Family Getaway

Chapter 10: Rivals and Reoccurrences

"Are you fucking done yet!?" yelled White pounding on the bathroom door.

Max ignored him and turned her shower water hotter, letting the spray wash away all the tensions. She had a hour to do whatever, their next therapy session was Couple Counselling. White and Ray had a father-son boding course early in the morning before the little Familiar went to his peer group. White had gotten back just before she went to shower which was about an hour and a half ago. Well more like she had an hour long bubble bath followed by her shower which lasted half an hour, just to piss White off. Max smiled to herself.

"You take fucking forever."

Max screamed and poked her head out of the shower curtain, "I'm in the middle of a shower! Get OUT!"

"You've been in here forever 452," said White walking into the bathroom.

"I LOCKED that door!"

"No you didn't."

"YES, I did," said Max angrily.

White shrugged, "So I picked the lock."

"And what was so important in here that you couldn't wait for?"

"Thought you could use some company," he said. Max nearly fell over.

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"Well I've been reading our curriculum..."

"Oh God," whined Max.

"And it says that we should communicate more."

"I'm kind of naked in here!"

"I kind of noticed," said White, "As one tends to be in the shower."

"Shut up!" said Max, "And again I ask: what the hell are you doing in here? Just trying to annoy me?"

"I'm bored so yes."

Max shut the taps off violently and went to grab her towel. Making sure it was wrapped securely around her, she pulled back the shower curtain and stepped out, shoving White into the sink as she passed him.

"Want one for your hair?" he asked grabbing a smaller towel and holding it out to her. Max turned and grabbed it, glaring at him as she stalked out of the bathroom and slammed the door to their bedroom.

^^^

A while later and on their way to therapy Max was still mad at White. She walked a few steps ahead of him, quite pissed at his earlier stunt in the bathroom. How dare he barge in one her? What the hell was the point...idiot...

"What room are we in?" she asked him heatedly.

"A cosher room just off the main floor. Twenty-six I think."

"I'll meet you there."

"Where are you going?"

"I said I'll meet you there!"

Max stormed off away from White who just shrugged and continued on his way. Max walked off back down the hall to the women's washroom. She slammed the door open violently and stalked in cursing White.

"Not that I care but...bad morning?" asked a woman looking in the mirror. She was busy applying her lipstick carefully.

"You could say that," said Max pacing slowly, Max looked up at the woman and recognized her, "Hey, you're the one who bumped into me a few days ago."

"You were in my way sweetie."

"I was in YOUR way?" asked Max quizzically, "You couldn't have went around?"

The woman laughed, "You are so much different than the last one."

"What?" asked Max. She had forgotten her earlier anger at White over the confusion of the woman in front of her.

"It's probably never come up but I'm Adelle," she said, "And by last one I meant that Olsen bitch. You're Maxine right?"

"Ols-Wendy? Wendy Olsen? You knew her?"

"Not really," said Adelle flippantly, "She was the demure nice little goody-goody, real girl next door type. It really surprised me when he left me for that prissy no nothing."

"It's just Max and...uh?"

"So what happened to her anyway? Something horrible I hope," said Adelle, "I can't believe he didn't call me..."

Max's mouth dropped open, "You knew Ames?"

"We were at Harvard together. Law school."

"He mentioned it once, didn't suit him though," said Max, she was thinking about Adelle's previous comment 'So what happened to her anyway? Something horrible I hope' how cold could this woman be?

"Show's how much you know. Ames was an amazing lawyer, he was...ruthless and mmmm...so perfect for the job, he got his degree but never took the bar exam. It was probably that bitch's fault, so what happened to her? Didn't last long did she? Rumour has it you and Ames have been together for nine years, I met him when we were eighteen, seven years of college together, he left me for Olsen, and if my math is correct, stayed with her for only two years before moving onto you. So then what? You get pregnant just to keep him around?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. He finally came to his senses about his first mistake of a wife and was going to come back to me, then he picks up some latina tramp and gets her knocked up for God knows what reason. Has to marry her, and as you can tell I'm still very, VERY bitter about the brush off he gave me eleven years ago."

"Oh so it's my fault?"

"Well that depends, you messing around with him when he was still with Wife #1?"

"Wendy died, have some respect."

"Oh I see now, he was on the rebound and you just happened to be there?"

"It's nice to know that you care so much about people," said Max sarcastically. The urge to hit this woman was almost overpowering.

"Like I said I'm bitter. And right now I just can't bring myself to care." Adelle put her lipstick back in her purse and went to leave. When she got past Max and to the door she turned, "I'd really like to know where Ames picked you up from, or maybe he was just really, really drunk at the time. Ah well, we'll be having a little chat soon, so until then I can speculate as much as I want. See you soon, hon."

