Someone to watch over me

By Sinful Starlet

Disclaimer: guess what - Dark Angel still doesn't belong to me! I tried to convince them to give it up, but it's not working so far!

Rating: I'm gonna say R but only because all my other ones have been 'R' rated!

Summary: What do piano music, family reunions, gunshot wounds, torture, hospital scenes and big, relatively slushy happy endings have in common? Well they're all in this story for one! Now doesn't that sound like a synopsis?!

Author's note: Chapter 10. Only one left after this one, and the happy ending is seriously starting to make an appearance! *SS*

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PART #25

"Brace yourself fellas", Alec said, as he saw White preparing to fight them, "this is going to be rough!"

"We're not going anywhere", Krit said, standing his ground next to Zane, "he's going to pay for what he did to you and our sister!" White considered his options - they didn't look good either way. 'Screw it' he thought and launched himself at them. He did manage to knock the guns out of their hands, but then the fight commenced in earnest.

He went after Alec first, knowing he would still be at least slightly weak from his ordeal yesterday and he managed to knock the younger man to the ground, clutching his stomach in pain. That still left Zane and Krit though. They tore into White with all the insane rage and power they could muster and they were both fairly brutal. White did get a few hits in but even he could see he was fighting a losing battle. He could have taken one of them, but not both.

Alec forced himself to his feet, hearing Syl calling through to him that the reinforcements were going to try and fight their way through to him - they had to get out of there fast. He stood up, seeing White was occupied with Zane and Krit and simply walked across the room to where his gun had fallen on the floor. He picked it up, checked it for ammunition and aimed. A single shot rang out and White fell to the floor in front of Zane and Krit.

They turned to see Alec standing behind them. Despite all the commotion, he had managed to aim between them and hit White square in the chest. "Come on", he said, "we've got to get out now, and I'm not sure how long that's going to hold him". They ran for it then.

Jumping through the flames to the stairwell and pounding up it to the ground floor. They were a little late though, the reinforcements were already inside and were blocking their exit. Alec saw a window at the other end of the floor and yelled to Syl as they started running. "Blow the rest of the building!"

"Not with you inside!", Syl yelled back, but he was just slightly insistent.

She heard gunfire over the radio and his voice yelling back, "Just do it!"

She hit the trigger. The remaining charges blew and with the damage the first two lots had done. The building was pretty much totalled. Logan started the car, calling for the others to start their van and driving off as he saw the cloud of smoke, fire and broken glass hurtling towards them. Max screamed from the backseat as she realised Alec was still inside and then she passed out. Joshua talked urgently to her, but there was no waking her up then. Syl yelled to Logan that they had to go back for Alec and the others, but Logan said he was already on his way.

He pulled a sharp handbrake turn and drove straight back towards the building, driving past it and heading for the waterfront. Syl got what he was doing and she and the other X5s jumped out of the car, searching for any sign of them. They shone lights down into the water and then Jondy caught sight of Krit.

"They're here!", she called, bringing their attention. They rushed over, shining lights down while the guys hauled themselves out of the water. They were all severely bashed and bruised, not to mention cut up (they had had to basically run through the window to get out in time!) but they were alive.

The others helped them into the cars and Alec yelled at Logan to drive off before any of the guards caught up with them. The plan had worked. They were all in serious need of medical attention but they were out, they were alive and they had Max back. She was laid in the backseat, resting on Alec and Joshua who were sitting there. She was still out but Alec kept talking to her the whole time, stroking her face, silently begging her to wake up.

Syl shared a look with Logan as she sat beside him in the front seat, but Logan wasn't feeling too chatty at that moment. They sped off into the night with the other van following behind. Jondy drove with Krit sitting beside her while Zane and 598 kept their other guest company. "How's he doing?", Jondy called back to Zane as they drove.

"He's still out but he's breathing", Zane said, checking his pulse again. "We've got you now man", he said, patting the guy on his shoulder, "don't worry - you're safe now Zack". (AN. Ha ha - betcha didn't see that one coming! *SS*)

PART #26

They got back to the hospital, Dr Carr hiding his dismay at seeing them again so soon once he saw that they now had Max with them. He was a little confused when he saw 598, who he had just treated, helping Krit to support Zack as they brought him in. Logan just shook his head, saying he would explain later, but saying he had to help Max now. Zane swiped a surgical mask for Joshua so he could go in too without getting caught or drawing attention. Logan had also called Dr Shankar, so she took charge of Zack and most of the other X5s who had minor cuts and bruises.

