Q is for Queen
Rated T+
Rachel Berrisford was beautiful and kind. Rachel Berrisford was virtuous and sweet. Rachel Berrisford was pretty and witty and it was impossible to speak to her without being completely won over.
Rachel Berrisford was a pain in Max Guevara's ass.
Oh, Rachel this and oooo, Rachel that, and Max, did you see what my darling, beautiful, kind, virtuous, sweet, pretty, witty princess Rachel bought for me today?
Gag me.
So the girl didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't swear. How could she when she'd been born with that large silver spoon shoved in her mouth? So she was pretty… ish. Lots of people were pretty. Tons. Millions. She wasn't nothin' special. And maybe the girl's grammar was impeccable, her speech precise, but no one cares 'bout that kind of stuff, anyhow. All that told anyone was that Daddy had enough money to send her to a private school, and how wrong was that when most people couldn't even go to public school anymore, had to start work at the ripe old age of nine? Really, if you asked Max Guevara, all Rachel Berrisford was, at the end of the day, was overrated.
"Boo, you trippin'."
"I'm serious."
"Max, the girl practically walks on water. She's high-class, respectable, intelligent, beautiful-"
"Annoying, snobby-"
O.C. made a face. "When has she ever been-"
"One hundred percent hyped up." Max continued on, like she hadn't heard her friend's objection. "No one is that perfect, I don't care what any of you bozos think."
Cindy pursed her lips, her face descending into annoyance. "Gee, thanks, Max."
Max sunk into the table, burying her head into her arms. "If I have to hear about her and her stupid perfection one more time-"
"Hey, Max," Alec leaned into her back, reaching over her shoulder to nab a french fry, and she jumped in surprise, her shoulder connecting solidly with his elbow, her back with his front. Alec had always been a little interloper when it came to the realm of 'personal space'. And so much for transgenic reflexes and observation. The taller man glanced between the two women as he drew his arm back over her shoulder, his heat radiating into her back. "Who you guys talkin' about?"
"No one," Max scowled, glowering at him up and over her shoulder. Alec shrugged, stuffing her fry into his mouth and her glare tightened into the realm of lethal.
"Where's Rachel?" Cindy asked, hiding her smile. Max almost broke her neck, whipping her head around so fast to glare daggers at her best friend. Cindy pretended sudden amused interest in the froth of her beer.
"Some charity event with her Dad," Alec shrugged, his eyes tightening. There was obviously tension there. If Rachel weren't around to smooth things over, then… well… Rachel wouldn't be there, and that was fine in Max's book. Anywhere Rachel wasn't was a good place to be.
"So, what is it, exactly, Maxie, that bothers you about my girlfriend?" Alec sat on the stool by her side. It was almost comical the way Max's head snapped around, again, and she stared at him, cornered, her eyes wide, her mouth working soundlessly.
"Who told you she bothers me?" Max finally managed to demand.
Alec's face went bland. "My superior transgenic hearing picked it up as I was standing right behind you. Plus, the whole loud voice and piercing whine didn't help much either." After a moment, he added thoughtfully, "And the total overreaction when you realized that I heard just now, that was kind of a biggie." Max scowled, but Alec remained unfazed in the face of her ire.
"Well?" He demanded, like it was important or something. Pfft. Who cares about him n' his smelly old girlfriend, anyway?
"Nothing," She finally looked away. "There's nothing wrong with her."
Actually, that was fairly accurate. And that was exactly Max's problem with the girl. Rachel Berrisford was practically perfect in every way. In fact, the girl's perfection made her almost inhuman, untouchable, a class unto herself. Anyone else paled in comparison. It reminded her of someone, but she couldn't say who.
"Is it because she's rich?" Alec demanded, leaning forward, the butt of his palm resting on the back of her stool, trapping her between muscle and table. "'Cuz that's not exactly her fault. And Logan's not exactly lining up for handouts at the soup kitchen, either."
She didn't even bother leaning into the table, away from his arm. "God, Alec, I just told you, nothing is wrong with her."
"Quit BS-ing me," He scowled. "You don't like her."
"I'm nice to her," Max defended. "I smile."
"If by smile you mean you show teeth, then yes, you smile." Alec frowned, abruptly pulling away from her and sitting back up.