And with that Adelle sauntered though the door. Max just stood there in shock, there was no way was that woman was human. Sure there were some pretty nasty people out there but Adelle took the cake. Max sighed, so Ms. Bitch knows White, they were definitely going to have a little chat about this.

^^^

The room they were in for Couples Therapy was a smaller room with four love seats arranged in a square. Max found White on the left and went to sit down beside him. The Counsellor was at the head of the square as the couples filed in. It turned out that Max and White were stuck with Angie and Derek, Jenny, Gertie and their husbands.

"Had a talk with an old friend of yours," said Max.

"What?"

"We're going to have a little chat."

"About what?" White was confused, just a few minutes before the X5 had been ready to kill him but know she was...well she wasn't pissed but she wasn't happy.

"You'll see."

Before White could respond, the counsellor cut him off.

"Alrighty well it looks like everyone is here, so we might as well start. My name is Debra and I'll be your group couple therapist today. As you know after today, you'll have your mother/child bonding morning, like the fathers had theirs today and then your family sessions will begin. After that you'll get your assessments and then this will all be over. You can go back home and get things up and running again."

Debra took her clipboard and proceeded to make sure that everyone was there. Once she was done that, she preceded to tell them how this class would work. Debra wanted to explore hidden feelings. Each couple would tell the group how they met and got together and how they got to where they are now. She started around from her left at Derek and Angie. They had apparently met at a UFO convention and were both fanatics. Derek was supposedly sterile and Angie had somehow gotten pregnant, they had been growing increasingly suspicious of each other over the years. Gertie and Jerry had met at a college mixer and were in Donovan because their beliefs started to conflict and then there was the problem of Gertie's gossiping. Jenny and Luke had ran into each other in a super market, they were here because they disagreed on how to raise their son. Their conflicting parenting practices started to show themselves in little Luke Jr. at school when he started to act out. The principal had suggested this trip for them. Though all of their past history and current problems, Debra had managed to find a common thread, and certain emotions that these problems were based on. After everyone else was done it finally came to Max and White

"So how'd you two meet?"

"She was in a cage,"said White before Max could answer.

"I knew she was a stripper!" squealed Gertie excitedly. White almost laughed out loud.

"I was NOT a stripper!" shouted Max turning to glare at her 'husband'. He could have made something up but noooo...he had to tell everyone where they really met, how were they going to get through this now?

"Oh no," said White, "She wasn't a stripper."

'This might be okay...' thought Max cautiously.

"Some sector cops picked her up on a street corner, she was in one of the holding cells when I went walking past."

Max's mouth was hanging open, she should have been expecting something like this from White.

'Stripper wasn't so bad...' she thought as she heard the murmurs of 'prostitute' that normal people wouldn't have been able to hear. Sometimes super hearing sucked. Max was starting to become convinced that White was purposely trying to destroy her reputation here.

White smirked when he saw Max's reaction. He didn't really care if she got pissed with him again, after this morning's little incident White found it quite amusing to get 452 annoyed. Besides most of his story of how they met was pretty accurate, except it wasn't a street corner she was picked up from.

"Okay, okay, people stop whispering," said Debra trying to regain control, "So Max, you were in a jail cell when Ames walked by. What was the next step in your relationship?"

"She probably solicited him," Gertie whispered quietly to Jenny but both Max and White heard her. The X5 was about to retort when she saw how freaked out White looked by that thought.

"Actually," said Max, "our relationship didn't progress any further. Ray was conceived that night."

"WHAT?!" shouted White, "That did NOT happen!"

"Of course it did honey, I think I'd remember the feel of you..."

"Are you trying to make me sick? If so, it's working."

"Oh Ames..."

"Please 'Max', if you screwed anyone that night it was probably your pimp when he busted you out."

"Alec is not my pimp!"

"Oh right I forgot you're Cale's personal call girl," said White, "Too bad one touch will kill him," he added silently.

Max huffed, "You are such a-"

"O-KAY," interrupted Debra, "I think maybe we should talk about all this, get it out into the open. So who are Alec and Cale?"

"Alec and Logan," said Max, "Cale's his last name and they're friends, well Alec's annoying as hell and Logan, I really don't want to talk about him."

"Lover's spat?" asked White.

"He is NOT-"

"I think we might have some jealousy here," said Debra.

"Jealousy?! I'm am NOT fucking jealous!"

"And trust issues, you have to trust one another if your relationship is going to work itself out."

"What relationship?" spat Max.

"Okay, okay," said Debra, "Let's go back to the beginning and analyze. I think from just what I've heard here that you two have some serious trust issues."

