AN: Hey everyone! I'd like to say thanks to Ani-maniac494 AKA Laughter, Sorrel2009, clumsybookgirl13, and Hall for reviewing and everyone who alerted and/or added it to their favorites list. I'm happy that you enjoyed it and hope that you will continue to enjoy it as the story progresses.

Just a warning, this chapter was troublesome to write, so please forgive me if Alec and Max seem a little bit...OOC. First person to guess where I borrowed the idea of love in time (you'll get it once you read it) will get the next chapter sent to them in advance, once it's finished. Please review and critique. I found a couple of typos in the first chapter that I missed the first time around, so if you see anything misspelled, please let me know.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 2: The Catch (AKA the Fly in the Ointment, or the Mouse in the Plumb Sauce)

After their discovery of the loophole, Max and Alec made the (somewhat unwise) decision to party like it was 2000. With all of the joy they felt at finally catching a break, how could they do something other than get hammered and act stupid? It hadn't been too difficult, actually. After slamming the remnants of the beer, they snuck into Moles private store and helped themselves to some of his home brew.

In hindsight, in the morning, they would realize that that was probably a really bad idea. As it was, the two gaily spent their night singing songs in a drunken stupor, perfectly content with each other's company, and utterly unconcerned with the images they had given their neighbors during their little escapade. They partied well into the night, and hadn't felt as comfortable as they did then than either had in years.

Well, at least until they woke up in the morning in bed together with little to no clothes on. Then the hyperventilating and 'Oh my god' speeches began to swim to the surface. Neither could remember what happened last night, courtesy of Mole's infamous brew, and both were ready to bang their heads against a wall; Max didn't want to remember what happened last night, and Alec was beyond irritated that he couldn't. As the awkward silence settled in, all they could do was look at each other and try to keep their eyes level.


Of course, neither heard Mole sniggering outside the apartment door. He wore a feral grin and whistled as he walked away. "That'll teach 'em to steal. You'd think that, even drunk, they would've remembered that I always spike the ones in the front to discourage thieves."


Max slowly let her self fall back onto the bed, trying desperately to remember what happened last night. Slowly, things started coming back to her. After a few more minutes of memories trickling in, she sat straight up and breathed a sigh of relief. Alec looked at her questioningly.

"We didn't sleep together, thank God!"

Alec raised an eyebrow and delicately gestured to their lack of clothes. "We were, er, messing around in Block C. We were mock sparring and may have...tipped over a few paint cans. You fell and then pulled me down with you."

Well, at least that explained the lack of clothes. His mind briefly went back to her previous statement and couldn't help but feel somewhat angry with her for it. He slid out of bed and dressed quickly.

"Alec, is something wrong?"

He snorted as he finished buttoning up his shirt. "No, Max, everything is just peachy."

A brief glimmer of hurt flashed before her eyes but was gone in an instant. "What is your problem?"

"My problem is you, Max. Is nothing I do good enough for you?"

Her mouth popped open before the confusion set in. "What are you talking about?

His mouth twisted in irritation and he couldn't help the sarcastic, disbelieving chuckle that escaped him. "You can't even admit it to yourself, can you? The fact that you still think I'm a screw up, that I'm untrustworthy and undependable."

"Alec, where the hell is this coming from? I don't think that at all."

"Don't you? Then, please, give me one good reason why you were so overjoyed to discover that we hadn't slept together. Would it really have been so terrible? Are you so ashamed of me?"

Max pulled on her jeans more quickly than she had thought possible. "Of course not, Alec! But we work together, and I don't want to be just another notch on your bedpost!"

He visibly recoiled at that, and Max instantly regretted saying it. "Well...nice to know what you actually think of me Maxie." She sighed, her hangover now 10 times worse than it had been before.

"Alec...I didn't mean it like that. I just... We're friends, Alec, really good friends. And we've finally gotten to the point where I trust you unconditionally and it scared me to think that that could be gone in a moments notice by one rash decision."

"Why would you think our friendship would be gone if it happened?"

"...I'm a one man girl, Alec. And, don't take offense to this, but you're a many girl man. I can't and won't settle for being one of the many. If we had slept together, the nature of our relationship would have changed and I don't think it would've been in a good way."

He felt his pride bristle a little once more, but he could see where she was coming from. She was right. If they'd slept together, the camaraderie that he had spent years developing would've changed drastically into something else. The fact that they ran T.C. together also had a part to play. He was, however, still a little miffed that she hadn't given him the benefit of the doubt on the matter of monogamy.

Max finished dressing and gingerly touched his arm, barely a brush, before she walked out. He followed her and came to stand next to her as she leaned over the railing, reveling in the cool breeze. She groaned slightly as she looked out at their city, which had only just begun to spring to life. Her face became so sad and downright gloomy that he was almost concerned about it.

"What?"

"I have to work today."

He paused for a moment, trying to match the sentence with the expression on her face. She looked like she'd just seen her puppy get hit by a car, because she didn't want to go to work. He found it hilarious and he simply couldn't stop himself from cracking up.

"What are you laughing at? You have to work too, with that big monster headache of yours."

"What big monster headache?"