Cindy nodded in agreement. "True dat. You do a pretty good impression of a shark when she around, Max."
Ganged up on by Team Rachel? Her night just kept getting' better n' better. "Fine," Max snapped. "So I don't like her. Big deal. Is there some rule somewhere that says I have to like everyone?"
Alec pursed his lips in annoyance, her words obviously eating at him. But instead of sticking around and arguing his point till he was blue in the face (blue, because she'd heard enough and would choke him if he kept talking), he rolled his eyes and slid off the stool in a huff, headed towards Sky and Marcus, shooting a game of pool in the back. Maybe he realized there was just no arguin' with Max when she got set in her ways. Max didn't feel anything but relieved as he stalked off.
But Cindy turned on Max almost immediately. "You wrong for that."
Max blinked in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"Your opinion means a lot to him," Cindy replied, serious.
"Please," She rolled her eyes.
"Max, why you think he always talking about her to you? For some reason, Hot Boy has got it in his head that he needs your approval, and until you give it to him, he's just gonna keep singing her praises, tryin' to change your mind."
"He talks about her so much, I'm wonderin' if he's not tryin to talk himself into likin' her," Max muttered.
O.C. fixed her friend with a look. "You crazy. And be honest. She a whole hell of a lot better than the normal sleaze bags he hang with."
Max grumbled to herself. That's debatable. At least you know where you stand with a sleaze-bag. Over them. All Max could feel when standing next to Rachel Berrisford is small. Didn't help that everyone worshipped the ground the younger girl walked on, Alec most especially. Even Logan liked her. Maybe that was part of the problem. Max had been Queen Bee for so long, suddenly finding herself in second place was a huge, uncomfortable pill to swallow.
"If she's so great, what's she doin' with him?" Max sniffed.
"Ya got me," Cindy shook her head sadly. "Such a waste of a fine specimen-"
"Cindy. Seriously. Not helping."
"Sorry, boo." The woman shrugged, lifting her beer, takin' a sip before she could get herself in any more trouble. Because the next question, undoubtedly, would be, 'are you jealous,' and Max's anger would probably blow the lid off this place if O.C.'s mouth ever got that stupid. She paused in her sip, eyebrow arching, and sat her beer back down, leaning over towards Max.
"Don't look now, but guess whose slim little hips just swung in the door."
Max froze for a moment, before it became too much and she had to turn on her stool, towards the entrance. It was her, of course it was, who else would it be? Swear to god, nowhere was safe. Not Max's job, and now, not Max's hangout. Anywhere Alec was, Rachel was, and unfortunately, it seemed like Alec was always around Max. Max was halfway convinced that one day she would come home and the twenty year old would be in her apartment.
Is it wrong to wish that somebody had stayed in a coma? Probably.
Max turned quickly back to her best friend, her back tense, hoping the girl would just pass her by and head for Alec. And then she was mildly disgruntled when the girl did ignore them, like they were beneath her notice. Max's head turned on its own, her gaze picking them out immediately.
"Max, you starin'."
"I am not," She snapped, but was unable to look away as Alec turned, like he could sense his girlfriend coming. This is the part she always watched, the part that ate at her more than it should. A genuine smile washed over Alec's features when he caught Rachel's eyes, transforming him into someone Max hardly recognized; someone free from the taint of Manticore. Someone whole.
"Yes you are," O.C. insisted. "And you look like someone just crashed your birthday party and ate all yo cake."
Max turned back to the table, burying her head into her arms once more. "It's not fair. How come Alec gets to be happy, but me n' Logan-"
"Alec n' Rachel ain't got nothin' to do with you and Logan."
"It does if you consider how unfair the universe is." Max looked up, glaring. "I bust my ass and do I ever catch a break? Do I get to be with my guy? No. But Alec? Alec, who can't even breathe without screwin' something up? Alec, one of the reasons I have to bust my ass every week, 'cuz I'm pullin' him out of trouble? He's the one that gets the fairy tale ending?"
O.C. just sat, staring at Max during her long tirade, her face impassive. When Max paused for air, Cindy shook her head. "You got serious issues." Max was already aware of that, so she chose to ignore her friend.