"You think?"

"Now honestly, spite aside, how did you really meet?"

Max and White glanced at each other, he really HAD met her in a cage...now what was their cover story?

"Um...I was...waitressing."

"I came in for...coffee."

"And we met," said Max.

"So...and then..." pressed Debra, "What happened?"

"Uh...well..."

"We got to talking," said White, "found we had...some...things in common."

"Like what?" asked Debra.

"We had..."

"Rough childhoods," said White.

"An example maybe?"

"I'm not getting into this Freudian crap."

"Alright," said Debra, "we're just here to take it slow. So you two got to talking, good open communication..then what happened? What brought you here."

"Ray did," said Max with a slight smile, "He maneuverer everything so we'd have no choice."

"Ah yeah," said White. "We were at City Hall almost getting into a custody battle when..."

"...some woman came up to us and told us about this retreat, before we could say anything Ray grabbed the papers and said we'd be there."

"He also made us sit together every chance he got...he's quite manipulative," said White.

"Get's it from you," said Max.

"He does doesn't he?"

"Did you know that the two of you haven't been at each others throats all the while you've been talking about your son?" said Debra, "I think he's your middle ground, you both love him so much and he obviously loves you enough to manhandle your lives against your wills to come here. Try and see things through his eyes, re-evaluate your relationship, what you went through to get here, why you fell in love, why you decided to get married and have a child in the first place. Just forget the bad and concentrate on the good."

The room was quiet as Max chewed on her lip and White looked to the side. How were they supposed to concentrate on the good when there was nothing but bad? He'd tried to kill her so many times...she'd kidnapped his son....they had only stopped fighting long enough to come on this trip. This was the first time that either of them had sort of gotten along with out any kind of bloodshed.

^^^

After the session Max and White headed back to the elevator, the X5 thought it was a good time to bring up her meeting with a certain someone.

"Anyway back to what I was saying before Debra started the session, I ran into Adelle today and heard some pretty...interesting things, included among her colourful comments about your choice in women."

White groaned and ran a hand over his face, "Adelle Johensen...I was hoping against hope that I'd never hear that name again. Let alone see her again. Was sort of praying that she wouldn't start something when I saw her at the orientation."

"Hmm, well now she has," said Max.

"Four days without stalking me, that's got to be a record."

"I take it your opinions of each other were quite different."

"She always followed me around, dressing like a whore and acting like she was better than everyone else."

"Kind of like you."

"I did not go around in mini skirts flashing cleavage all over the place 452."

Max couldn't hold back her laugh at the mental picture she got.

"So you went to Harvard?" said Max regaining control.

"I was on my way up in the Conclave, where else would they send me?" said White, "It was quite nice over there, I was there three years before the pulse hit."

"So while you were a third year law student, I was breaking out of Manticore the first time around."

White smirked, "Guess so, so what'd Adelle say?"

"Well the way she talked about you, you'd think you were a god or something."

White shook his head, "I swear I never did anything to make her think I was interested."

"I think it might've been that whole 'cold hearted bastard' persona you have that attracted her. It's sickening really."

"That I'm a cold hearted bastard or the fact that someone actually found it appealing?"

"Both."

"Do I disgust you?"

"Completely."

"Oh so that's why you're always curled up to me in the morning," said White.

"Hey I can't help it if you're warm!"

"I though you said I was cold?"

"Not like- shut up, you're...you know what you're doing!"

"You look a little flustered."

"Because you're pissing me off."

"Well we can't very much fight it out in the lobby now can we?"

"So you're just going to annoy me?"

"I'm getting bored, I'm missing my training schedule, and being pent up in here all the time is driving me insane."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Max sighing, "I'd give anything for my bike right now."

"Just three more days of this."

"Yeah..." said Max trailing off. She stopped walking and turned to White, "And then what?"

Max and White looked at each other. What was going to happen after the retreat. Would they just go back to the way things were?

"Mom! Dad!" Max and White both felt a jolt in their hearts as Ray came running towards them. Mom and Dad...How could they go back to fighting when this kid loved them both so much?

"So what'd you guys have to do?" He asked, wedging himself between Max and White, grabbing onto both their hands, Ray led them to the elevator, "And where are we going for lunch?"

^^^

As it turned out, everyone at the retreat were allowed to go out for lunch. Meaning they could finally get out of the hotel and explore Donovan. The hotel was located on a hill just barely outside the town of about 1200 people. White, Max, and Ray walked down the sidewalks into town. Greenery and pink roses were almost everywhere they looked. It was no wonder that people came here on retreats, it was peaceful. About twenty minutes of walking later, the tri managed to find a suitable diner. Once they were settled in and had ordered, Ray starting telling them al about his day.

