DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, these characters are not mine. I just borrow them from time to time.
A/N: Okay, this is a re-write of SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED with a twist. I always thought it was criminal that Alec was left out of most of the episode. Especially when Max calls Logan to warn him, but doesn't call Alec for back up? Anyway, this starts partway into the episode. At Crash Bar with everyone after Max liberated him from British Eddie and his skin grew over his bionic face plate…..
Max looked away from Zack and Sketchy's game of Foosball and took a sip of her beer. Glancing past Cindy to where Alec was perched on a stool beside her, Max frowned. Alec had been looking strangely at Zack all night long. If she didn't know any better, she would think Alec had some sort of problem with him. Whatever…Shrugging, she decided that she really didn't care what Alec's deal was, and she turned to see that the game was over and the two men were heading back over to the table.
Smiling genuinely up at Zack she asked, "Who won?"
"He spanked me 10-2," Sketchy said, a soft frown on his face.
"It was no big deal," Zack said humbly, his features softening as he made eye contact with Max. He returned her smile warmly.
Sketchy spoke up, defending himself. "Yeah, well it wasn't really a fair fight, what with that cyber-hand of his. I think maybe I ought to get one. What do you think Max? Ya' think the ladies would like it?" Sketchy asked hopefully.
Cindy answered for her before Max could even open her mouth, "Playa, the only way ladies are gonna look twice at you is if you got yourself a cyber-johnson," she laughed as she took another drink.
Looking miffed Sketchy said pointedly, "What I could really use is another beer." Ignoring the light laughter of Max, Alec and Zack at Cindy's comment.
Her good mood still bubbling inside her but feeling kinda sorry for the guy, Max twisted herself off of her stool and swept the pitcher up off the table, "I think it's my turn to buy," she offered, heading toward the bar.
Alec watched Zack follow her with his eyes as she pressed through the crowd. He followed the X-5's gaze and saw Max as she made her way across the bar, her hips swaying seductively as her body unconsciously moved in time with the beat of the music. He looked back at Zack, disconcerted by the lustful look in 'Brother' Zack's eyes. Alec stood, "Yeah, I'll go with ya'," he said squeezing behind Cindy who was still smirking at Sketchy.
Alec jogged up the two steps leading to the front of the bar to catch up with Max. "Let me ask you a question," he said looking over his shoulder, checking to see if Zack was still looking. He was. Alec resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the not-so-subtle way Zack was assessing his and Max's body language as they spoke. Probably reads lips too…Creepy.
"Is there something a little…um, a little off about 'brother Zack'?" he asked trying to be serious, but keep it light at the same time. If he was going to get Max to listen to him, she was going to have to think it was her idea about Zack's behavior being weird. She would automatically dismiss any theory Alec might have just on principle; but if he could plant the seed, then maybe it would grow into an idea she would think was her own, and start using that billion dollar brain she'd been endowed with.
"Like what?" She said rolling her eyes. She knew Alec was going to be jealous of Zack. She knew that he had gotten a little too comfortable being the only tomcat in town and now that was there was someone equal—no strike that—better –and he just couldn't handle it. He was such a child sometimes.
"Well for starters, he doesn't act like any brother I've ever seen," he said gently. He didn't want to blow this by pissing her off too early.
She was equally calm. "If you've got something to say Alec, spit it out." As if I care what you think.
Was she actually listening to what he had to say? He was impressed with himself. "Seems to me like he's got the hots for you. It's kinda kinky if you ask me," he said forgetting his vow to choose his words carefully. How did subtlety always go out the window when he was around her?
"I didn't," she interrupted, sounding remarkably non-confrontational, "and stay out of it." She turned her back on him and motioned to the bartended for another pitcher.
He was starting to think that maybe she had already entertained these thoughts herself. Maybe his big mouth hadn't completely blown his chance at getting through to her. "I'm just saying-"
"Well don't," she cut him off again, still not sounding the slightest bit angry or surprised at his words. "'Cause I don't want to know what goes on in that sick little mind of yours."
"That hurts," he said with mock sincerity. Changing the subject? Yeah, I'm touching a nerve here.
"Truth always does," she said with a smile, brushing past him to complete her beer run.
"Just make sure it doesn't hurt you," he mumbled to himself as he made his way back to their table.