"I just wish somebody would tell me," Max sighed. "Why can't Logan and I be the ones that-"
"I don't know what the question is, but chances are the answer is 'virus'," Alec interrupted smoothly, his arm looped easily over Rachel's shoulders, trying to ignore the way Max had gotten all paralyzed and silent. "Now, who wants to play a game of pool? Eh, Maxie? Whaddaya say?"
She was looking back and forth between the smiling faces of the happy couple and finally she managed an unbelievable, "IIII'm beat…" Max shook herself out of her frozen unhappiness and glanced away. "I think I'll head home," She slid off the stool, and refused to look at anyone as she pulled her jacket off the table.
"Max," Alec frowned, his arm dropping off of his girlfriend's shoulders. Maybe her approval did mean a lot to him… But she just couldn't give it to him. Maybe that's why he deserved to be happy and she didn't. 'Cuz she was a jerk.
"Is she okay?" She heard Rachel's concerned little voice, and her steps quickened as she threw her jacket on. She paused, almost reeling, when she hit the outside air, her eyes closing, her senses sucking in the calming feel of night.
A hand touched her shoulder, just briefly. Max whirled in surprise, and Alec drew away. He must have been right on her heels as she'd left. Wonder what Rachel thought about that.
"You okay?"
"Just tired," She frowned, shrugging and glancing away. "Long day. Double shift and all that."
"When has a double shift ever worn you out?" Alec asked, eyes narrowed. They stepped away from the entrance, letting some people coming down the steps pass them and enter the bar.
"Since today," She shrugged, thinking that nonchalance was easier to pull off than weary unhappiness. She leaned back into the wall, her hands digging into the warm protection of her jacket's pockets.
"Come on, Maxie, you know you can trust me. Tell me what's really bothering you," He smirked, trying to draw it out of her.
Alec never smirked at Rachel. He smiled, really smiled, but a smirk, which was as natural as breathing to him, never graced his face.
"I told you, I'm fine." She snapped. Besides. Trust him? Yeah right. He'd fleece her for her money in a second. He'd call upon her help in his newest, greatest caper in a moment... He'd abandon her for his girlfriend in an instance.
"Are you sure?" He arched an eyebrow as her anger fell back into something he could not pin. And the smirk made a comeback. "Oooh, I get it. Somebody needs to work out a little tension, right? Right?"
Alec wouldn't be caught dead throwing around his usual dirty little innuendos if Rachel was around.
Her face was stony. "How many times do I have to tell you? Nothing is wrong with me."
"Bullshit," He scoffed, dropping the teasing attitude easily.
When Rachel was around, Alec didn't cuss, either. There were lots of things Alec didn't do when Rachel was around. Quite frankly, when Alec was with Rachel, he was not Alec. He was someone else entirely. Her eyes darted quickly to him, and then away, and she chewed her lip in thought. Maybe that's why she didn't like the brunette.
"Spill the beans, Maxie," His voice was dry. "What's got your gears grinding at a hundred miles an hour?"
She didn't mean to tell him. It all just kind of spilled out of her. The build-up over the last few weeks... Rachel's sudden appearance. Alec slowly pulling out of her life to better fit in with Rachel's. Watching Alec be someone he's not while he was around his pretty, pretty princess... It all created a pressure too strong to bear, and, unfortunately, she found herself being honest with him as her hands fisted in her jacket and she stared up at an overcast night sky.
"Are you kidding?" Alec demanded when she finally fell silent.
"You told me to be honest," She scowled, looking back at him. "There ya go, Max being honest. I just wonder how real your relationship can be when-"
"That's the most hypocritical thing I've ever heard out of your mouth," He argued. "And that's saying a lot, considering some of the shit you've said."
"What?!" She shoved off the wall, glaring up at him. He wasn't the only one who knew how to invade personal space.
"I mean, do you even listen to yourself when you're with Logan?" He demanded, leaning in, his breath washing across her face. "You think I'm different? You should hear you!"
