A/N- Thank you to everyone who reviewed! *passes out cupcakes to Beige Flicka, bookofshadows888, 452max, Sammyluvur83, and Shelly_Shell23* I can't believe I have 59 reviews already… thank you guys. *happy grin*
Also, I thought I'd let you all know that I have a profile on now, with some of my original work. It's under the penname The-White-Acre, and it's mostly poetry. I don't have my in-progress novels up there at the moment, but I'm considering it. I'm considering changing my current penname from xxtheoneyoudreamaboutxx to The-White-Acre as well. What do you guys think? Would it be too confusing?
Oh, and here is the chapter:
Max and Alec were walking into their room before they had even consciously agreed to go there. They both stood as if there was a storm brewing above them, threatening to break and rain down around them with all the fury of hell. Max's arms were crossed, as she glared at Alec, her face cold and stony despite the confusion whirling inside her as she wondered what to say to ease her anger. Alec quietly watched back, his face blank before he finally broke the silence.
"Maxie, I'm sorry." He whispered audibly, and Max's eyes narrowed. She almost scoffed.
"Tell me, what are you sorry for, Alec?!" She whispered back, in mockery. The problem was she really had no idea, although it took a moment for that to sink in. In the meantime, a look of deep hurt flashed across his face for a moment, before Alec instinctively hid how he really felt in self defence. It was funny, even though Max seemed almost ready to throw lightning bolts at him; she was still the only one he had ever wanted to really see him without his well-worn mask, including Rachel. He'd been too terrified that she would hate who he really was, but Max- He already knew enough to know that if anyone could, she would understand. And one day, Alec hoped, he would be ready to show her.
"Max, I'm sorry for every stupid mistake I've ever made that gives you yet another valid reason for hating me. I'm sorry for getting you pregnant-" Alec started to explain before Max cut him off.
"What? You'd rather I got an abortion too, and kill our child?!" Max bit out, as Alec stood patiently, shaking his head. He knew what it was like to be blinded by fear and anger.
"No, Max." He said quietly, as she stood there waiting for his defence.
"I'm sorry because I don't want you to die, even though I already know that I would give my life for our unborn child. I'm sorry for giving you the impression that I felt any different." Alec was rambling, and by the time he realised, he was too preoccupied to care.
Max opened her mouth to start verbally abusing him out of habit and self defence. Awkwardly, Max froze, not quite gaping, without so much as a whisper of an insult passing her lips. She didn't even know what she was thinking. If only Alec would just shut up, Max hoped she would be able to calm down.
"I'm sorry for ruining your relationship with Logan, and I'm sorry my attempt to fix the situation didn't make you happy like I thought it would. I'm sorry that I'm a stupid screw-up who will never be good enough for you or for our child."
Then her mouth closed without breaking the silence falling across the small room. Alec barely had a chance to register the look of pure distress in her tired brown eyes before Max crumpled to the floor.
A tear slid down her cheek as Max fell, feeling as though she was falling down into never ending darkness as the world blurred around her. And Alec's heart fell with her. How the hell had he managed to screw up again? He was wondering before he mentally slugged himself. Cut the crap, Alec. Max needs you.
"Maxie?" He whispered hesitantly, as he sat down beside her. Alec desperately wanted to hold her, but he held back, terrified of pushing her further away.
"I'm sorry. I just… " She trailed off, tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. Her hands moved to lay protectively over the bump slowly growing under her t-shirt. Max sat there, unmoving for a long moment before she finally looked up.
"Max, you have nothing to feel sorry for." Alec whispered, honestly almost glowing in his hazel eyes.
Max looked away again. She knew he was waiting for her to tell him what was wrong, but she had no idea what to say. So much was wrong; so much was messed up because she had been genetically engineered as part of some whack lab experiment instead of conceived like a normal person. Max felt far from special and heroic, despite the claim that she was the one designed to save humanity.
"I'm scared." The young, transgenic women finally admitted. Another tear rolled down the side of her pale face.