Max almost paused at his last words, but she shook it off and exchanged a few bills for the full pitcher. She wasn't going to let Alec put a damper on her reunion with Zack. She was right before, Alec just didn't like competing for #1. Zack was obviously CO material while Alec probably ranked the lowest in his squad back at Manticore. He was just threatened. She had her brother back and she couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy. There had been so many nights that she had lain awake in bed, wishing that she had listened to him when he came for her and left Seattle. If she hadn't been so stupid and sentimental she would still have her own heart beating in her chest and he wouldn't have spent so much time being experimented on. She was so lost in her musings that she never saw the syringe that British Eddie's thugs stabbed into her side. The tranquilizer knocked her out before she could even choke out, "Alec…" before she passed out.
"Hey, I thought Max was going to get more beer?" sketchy asked as he chalked up his pool cue.
"Yeah, wonder what's taking her so long," Cindy said absently. Her attention was currently caught up in a red-halter-top wearing blonde looking her way.
Alec leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "She's lookin' at me Cindy. Don't get your hopes up."
She snorted in disbelief turning to look at the cocky transgenic sitting beside her. "In your dreams, little boy."
"Sketchy's right. Where is Max?" Zack asked looking towards the bar, the muscles in his body now taut, prepared for action as he searched to crowd for Max.
"I only dream about you Cindy, and one of these days, I'll get there," Alec winked at her before tearing himself away from his debate with her and turning to Zack. "Don't worry so much. Maxie can take are of herself."
"She lets you call her Maxie?" Zack asked, his surprise causing him to look up at Alec sharply.
Alec shrugged, "I wouldn't say she 'lets me' so much as she hasn't quite beaten it out of me. Although, she has tried," he finished, rubbing his shoulder as her phantom punches throbbed in his mind.
Zack had resumed his search tuning him out. "I'm gonna go look for her," he said with a determined frown.
Alec stood, "Relax robocop, Logan probably paged her with some national emergency and she ran over to see what he needed. She does it all the time." Alec walked around to the other side of the table.
Without looking back at him Zack waved away his advice and stormed over to the bar.
"Damn that guy has some issues. I mean-" he turned around to where Cindy had been sitting and he realized that he was alone. Alone and talking to himself. In a bar. Perfect. "Cindy?" he called out looking around. He frowned as he found her, her face mere inches from the red-hatler-top-wearer's face. Cindy caught his eye and winked at him over the blonde's shoulder as she trailed a silky finger down the girl's arm. "Figures," he said picking up his jacket and deciding to head over to Logan's. He didn't want to miss an opportunity to tell Max 'I told you so' after Zack burst in on her and Logan boiling pasta together. He chuckled as he unlocked his bike from the bike rack, taking the scenic route by the water, giving Zack ample time to embarrass himself before he showed up to witness the drama.
Max wasn't happy about being bound and gagged by those damn steel heads, but she wasn't at all concerned for her safety.
Those idiots had brought her back to their hideout—the same place they had kept Zack.
Amateurs.
She kept them talking and waited patiently for her knight in shining armor—literally—to show up.
She smiled at Eddie's reaction to Zack showing up on the security cameras. She knew he wouldn't be far behind.
Less than ten minutes later, Zack found her, handcuffed to an overhead pipe.
"Are you okay?" his eyes raked over her entire body, rapidly assessing her condition, looking for injuries.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Can you get me out of here?"
"Don't worry. You're safe now. I'm here," he leaned in to kiss her.
Shocked, she pulled backwards, pushing him away with elbow and forearm. "What are you doing!"
"What do you mean?" he smiled, leaning in again.
She reacted in exactly the same manner, pulling away and pushing him backward. "Zack stop it!"
"What the hell is your problem? Don't you love me anymore?" He was confused and becoming angry.
"Love you?" her voice was laced with shock. "Zack you're my brother do you understand that that means we can't love each other like that!"
"You loved me before. We were together! I just want things to go back to the way they were. Don't fight it, Maxie." He was almost pleading as he leaned in for another attempt at kissing her.
This time she raised her leg to knee him in the balls. He blocked her at the last second but lost his temper in a violent rage.
"It's because of him isn't it?" Zack screamed through gritted teeth, a small amount of spit squeezing through his teeth and lightly misting Max's cheek.
