Words in italic are Maxs thoughts

Tripping Forward

Chapter 1: One Year, Things Change

"Great, just great" Max whispered to herself. She was sitting in her office in H.Q. Going over another very long list of supplies needed for T.C. also known as Terminal City, "Just another one to add to the already overflowing pile" she said glaring at the high pile on the top of her filling cabinet.

It had been one year since the jam pony incident, one year since they held up in Terminal City and nothing had changed. They where no closer to getting their freedom, White was still hell bent on destroying all "Transgenic scum"

Max and Logan, well there really weren't a "them" anymore. She loved him, told him as many times as she could but he couldn't do it anymore. He started to pull away from her little by little and at the time she didn't notice. She couldn't see the warning bells being turned on every time they were together. Maybe she didn't want to see them? So on that fateful day when he finally let her go she protested and pretty much threw a hissy fit. She told him he was an idiot. That they would figure this bitch out, no matter how long it takes. They belonged together.

But he didn't feel the same, at least not anymore. She stopped talking to him and completely avoiding him whenever he was present at T.C. But she knew the truth, she knew he was right. They were no closer to finding the cure then Columbus was in finding China. And maybe, just maybe that stupid jack-ass Alec, her partner in crime was right?

Just thinking about him brought different emotions to her now. Before there was hate, disgust and a slight tinge of pain. The pain, just looking at him brought up that emotion for her. His face was a constant reminder of what she lost, a brother, a friend, her family. His face was a haunting reminder of what she did what she had to do.

But it wasn't anymore, those feelings where long gone now. So were her nightmares about him turning into Ben, the ones that she was forced to kill him in the same cruel manner as she did her brother, his brother. But it was all gone. The feeling of hate was turned into feelings of love, love for a friend, her best friend. Disgust was turned into admiration; the once hated "I'm always alright" attitude was something she admired now.

Now she knew the truth about him, he told her everything right down to his trips to Psy-ops to the very painful truth about Rachel. And now she admired him, the way he was able to put on the happy façade when she knew he was far from it. He did it to protect himself yes but he also did for them, for all of them. If he can get over what happened to him then everyone else can get over their pain to. The feeling of pain of the memories now was replaced with happiness, pure and simple happiness. He was her best friend the one person who truly understood her. Who knew everything about her and still loved her for her.

"Hey Maxie, we have been summoned to the conference hall" He said leaning against her office door frame in his usual cocky stance. His arms crossed his chest while his left ankle crossed over his right.

"Huh speak of the Devil!" Max thought to herself. "Weird. I was just thinking about you" She said to Alec as she was absent-minded still enthralled in her long grocery list.

"Oh please tell me it was something dirty" he chuckled "Because you know I would LOVE to make it a reality."

"You just can't help yourself can you?" she was laughing this was one of their things. She said something among the right lines, he made it dirty. She was pissed, he was sarcastic.

"You know I really can't" his hand was pressed to his heart mocking pain. "It's just who I am."

She shook her head at him. Yep this was what she needed. He always had his ways of taking her mind off of the painful subjects that invaded her every day. Usually she would turn to OC for this comfort but because of White she couldn't do that. She had to send OC, Sketchy, Normal and anyone else she was close to as far away as she could.

White had tried to use her friendships to his advantage. He kidnapped OC and Sketchy, tortured them and almost killed them to lure Max out of TC so he could finally kill her. But for once luck was on her side and she, Alec and their TC team had gotten to them just in time, but of course there was one little glitch, one that almost cost her, her life. She was fighting one of White's goons her attention was completely drawn to him. That's why she didn't see it or rather hear him; White coming up behind her with his gun drawn. When she finally realized what was going to happen she didn't have time to react all she could do is close her eyes and wait to die. When the shot rang out, she tensed her body, waiting for the impact of the bullet. But the impact never came. She knew in that moment what or who had blocked the bullet from her for that matter. She could smell it, his blood invaded her senses. From this day she can't remember what happened. When the familiar sent of blood hit her she lost all control. She was told that she almost killed White that day; it took four X5's to drag her out of the compound before she could do what she so desperately wanted to do. "He took a bullet for me! He almost died because of me!" She thought to herself realizing how Alec's feelings have changed in less than a year. She already had someone she loved died to save her she didn't want to add Alec to the list.

Alec had spent three weeks in the makeshift med lab they set up in an abandoned business building. He had almost died, twice. She stayed with him the whole time he was there only left him alone to get them food or to take a shower. She slept by him, ate with him and of course he had made his half-assed remarks of how domestic they were acting and she had reminded him that if he ever did anything like that again she would kick-his-ass! He almost died for her that day. He exchanged his life for hers and for the life of her she didn't understand why. Would she have done the same thing? Just a brief second after the memory of what Alec had looked like in that hospital bed confirmed the answer. Yes! Absolutely with no hesitation!The image of him in that bed crossed her mind again and she outwardly shuddered.

"Max!" he tried again to get her attention. He walked over to her and bent down on his knees to look her in the eye's "Are you ok?" He cupped her cheek in his hand and assessed her eyes.

"Hmm" The feel of his and on her face brought her out of her trance "I'm fine Alec"

"You where thinking about things you shouldn't be" The hurt in her eyes where too pain full for him to stand.

"I'm fine Alec. Really" She abruptly pulled her head out of his grasp. She took a deep breath before finally standing and making her way to the door "We should go. We don't want to be late." She said over her shoulder and continued on her way to the conference hall.

"Yeah" he sighed. He slowly stood up and brushed the dust of his knees. "We don't want that" He closed his eyes for brief second and steadied his breathing and with that he followed after Max for another boring meeting.

Or for what he thought would be...