"And it was really weird, I think Christina think we're stupid or something. I knew everything before she even said it, but I guess maybe some of the other people there ARE stupid. Take Sophie LaRoque for one example. Not only is she dumb but mean too."

"Who does she belong to?"

"Uh...I think she said...you wouldn't believe how she introduced herself," Ray cleared his voice and made himself sound high pitched and whiny, "I am Miss Sophie Dolores Johensen LaRoque, prestigious daughter of Adelle and Vincent LaRoque, heiress to the LaRoque estate and all its properties blah, blah, blah. And then she just went on and on and on, wouldn't shut up!"

"Oh God," moaned White.

"What?"

"He knows Sophie's mother."

"Is she a real bitch?" asked Ray.

"Who taught you how to swear?" asked White.

"You did."

"When?"

"You were always swearing in the basement when you came home at night, I think it started the first month we came to Seattle."

Max laughed at White, she could probably guess exactly what it was that set him off.

"Oh," said White glaring at Max, "and why weren't you asleep then?"

"I dunno, it was a long time ago, I can't remember," said Ray smiling sweetly.

White shook his head and chose to ignore his son. The kid was trouble, the little brat had already got him and 452 in deep. What he was planning next White really didn't want to know.

'You know this is your fault,' White's inner voice chastised, 'You were the one that had to get him back no matter what. You only have yourself to blame for the position he put you in.'

"So how was couples therapy?" asked Ray, "Learn anything new?"

"How did you kno-" Max stopped when Ray pulled out the timetable and waved it at her, "Oh. Nevermind then."

"So what was your cover story? They asked you how you met right?"

"Yeah they did," said Max, "We told them a coffee shop."

"Meh good enough." Ray shrugged.

"What do you mean 'good enough'?"

"You should have told them the story about your stalker boyfriend," said Ray, "I liked that one. Why didn't it make the cut?"

"It was too elaborate," said White, "Besides Adelle would probably try and track him down."

"Sophie's mom?"

"Yeah I met her today, not a nice woman."

"So how'd dad know her?"

"We went to college together unfortunately."

"Oh. OH! You know what happened today? Do you know what Sophie did to Rosalyn?"

"Adelle Junior start something?"

"Well you know how Rose always has her hair in pigtails? Well Sophie came up and just yanked on them real hard, saying that they looked stupid. So I told Sophie that her face looked stupid. And that she should consider surgery to get that thing off her face."

"What thing?"

"Her nose."

White laughed and then braced him self for Max's fist in his arm.

"Don't encourage him!"

"She started it," said Ray shrugging, "I was only helping Rose out. She was almost crying."

"Well at least you were defending someone else," said Max, "Besides if she's anything like her mother..."

"That whole family needs to be..." White was stopped from finishing his sentence when the waitress showed up with their food.

"So think this will be any good?" asked Ray shoving his sandwich into his mouth. He nearly choked a few times but after that he was good and gave Max and White a thumbs up so they wouldn't try a heimlich maneuver. The older Familiar and Transgenic just stared.

^^^

After lunch, and lecturing Ray about eating slower as to not choke and kill himself. The three of them spent the rest of the day away from the hotel, wanting to get some fresh air and just do stuff. Their schedule was free for the rest of the day, but technically this was a 'relax with your family and bond' thing. There wasn't much to do in Donovan except wander around.

"You know my birthday's coming up soon," said Ray.

"In four months," said White.

"That's still pretty soon. Oh an as much as I like hanging out at Tc, can I got back to school? I used to have friends there. Brookridge was cool but they shut down didn't they?"

White glared at Max, the transgenic just stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yeah I can go back to school, get to know people again and then we could have it at the house. Hey Max, you and Cindy should cook for me."

"It cooks?"

"Max is a 'she' dad, not an 'it."

"Could have fooled me," said White bracing himself for the dual hits he received in the arm and stomach from both his son and 452.

^^^

After exploration and birthday banter, the trio headed back to the hotel after spending the day wandering around Donovan. The setting sun cast a glowing hue over the town and up the sidewalk slope that they walked. As they were walking Max nearly keeled over, having to grab onto White's arm to brace herself.

"Are you okay?" asked Ray, he had his arms wrapped around Max's waist to try and help support her.

"Uh, I think so."

"You look at little pale."

"Maybe it was something I ate…"
"I'm not looking after you if you have food poisoning."

Ray gave his father an exasperated look, which White just ignored.

