I disclaim. I own nothing of Dark Angel. I am making no profit-I'm just having some fun playing with the characters.
Pursuit of Happiness
...
It's not like he hasn't lost someone before. It's nothing new to him, hadn't been new since he was five years old.
But there was something visceral and damning with the knowledge that he'd become compliant, arrogant. So sure of his own superiority that he'd always be able to get out of whatever jam he'd landed in.
The bomb in the back of his head should've reminded him. Rachel should've reminded him. He should have known.
No where is safe. No where is home. Fairytales are grim, sad tales where the hero's die in the pursuit of happiness more often that not. Max's fairytales don't exist. If he needed no other proof all he had to do was remember Biggs hanging in the street dead. His eye practically hanging from it's socket from being beat so savagely with their crowbars, their weapons.
Dead and gone and a testament; a reminder to Alec on the most visceral level since he was seven and killed another X-5 in combat training.
They weren't people. They were not normal. Max lived in a dream world he could no longer play in and expect to survive. Biggs is dead because of him. Because he convinced him to stay in Seattle.
It has all been nothing but a beautiful, terrible dream and Alec wants out.
He leaves at dawn, moving east into the rising sun with a stolen car. Josh is the only one he thinks he might regret leaving. But Joshua will understand. He's the only one who knew. Who saw the darkness that surrounds them at every turn. Who went with him that night to kill the ones who'd killed Biggs. He hasn't said goodbye. He doesn't need to. He's not a part of the fairytale anymore.
There is no happy ending.
...
"Mmmmm..."
Max turns toward the low sound of pleasure coming from her best friend. "Cindy, what are you doing?"
OC tips her head back and tosses something bright into her mouth. "Mmmmm, girl I'm finding my own little slice of heaven right here on earth."
Max glances around the miscreants that populate Jampony and scoffs. "Here? Heaven? Are you tripping on something?"
"I'm tripping on the sweet and sour courtesy of your boy."
"What!"
"Boy's got a hand in every kind of contraband there is. I told him I'd make it worth his while if he got me some of those sugar coated sour little shorties." Cindy popped another little flash of color into her waiting mouth then licked the ends of her fingers in ecstasy. "Now OC's got to come up with something suitable to pay the boy back with."
Max gaped at OC as she strode over to Alec; a look in her eye she usually only gave to fine looking honey's on the prowl. Her jaw dropped at the site of her very, very lesbian friend leaning into Alec and fluttering her eyelashes up at him. Alec smirked down at her, seemingly oblivious to the looks of astonishment he was gathering from the room. He bent his head while OC murmured something in his ear that made his face light up.
This was so not good.
Before Max could run over and demand what he'd drugged OC with, she'd pulled back and pressed her fingers to her lips before touching them to his cheek.
"There ya go honey. A little sugar for you. For getting OC a little sour." Cindy winked at Alec and sauntered back nonchalantly to Max as if she hadn't just grown an extra head and practically fawned over a man...much less Alec.
"You wanna explain to me what in the hell that was about?" Max growled a flush warming her face. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't stand Alec!"
OC looked at her as if she were the one who was acting all kinds of crazy. "Now where would you go and get a fool idea like that from?" She flipped her discarded messenger bag over her shoulder and nodded towards the exit. "You coming?" When Max just stared at her, OC shrugged and turned to leave. "Suit yourself."
As soon as she was gone Max stomped over to Alec and shoved her finger into his chest. "I don't know what your game is, but I swear Alec you'd better not mess with OC or-"
Laughter interrupted her tirade as Alec fell back against the wall barely containing his mirth.
"Mess with OC? What are you talking about Max? Does it look like I have a death wish?" He blinked his hazel-green eyes at her. "What makes you think I'm messing with OC?"
Max pulled back and frowned. How did one put into words that he, being a playa-player shouldn't be making her friend act all crazy and straight without it sounding offensive? So Max just decided to bypass the details and get right to the heart of the matter. "What was in that candy you gave her? She was acting all...nice to you!"
This time Alec didn't try to stifle the laughter. Max glared at him trying to freeze him to death. When that inevitably failed she popped him round the back of the head. "Ow! Hey!" He protested as she turned and marched away.
"I'll figure out what you're up to Alec, mark my words."
"Oh, mark my words Alec-I will discover your devious plan of being nice to a friend and expose you for the cruel candy giving villain that you are! Mwwwahahaha!" Alec mocked her in a high pitched tone. Max merely threw her gloves at his head. He ducked and with a grin headed for the exit ramp himself. "Too bad you aren't nicer to your good ole buddy Alec here or you too could be participating in some nice, sweet treats, eh?"
Max pressed her fists into her hips. "Whatever." She replied with a toss of her long chesnut hair.
"Whatever." Alec repeated. "Nice retort there Maxie. You ever run out of those zingers?" He gave her a mock salute before he was out the door whistling.
"Yeah, I got another one here for you buddy !" Max bellowed after him. "You suck!"
...
They didn't understand why he did it. Why he smoked cigars everyday in this day and age when they were so hard to come by. They couldn't understand how they made him, if even just for a moment, happy.
It was like sucking in dry dessert heat. A burst of warmth in cold, dreary Seattle.
"Mole?" A hesitant voice from the doorway.
"Whaddya want?" He growled in response.
A small box of cigars appeared on the table out of the corner of his eye.
"For you." Joshua placed the box down and slipped back through the door. After he was gone, Mole opened the top and pulled a fresh one out. He took a moment to inhale deeply before peeling away the wrap. He struck a match and sucked in that first breath of air, of freedom.
It was sweet.
...
I am still working on my other projects...I just sat down and these started pouring out. So I thought I would just get them out of the way. I hope you enjoy.