Zack's problems weren't so obvious though. He looked a little beaten up, but he was very heavily drugged. They pumped his stomach and transfused him using 598's blood, but it was going to take a while to get it all out of his system. Max was in a slightly more serious condition though. What with all the samples the doctors had taken she was seriously anaemic and needed a large transfusion. Carr wouldn't risk taking that much from a single donor, even if they were transgenic, so she took half from Jondy, and half from Joshua.

Alec was all ready to donate, but he was really in no fit state to do so. They set up the transfusion lines but Max still wasn't awake. Alec didn't want to leave her, but he needed attending to himself. That punch from White had re-opened the bullet wound in his stomach and he had also taken quite a beating when they had jumped out of the window into the river. He reluctantly let Carr take him away for a few minutes to patch him up, but then he was right back at Max's side, not willing to budge until she woke up.

* * *

Max slept fitfully that night, drifting in and out of consciousness as nightmares wracked her. One particularly bad one hit her early the next morning. She was tossing and turning as she got more and more worked up until she started to scream. Somebody snapped her out of it though. He gently squeezed her hand, easing her back to a lying down position and talking to her softly until she woke up herself. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking in the strong light.

For a second she thought she was still with White, and was about to scream again, but then she realised who was with her. She managed to turn her head just enough to see Alec sitting beside her. He looked terrible she thought, laughing slightly to herself because she couldn't have looked much better. He smiled to her, telling her how glad he was that she was okay, that she had woken up. She pulled her hand gently from his and let it fall on his face, tracing its outline, feeling all the bruises and bumps he had endured...for her.

She motioned that she wanted to sit up so Alec helped her, gently supporting her till she was sitting, then she pulled him into a tight embrace. She had been so scared these last few days. When White had had him, when she was there with the doctors working on her - it had been so awful, but the whole time she realised, he was the only one she had been thinking about. And now he was safe. He tensed as she pulled him tighter to her, "Easy Max!", he said, laughing a little, "Got a couple broken ribs that aren't quite healed yet!"

She pulled back quickly, not wanting to hurt him, but found he was smiling at her. He took her hand in his again, lifting it to his lips and kissing her palm lightly. "I should go", he said softly, "let the others know you're awake - they've all been so worried about you". He kissed her hand again and then started to stand up, but she pulled him back, not ready to let go yet. He looked at her a little questioningly, but sat down again, searching her face for an answer.

"I was so scared", she said, eventually, her eyes looking a little teary.

"Ssh it's okay", he said, "you're fine now".

She shook her head though, "Not what I meant". "I thought you were still inside that building when it blew up".

That made Alec think for a second, but then he figured that she meant 'you' collectively - him and Krit and Zane. "Well like I said - we're all fine, you can see for yourself in a minute".

Max shook her head again, "You can be really dense sometimes!"

"Gee thanks Max!", glad to see her making a joke, even if it was at his expense.

"No", Max said, starting to laugh a little, "I wasn't talking about Krit and Zane", she said, reaching for his hand again.

'Is she really saying what I think she's saying?', Alec thought, worried about getting his hopes up over nothing. "Easy Max!", he said again, "You might give a guy the wrong impression here!"

"I hope so", Max said, completely serious but a smile started to cross her face. She leaned forward in the bed and gave Alec the lightest kiss on his cheek.

She pulled away, but only by about an inch, leaving her face practically touching his. He could feel her breath on his face as her eyes closed. He had no idea where this was all coming from, but he didn't care. He leaned forward closing the gap and pressing the softest kiss to her lips. She reciprocated immediately, holding his hand tighter, as his other moved up to her face, caressing her cheek. They pulled back after a few seconds, both breathing a little more heavily than usual, but both sharing the same smile.

AN. Okay so that could be the ending...no, really it would make sense to leave it all there...but I'm not that cruel! Don't panic, there is just one more chapter left, and things get a little more 'resolved' than they are now! *SS*