Disclaimer:- I don't own Dark Angel or any of the characters, except Nikki. She's an original.
AN:- I know it took me a while to update, but I've been so busy at college. Thanks for the great reviews guys! here's the next chapter.
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Trust Has to Be Earned
Chapter Three
The three boys, Alec, Sketchy and Logan, arrived at Crash long before the girls. While Logan looked on, Sketchy challenged Alec to their usual game of pool, which Alec beat him at, as usual.
"Come on, man. You gotta let me win my money back," Sketchy pleaded.
"Fine, but you know I'm just gonna beat you again." Alec grabbed his cue and set up to beat Sketchy again. He really did hate taking money from his friend, but Sketchy was so adamant. And Alec couldn't help it if a couple of his 'skills' helped him to win.
As Alec set up to take his breaking shot, his Manticore senses kicked in and his attention was drawn to the entrance as the girls entered the club.
Although all three girls were together, Alec's full attention was held by one, and it wasn't the usual one either. Nikki had his undivided attention tonight. If he thought she had been amazing when they first met, it was nothing compared to how she looked now.
She strode in, so confident, not noticing or not caring about the stares all three were getting from the male population of the crowd. She looked happy, giggling with Max and OC, and it was a good look for her. The genuine smile etched across her features made her look all the more beautiful. Max led the group, guiding them towards Logan's table. Nikki finally looked his way, noticing Alec watching her, and smiled at him. A smiled aimed just at him. He smiled back at her and for once, his smile wasn't laced with sarcasm or its usual cheeky appearance. It was just a simple smile especially for the person who brought it out of him. Nikki.
"Would you break already," Sketchy said impatiently, knocking Alec's attention back to the game. "I wanna win my money back."
"You got it," Alec said without his usually, Mr. Confidence, I'm-keeping-your-money attitude. He leaned in against the pool table to start the game, but his mind was no longer concerned with winning. The only thing in his mind now was Nikki and her smile. Without his full concentration on the game, Alec hit his shot, but not how he would have liked it. The balls broke apart but barely scattered. Sketchy smiled, thinking Alec had lost his winning streak. He took his shot. It was no better than Alec's. Worse maybe.
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Nikki sat on the table with Max, Logan and OC. Her gaze occasionally flicked to the pool table, watching Alec. His confidence leaked out onto his game, knocking balls off the table with the greatest of ease, much to the distaste of his opponent.
"Is that Sketchy playing against Alec?" Nikki asked, motioning towards the shaggy haired guy who was watching Alec play and win with more and more distress.
"Yeah, that's him," OC answered. "You best keep ya whole super hero gig on the down low around him. He ain't so up on it like me."
'I know. Max warned me," Nikki said with a smile. Her attention was drawn back to the pool game with the sound of dropping wood. She turned to see Alec and Sketchy head back their way, Alec counting money with a huge smile on his face.
"You beat him again, didn't you" Max asked towards Alec.
"Does it ever go any other way," Alec joked, taking the seat next to Nikki. Sketchy stayed where he was, his gaze locked on Nikki.
"Don't stare Sketch," OC said, pulling him roughly into a chair. That's Nikki." Nikki smiled at Sketchy, waving brightly.
"Hey new girl," he said, finally pulling away his gaze.
"'So anyone else fancy a game of pool?" Alec addressed the table. No one answered.
"Come on, you'll play your good buddy Alec, won't you Maxie?"
"No way," Max answered. "I ain't moving from this chair," she said, cuddling herself closer to Logan.
"Guess that puts you out of the picture too, Logan?"
'Afraid so," Logan said, leaning his head against Max's. He turned to persuade OC, but the look she gave him told him to not even dare asking. He turned his attention to Nikki.
"Nikki, baby," he said, sliding an arm across her shoulders. "You'll have me a game, won't you?"
Alec smiled pleadingly at her and Nikki felt like doing anything he asked.
"Fine," she said, pulling his arm from her shoulders and standing up. "But I get to break." She walked towards the pool table, Alec following her closely.
"I've gotta see this," Max said, pulling herself away from Logan and following Nikki and Alec. OC, Sketchy and Logan followed her.
"Nikki stood beside the pool table, leaning against her cue and watching Alec set up. He arranged the balls and stepped back, letting Nikki take the first shot.
"I'll go easy on you," Alec said as Nikki passed him, his Mr. Confident attitude back. "Since you're a beginner and all."