"I doubt it's that but…" as just as it came, the feeling was gone and Max felt normal again, "It's gone…." She knit her brows together. That was strange. She let go of White's arm and straightened herself as best she could with a mini-Familiar still attached to her waist.

"That was a little weird," said White.

"Tell me about it," said Max. She put her hand across her forehead checking for a fever, she was feeling a little hot.

"You want a doctor?" asked Ray.

"And get my blood checked and confused again? No thanks…Eastman and Eastwood, you'd think doctors and nurses would read things over a little more carefully…"

"Not to mention that would bring the CDC in again, it would draw a lot of attention this way."

"And they'd have me locked up in a room again."

"I did try and get you out of there."

"You sent someone in to kill me!"

"Oh yeah," said White, "but hey I did shoot those cops that had you cornered."

"Only to again try and kill me yourself!"

White shrugged, "It's the thought that counts."

Ray just shook his head as Max rolled her eyes. Whenever they started to get along something from the past just had to come up. The occasional insult and a lot less glaring was about as much as Ray could hope for from the day they met at the courthouse and the stay over. That was when? It was day four at the retreat, the day before coming here, then the day at court. That was six days of them not trying to kill the other. Ray had to admit that they had come a long way. Before if Max or his dad slightly brushed against each other they would both shoot the other with a look of complete disgust and contempt. But here was Max nearly falling over and he let her grab his arm and (unconsciously) moved in to steady her. Ray smiled into Max's side and suppressed a laugh. This was going great.

Dusk settled as they finally made it back to the Delta. When they finally got back to the suite the first thing they did was collapse on the couch.

"My feet hurt," said Ray.

"No they don't."

"They do a little bit, I only got the basics of blocking pain you know."

"Blame her for that," said White, pointing across his son to Max.

"How much could have that cult school have taught him in two years?"

"You'd be surprised."

"In a bad way?"

"Most likely."

"What were they going to teach me?" asked Ray who was once again ignored like the last time when he asked what valium was.

"I'm going down for a while," said White getting up.

"To the bar?" asked Ray.

"Is there something wrong with you?"

"No, I'm just perceptive," said Ray, "and cute."

White shook his head, "Riight."

"You're leaving me alone with him?" asked Max.

"Looks that way."

"Not afraid I'll take off with him again?"

"It's a chance I'm willing to take." And with that he was out the door.

"I don't think he likes me anymore," said Ray looking at Max with a little grin.

"He doesn't like me either."

"I think he's starting to," said Ray. "Why didn't he like you the first time?"

"Well he might've when we first met," said Max giving Ray a half smile, "but then I kept foiling his evil plans. Mmh." Max stopped smiling and got a serious look on her face.

"What?"

"I don't know," she said leaning forward, "I feel a little weird."

"Again?"

"Yeah. Uh, is it getting hot in here or is it just me?"

"Uh, I think it's you." asked Ray, "You look a bit flushed. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I, I'll be fine, just a hot flash or...something," said Max.

"Same as when you keeled earlier?"

"I think so," said Max, "It's probably nothing. Do you want o play a game or something?"

"Sure, I think I saw some in the closet somewhere," said Ray going over to check. "How about Scrabble?"

^^^

Twenty minutes Later...

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Ray.

"Yeah, fine, why do you ask?"

"What's that word?"

Ray pointed at one and as soon as Max saw it, her eyes widened. Taking a look at all her words she swept the game off the table. The words, memories, playing with Cindy...the heat...the...No. Oh God no. Three years, it's been three years since...Max's breathing quickened as all the pieces shifted into place.

"Max?"

"Get your things," said Max, "you're staying with Katrina tonight, okay?"

"Uh, ok...why? What's wrong?"

"My screwed up DNA is acting up and I don't want you around for this."

"Why do you look so scared? Should I go find dad?"

"NO! No-no, no, no, no, trust me...I might find him on my own. Ray come one go get your things and move!"

The boy ran into his room to collect an over night bag. While Ray was packing he was thinking about how cool it would be to finally have a little brother or sister. He knew what was happening, the tiny Familiar had asked some of the transhumans in Terminal City (that didn't like X5's very much) to tell him everything about the X5's. Ray had been wondering how long it would take for Max to go into heat around his dad. The kid smirked a bit before wiping it off his face and racing out to a nearly panicking Max. Yup, a little brother or sister would sure be cool.

Max grabbed his hand in a death grip and ran out of the room to get Ray someplace that wasn't near her. Down the hall, onto the elevator Max had to keep repeating Katrina's room number in her head.

'119, 119, 119, it's gonna be okay, everything's gonna be fine. This isn't happening, it's a fluke, Manticore fixed this, this isn't happening.'

