Max chuckled back at him as she ran her hand lightly through Alec's hair, making him lean into her touch ever so lightly; and she marvelled at the soft texture of his golden locks. After what had just happened she had trouble taking her eyes off him, running them across his features, trying to drink them in. Sure, she'd been aware of Alec's remarkable beauty before, but she'd never had the compulsion to study him in detail, to memorise him.

Her eyes trailed his brow, smooth and tanned, with only a hint of worry lines etched into his forehead; something that Max found oddly comforting – like he shared her burdens. Her eyes roamed slowly down to meet an intense swirling hazel gaze as he stared back in cautious fascination and rapt attention at her. Max had to admit that those eyes were captivating; they drew her in, like a fish to a lure. She also realised that she had never noticed before how long Alec's eyelashes were; really quite extraordinary for a man. She could almost taste the envy some women would have for those lashes.

As Max's eyes drifted lower they traced his high cheekbones, his strong nose and chiselled jaw. He really did have perfect bone structure; something that made him look masculine, strong and authoritative, yet somehow boyish. Those high arches and gentle slopes made her want to run her fingers over them desperately, wanting to memorise their every contour, and the texture of his smooth warm skin beneath her fingertips.

But it was Alec's mouth that really held Max's attention. She had never realised before how he spoke with it; and she didn't mean the words that came out of it, even if they were plentiful. It was the way with just a twitch at the corner of his mouth he could indicate his amusement. Or the way she could tell just from one of his smirks what his mood was. She could tell whether it was a playful, sarcastic, annoyed, devious or a downright predatory smirk. But it was those rare genuine smiles that Max always looked for most; they lit up his face like a full moon in the night sky.

As she continued to stare at Alec's lips, Max noticed that they were slightly swollen and reddened from their breath stealing kiss, and it made her smile as she thought back on what it had been like to kiss him. She had to admit that she had never really considered it much before - what it would be like - but now Max had to wonder why it had never occurred to her before this. He was certainly talented at it. It was almost like he knew exactly how she needed to be kissed; the precise amount of pressure applied to the exact spot to make her blood boil in her veins.

She also realised that his kisses were very similar to his smirks - because just as Alec could communicate with a smirk, he could communicate through a kiss too. That kiss had told her that he wanted nothing more than to be simply kissing her in that moment - to tell her that he was sure of this, that he wanted this, and that he wanted to show her that she wanted it to. And he had made a compelling argument.

Alec watched Max intently as she studied him, and he couldn't help but to hold his breath as he waited for her verdict; because that's what it felt like - like she was measuring him by some invisible unquantifiable scale.

As Max ran her eyes back over the entirety of Alec's handsome face she could tell just from the tightness around his eyes and the stiff way he held himself that he was waiting for her reaction to her perusal. She flashed him a small soft smile and watched as the tension lines melted away, and he gave her a small grin of his own in return.

Alec let his hand wander into Max's hair, running it through the damp strands as best he could. "Do you need a hand with this?" he asked softly, as he fingered a clump of blue paint still clinging to her hair.

"I - -"

Max wasn't sure what answer she was supposed to give to that question. If she were being strictly practical she supposed she should accept such an offer, because it wasn't likely she'd be able to get all this mess out of her hair on her own. But at the same time if she were sensible she should consider how such an acceptance would be construed by Alec. Would he assume that that 'hand' he had so willingly offered, extended to…well…other things?

Alec saw Max's struggle plainly play out across her beautiful features, and it gave him hope. He could see that she was thinking about saying 'yes', but that she was worried about what exactly she was saying 'yes' too.

"Hey," he said gently, his fingers returning to stroke her cheek as he looked her in the eye. "I'm only offering to help with the hair situation, nothing else," he reassured softly, giving her a crooked smile.

Max suddenly realised how silly and unfair her thoughts had just been. Sure he'd made jokes and double entendres about this exact situation, but she should have realised that Alec would never presume something like that. Yeah, he sometimes acted like a silly frat boy; and even though half the women in Crash wouldn't have minded if he simply bent them over a pool table - and in some cases even suggested it themselves – she knew Alec would never make assumptions about a woman like that. He was nothing but the consummate gentlemen in all his actions; and Max felt guilty for thinking so poorly of him.