"I know," Alec told her, his tone understanding; all his usual sarcasm gone. He wished Max could see how much he really cared. He did not blame her, though. She had been alone for a long time.
"You aren't the only one, you know, Max." That hit her more than anything Alec had said in the last year. It was surprising how blind Max could be to the people around her, the people that mattered most to her. But then, that was one of the fundamental flaws in the Manticore design.
"I'm sorry." She said simply, and Alec shook his head slightly. Max did not even stop to wonder where the usual sarcasm had gone- the sarcasm, the grin, the taunts- they were not really Alec. This was Alec; this was a glimpse of the real Alec underneath the self-defensive sociopath. She had taken months to realise he even existed.
"You don't need to be sorry, Max." Alec whispered, resting a hand around Max's shoulders, rubbing her back slightly in reassurance. She leant towards him, finally letting him in.
"Why didn't you jet months ago? I mean, I don't get why you hung around when I was such a bitch to you." She questioned, looking up at him sideways. Alec sighed, pausing slightly, unsure of what to confess.
"Are you glad I stayed?" He asked, hitting the metaphorical ball back into her court. Max nodded against his shoulder. Alec smiled slightly, in relief.
"There were a lot of reasons I gave myself for not leaving. The convenience of the job at Jam Pony, the friends I made, the contacts I collected. I've never actually stopped to think about what the real reason was. Looking back, I don't think there was just one reason. I do know that I've always wanted the chance to make up for everything I've done to you, and I like having you around even when you're kicking my ass." He took a breath, and paused. There was not much else left to say.
"Sometimes I think it would be easier if you'd left," Max whispered suddenly, "but then I realise that I like having you around. I mean, it's nice to finally have a friend like me again, to have someone that I can trust to always have my back." She shifted, uncomfortable, for a moment, before Max moved so that she was lying across his lap, her head on his chest. Alec responded instinctively; moving his hand to lie protectively on Max's small, pregnant stomach. Max smiled slightly. She felt content, lying there. Not even dancing with Logan had ever felt this right.
"Alec, you know what sucks?" She asked after a moment. Alec shook his head slightly,
"What?" He asked quietly.
"I'm pregnant, I'm going to die soon, and I've never… made love." Max admitted, bitterness tinging her calm voice. Alec raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"You aren't the Virgin Mary, Max." He said, as if it were more a question then a statement.
"No, I'm not. I meant…" Max paused,
"I've never had sex without being in heat." There was a silence, for a long moment. Alec bit his lip, desperate not to say the wrong thing.
"I wish I could promise you that you'll get that chance, but I can't. I mean, I could offer my services but you don't feel that way about me. But if it makes you feel any better, I lost my virginity on orders from Manticore and I never slept with Rachel. I never trusted myself enough to have a relationship like that, one that meant anything, after that." He felt Max nod against his chest, before the room drifted back into silence. This one was calm, though, unlike earlier when the quiet had been awkward.
"Max," Alec whispered, after awhile.
"I am going to find a cure. I don't want to lose either of you."
--
The irony was almost painful. White was locked in a small, white room. Ames never panicked, but this was starting to worry him. The conclave should have found him by now. There was no likely reason they would have not, unless they wanted him here. He had hoped they didn't think this little of him yet.
Ames wondered if he would ever see the sky again. It was nearing the time when the comets would grace the sky as the conclave worshiped in the courtyard of the asylum. Well, there was nothing White loved more than a challenge and a chance to kick the hell out of some transgenic filth. So if he could just find a way out, he would kill 452 and prove the conclave wrong. The straightjacket, however, was the first thing White needed to find a way out of.
A/N—I never actually planned to bring White into this, but I realised it would not make sense if he didn't at least make an appearance. So, how did White end up in a white room? Are Max and Alec finally together? Is Logan ready to really let Max go? And will Alec be able to save Max and his child? Stay tuned to find out. Oh, and I'm always willing to rewrite my last update if something doesnt work or make sense. Point out any errors or any where that I can improve, please.
Oh, and reviews=love. The more loved I feel, the faster I update. So, for cupcakes all round and another chapter, please review. :)