When had this turned into a fight? When she opened her big, stupid mouth, probably. Her eyes narrowed and she ignored the small voice, rising to the challenge, her finger poking him brutally in the chest. "Logan and I-"
He caught her hand, squeezing it and shoving it away. "Are completely different, and you're constantly bending over backwards to fit into his world-"
"Like you're one to talk!" Max hissed, and this time she shoved at him. "Besides, you can't compare me n' Logan to you and Rachel. What we have is-"
But he caught her shove, too, holding her arms, holding her steady, against him, and his bark of laughter was sharp and cutting. "I swear to god, if you say 'real', I'll hit you, and I won't even feel bad about it."
Max scowled, her annoyance as plain on her unhappy face as it was in her tense body, held against his. Please. Like he'd ever throw a first punch, big sissy that he was.
"Jesus, Max, that is so like you!" He released her, stepping away. "How self-absorbed can you be? You think you and Logan are the only ones allowed to be in a relationship? You think you're the only person that can change for the person you love? Well, I got news for you princess-"
Her mouth dropped open. "You did not just call me princess-"
"You need to grow up."
Max blinked in shock. Before the anger reclaimed her. "What?!"
"That's right," He scowled. "Grow up. Only a self-absorbed child thinks in the terms that you do. You're the only one that matters. You're the only one that knows what love is. You're the only one, blah, fucking, blah. In my humble opinion, your majesty, you need to get over yourself."
"You did not just say that!"
"You know what your problem is?" He asked. Before she could open her mouth and throw out a 'you!', he shoved on, angrily. "You're jealous." He didn't even wait for her angry retort, just whirled on his heel, stalking back into the bar.
"Jealous? Of you?! Yeah, right!" She shouted after him, ignoring the stares she got from the people exiting the bar, the ones that Alec had all but shoved around.
Max only stared after him for a few short moments. That was all she could take before even the night air made her claustrophobic, and she had to move, had to get out of here. Had to go somewhere where no one could find her. Somewhere was the Space Needle, because Alec was too annoyed to look for her, and no one else ever went there anyway.
The air up on the Seattle monument was strong, thin, frightening if you weren't prepared. A storm was rolling in and strong winds whipped her hair about. It complemented her tumultuous thoughts nicely.
Don't get her wrong. It's not that she wanted Alec for herself. It's just that she hadn't been prepared to share him. For months it'd been Max he looked to for guidance, Max he went to when he really needed help… but even then, thanks to their strained dealings and even shakier relationship, he'd kept her at arms length. Then all of a sudden, along comes this girl, who doesn't even know him, not really, and he's letting her in to every private little detail of his life? He's singing her praises, after everything Max had done for him?
And she hated to admit it, but part of it really was that she was jealous… jealous that Alec got to be happy but here she was, dateless again on a Friday night… because being dateless is better than hangin' out with someone who pulls on rubber gloves when they see you comin'.
She was no better, no clearer, making the long climb down the Space Needle, it was suicidal to stay up there once the wind really picked up, than she had been when she'd made the climb up. The wind whipping around her as she rode home helped, though, and it sliced into her confusion, blowing away some of the jumbles of thought that circled and circled and never went anywhere. Maybe… maybe she was being selfish. Maybe Rachel was a good match for Alec. It's not like Alec was Max's best friend. What stake did she have in it if he did change into someone unrecognizable? Maybe she should let him become someone classier and couther and (arguably) better and whaaat is Rachel Berrisford doing outside my building?
The motorcycle slowed to a stop next to the young woman waiting by the chauffered car, and Max stared impassive through her dark riding glasses, face like stone. A crack of thunder rolled over their heads.
"Hi, Max." Rachel smiled.
"Rachel," It grated. Oh, how it grated.
"Do you have a minute?"
Max leaned back into her seat, arms folding across her chest. Maybe she was feeling a little bit guilty, 'cuz she figured... maybe she owed this to Alec. Maybe Rachel deserved a chance. Maybe she could try. "I guess."
"Do you think…" Rachel glanced around, a touch nervously, at the debris littering the area, the chain fence, the graffitied concrete, and the squatter, warming his hands by a trash fire. She looked up quickly, at a night beyond black and another roll of thunder. "I mean... the storm..."
"We can go upstairs," Max sighed, finally lifting herself off her bike, keeping it on so she could walk it into the building.
"You're not going to leave your motorcycle out here?" Rachel asked in an attempt at conversation as she followed closely behind, clutching at her purse.