Max flashed Alec a small relived smile as she gave a slight nod of acceptance, before slowly turning and moving towards the bathroom.

Max couldn't hear Alec moving behind her, but again she could feel him – his presence. It felt like he was a large mass of energy stalking her, and she felt inextricably drawn to him; like to a magnet. She could feel his gravitational pull on her, and it was like the closer he was to her, the more charged she felt. And just like a magnet and an electrical device, if he got too close, her brain fried like an electrical circuit.

Max suddenly found herself in the middle of the small bathroom with Alec standing impossibly close, and she had a moment of panic at the intimacy of the situation, and how exactly they were going to do this.

Max knew instinctively that she mustn't remove any of her clothing – because for the first time in forever she thought she wanted to; she had this insane urge to throw caution to the wind and just be reckless for once. But she knew that even if one iota of clothing left her body, and Alec looked at her again in that heated way of his, she would be toast. And that scared her. Because she knew that that shouldn't happen between them, and she never wanted to find out if in that situation she would be able to fight it, or if she would even want to.

Alec noticed the way Max froze in the middle of the room and looked around anxiously, like she didn't know what was expected, and he decided to take pity on her.

He took another step closer and leaned around her to turn the taps on over the basin to let it fill. He felt Max shiver as his bare skin brushed up against hers, and he wondered idly whether it was a shiver of desire or something less pleasant. He took care to adjust the temperature till he was satisfied it was warm enough, before he walked quickly back into the kitchen and returned with the kitchen stool in his grasp.

"Take a seat m'lady," Alec smiled, as he reached into Max's shower to retrieve her bottle of shampoo.

Max gratefully took a seat whilst she watched Alec arrange bottles on the bench beside her, before he grabbed one of the towels nearby and carefully draped it around her shoulders.

"Hopefully that'll keep you dry," he murmured as he looked at her carefully, trying to discern if there was any part of her not covered adequately. Max sat still, watching him as he ran his eyes over her, clearly mulling something over until his eyes met her gaze. He gave her a small lopsided smile as he took a step towards her, coming to stand at her shoulder.

"You ready?"

Max nodded once, as she leant her head back over the sink. She suddenly felt Alec's warm fingers slip into her hair.

Alec could feel the tension radiating from Max, but as he gathered her hair in his spare hand and began to work the water through it he felt her begin to relax.

"Hold still, I'll be right back."

Max tried to watch out of the corner of her eye as Alec once again left the bathroom. She heard him open a cupboard in the kitchen before she saw him glide through the door with a plastic cup in his hand.

He repositioned himself by her left shoulder and reached across her with his left hand to slide his fingers through her hair and come to rest at the base of her head, supporting gently.

He dipped the cup into the warm water and expertly began to pour it over her scalp.

As the warm water caressed her skin Max felt herself relax. Since Alec had begun she had been staring at the ceiling, just concentrating on the feeling of what he was doing. She let her eyes drift backwards and to the left, curious to catch a look at Alec's expression. Besides, she was getting bored with the ceiling.

Max watched fascinated as Alec went about his task, and she could see the concentration on his face and how seriously he was taking his assignment. The combination of watching the tiny changes of expression flit across his handsome face, whilst only being able to feel what he was doing, was an unusual sensation.

Suddenly Alec's eyes flashed down to her face, and there was a nervous edge to his look as he studied her expression.

"You alright?" he asked softly; like he was asking if something he was doing to her might be painful.

"You kidding?" Max said with a crooked smile as she held his gaze upside down. "Do you realise how long it's been since I've been to the salon? I might have to make a monthly appointment."

Alec flashed a smile, and Max didn't miss the relieved and slightly pleased look that flashed in his eye. "I'm not sure you could afford my rates."

Max simply rolled her eyes in reply; and she smiled slyly at the image she got of Alec dressed as a stereotypical gay hairdresser as he wielded a pair of sissors over some old woman's mass of purple curles, and yakked to Cindy in the salon they co-owned. Max had to suppress a giggle, and thought that he might yet still be proclaimed to be Gods Gift To Women - even if it was only for his revoutionary formula for the prevention of split ends.