When the elevator doors opened, Max dragged Ray down the hall until she finally found the number she was looking for. Banging on the door, Max anxiously waited for someone to open it.

"Oh Maxine! Hi how are you? Well isn't this a nice surprise!"

"Katrina hi! How are you? Uh, do you think you could maybe watch Ray for the night?" asked Max pushing Ray through the door.

"Oh of course, it's quite short notice but sure, but I'm sure Rosie'd love to have him! He's such a sweet boy. Big plans with dad tonight?" whispered Katrina conspiratorially.

"God I hope not," muttered Max.

"Sorry? Didn't catch that."

"Yes! You know something like that, I gotta go....and...uh...stuff...Bye Ray!" called Max taking off, she hurried back and said a quick 'thank you' to Katrina and rushed off again before she lunged for Eugene who had come to the door behind his wife.

'Go back to the room, just go back to the room, sit-ups, push-ups, cold showers...' Max's new mantra started out strong but her body wasn't listening, no sooner had she reached the elevator that her hand decided to press the 'main' button. By the time Max reached ground floor, she was humming for something male.

^^^

"Ray?.....452?"

White looked around the suite a bit confused. Where the hell were they? A board game was all over the floor...

'She wouldn't have....' thought White, if 452 had taken his son a second time he would have to kill her. No matter what. The Familiar hurried to his son's room and went through the drawers. Most of his things were still here. Just a few things and a bag were missing.

'Don't freak out, go check your room for her things too.' White listened to his inner voice for what seemed like the first time in forever. When he found Max's clothes, bag, and wallet still there he was even more confused then when he got home. No way she'd split without taking anything. So where the hell were they?

'They might have went down for food.' reasoned White. Ray was always complaining about his stomach. White shook his head and took a deep breath. That was it, they were downstairs somewhere. He's gone for half an hour and look what happens. He probably missed them on the way down by taking the stairs instead of the elevator...

^^^

Max laughed at whatever the guy beside her said. She had no idea, there was only one place she wanted this one. What was his name again? Oh yeah...Jarod or something...Max got up to 'leave'.

"Uh, where are you going?"

"Where do you want me to go?" asked Max pushing him towards the exit.

"Where do you want to take me?"

"You know why don't we..." Max looked beyond Jarod and trailed off, "I have to go."

"Hey wait but.." Jarod just watched her go with a confused expression on his face. Max eyed the newcomer carefully, the one who had caught her attention away from Jarod. He finally noticed her and started to walk closer. Mmmm...now this one was interesting, great body, steady stride, she could feel a power hidden deep beneath the surface of him, this one was strong...Mmmmmm. Max licked her lips.

"Where the hell have you been?" asked White as Max sauntered up to him, "And where's Ray?"

"He's with Katrina," said Max.

"Why the hell is he with her?"

Max gave him a half smile, "Why don't we go back upstairs?" She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Are you okay?" White eyed her cautiously.

"I'm fine." Max moved her hands down his chest and took the front of his shirt before leading him to the elevator. White furrowed his brow and followed her. Why was she holding onto his shirt? This was strange behaviour for 452. Something had to be up...or maybe she was actually drunk?

^^^

"...and so then I told his client..."

Adelle was staring off into space trying to drown out the sound of her husband's voice. Why did she settle? She should have gone after Ames no matter how much he pushed her aside. She still couldn't believe he left her for that priss and now a hussy.

"Addy? Are you okay?"

Adelle grimaced, "I told you not to call me that!" she was about to lay into Vincent when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Was that Max? And what the hell was she doing? Adelle saw Max pushing some random guy towards the exit. The way she was moving...

'That whore,' Adelle smiled, 'She's cheating on him."

"Waaaah I don't want carrots!" screamed Adelle's daughter.

"Shut the hell up Sophie!" she snapped, slapping her daughter upside the head.

"Adelle..." started Vincent.

"Piss off." She got up as quickly as she could and followed around the corner where she saw Max, smirking all the way. She was going to pin this bitch, show Ames what she really was. When Adelle came around the corner she stopped in shock. The smirk disappeared from her face and look of pure hatred took its place. She could have sworn Max had led some guy out but here she was stuck to Ames with her arms around his neck. Adelle watched as Max took White by the shirt and led him to the elevator. She glared at their retreating forms.

^^^

Once in the elevator and on their way up Max pushed White into the wall.

"Hey!"

"What?" asked Max innocently. She pushed herself against him and trailed a finger down the side of his face.

"Did you get drunk?"

"Nope."

"Are you high?"

"Course not." Max moved closer to White (if that was even possible) so that now their faces were only inches apart.