Her eyes grew wide at the sudden change in his demeanor. The Zack from her past, the Zack she knew and loved had always been in control. Even the few times she had seen him lose his temper, he had ultimately been in control of himself. This was different. And she didn't want to admit that she was more than a little afraid of what he was going to do.
"No! Zack, you and I were never like that. And Logan and I aren't like that now. You're my brother, and he's my friend."
"AARGH! Don't lie! I remember! I remember!" he sounded almost desperate. "I loved you and you loved me and we were together!"
"No we weren't, Zack," she had lowered her voice and tried to adopt a more soothing—almost pleading—tone.
He scratched at the new skin covering his bionic face plate, tearing away the flesh and revealing the machinery. "I am not stupid Max! I know what I know! And what I know is that Logan has been poisoning you against me!" he looked her in the face and took two deep breaths. "I'm going to take care of this once and for all."
"Zack wait! Zack! Zack!" she called out to his retreating back and he blurred into the darkness. She felt the panic overtake her at the thought of Logan sitting unsuspected in his apartment, doing the work of heroes. He wouldn't even startle at the sound of Zack entering the apartment. He would just chalk it up to transgenic lack of manners. Between Zack and Max and Alec, Logan was pretty used to having him personal space invaded without preamble. She renewed her efforts to free herself and she imagined exactly how Zack would kill him. Blurring her hands back and forth as she sawed her handcuffs against the pipe that was keeping her imprisoned, Logan's face entered her mind. He was smiling at her, mouthing the words 'I love you'. The image was immediately replaced by a vision of Logan, a trail of blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth, joining the rapidly expanding pool of blood he was resting in. With a fresh surge of adrenaline, Max snapped the cuffs and was free. She opened the heavy door to the little room she'd been held in, and she poised to run. She made it two steps before abruptly changing direction and stepping over to the phone. Zack had more than a decent lead on her and she had no doubt that in his determined state, he would not waste any time getting to where he was going.
Without even thinking, she lifted the receiver and mindlessly dialed the familiar number.
Predictably, Logan answered on the second ring. She found herself irritated that it took him two rings to pick up. It had always annoyed her that unless he thought it was some informant he would let it ring twice every time. It's not like he wasn't sitting right there, in front of his computer. All he had to do was move his hand five inches to the left and—"Hello?" his voice interrupted her moment of sanity.
"Logan! You have to get out of there now!"
"Max?"
She could hear the smile in his voice at the thought of her calling him, and she rolled her eyes in exasperation. Couldn't he tell that there was something wrong by her tone of voice? "Logan! Zack snapped and he's coming after you. You have to leave!"
"Alright Max, calm down. What happened?"
Could he not hear what I just said? "Logan, get out NOW!" she slammed down the receiver before he could respond. Precious time was being wasted.
She moved to take off again, desperate to get to him as soon as she could. If Logan wasn't fast enough getting out of there—
Backup.
She needed backup.
Turning back to the phone, she again picked up the receiver and dialed an even more familiar number. She watched her own traitorous fingers tremble as she punched the last number, anxious for Alec to answer.
She didn't know what was making her more nervous: the fact that she was wasting precious seconds getting to Logan, or the fact that Alec might say no to her.
Probably a little bit of both.
Admittedly, she had been a little hard on him earlier when they were cruising the steelheads turf. Not that he was without blame.
It was bad enough that he was always running scam or another, but involving Sketchy in one of them was just reckless.
And admittedly, she sort of had tunnel vision when it came to her family—especially Zack. They were all she had for so long, that when one of them needed something, nothing else mattered to her.
And this morning, it had been all about Zack. Alec hadn't even been a thought in her head once she saw Zack alive and in the flesh. She couldn't help it. Standing in front of her was the reason she was still alive. It was his heart pumping in her chest, his blood pumping through her veins. Getting him away from those thugs had been her only thought.
Just like now. Her only thought was stopping him from being a cold-blooded killer—the way she tried to stop Ben.
The phone was ringing.
Alec had parked his bike in the garage near Logan's car and started toward the elevator.
"Hey Pablo," Alec smiled at the night-time janitor. "How's it hanging buddy?"
Pablo shrugged, "Not too bad, Alec. You going up to see Mr. Cale?"
Alec nodded, "Sort of. I'm actually looking for Max."
"Who?" Pablo asked, confused.