Nikki smiled, leaning into the table to take her shot, she broke easily, scattering the balls and sending two crashing into opposite pockets. She looked up, smiling smugly at Alec while he gazed back at her in shock.
"What were you saying about going easy on me?" Nikki said just as smugly.
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The game carried on much in the same way, each taking a shot and potting a couple before letting the other take over. Max, OC, Sketchy and Logan all stood with Nikki, cheering her on to be the first person to beat Alec. Alec mumbled something about true friends under his breath just low enough that only Max and Nikki could hear him.
Finally, they got to the point where it was just them and the eight ball left, and it was Alec's shot. Nikki stood behind him, watching over his shoulder.
"Are you trying to put me off?" Alec asked, standing straight.
"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing," Nikki answered sweetly. A bit too sweetly.
"Well, will you stand out of my light please?" Alec said, staring her down.
"Fine," Nikki said, sweeping away and leaning against the wall close by. She stood watching as he leaned to take his shot.
Out of the corner of his eye, Alec could see Nikki standing close by. The way she was standing, Alec could see she wasn't trying to keep his attention, but she was anyway. With part of his concentration on Nikki, Alec took his shot and missed, the ball hitting the cushion. Nikki smiled, sliding over to the table as Alec glared at her.
"You can't possible blame e for that." In answer, Alec continued to glare at her as she leant in to take her shot. Trying to put her off, Alec stood behind her, leaning as close as he could without touching her. But it didn't have any effect on her. She ignored the heat of his body beside her and took her shot. The balls cracked together lightly, sending the eight ball streaming into a pocket and the cue ball back to its starting position.
Smiling widely, Nikki straightened up for the last time and turned to face Alec. Max, Logan, OC and Sketchy stood by the pool table, laughing and cheering Nikki while Alec gazed open mouthed at her. He had just been beat for the first time at pool, and it was by a girl! Max would never let him live this down.
Nikki pushed Alec gently aside, pressing her pool cue into his chest as she moved with the others to sit back down.
"That was brilliant girl!" Sketchy said. "You are a goddess among women." Nikki smiled shyly at Sketchy.
"Why you guys making this a big deal? Surely he's lost before?" Nikki said.
"No," Max said, laughing. "You're the first, and about time too. I'm glad someone finally brought him down off that pedestal he put himself on." Max finished as Alec finally strode over.
"Well, A celebration is definitely in order," Logan said, holding up the empty beer pitcher.
"I'll get it," Nikki offered, taking the pitcher from Logan. "After all, I have all this new money someone owes me." She held her hand out to Alec, waiting for him to hand over her winnings with a smile on her face.
"Come one," Alec said, grabbing her outstretched hand. "I'll come with you, since it is my money."
"Mine, don't you mean?" Nikki corrected.
'Whatever," Alec deadpanned. The group watched them leaving, laughing. Once they were out of earshot, Max turned back to the others.
"So, what do you guys think of her?" she asked.
"She nice, "Sketchy said, still watching her walk away. "Very nice." Seeing the look which came over his face, both Max and OC smacked him across the back of the head, hard.
"Oww," Sketchy exclaimed ducking and covering a little too late. "What was that for?"
"I already told you about staring," OC said. "And specially with that look you had. I know what ya thinking and forget it. Leave her alone."
"Fine," Sketchy said, defeated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the boys room." Sketchy left the table, letting the others discuss what they really wanted to about Nikki.
"I was right what I said about your boy," OC said. "Manticore really do make 'em pretty."
Max laughed. 'I'm just glad to have someone else like me around," she said. "I mean, there is Alec, but he's just too much to handle alone sometimes."
"Yeah," Logan said. "But I don't know. Don't you think it's a bit odd? I mean, she appears out of nowhere months after Manticore went down, and we know nothing about her except her designation number."
"Hey, Mr Over-Analyse-Everything," OC said to Logan. "Stop panicking my boo. If there was something wrong with Nikki, she'd know."
Max smiled at OC, but it was a forced smile. She hated to admit it about one of her own, but she had been thinking the same as Logan since Alec had brought Nikki in. Alec hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary, but that was because he was Alec. He was clearly thinking with his pants and not his brain, as always. This girl had appeared out of fresh air after they had been searching for so long. And the weirdest part was, she seemed perfectly normal.