"Not if I want to see it tomorrow." Max smiled humorlessly. Must be nice to live in a gated compound, patrolled by security, protected from the squalor and the 'every man for himself' nature of the world by Daddy's money. But Max controlled the thoughts, and the devil on her shoulder that told her to make them verbal, and reminded herself that she was trying to be nice. Right.
The ride in the heavy duty service elevator was quiet, and Max tried to ignore the undeniable tinge of awkwardness by hiding behind the driving glasses and keeping her face hard and impassive, unaware of how incredibly intimidating she could be. The elevator stopped at her floor with its predictable jerk, and she pretended that watching Rachel's face go white didn't bring her a small measure of joy.
The apartment was dark, so Cindy must still be out. Max flipped on the light before pushing her motorcycle into the living room, and had to turn and frown after she'd put down the bike's kickstand, finally pulling her glasses from her face in annoyance. "Close the door, will ya?"
Rachel paused in her wide-eyed gawking to turn and gently shut the front door. It's not like the place was a pig sty. So what, she still had some of her laundry hanging above her sink. Who cares that they hadn't done the dishes this morning? Maybe Rachel was looking all wide-eyed because the place was small, dingy, but hey, it was bigger, and better lit, than Alec's and surely Rachel had seen the inside of Alec's place plenty of times. Max turned, fairly yanking her keys from the bike, shoving them into her pants, before roughly pulling the leather jacket from her body. She tossed it on the sofa. Normally she hung it up, normally she was kind of a neat freak, but oddly, with Rachel around, she didn't mind being obnoxiously messy. The urge to swear and spit was there too, but those were easier to control.
"Nice place," Rachel tried.
"For illegal loft-housing, it's not so bad," Max replied, with a hint of vindictive glee.
Rachel's eyes widened. "You mean… you're not supposed to be living here?"
Max couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't be outright aggressive and mean, so she just shrugged. She did tack on a, "Haven't you seen Alec's place? Nobody who works at Jam Pony can really afford to pay rent."
Rachel glanced away, and for the first time, Max began to wonder if Rachel and Alec had ever…. I mean… they had to have… y'know… This was Alec they were talkin' about…
Rachel's voice pulled her from the thoughts, dropping her into the icy waters of surprise. "You don't like me, do you?"
"W-what?!" Max turned away quickly, peeling off her leather gloves. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Maybe I'm not transgenic, but I'm not stupid, Max." Rachel was standing tall, her chin in the air, when Max glanced furtively over her shoulder. "And it's okay. I don't mind."
She didn't mind?!
"The only person's opinion that matters is Alec's." Rachel continued.
"Well, I'd give you props for self-confidence," Max replied dryly, turning to face her nemesis, stuffing her gloves in her back pocket. "But now I'm kind of wondering what the hell you're doing here if my opinion is so worthless."
"You're Alec's friend," Rachel frowned, like it was obvious. "So we have to make an effort for his sake."
"I let you in, didn't I?" Max shrugged, leaning into the side of the couch, arms folding crossly.
"I meant when he's around," Rachel's expression tipped into a scowl just for a moment. "Whatever you said to him at the bar has got him all out of sorts. He hardly said two words to me and he left me there."
He'd done what?! Max shook her head, and her bitchy mouth operated independently of her stuttering brain. "Well, you had Daddy's driver waiting outside, didn't you? It's not like Alec stranded you."
"That's not the point."
Then what was the point? Was the point that Rachel wanted to be BFF's for Alec's sake? Something feminine and knowing in Max's gut told her otherwise.
"I know," Max's brown eyes were canny as they refocused and her voice came out as an accusation. "You're not really here trying to mend bridges are you? You're too nice to come out and say it, but you want me to back off." When Rachel started in surprise, Max straightened with a laugh. "Maybe I didn't go to private school, Rachel, but I'm not stupid. Transgenic, remember?"
Rachel had brought it up first, their different heritages shouldn't bother her now. But it did, and Max watched, almost fascinated as Rachel turned white, then pink, then haughty and high-class.
"I think it would be best." Rachel finally nodded, her nose still a little too high up in the air. "Alec loves me, Max. If you were really his friend you'd leave him alone and let him be happy."