Alec laughed. He had forgotten that Max never used the elevator. She either got in through the roof or she took the stairs. It was entirely possible that Pablo had never once seen her. "Never mind." He waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway, I'm glad you're here. I got those tickets you wanted." Alec dug inside the inside pocket of his jacket and handed the guy three glossy tickets.
Pablo's face lit up, "Thanks Alec! I didn't think you remembered!"
"Not remember? Please," Alec said with mock offense. "How could I forget my best contact. The information you've provided about-"
"Shhh!" Pablo interrupted him. "Not so loud, man! Someone could hear you!"
"You're right. My fault. Anyway, you have my number if anything else pops up." His phone started to ring. "Excuse me," he said turning around and pulling out his phone. He wrinkled eyebrows together as he looked at the number on the caller-id. It wasn't one he recognized. Shrugging he answered it. "Alec here."
"It's Max," she said in a clipped voice.
He smirked. He knew he'd been right about 'brother Zack'. "Max? Huh. I was just-"
"Shut up and listen!" she blurted out, completely forgetting that she had promised herself that she would be nice to him.
Instantly his playful smirk dissipated as her panicked tone of voice registered. "What happened? Where are you?" he barked into the phone even as he surveyed the parking garage for a fast car he could steal.
"It's not me. It's Logan. Manticore implanted some trigger into Zack's brain making him think we were together. Now he thinks Logan has come between us. He freaked out and is on his way to kill him."
He cringed as he heard her choke on her last words but he quickly squelched his own emotions and started to run to the elevator.
"I'm on it. I'm already here. I'm in the parking garage of his building."
"Be careful," she said before dropping the receiver onto the floor and blurring out of the building.
Alec never heard her words of concern for him, having snapped the phone closed after he assured her of his location.
He pressed the button to call the elevator as he looked up to see what floor it was on. He saw the floor indicator lights flickering and realized that the party may have started without him.
He turned to head for the stairwell when he heard the creaking of the elevator doors being pried open. He snapped around ready for a fight but stopped himself when he saw Logan's shaggy head pop out of the partially-between-floors elevator.
"Logan!" he called rushing over to help him out.
"Alec! It's Zack!"
"I already know. Come on, let's get you out of here," Alec said grabbing a fistful of Logan's shirt as he dragged him towards his car.
"Not so fast," Zack said from behind them.
Alec stopped, turning around and stepping in front of Logan, acting as a human shield. "Zack, buddy!" Alec said holding his hands out, palms up in a friendly gesture.
"I'm not your buddy, Alec," Zack said leveling a gun at the other transgenic, waiting for an opening so he could take his shot.
Alec shrugged, smirking slightly. "Maybe not, but I'm Max's buddy and I'm pretty sure that you killing me and Logan would piss her off pretty bad. Why don't you put the gun down and give Logan and me a chance to explain to you what's going on?" He suggested casually. "Come on, I'll buy you a couple of beers."
"Don't think I don't know your role in this whole thing 494," Zack practically spat out his designation.
"My role? No, you've got it all wrong-" Alec stammered as he slowly started to back up, gently moving Logan along with him.
"I don't think so." Zack said aiming a shot at Alec's shoulder and squeezing the trigger.
Anticipating the shot, Alec threw himself backward into Logan knocking him to the ground. He fell on top of him, grabbing him roughly and pulling him close as he rolled the two of them to the right, shielding them behind a car. Shoving Logan underneath, he rolled to his feet. "Get out of here!" He yelled not only to Logan but also to Pablo who had kicked over his mop water as the first shot scared the piss out of him. Blurring across the garage, trying to draw Zack's fire, Alec narrowly escaped getting shot full of holes as Zack's mechanical enhancements almost found their mark.
With bullets flying everywhere, Alec should have anticipated the ricochets, but he was too focused on avoiding the direct hits. He spared a glance at Logan and saw that a stray bullet had hit the servomotor of his exoskeleton, rendering his legs useless.
SHIT!
The distraction cost him, and he took a bullet in his own thigh. The pain exploded in his leg and he stumbled, catching himself on the trunk of a nearby car. He forced himself to try to ignore the pain as he continued to try to get away. Zack was completely focused on him now that Logan had been disabled. Zack knew that the cripple wasn't going anywhere and the real threat was the transgenic.