"What are you-" White was cut off as Max put her hands on both sides of his face and pulled him in for a searing kiss. Having been caught off guard this new development, White had two sides of his mind at war with each other. The Male side of him was thinking one equation (Hot Woman + Kissing You = Go For It Dude!) While the Familiar side of him was screaming another (Transgenic + Bad Thoughts = You Fucking Traitor!) When White regained his composure he finally managed to push Max off of him. He kept her arms gripped tightly to prevent any reoccurrences

"452 WHAT the HELL was that?!"

"Mmm...you taste good," said Max licking her lips.

"You ARE on-" White stopped when he noticed the way she was looking at him. He narrowed his eyes and really looked at her before realizing, "Oh shit, fuck no, you are NOT-"

"Not what?"

White let go of her arm and went to press the 'door open' button. But before he could Max grabbed his arm and tossed him to the other side of the elevator, he slammed into the wall and backed up against it. Max pressed the 'stop' button and let out an amused giggle. She leant up against the panel and gave White a once over.

"Heat. You're fucking in heat." White had read the Manticore transcripts about the X5's, and the files about the heat driven females were scary. White silently thanked whatever God that had forsaken him that 452 still had some control and sense enough in her final minutes of sanity to get Ray to Katrina, this was something the kid didn't need to see...though he'd probably be cheering 452 on if he was...that ungrateful little brat. White shook his head to get rid of that thought, and then back further into the wall as Max approached.

"You're not yourself."

"Course I'm me."

"No you're not, because there's no way on earth, heaven, or hell that you would ever touch me...well you have on occasion when we were sleeping together, but NOT how you want to right now. You don't want this."

"Course I do," said Max smiling at him and moving closer.

"Oh this is just great," White muttered. He moved to stand opposite Max who was now in front of the elevator doors watching his every move. White knew that there was only one way out of this, reaching his decision White moved forward and slammed Max against the metal behind her, pressing her lips to hers. Max moaned into the kiss and melted against him. White's hand moved to the right searching for the 'stop' button on the panel. Once he hit it the elevator started moving to their floor again.

When Max felt the doors open behind her she stepped out and flung White around into a wall. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt once more, she pulled him towards their room. Down the hall and to their suite, White was shoved hard against the door. Max ran her hands down his chest and into the front pockets of his jeans.

"Hey!"

"Where's the key?" said Max kissing along his jaw line, when she finally found it, getting it into the door was a hassle between the lock and the man she couldn't get enough of. Max got the door unlocked and pushed him though. As soon as they were inside, she kicked the door closed and shoved him to the ground, quickly straddling his hips and crushing their lips together, she trailed her hands down his chest before ripping his shirt open.

"Okay," said White pushing her up by the shoulders, "I know I did that to you once but really you didn't have to pay me back for it."

Max grinned and pushed his hands off her and moved down to his navel, alternating between kisses and licks back up his chest, back to his lips. When Max finally broke the kiss and reached for the hem of her shirt pulling it over her head and tossed it aside, giving White a pretty good view of her upper body clad only in her black bra.

"That's it," said White sitting up abruptly. Max smiled and giggled happily as she wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"I don't think so," said White as Max went to kiss him again. He'd managed to get his arm between them to temporarily hold her back.

"Why not?" Max pouted until she noticed his arm. Pushing herself forward White's arm moved up, she took the opportunity to nuzzle and bite his hand playfully.

"Do you have any idea what you would do to me in the morning?"

"Good things?" Max pushed his arm out of the way and grabbed what was left of his shirt to pull him closer to her, "Don't you want me?"

"Honestly?"

"Don't answer," said Max putting a finger to his lips before kissing him again, she pulled his torn shirt down his arms and off, throwing it in a random direction. Running her hands through his hair and down his chest White was trying to make some sense out of all this. It was getting harder to think but he knew that if someone had told him four years ago that he'd be sitting in a hotel room with 452 permanently attached to his mouth he'd have shot them for their idiocy. She was going to kill him come morning...

White put his arms around Max's back and pulled her flush against him, kissing her hard. She sighed into him relaxing in his arms now that she felt him responding consciously instead of trying to foil her ever move. The transgenic giggled as White managed to stand up and manoeuver them to the bedroom.

Nudging the door open and entering the room, White fell onto the bed with Max beneath him, legs around hips, she wasn't letting go. The transgenic groaned as White's weight settled on her. He moved her up the bed so her head rested on pillows. Trailing kisses along her jawbone, White's hands moved down her sides and back up to cup her breasts. Max arched into him and turned her head aside to let White nuzzle her neck before moving onto the exposed skin just above her bra. Max sighed and relaxed totally. She ran her hands through his hair once more before letting them fall to her sides. White took the opportunity take both her hands in his as he bent back up to kiss her again, she was too involved with the feel of him and the way his tongue kept running over hers to even notice what he was doing until she felt the bite of cold metal against her wrists.

