"Shit." Max cursed herself, watching from a quasi-safe distance as Alec enlisted the help of the new X5 doctor, Erin, to teach the young X6s about basic field med.

The 'shit' wasn't because he was teaching them field med, or because he had enlisted the ivory-haired doc with a decent rack; no, the 'shit' was because she realized upon Alec's first charming smile that she, Max Guevara, was jealous. That's what that twinge of partial disgust was about, right? Not because she disliked Erin – Erin was delightful, not disgusting – but because Erin was getting the attention Max craved?

The ghost feeling of Alec's lips on her neck was making her insane with confusion. It was Alec, who, until her reintroduction to Manticore, seemed to live a trivial life of frivolity – always making deals, finding the weak points of people and exposing them, taking advantage of others' flaws to get ahead inside the gates, and probably on his solos, too.

It had only been an hour since Dix's decidedly not-interruption-worthy intelligence had caused the resurgence of Max's Touch-Me-Not attitude, which, in turn, caused Alec to walk out of her office.

If this was war, he was winning.

Logically, Max knew she should not want Alec coming around, flaunting himself about all nonchalantly, infuriating her with his complete control, just to catch her checking him out or pique her curiosity, or suggest by body language alone that they might be a good fit together. He was about the here and now, the immediate future. Hell, he'd said as much before. His intentions were definitely questionable, and she shouldn't want to be another notch on his proverbial bedpost. Right?

But now, as she watched how effortless it seemed for him to teach the young kids, she was filled with an odd sense of pride. They all had the basic maneuvers down, and he was showing them how to inflict the most damage with the least amount of effort, and then how to clean up themselves or their comrades if they were the subject of the 'most damage.'

Doc Erin had asked him to remove his shirt so she could apply the unnecessary bandaging. Alec stared at Erin for a moment before complying. Leaning on an elbow on the grass, his lean form the epitome of carefree, he looked like a model, like a dream she wanted to get back to dreaming, just to see where it led.

And as Doc Erin put her hands on his abdomen, Max seethed with anger from across the courtyard. He was deliberately taunting her. He knew he was driving her nuts, and nothing pleased him more than knowing someone was under his thrall. And somehow she let herself be affected by it. By him.

Suddenly, Alec's eyes locked on hers. For a moment, she felt it might have been in shock – to see that she actually was watching him from afar, and what a compromising position it might seem that he might have been in with the Doc. His shoulders twitched as if he were about to stand and his mouth fell open as if he was about to call out to her, but instead, he took a breath, winked at her, and turned his attention back to the Doc. He made a joke Max couldn't hear, and as Erin shook with laughter, Max turned on her heel and found her way back to the gym.

Alright, tough guy. You think you've pulled my card, but we haven't even begun to play.

She let her coat fall to the floor of the dusty gym. Her long-sleeve over shirt was next to join it. Max felt her fingernails digging into her palms before she realized her hands were clenched in tight fists.

She wanted to hit something. Hard. Stomping over to the punching bag, she began her work.

Why was she even letting him get to her? She was better than that, right? She was Max Guevara, for Christ sakes, and she kicked ass first, and you were damn lucky if she asked any questions at all later. She was fazed by no man; and if Alec thought he could get away with… well, everything she'd let him get away with lately, well, then he had another thing coming.

Spiteful and overcome with anger, Max worked up quite a sweat at the bag. Her long hair was starting to weigh down with moisture, a few strands sticking to her neck and forehead. Her knuckles were starting to skin. She removed the annoying tank top, leaving her in her sports bra and pants, and cased the gym for anything that might help.

She spotted an open bag next to Sydney, another X5 series built for foreign recon. A roll of the sport tape for which she was looking stuck angelically out of the top of Sydney's bag. Sydney herself was halfway through her rep of push-ups when Max interrupted. "Mind if I use your tape?"

Sydney exhaled while pushing her body up. Jesus, Max looks wound tight, she thought. "No problem. Should be an extra hair tie in there, too."

Max found the hair tie and pulled her hair back into it. She grabbed the tape and once prepared, began the second wind of her workout.

Stupid Alec, smiling all over TC with his perfect technique and perfect strategies and perfect face!

Despite punctuating everything that was perfect about him with punches and kicks, Max completely steamrolled over her own admission that she thought his face was perfect.

Walkin' around like sex on legs… more like trouble on legs! More like a moving bullet-magnet on legs! Perfect goddamn legs…

Seemingly unbidden, a flash of Alec's handsome face entered her mind, and she stilled her movements. Okay, so, he's handsome. So what? Doesn't give him a right to treat people like they don't matter. To say things that make them interested and then say those same things to someone else. Even if he's not kissing someone else…

"Shut up!" she grunted aloud.

"Geez, I didn't even say anything yet," Alec said defensively from behind her.

As Max spun around to face him, caught at the gym again, she tried to calm her body. She was on edge, hyped and tensed, taut, and she was in no mood to lose today.