With every step, Alec saw stars as the bullet lodged in his thigh muscle wedged itself deeper and deeper with every flex and extension.
All of his efforts were concentrated on keeping at least one car between him and Zack. Keep moving. Keep moving. He chanted to himself. But the pain was getting to him and he was loosing too much blood way too fast. He wasn't going to be able to remain conscious much longer.
Zack had no expression on his face at all. He had completely become lost in whatever mind warp Manticore had implanted and he was now the walking, talking emotionless soldier that they were all meant to be. Slowly, he stalked his prey, following Alec through a maze of cars, truck and SUV's.
Sweating profusely as the pain became unmanageable, and with his own blood soaking through his jeans, Alec thought he must have been hallucinating the rough hum of an approaching motorcycle. And then he saw her. He didn't know if it was relief that help was here, or fear that Max's arrival would only put her in danger too. He was too weak to decide.
Max burst into the garage skidding her bike to a halt as she saw Logan lying in a heap on the ground. She lost control of her bike as she lost control of her emotions and the motorcycle toppled over, skidding ten feet and grinding her left leg into the cement as it went. Thank god for leather jeans. Pushing with all of her upper body strength, she pushed the bike off of her.
"Zack!" she yelled and the burly blond man turned around to face her, momentarily forgetting his 'business' with Alec.
"Max. Get out of here," he said tonelessly, glancing back at Logan before looking back toward where Alec had been. But Alec wasn't there any longer.
Max's eyes grew wide as she noticed the thick trail of blood. Oh my god! Alec!
"Zack! You have to stop this. Please! Let's just go somewhere and talk. Just the two of us!" She was desperate to get him out of here, and she was running out of options.
"No!" Zack turned back to face her again. "You won't be safe as long as he's around you," Zack gestured toward Logan with his gun. "He's poisoning you against me! And once he's gone, we'll be free to get the hell out of Seattle." His voice and his features softened. "We'll be free to be together. And you can remember that it is me that you love."
"Zack no!" she said as he once again turned his gun on Logan. She tried to get to them, but she was too far.
"Hey Zack!" Alec called out from behind a yellow truck. "Logan's not the one you want, man." He came out from behind the truck, making himself a clear target. "Logan didn't steal your girl, Zack. I did," Alec lied, commanding Zack's full attention.
Zack turned to face Alec. "What are you saying?"
Hands raised, palms up in surrender, Alec looked him dead in the eyes. "I'm saying that Max and I are together. Have been since we were back at Manticore. Renfro paired us up as breeding partners and the rest is history." He shrugged innocently. "Who knew that Manticore was so good at matchmaking?" he joked.
Max had taken the opportunity to get close to Zack. While his attention was focused on Alec, Max snuck up behind him. "It's true," she whispered, mere inches from his ear. As she spoke she grabbed the gun from him and wrenched it out of his hands. Tossing it aside, she punched him once in the face. Because he was caught off guard, the punch connected on the fleshy side of his face, and he registered the pain.
Angry now that she had hidden her relationship from him, made him think that she was going to finally listen to him and get the hell out of Seattle, Zack retaliated by shoving her away from him but she came back at him, full force.
Their fight was vigorous and emotional. In the end it was his mechanical strength that won it for him as he grabbed her by the neck and threw her against the electrical server for the entire building. Sparks flew as she connected with the box, ripping the door off of its hinges and exposing electrical circuits to the elements.
She struggled to remain conscious and as she looked up she saw Zack now had the gun in his hand again and was pointing it directly at Alec.
Desperate for a way to stop him, but too weak to fight him, she looked around frantically for help. It only took a quarter of a second for her to take note of the fact that Zack was standing in a pool of water and she was sitting beside live wires.
Disengaging the main power conductor from the wall, she fought back tears as she touched the live wire to the puddle, electrocuting Zack with thirty thousand volts of electricity.
She watched with a mixture of relief and horror as the nightmare ended and Zack fell to his knees, and then flat on his face.
She watched the red light of his power source blink out as another one of her brothers died at her own hand.
Consumed with grief, she sobbed. The pain was even more overwhelming this time than it had been with Ben. Zack had saved her life more than once. She had spent her whole life looking up to him, being in awe of his strength and his leadership. And this is how he died? Murdered by his own sister?