If Alec loves you so much, Max wanted to ask, then why does he care what I think of you? Why are you trying to get me away from him?
"I got news for you, girly," Max cocked her head to the side, not even botherin' to expend the energy it'd take to straighten from her lean. "Alec is my friend. We've been through a lot (most of which didn't reflect positively on him and that Max wasn't fixin' to tell her). So, let's get one thing straight, right now." Somewhere in the city, a cat hissed as a fight broke out. "I'm not going to walk away from him because his current girlfriend, one in a looong line of many, let me assure you, is feeling a little threatened." Her lips curled into a hard smile.
Rachel's eyes narrowed and she leaned forward, and ohmigod, was the candy corn princess gonna show some claws? "Listen, you-"
Whatever it was that Max was supposed to listen to, it was cut short by the front door opening and O.C. pausing in the threshold, her face twisted in surprise.
"Rachel? What'choo doin' here?"
Rachel started to stutter something, but Max saw a golden opportunity to get the girl the hell out of her hair. She arched one cool eyebrow. "Rachel just came by to have a little chat. And now she's leaving. Aren't you, Rachel?"
Rachel stared at Max a long, silent moment, and finally nodded and turned, slipping past O.C. without another word. Not even a goodbye. How rude, Max snorted to herself.
"What was that about?" O.C. asked as she shut the door behind the younger woman.
"You don't even wanna know." Max rolled her eyes, and pushed herself away from the couch. She came back a few seconds later, like Cindy had known she would, and said, insulted, "She just tried to tell me to back off of Alec,"
"Back off?" Cindy made a face. "As in, 'why don't you back off him' in a 'be nice' sort of way, or as in a 'back up off my man, 'fore I pop ya skank ass' kind of way?"
"Second one," Max scowled. "But without the use of slang."
"Girl does have some impeccable grammar." Cindy shook her head.
Rachel Berrisford was young and sweet. Rachel Berrisford was the nicest person alive so long as she got her way. Rachel Berrisford had been brought up as a spoiled little princess in an enclosed little world and now mistakenly thought she was the queen of Seattle.
Rachel Berrisford was goin' down.
Somehow. Max just didn't know how yet. She'd get to it eventually. Only one thing was certain. Nobody dictated to Max who her friends were. Nobody.
Max's plan to wrest away Seattle dominion would have to wait, however.
Really, it was probably just coincidence that their illegal tenement building got raided by the cops the very next day. If Walter, Kendra's fiancée, hadn't stopped by with a warning, Max and O.C. might never have gotten half their clothes out in time. They might have been escorted from the building in handcuffs. Instead, they showed up on Alec's doorstep, trashbags full of personals in hand, and pushed past him when he sleepily opened the door. His eyes had narrowed when they fell on Max, but maybe he was mostly over their fight from before, because he didn't push them back out the door once they were in.
"If Rachel doesn't mind, of course," Max interjected, angrily, when O.C. got finished tellin' Hot Boy that they were staying with him.
"Rachel never comes over here anyway," Alec scowled at her. Sore subject, apparently, and Max backed down, 'cuz she wouldn't put it past him to kick her out, at least. Then she'd have to stay with Logan, contaminating everything with her stupid, virus-y skin.
When O.C. was in the bedroom, goin' through her stuff, Max leaned next to Alec at the kitchen bar, frowning softly. "Rachel told me you left out of Crash early last night."
"When'd you talk to Rachel?" Alec asked, avoiding the unspoken question, 'cuz it was easier to do that than to own up to the fact that her words had spun him. He wasn't really different when he was with Rach. Was he? He just- Plus, he liked play-fighting, but real fighting with Max was kind of painful and beer had lost interest for him after their words. Max rolled her eyes when she realized he wasn't about to be honest, and went back to his bedroom to go through her clothes and mentally inventory what she'd have to replace.
After a raid, it usually took about two weeks until the cops collected enough bribes and laid off squatters' housing again. Two long weeks with Alec (and O.C.) in his small apartment. She could deal. Alec seemed to think she should only take about two minutes in the bathroom, Max seemed to think that cartoons at seven in the morning was a little unnecessary, and O.C. seemed to think that all the bickering that Max and Alec did was hella annoying, but for the most part, they all managed to get along.