Alec suddenly put the cup down, obviously satisfied that Max's hair was thoroughly wet, and whilst still cradling her head, leant across her to retrieve the bottle of shampoo.

Max suddenly found herself face to… face?… with Alec's pec. Max swallowed heavily as it hovered in all its golden muscled perfection in a suspended state of animation only inches from the end of her nose, before it was all too quickly receding like the tide at the beach, leaving the slightly salty and undeniably masculine scent of Alec in its wake.

Max had to force her eyes back to the ceiling as she fought the urge to let them follow that golden expanse of masculine perfection. She also had to remind herself forcefully that in all future interactions between them Alec must be fully clothed, for the sake of both her sanity and her resolve – she didn't want to have to test either of them.

As Alec squirted a healthy dollop of jasmine scented shampoo into his palm and gently began to work it through Max's hair, lathering it up, he wondered what she was thinking about so intently; and for the first time he wondered what she would look like if she were to stop thinking. Alec couldn't remember a time where Max hadn't been deep in thought with that frown of tension marring her forehead, or the purse of her lips, or that sharp analytical look in her eye. The closest he thought she had ever come to losing that look was this afternoon during their paintball fight; and he was secretly pleased that for one small fraction of time he'd been the one to give that to her, even if she hadn't realised what he'd done.

As Alec looked down again he smiled. He realised that his thoughts had perhaps been a little pre-emptive. Max had closed her eyes and appeared unnaturally serene and relaxed, and Alec realised that his question had just been answered.

As Alec's strong sure fingers expertly danced over her scalp, Max couldn't help but to close her eyes and let the sensations wash over her; and she had to agree with whoever had said that by denying one sense you enhanced the others; because right now all she was aware of was the sensations Alec's fingers caused.

Alec worked diligently massaging the shampoo into Max's scalp, ensuring that no area of skin went untendered. He kept the pressure firm, moving over her scalp smoothly and surely. He wanted her to enjoy this, to enjoy his proximity and his touch; it also didn't hurt that he himself was enjoying being able to touch her.

Max suddenly felt as Alec picked up the cup again and began to rinse out the shampoo, and she was kinda sad because she knew it was almost over. Maybe she would have to start another paintball fight soon…

Alec finished washing out all the shampoo and tried to ring out as much water as possible from her locks before he urged her to sit up. He grabbed the towel he had left sitting nearby and began drying her hair gently.

Alec towel dried Max's hair carefully and was surprised that she hadn't taken the towel off him and insisted on doing it herself. She always been someone who didn't like to accept any help that wasn't one hundred percent needed.

Once he'd dried her hair as much as he could, he reached behind her to grab a comb.

Max watched with interest as Alec sat on the edge of the bathtub beside her with the comb in his hand and motioned for her to turn her back to him. She gave him an appraising look before doing as he bid.

As Alec ran the comb carefully through her hair he suddenly thought about how many other people Max would let help her like this – especially this sort of help; the sort she didn't need – and he knew the list was pretty damn short. The only names he could come up with were Cindy and Joshua; and it gave him a warm happy feeling to know his name was among them.

"You know, you're pretty good at this," Max murmured, interrupting Alec's thoughts.

"Well I'm as surprised as you are, Max, because I have never done this before."

At the tone of Alec's voice Max swivelled around to face him, her knees touching his as she reached out instinctively to lay a hand gently on his jean clad leg. "I didn't mean anything by it, other than what I said. You are good at it. You could get a job in any salon," she teased, smiling. "I'll even give you a glowing reference."

Alec chuckled and shook his head. "Gee thanks, Max. If my job as unofficial Second In Command to a Transgenic Nation ever falls through, I'll have to hold you to that very kind offer."

"You bet," Max grinned.

As Alec took in Max's smiling face he suddenly felt content. For the first time in a very long time he wasn't so worried about her. He'd managed to get her mind off work for a couple of hours and relax. He knew that if he could just get her to remember what it was like to have some fun, and that it was alright to do so under the present circumstances, then half the battle would be won. He had a feeling that before Max's world had gone to shit a couple of years ago, she'd been a girl who knew how to have a good time – all he needed to do was remind her of that.