"Max?" Logan called out from his spot on the other side of Zack's body. "Max?"
Brought back into the present by the sound of her name, Max stood.
"Max are you okay?" Logan asked, his voice laced with genuine concern.
But she didn't hear him. She walked past Zack, not getting too close, and made her way over to Alec. He was leaning against the bumper of a car, his hand trying to press against his wound, trying unsuccessfully to staunch the flow of blood. He was conscious and looking at her with what looked like fear.
"Max, I'm so sorry," he said certain that this was the end of their friendship. Not only had he cost her her relationship with Logan, now he had cost her her favorite brother.
"Shut up," she said softly as two fresh tears fell from her left eye. Taking off her jacket, she wrapped it around his leg, tying the sleeves together in an attempt to put more pressure on the wound. "Give me one minute and I'll get you out of here."
He was stunned. Shocked. No, she must be in shock. Yeah, that's it. She's in shock. And when that wears off, she'll realize what she did. He only hoped he had enough of his strength back by then to make a run for it. Truth be told, he was feeling a little light-headed.
"Max, call an ambulance and then call Sam Carr," Logan snapped her out of her shock.
"Right," she turned to Alec, about to ask for his cell phone to make the calls, only to find him unconscious. "Alec!" choked as she dove towards him. Her fingers pressed into his neck with an almost bruising force as she searched for a pulse, not breathing herself until she found the steady (if slow) beat of his heart.
Reaching into the inside pocket of his leather jacket, she pulled out several scraps of paper with phone numbers and names like Candy and Cinnamon, and Aimee on them, followed by his cell phone.
She fought back tears as she called the ambulance and then Dr. Carr, who promised to meet them in the ambulance bay.
She pulled Alec into her arms, cradling his head to her chest, rocking him gently as she fought back tears.
Logan could only watch from his spot on the ground thirty feet away. As he looked at the sight of Max cradling Alec's limp body
to her breast, with tears in her eyes, he was suddenly jealous. He looked back toward Zack wishing that she were tending to his injuries instead, when a thought occurred to him. "Max! The defibrillator!" he exclaimed.
"What?" she said looking down over him.
"There's a portable defibrillator in Pablo's office. All the major residential companies installed them back in 08 right before the pulse as a selling point. Especially in places where rich, wealthy people lived. You know, make them feel safe. If they have a heart attack, help is only an elevator ride away."
She started at him not understanding.
"We can use it to restart his heart."
"What?"
"I'm serious, Max. You may be able to save him," Logan said still rooted to the same spot, his useless legs encased in the heavy exoskeleton preventing him from even dragging himself anywhere else.
With no further prompting, Max carefully set Alec's head on the ground and made her way into Pablo's office. On the wall, right where Logan said it would be, was the portable defibrillator. Ripping it off the wall, Max ran back to Zack's side and rolled him onto his back.
"How do I use this thing?" she asked.
"Bare skin. Pull up his shirt. Place the paddles where the instructions show, flip the switch, make sure you're not touching his body with any part of your own, and press the buttons."
Max did as he instructed, cringing as his body arched with the shock of the electricity.
"Count to 5 and do it again," he told her after Zack slumped back to the ground.
One, Two, Three, Four…KA-CHUNKZack's body slumped once again, but this time, his chest rose softly as he took a breath.
Sighing in relief, she shed several tears as she watched her brother slowly return to life.
Logan smiled at her, but Max didn't even look over at him. She crawled back over to Alec, pulling him back into her arms and dividing her attention between Alec's pulse and the rise and fall of Zack's chest.
All of the sudden Logan realized that Max's world had shifted, and he felt his heart break just a little bit more.
Alec woke to find himself in a strange room. He blinked in the darkness, trying to focus him night vision.
A light was turned on from across the room. "You're awake," Max said softly.
She looked like she hadn't slept in days and he was immediately concerned.
"Are you okay?" He asked her.
She forced out a laugh. "I should be asking you that question, smartass." She smirked nodding toward his leg.
He followed her gaze, noticing for the first time, that he was covered by only a thin sheet, his right leg exposed and a rather large bandage wrapped around his thigh. "Tell me I'm not naked," he smirked.
She chuckled, "I didn't check myself, but I'm sure Logan would have said something. You know, warned me."
"Logan?"
"Yeah. He and Dr. Carr brought you back here while I took care of some details about Zack."