X5-479 had been in Manticore for ten years longer than Max had. You didn't just stop being a soldier. She had seen that with Alec. It had taken him some time to adjust when he was out, and even then he did some stupid things. Max just hoped she didn't have to go through that again.
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Nikki and Alec stood at the bar, pitcher in hand and trying to get the bartenders attention.
"You do know that wasn't a fair game, don't you?" Alec said, leaning coolly against the bar.
"Enlighten me. Why exactly is that?" Nikki said. "A refill please," she told the bartender as he walked over to them and then away with their pitcher.
"Because of who you are."
'What do you mean, 'because of who I am'?"
"You know, special. You having all those advantages over most people."
"You not being one of those people. You have the same advantages. What's your excuse now?" Alec stayed quiet, looking sheepishly at the floor.
"Ha! You just need to accept that a girl was the first person to beat you at pool."
"Well, I am at least glad it was you and not Max. She'd be hell to be around." The bartender put the pitcher down in front of them and Nikki turned to Alec, smirking. He sighed and pulled the money out, handing it to the bartender. He looked over at Nikki, who was still smiling at him, but now with more of a giggle than a smirk. Looking at her, he made his mind up to say something, even if it was only something small.
"By the way, you look amazing tonight." He grabbed the pitcher and headed back to the table, smiling sweetly at Nikki.
Once he had left her side, Nikki stood still and watched him for a moment, a little shocked. When Max said she would impress tonight, her first thought had been to impress Alec above all. Now she had done that and he had said she looked amazing. Her night was complete.
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The group of six sat together at the table for the rest of the night, laughing and joking. Nikki's brilliant win over Alec at the pool table was the main topic of conversation for a while, until Alec sat in a huff, forcing them to change the topic just to get that ridiculous look off his face.
When all the beer was drunk and all the conversation topics, appropriate or not, had been discussed, the group separated. After saying his goodbye to Max, Logan heading to his car and back to his apartment. Sketchy left with some woman, who was extremely drunk. Sketchy, being equally as drunk himself, didn't notice, which gave the rest of them their last bit of amusement. Max and OC headed back to their apartment, which was in walking distance.
And Alec and Nikki left together, heading for his place.
Alec dragged Nikki outside and stopped beside the row of bikes, turning to her.
"How do you feel about bikes?" he asked with a smirk.
"What?" Nikki asked, glancing from Alec, to the bikes, then back again.
"Motorbikes? You're not scared of them or anything like that are you?"
"Of all the things I know are in this world, motorbikes are one of the things that don't really bother me all that much."
"Good," he said. "Because that's how we're getting home." He turned away from Nikki and moved over to one of the bikes. Nikki watched him.
"You coming or do you wanna stay here alone?" Alec said, swinging his leg over the bike. Nikki smiled and ran over to him, jumping on the bike behind him.
"Hold on," Alec said, kicking the bike into gear. As they set off speeding down the road, the force sent Nikki back. To keep herself on the bike, she threw her arms tight round Alec's waist, pulling her body closer to his. The heat of Alec's body against her's as she held tight to him made her feel safe, just knowing he was there and she wasn't gonna fall off. She hugged herself closer to both the bike and Alec as they skidded round corners.
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Alec smiled as the bike took off and he felt Nikki's arm grip round his waist. Feeling the tight arms wrap round him made him feel needed, like someone depended on him. And the feeling wasn't half bad. Her body turned with his as they darted round corners on their way home. Smiling wider, Alec decided to experiment. He hit the bike up a gear, hurtling faster down the road. A shriek echoed from behind him and the grip tightened round his waist. He laughed slightly. The girls he knew, like Max and OC, never shrieked. It was a strange sound to his ears, but the fact that it came from Nikki felt… well, right. Manticore hadn't made her the type of girl that needed protecting, but that one small sound told him she was still vulnerable, whether she wanted to be or not. And that made her… human. A normal, human girl.
Keeping at the same steady, but still fast, pace, Alec pulled the bike to a stop outside his apartment a short while later. Nikki's body jerked closer into Alec as she took a little longer than him to adjust to the speed change. The minute she was back to herself, she let go of his waist and jumped off the bike, a little shaken.
"You okay?" he asked, taking his time to climb off the bike and turn to her.
"Yeah. Fine," she answered uncertainly. Alec stared at her, the edge in her voice telling him that she was still a little shuck up. Nikki held her gaze anywhere but on Alec, choosing to concentrate on the buildings around her. Alec kept his eyes locked on her, urging her to look at him. After a while, she pulled her gaze back to him, his eyes cutting into her becoming too much.