White broke the kiss and looked down at Max. She looked at him a little confused until she looked up at her bound hands. when she tried pulling all she heard was the scrape of metal upon metal. White had handcuffed her to the headboard.

"You know," said Max, "If you wanted to get kinky you could've just asked."

"Starting to wish that was the reason."

"What?" Max heat driven mind was getting confused but suddenly became clear about what was going on a couple minutes later, when White had finally managed to free himself from her legs. He was off the bed and breathing heavily as soon as he disengaged himself from her.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me," said White opening one of his drawers, "You'll thank me in the morning." Max's eyes widened as White pulled on a new shirt. No, no, no, no, he wasn't just going to leave her here was he?!

"WHAT are you doing?"

"Let me break it down for you: you're in heat. You don't know what you're doing, and come morning if I slept with you, you'd kill me, torture me, or maybe even both, and there are certain parts of me that I'd like to remain attached!"

"Ames please," whined Max tugging on the cuffs, "Just one night."

"You're not in your right mind."

Max's soft plea and doe eyed expression suddenly became her patented fire and quick tempered personality.

"Right mind?! Of course I'm in my right mind! And you're going to do exactly what I say and exactly what I want and right now I want you to uncuff me and get back in this bed!"

"Not happening."

"Ames? Ames please....just..hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?!" yelled Max as White walked out the door. He pulled it closed behind him as Max started cursing and threatening him. He let out a deep breath before walking through the suite, over to the couch and lying down, trying to ignore Max's heated ranting, raving, and pleading. He prayed that there weren't many people on their floor to hear Max's screaming.

"White, you son of a bitch get me out of these!"

White grabbed a pillow and put it over his face. 452 was admittedly tough when she wasn't insane, but now he had a thoroughly pissed off transgenic in heat over in the next room. White prayed that the cuffs and headboard would hold. He really didn't want to think about what would happen to him if she got out....or did he? No, no, no...bad thoughts. White flung the pillow hard across the room and groaned before running his hands over his face.

What he wouldn't do right now for a cold shower...

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Ha! I finished! I have been working on this chapter since December 3rd (do you see how long this is?!), before that I had a ton of school work that I had to get done before I could start writing this. but hey it's out now. Consider this your early Christmas present. 'On the 6th day before X-Mas my author gave to meee....a brand new chaptereee!' Ok I'll stop trying to sing now...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Now onto questions and thank you's:

Jessie: I sort of stole and reworded that kinky handcuff bit from our outtakes. It just fit so well there:P

birgitte: *gasps* I 'like' making you guys wait?! Not true! I swear. It really bugs me when authors don't update for months upon months upon months . I have been waiting on some whose last update was in April O.o So that's why I always try my best to get chapters out for you guys because I'm a reader too and know what it feels like to have to wait! Sorry it took so long. p.s) stop reading my mind! I was planning heat and then you mentioned it! ^_^

E5: Yes, Logan did have to make an ass out of himself. I don't really like the guy but I am pretty nice to him in my other fic, AFA (only cuz he's with Asha!) But yeah in my stories where Max falls for someone else he's going to be acting like a jealous moron. Sorry Logan fans! *ducks flying vegetables)

Astra: Re: Assignments in counselling, I think there is but I have no idea, I'm just going with the flow here. Let's just say that the retreat is just something the social workers put together because real therapists were too expensive so they just got the cheap cousellors :P

And for all those that asked if this was going to be M/W I hope you have your answer.

Syl: I would have gotten a reply to you sooner but I kept forgetting. you're french?! If you hadn't told me I wouldn't have known! Awesome!

Veritas4Eternity: Always great to convert people over to M/W! Enjoy the ship!

And a great big thank you to all those that reviewed: Spacey Tracey, Astra, Kaitlyn the strange, Jessie (NS), choca, Sha-Sha64, Ash, Margaret, Advo., Litter, Brynnmissy, ting, birgitte, Eve13, Zoe, Lindsay, Anh D-ao, Linds, Be Boring, Elfie, fan, DarkPrincessPyro99, Kala, Black Rose, Skysha-Tranqui, Veritas4Eternity, madnuninblue, Syl, Rageful Jewel, Khassa, mcs, Eden, Skye159, allison lightning, JoJo, shelra, E5, Lady of Hogwarts

If I missed you or spelled your name wrong I'm sorry!

Thank you all so much for your support of this story, I'm glad that you like it so much:) Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to all of you!