"...This one." She flicked the side of his head rather gently and he was sure she was joking...until his stomach started rolling. Then, with the way his stomach was rolling, came the drums in his head and the nausea in his throat. He groaned and looked at Max pathetically.

"We're the leaders....can't we skip for a day?"

She gave him a wry look and walked away, something of a bounce in her step. He sighed dramatically and followed her, trying to stay vertical. "Of course we can't. Heaven forbid we take a break like the rest of the workers in T.C. We're Superman and Wonderwoman, after all, we don't stop we just do and do and do and do and keep on doing."

He literally ran into the back of her and looked down at her from where he was on the staircase. "What?"

"Quit whining Alec; it's unbecoming." The last part pronounced with a sickly sweet tone.

He moaned dramatically before walking beside her and laying his head pathetically on her shoulder. She patted it gently. "We'll get some coffee when we get to command, okay?"

Alec mumbled his consent and began to think of elaborate ways to get back at Mole. They unconsciously straightened as they entered command, neither giving way to the unyielding pounding in their heads. Alec skipped up the last few steps of the platform, a disgustingly cheery expression on his face. They took their respective seats at the head of table, waiting as the rest of the council members filed in.

Max stood and vanished momentarily, Alec not really realizing that she had left until she had already returned with two cups of coffee in hand. The toasted each other and savored the coffee, crappy as it was. The rest of the council filed in slowly, eyeing Max and Alec warily. They had heard stories of their drunken escapades the night before, and were slightly perplexed to discover them sitting there as though it was any other day.

Mole was slightly disgruntled by how calm and unaffected they seemed, and made a mental note to continue toying with the lacing of the brew; the black out on memory was perfect, but the hangover aspect was obviously lacking. He wrote himself a note to remind himself to make it stronger.

Alec could barely hold back a stifled groan. This hangover was terrible, the worst he'd ever had. Max rose and began to speak, but Alec was trying to tune her out. His head already hurt too much. His curiosity was piqued when he saw her lean forward, a slightly more intimidating pose, when he realized that she was using the table to keep herself upright. Ha! He wasn't the only one suffering.

Max then sat back down, cueing Alec with a hand signal since she knew he hadn't been paying attention. Alec stood, quickly finding himself in the same position that Max had been in only moments ago; bracing his hands against the table to keep him vertical.

"Well, everyone, last night, Max and I...."

"We don't need to know the glorious details. We've known about you guys for awhile, Princess." Mole grinned as Alec gave him an irritated look. His momentary triumph was cut short when Max gave him a frosty glare, making him cough and put his head down in mock shame.

"As I was saying, Max and I found a loophole to our problem concerning the military outside our gates. A loophole that solves several problems but also creates others, though it's my belief that those will be easier to deal with."

Alec went on to explain the Peace of Sovereignty Act, article 763, and all about the Californian senator. The council listened to him speak and, as he finished his summary of their discovery, began to talk amongst themselves. Alec remained standing, though they had no idea how hard it was for him to not fall over. Max rose out of her seat and took his coffee cup, turning to get some more so they could continue to speak without groaning.

As she returned, the council fell into silence and looked towards their chosen leaders once more, this time for a plan.

"As Alec previously mentioned," Max took the spotlight as Alec nursed his second cup of coffee. "This loophole does create some...problems of its own, some questions that need answering. The biggest question we need to answer is what kind of government will this new sovereign nation be?"

The question seemed like an obvious one, and Dean made a point of saying so. He made a good case of democracy, a government modeled after that of the United States, but failed to see why Max had thought that this was even a question.

The answer, much to Max's surprise, came from Alec. "That's a great idea Dean! Democracy is good. So, which one of us do you want to be the president and vice president?"

The council members opened their mouths to answer, only to realize the point that Max had been trying to make in the first place, and began to talk amongst themselves. They would have to choose which of their leaders, who currently had equal power, would be dominant over the other. At this point in time, they knew both Max and Alec to be good and just leaders, but each had different values that balanced each other out.

If Alec were in charge, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that things would run smoothly enough, but then they thought of all the trouble he could inadvertently cause with all of the transgenic women in the city, all the bad publicity that could come from a one-night stand. Then, there was the matter of budget. They didn't doubt that he would ensure Terminal City's wellbeing first, but would he spend any excess money on practical things? And what if he was caught on one of his heists? It could cause an international conflict if word got out that the leader of the transgenics was a thief, and stealing on U.S. soil.

If Max was president, they knew she would do her best to protect everyone and keep everyone well, but she was something of a wildcard. People distrusted her because she was an 09er, and there was no guarantee that she wouldn't be attacked or killed because of that conflict. Then, there was the Eyes Only problem to deal with. While she and Logan were no longer dating, and Logan was no longer in T.C., they knew that she still did little missions for him here and there, and they could barely restrain a groan at the thought of word getting to the U.S. government that their leader was working with a reputed terrorist.

So, the original question was returned to. What kind of government would this be? They needed something where Max and Alec could maintain equal power (they need each other to be balanced out), but where the council could also retain power; it was no good having two harmonious dictators. Finally, and rather surprisingly, it was Mole who came up with the solution. He stood, a universal signal for attention, and waited for the room to fall silent.