"All right, so I'm not used to bikes. You can stop glaring at me like that any time soon." Alec laughed and finally turned to his apartment, Nikki following. All Alec could hear from behind him was Nikki mumbling, both about the bike and how arrogant and cocky he was. She wasn't trying to hide her ranting, so Alec let her blow off steam, smiling occasionally at what she was saying about him.
He reached his door and made a grand gesture out of letting her in, sweeping to the side and bowing gracefully while holding the door open. Nikki laughed gently, shaking her head and stepping into the apartment. Alec followed, pulling his jacket off and flinging it across the room at the couch. He looked on as Nikki's eyes flew round the apartment as if searching for something.
"Looking for something in particular?" Alec asked, standing beside her.
"No, just exploring the place I'm gonna be stayin' for a while," she said, her eyes still exploring.
There wasn't much for her to explore. He hadn't lived here long. He had called this place his own after the Brain incident, much to Max's dislike. But then again, most things he did were to Max's dislike. Not that he did it on purpose, he just seemed to annoy her most of the time. But this place was something he was keeping. He hadn't really changed the place, but that was because he lived here alone. There was no reason to dress it up. Until now.
"I know it's not much, but…." Alec stopped slightly, glad when Nikki interrupted him.
"No, it's perfect," Nikki said, finally turning to Alec. "I mean, it's no cell at Manticore, but…." Nikki stopped at the same point as Alec, smiling softly. Alec smiled back at her. Being around Nikki, it was the most he had ever smiled. But it didn't bother him. Not a bit.
"Good. So I guess we gotta figure out sleeping arrangements then." There was only one bedroom… and a couch.
"Since it's your apartment, I'll take the couch. I don't mind." Nikki began to make her way towards the couch until two hands took hold of her shoulders, their soft grip stopping her in her tracks.
"No, you can have the bed, you being the guest and all," Alec said, walking her towards the bedroom.
"Yeah, but…."
"No, you have the bed. I've slept on worse, I think I can cope with the couch for a few nights." He moved Nikki so she was just inside the doorway and turned her to face him. The look in his eyes was saying he was adamant about this.
"Fine, if you insist. But we swap tomorrow," Nikki said, giving in on her terms.
"Okay," he said as Nikki made her way further into the room. "Goodnight, Nikki," he said, throwing an oversized sweatshirt her way.
"Goodnight, Alec," Nikki said, catching the sweatshirt and closing the door on his cheeky grin.
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Nikki sat beside the window, that nights clothes in a pile on a nearby chair. Her eyes were fixed on the night sky as she sat curled in a ball, Alec's sweater burying her already small frame. Her face was a perfect mask as she stared out, all emotion drained from her features. She couldn't sleep after everything that had happened today. She had shed her position as a soldier and found people like her who were wiling to help her live a normal life. And one of them was on the other side of that door.
As she heard the smallest of creaks, Nikki wondered whether Alec was awake. Using all her skills in stealth she had learnt when she was young, she quietly crept to the door, opening it a crack. Her eyes searched the room, falling on the empty couch. Searching now for Alec, Nikki moved to open the door fully. She stopped as a figure walked into her view, the figure appearance aiding her sudden frozen state.
It was Alec, walking in from the kitchen. He moved to the couch, wearing nothing but his boxers. If she had thought he looked good with clothes, it was nothing compared to now. The moonlight flickered across his half naked body, making him all the more enticing. Nikki bit her lip to suppress the slight gasp at the sight of Alec in his half naked glory. While he stood beside the couch, Nikki's eyes flew across his delicious body, unable and unwilling to look away. That was until Alec turned her way.
Not wanting him to catch her staring, Nikki closed the door and swiftly moved to the bed, sliding beneath the covers. Once she was sure there were no more sounds coming from behind the door, she lay down comfortably, smiling to herself. She knew what would be dominating her dreams tonight.
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Alec turned just in time to see the petite dark haired figure he had already grown accustomed to seeing quickly close the door. He laughed softly, wondering how long she had been watching him.
Looks like it's gonna be more interesting than I thought having that girl here, Alec thought with a smile.
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tbc...
AN:- Hey guys,I know this story is dragging a bit, but I promise, more will hapen in the next chapter. And please review, it makes me happy! See you guys next time.