And he thought he'd gone some way to accomplishing that today. She had proven that she had been up for some fun, and Alec had even caught sight of Max's elusive sense of humour – a very rare creature. He knew he couldn't do any more than he had already done. The rest was up to her.

Max sat very still watching Alec watch her, only she could tell that while he was looking at her, he wasn't really seeing her; he was deep in though about something.

"Hey, what's the matter?" she asked, lightly squeezing his knee to get his attention. She watched in fascination as suddenly his eyes cleared, and she knew he was now seeing her.

He flashed her a gentle smile, and gazed at her fondly. "I was just thinking that I like seeing you this way," his hand reached out to stroke a lock of damp hair that hung beside her face.

Max snorted a little self-consciously. "What, looking like a drowned rat?"

"No," Alec chuckled. "Although there is something undeniably appealing about you when you're all wet and…unguarded like this," he breathed, his tone intimate as his eyes flicked over her, taking in her damp hair and unusually skimpy attire.

Max lightly swotted his leg with the hand still on his knee, averting her eyes. His look and his tone made her uncomfortable in a way that wasn't unpleasant.

Alec chuckled, inordinately pleased as a light blush swept across Max's cheeks before quickly dissipating. He caught the hand that had swotted his leg before she could retract it and held it against his thigh, before leaning in further and threading his fingers through her hair, his hand resting on the back of her head, holding her close.

"I mean it," he said seriously. "I like this side of you. The happy, carefree, relaxed Max. Did you know you sparkle when you're like this?"

Alec looked at her intently and Max knew that he was telling her the truth; or at least the truth as he saw it. There was nothing but honesty in his eyes. And Max realised that she wanted to be like he described more often, if only to have him look at her like he was now.

"Stop it, Alec," Max said in a teasing tone, but there was an underlying warning to it that Alec recognised.

"Fine. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, I just thought you should know," he said softly, his hand gliding out of her hair, gently brushing her cheek as he drew away from her, and Max felt the distance acutely.

Max held his gaze and gave an almost imperceptible nod, grateful that he wasn't going to push too hard with the whole compliments thing.

"Did you need a hand getting cleaned up?" she asked softly. She knew by looking at him that the answer was no. He hadn't gotten nearly as messy as she had – that was the inconvenience of long hair, it got messy in situations like these. He only had one small patch where he had obviously dragged his hand through his hair and transferred paint. Even though she knew he didn't need any help, Max had had the urge to offer.

Alec suddenly smirked lasciviously, looking pointedly at her before his eyes dropped meaningfully down to the fluoro splotch she'd inflicted high up on his thigh. Max's eyes widened as she noted the precarious positioning of the stain. She could barely think straight with a shirtless Alec, she didn't want to consider the effect a pantsless Alec would have on her blood pressure. She was bound to rupture something permanently.

Max met Alec's eye and raised her eyebrows in faux innocence's. "You're really about to trust me down there with rubbing alcohol that can strip paint?" an evil smirk blossoming as she eyed his crotch again.

This time it was Alec's eyes that widened. "You know…on second thoughts, I think I might be able to handle this one myself."

"Well, if you're sure…" Max smirked as she stood and sauntered out the door, flashing Alec a vicious smirk over her shoulder. Alec gulped. That look promised pain, but he had a strange feeling he might actually enjoy it.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Alec muttered to himself, knowing Max had won that round as he stood, his hands going to the front of his jeans to undo his fly. "You could always stay and keep me company?" he offered, noting the way Max's eyes were glued to the progress his fingers were making on the front of his pants.

Max's eyes snapped back up to Alec's amused gaze, before her own expression turned humorous. "I wouldn't want to intrude on such a… private moment." She flashed him a wicked smirk before deftly shutting the door behind her, leaving her innuendo hanging thick in the air.

A/N: Well I hope you all liked this little extension. I think this might be the last you hear from me for a while. I'm still working on the epilogue, but it's slow going – I've kinda lost my mojo. Plus I'm working on some other projects at the moment, so until I find some M/A inspiration I don't think I'll be around much. Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear what you thought!