"Penthouse guest room," Alec recognized the room he was in.
She shrugged. "Logan offered. We couldn't leave you in the hospital." She paused, think of a way to say her next words. "Alec-"
He cut her off. He saw how distraught she looked and he didn't want her to have to go through it. "I'm sorry Max. I tried. I really tried. I swear, I would have tried places with him if I could have. I know I cost you your relationship with Logan and now because of me you had to kill your own brother-"
"Alec-"
"No! Let me finish. You were right. I don't belong here. After this heals," he gestured to his leg, "I'll get out of your way. I know I can't make any of it up to you, but at least you won't have me around as a reminder," he tried to keep the emotion out of his
voice, but he couldn't. And she noticed.
"Alec, Zack's not dead. We re-started his bionic heart and he is fine. His memory re-started itself and he doesn't remember a thing. Logan set him up on a farm in the Midwest with a family who will take care of him. He's got a new identity and a real chance at a new life."
"Oh." Was all he could think of to say.
"And as for you leaving, if that's what you want, then go," she said softly, watching him carefully as she spoke.
"Ok." He whispered, looking away from her, trying—and failing— to mask his emotions.
"But if you're leaving on my account—Don't."
He looked up at her, trying to keep the hope off of his face.
"I kinda got used to having you around. And when I needed backup yesterday, you were my first thought. I guess what I'm
saying is, I don't exactly hate you."
He smiled. "Maxie, are you saying you like me?" he teased.
"Don't push your luck," she smiled.
They held eye contact for a long moment until her smile faded. "There's one more thing."
"What?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know what she was about to say.
"You lost a lot of blood with that gunshot," she started fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
"You're not telling me anything I didn't already know, Max." he snarked, motioning for her to get on with it.
She sighed, "and we couldn't exactly take Zack to the hospital with half of his face ripped off. So, I carried him up here and put him in Logan's room. I mean, his heart was started and he was breathing. We thought he would be fine, which he was. He is."
"Max, what aren't you telling me?" he asked, apprehension creeping into his voice.
"Logan rode with you in the ambulance. I stayed here with Zack. You needed a blood transfusion. Immediately. In the ambulance. Logan lied and told the guy he was your type, and that you were brothers, so they wouldn't draw any of your blood to type and cross match it."
So what? I got some of Logan's blood in my veins? No big deal," Alec shrugged, smirking.
"Along with the blood, came the virus," she said softly.
"What?" he whispered in disbelief.
"The love-bug that Manticore gave him, got passed on to you. It mutated and adjusted to your DNA, meaning that any physical contact between you and me, will kill you," she looked away, giving him a moment to digest the news.
"Oh." He was truly at a loss for words. Not being able to touch Max? Not that they did a whole lot of touching, but that would definitely put a damper on any stealth missions. No more being locked in closets together. No more lap dances during mermaid rescue missions. No more rides on the back of her bike. No more playful—and not-so-playful—punches. Alec bit back a lump of sadness in his throat.
"Yeah," she said softly, as she too realized the implications of their new predicament and how it changed their everyday relationship.
"Well, then, we'll just double our efforts to find the cure," he said trying to sound more hopeful than he was feeling.
"'Cause that's worked so well so far," she said in exasperation. "I just don't know how much more bullshit I can take from Manticore."
"Max this is temporary," he tried to sound positive. She really did look tired. She needed a vacation. Problem is, when you're hunted and hated, there really is nowhere to go to get away from it all. And if nobody can touch you without dying, everything gets more complicated.
"I hope so. Anyway, I gotta go. Normal tried to fire me yesterday, so I can't miss today too. I'll bring you a magazine or something later."
"Just don't touch it with your bare hands," he tried to joke. God why can't I ever keep my mouth shut around her? I'm only awkward when she's in the room.
"Right," she said sadly, closing the door behind her.
Once in the hallway, she leaned back against the door, collecting her thoughts. Why as the thought of never being able to touch
Alec so sad to her?
Suddenly, an unbidden image of Alec walking out of his bathroom enveloped in a cloud of steam and clad in only a soft blue towel surfaced in her mind. She forcefully pushed it to the back of her mind. Logan was pursuing all possible leads for the cure, and now Alec would be on board even more so than before. This was only going to be temporary. Right?