kids at her house overnight remember?"
Alec dropped his hand on her knee and moved it up her thigh. "Oh I'm remembering Gem."
At least with them moved out of Terminal city I don't have to put up with hearing them fuck anymore. Not that you can avoid hearing anyone fuck if you try and God knows I have, in the Oak street district. All the office walls are paper thin, you go round to someone's apartment for a coffee or something and you'll hear a pair of teenage X6's going for it in the room next door. Accentuated hearing doesn't help.
They both always sound the same, slipped into a routine they probably don't even know they have after four years. She's the noisy one, he only makes a sound when he comes. It's disgusting and I've had to hear it again and again. All X5 females are noisy when they have sex, must be the panther DNA.
Dalton came round the next day with his new girlfriend Diana an ordinary. Dalton was working in Jam Pony with Diana. Dalton was halfway through medical school and was taking over completely the rooms, which he and Gem had shared for the past six years.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you guys shift." Dalton apologised. "But I can help you both fix your neighbours wall today."
"Hey Diana's first beauty pageant came first, we understand that." Gem smiled understandingly at the boy, she regarded as the little brother she never had. "How did you go Diana?"
"Runner up." fumed Diana. "I just so don't want to talk about it. Where are the children? I want cuddles."
Dalton helped Gem, Max and Alec quickly rebuild their neighbour's fence and replant her garden. They told Dalton what had happened with Sketchy's car and he whistled. "Serves the nosy creep right" he said shortly. "I know you guys think the sun shines out of his asshole. I don't."
She had love bites on her throat this morning. I could see them under her purple turtleneck sweater. I always stop at her café first thing in the morning and grab my latte and I stood there like a fool just gaping at them. She's twenty eight and he's twenty seven for god's sake. X5s are like animals, well more than the other transgenics.
Alec stopped into Crash to have a beer with Normal at lunchtime. Alec worked as an employment recruiter for transgenics and Normal provided a lot of jobs for the student transgenics like Dalton, apart from that he and Normal were genuine friends.
"So what's the latest with you Regan?" he asked his friend.
"Anonymous death threats" Normal said sadly. "Threatening to fire bomb Jam Pony, if I don't stop hiring transgenics."
"So what do you wanna do?" Alec said carefully.
"It's my right to hire anyone I damn well want to Alec. Although a volunteer from your people to guard the shop at night for a bit would be swell." Normal hinted delicately.
"Done," Said Alec sipping his beer, "Even if I have to guard the damn place myself."
I always stop in the afternoons to have any left over cake and enjoy a conversation with her. Today she had Joshua with her, paint all over him yipping on about his greatest new art work. She looked all excited and animated, promised to see the painting after she closed up. How can she be nice to that idiot? I'll never forget him hoisting his pretty flag during the siege instead of sensibly making Molotov cocktails like the rest of us.
Alec spoke on the phone to Gem. "Yeah I have Joshua. We're fine Gem, okay put her on. Goodnight sweetheart, yes Dad wishes he was home too. Put Mom on Evie? Good night Gem, hey can you put that white shirt of mine through the wash if you're doing a load? You're the best babe. Yeah love you too."
"Alec and Gem ever getting married?" Joshua asked. Sadly a life time in the basement had still left him unable to speak normally. Even after six years of freedom.
"Marriage is for ordinaries, we transgenics take mates. That pink themed circus that Max had, is enough to put anyone off." Alec replied. "Want some coffee pal?"
"Max married an ordinary." Joshua said flatly "Mistake."
"Yeah they're both trying you have to hand it to 'em." Alec said opening the fridge. "God what is this stuff?"
"You don't like coming back here, CeCe." Joshua commented.
"It was a long time ago." Alec commented. "She was amazing but it's in the past." He was aware of Joshua shrewd gaze. "Yeah I hate the place."
Trouble in nuptial paradise for our glorious bitch leader ha ha. I turned up at Joshua's gallery this afternoon, hoping to see Gem there but instead found Max sobbing in that sap Joshua's arms. The stupid cow was going on how she tried so hard but nothing she did seemed to work. She desperately wanted a baby wah wah and Logan didn't want children at all. Logan wanted to move to Washington D.C. and she needed to stay in Seattle.Iit looked like they were separating. Boo hoo, sob, sob. I'd give her a fuck if she wanted, but that stuck up X5 bitch wouldn't look at me. I bet I could impregnate her. Wait till I kill Alec then she'll really have something to cry about. After all the two most loathsome transgenics in Seattle are bestest buds supposedly. I could tell a few stories.
Alec and Joshua waved good night to Dalton and Bullet, who had come to take over their shift. Bullet had come back to Seattle three years ago as part of the regular transgenic traffic between the three transgenic cities. Seattle, Vancouver and San Francisco. There were roughly a thousand transgenics in the world now and they were growing in numbers fast.
All of the 09ers apart from Max lived in Vancouver and Alec was grateful for that, because apart from Syl and Max he found them all weird. Shit that reminded him, there was a package for Gem from Syl. Spices you couldn't get in Seattle at the moment.
"Hold on." He said to Joshua "I need to get something from inside." He tossed Joshua the car keys. "Start the car big fella, it's freezing out here."
It was very similar to Rachel's death the feelings it brought inside him. The shock wave throwing him against the wall. The ringing in his ears. The getting up dazed. Dalton and Bullet holding him back from the flames. The awareness that he was screaming in anger and the sense of unreality about it all.
Oops missed.