"Dictatorship and Democracy would get us no where. We need all of us, council and leaders, to retain power. The solution is a happy medium between the two; a Monarchy."

Max and Alec looked up and then at each other, slightly perturbed at this turn of events, but waited to hear the rest of the council's responses.

"That's...actually a very good idea." Dix said, nodding his head.

"It would keep both Max and Alec in power, and we would keep office as well as a parliament of sorts." Dean stated, running the idea through his mind.

All in all, it seemed like everyone was in agreement...except Rogue.

"...Monarchy meaning King and Queen?" Rogue questions.

"Well that would be the general idea." Mole's voice was dry and brittle, an undercurrent of annoyance in his tone.

"Wouldn't that mean that they would have to get married first?"

That got Max and Alec's full and undivided attention. They were frozen for a moment, the realization weighing heavily on their minds. Max's world slowly began to spin on its axis once more as she inhaled and exhaled slowly, regaining her mental composure. She worked hard to maintain her calm, realizing that everyone was looking at her like a bomb was about to explode. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't and found herself utterly...panicking. She shook her head violently before storming out of the room, eager to escape their unwavering and concerned glances.

Alec hurried after her, overturning his chair in the process. He was stopped though, as Mole gained a vice grip on his arm to keep him in place.

"We need her, Alec. We need her to go through with this." There was no playfulness in Mole's tone, no hint of sarcasm or amusement. He was completely serious.

Alec pulled his arm back and continued after Max, desperate to find her before she did something rash.... like taking off. He found her a few minutes later, rocking on top of the water tower.

"I can't," Her voice was soft and cracked, and he could tell she was nearly hysterical. "I just can't, Alec. It's not that it's you I would be marrying, so please don't let your pride get wounded over that."

"Max, it's just marriage. It's a formality, just a ring, a title, and the power that comes with it."

"But it's not just a formality, Alec. Not to me. I know that it seems like another stupid dream to have, an ordinary ideal, but it's so much more than that to me."

Alec frowned and sat beside her, not really understanding. "Max, I know that you had hopes that you and Logan might..."

She cut him off "Logan has nothing to do with this Alec. I couldn't even picture us married when we were together," Alec felt a purr rising in his throat but coughed it down.

"When I first escaped from Manticore, I was put in foster care until I fled the system when I was 15. For years, I lived with couples who had been married for 30 or 40 or 50 years and I couldn't help but want it. It was the first thing, the very first thing, I ever wanted as a free person, Alec. I wanted the relationship that came with the ring and the name change."

Alec still didn't completely understand why it was such a big deal, but he understood what she meant about wanting something for the first time and holding onto the dream, only to find it completely out of reach. He would know better than anyone, after all. The first thing he had ever wanted with a real semblance of humanity in him was sitting less than two feet from him.

"Max, I know how important this is to you. Really, I get it... but if we're going to survive, we being all the transgenics within Terminal City, we need this, Max. We need diplomatic immunity and all that comes with it, and for us to get that we need to be a monarchy. The council won't think of any other government that doesn't have both of us running it – front or back stage."

Max sniffled and rocked slightly, knowing he was right. She stood and turned, ready to go back and inform the council of her decision. It wasn't an easy one to make, but she knew that she had to be true to herself and to her what lay in the bottom of her heart. She began to walk away but felt Alec grab her arm, pulling her to him. She nearly stumbled, but found her self supported by strong arms on either side, keeping her steady.

"Alec!"

He shushed her and looked her, his face a few inches from hers. She took a deep breath and felt a little dizzy, not sure if it was a remnant of the hangover or the intense look in his green eyes.

"Marry me, Max," His voice was low and husky, almost pleading. "Marry me, and I promise that you'll get the relationship of 30 or 40 or 50 years that you really want. Marry me..."

Max felt her throat go dry, and knew that she should push him away. He no longer toed the line she had carefully drawn between them; he had pole-vaulted over it. His proximity to her was rendering her incapable of speech, and she was finding it difficult to remember all the reasons she had been relieved when she found out that they hadn't slept together.

"Marry me." His voice was hardly above a whisper, his head tilted forward ever so slightly. Max could hardly feel her self breathing, and suddenly understood why Alec had always been so popular with girls, even the ones who knew that it would never be anything more than a casual fling. His lips were less than an inch away from hers, but he went no further.

"Marry me, Max. Tell me you'll marry me..." His lips were hardly moving, but she heard the soft spoken request none the less. She began to feel impatient, and unable to fight the wave of growing dizziness and irritation and desire, she did the unthinkable. She kissed him.


From below, Mole watched all of this occur from the entryway of the Command center, smoking his last Cuban cigar. "Finally he kisses her. I swear, if their unresolved sexual tension got any tighter, I could've played a fiddle tune with it," he snorted, rolling his eyes. Those two were so hopeless.

His lips quirked into a grin that could only be described as feral, "He may get her to marry him at this moment, but he's going to have to step up his game if he's going to get her to the altar when she finds out about the next issue. Succession ain't any fun in a monarchy, after all."