A/N: So, I apologise for taking this long on my final chapter. Real life has been a bit hectic! But, I finished! Please do tell me what you think...I do so love reviews!
After she'd finished her runs, Max couldn't help but find herself, once again, knocking at Alec's door. She knew somehow that Ben would be there, too. And when the door opened, she really wasn't sure which of them she was looking at. One stood near the other, and they were both in Alec's clothes. Their hair was the same, which lead Max to believe that Alec thought it was a good idea to teach her brother the wonders of hair gel. It wasn't until the one farther back said "Hey, Maxie." that she realized it was Ben who answered the door.
"Hey." She replied, addressing both of them. Stepping inside, she silently joined both men in the living room.
"I've decided to stay in Seattle, if that's okay," Ben spoke out of nowhere, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Really?" Max's eyes lit up, "That's great!"
"And," Alec interjected, "He's staying with me."
"We should see if we can get him a job at Jam Pony."
"Yeah, because I know Normal would love to have another one of me!" Max and Alec laughed, but didn't leave Ben confused for long.
"Normal is our boss, and he's got a bit of a man-crush on Alec." Max informed.
Ben turned to Alec, "Are you two…together?"
"Hell no! I love all the attention and all, but the guy's a total skeev when it comes to me!" Max once again laughed, enjoying the companionship in her brother and Alec.
"Somehow I feel as if we're going to be plotting a practical joke." Ben stonefaced, giving no tell of his feelings on the matter. Truly he was amused, but abstained from showing it for Max's sake.
"Damn straight we are!"
"Somehow I feel as if you two will be a handful in the near future!"
The next morning, Max returned for breakfast (since Alec was teaching Ben how to cook), and they all left for work together. Ben rode on Max's bike with her, but consistently kept his eyes fixed on the green motorcycle beside them.
When they arrived, everyone stopped and stared in stunned silence at the fact that there seemed to be two of Alec.
"Hey, Normal," Alec called. "This is my brother, Ben. He's looking for a job."
"Sweet baby Jesus, Alec, you never told me that you had a twin." He stood, basking in the sight.
"Yeah, well, I didn't know about him till recently. We were separated at birth." Alec lied, hoping to appease the boss-man.
"Okay, let me get an application. He can fill it out and start today." He said, moving behind his desk to find one. Alec took it from Ben and filled out info to correspond with Alec's.
Introductions were made to Original Cindy and Sketchy, and later, Max told OC the true story.
One Week Later
Jam Pony's resident twins strutted through the front door side by side, chatting animatedly about God knows what. It wasn't all that odd an occurrence, but it was still strange to see. Everyone, save Max, Original Cindy, and Normal, looked on with slight confusion. Max ignored them, OC was amused, and Normal's eyes were hazy with poorly-hidden lust. Granted, Normal's reaction was half the reason why Original Cindy was amused.
"Is he ever gonna get over those two?" Original Cindy mused.
"Not unless one of them finally tells him to take a picture or somethin'." Max replied.
"Hey, Maxie!" Ben greeted her from across the room. Alec merely gave her an upward nod. He needn't say it, but Max knew it meant many things, the most important of which was "Thank You."
It was a thank you for finally learning to get along with him.
It was a thank you for being around when they needed her.
And most importantly, it was a thank you for his brother. His Ben, as he liked to say, would not be his if not for Max. He probably wouldn't have talked to the guy more than what was necessary to get him out of the clutches of Manticore if not for her.
The best part was: he meant all of it, even if he wouldn't say it.