The nights that O.C. went home with her current chickadee were the worst. Without a mediator, they hardly talked to each other, worried what kind of argument might erupt. Worse, it was like they were unsure of what to do with their limbs when alone, keeping them carefully away from each other, pretending like they couldn't notice the awkward avoidance when they were usually all about grabbing and popping and pushing and touching. Thankfully, a week passed in almost no time at all, and only one more week of weirdness before she could be back in her own bed… if it was still there. Cops had a bad habit of making off with whatever wasn't bolted down. And whatever the cops didn't get, the vultures picked through till there wasn't hardly nothin' left.
It was a Saturday when things came to a head. It was Max's day off. O.C. was workin'. Alec had wheedled Normal into letting him spend some quality time with his sugary sweet lollipop princess… of darkness, which means that Max had the apartment to herself. She found his stash of cash right off, thumbing through the one hundred dollar bills in disinterest. She had more than him, but probably 'cuz he was always spending his money on co-workers and Rachel. Usually she only spent money on her bike or on leads for the cure, which depleted her stockpile quickly, but right now her bike was up to date and Manticore scientists were keeping low profiles. She went through his cupboards next, but, predictably, they were almost bare. Boy lived on take-out. The TV had never held much interest for her, and she already knew his water heater didn't have the life needed to pump a tub full of hot water. So she filled it halfway up, set five large pots of water on his stove to boil (one on each burner with one in the middle to catch some of that runoff heat) and grabbed a magazine to pass the time.
Maybe her bike wasn't that up to date after all. She was kicking her feet, eyes narrowed in intense interest when the bedroom door slammed open and her legs dropped back to the bed, her head whipped around, over her shoulder and-
"What?! Alec!"
"Max?" Alec seemed frozen in the doorway, his eyes wide.
She sat up quickly, swinging her legs off the bed and grabbing for her jeans, pooled on the floor. "What are you doing home?" She'd thought that she'd have the place to herself for at least a good three more hours, so she'd started stripping, waiting for the water to boil, but she hadn't made it past her pants before she'd gotten distracted and- Her face went steely, her cheeks pink.
Alec, oddly enough, looked stony, the muscles in his jaw working overtime as she stuffed her legs into her pants. "Gonna go catch a movie. Needed to grab some cash."
"Relax," She rolled her eyes, standing up, pulling the jeans up quickly as she did. "I didn't take your precious money," helpfully adding, as she paused, "I have more than you, anyway."
He did relax a bit then, so that was probably what was bothering him. And not the fact that he'd just gotten a good look of barely there blue underwear and ass. Right. "Yeah, whatever." He walked over to her, strangely intense, and she fell still, her hands dropping away from the open fly of her jeans as he stood in front of her, looking down as she stared up. He frowned, she didn't know what expression to adopt, and finally he reached around her, stooping slightly to pull open the nightstand drawer and grab the wad of rolled up bills. She released the pent up breath. Only Alec would keep his money close to where he slept, practically in the open, no less. She kept hers in the freezer because it amused her.
He straightened slowly, his fingers tightening around the bills. His face went flinty again and she almost leapt out her skin as his sneaky hand, the one she hadn't been paying attention to, glanced across the top of her jeans, barely skimming against soft, sensitive skin. Forget jumping, she almost fell to the floor when he reached down and zipped her pants for her, slowly, the noise loud in the silence,as loud as the sudden rush of air as her breath was forced from her lungs. He held on to that small zipper, watching as her eyes darkened in something that couldn't be anger, because he'd seen anger before and this wasn't it. Anger burned brightly, this was something dark and deep and... He swallowed.
"XYZ," He forced a grin, stepping away, and the release of tension from her ramrod straight body would have made her slump if sudden annoyance hadn't kept her upright.
"What?" She demanded.
"Examine Your Zipper." He grinned.
"You're an idiot," She scowled, turning away from him quickly, buttoning her pants in a sudden show of modesty.
"Hey!" He defended. "…I'm a loveable idiot,"
She rolled her eyes at the petulant, child-like tone. "Whatever. Besides, isn't Rachel waiting on you?" Max reminded, still scowling, as she turned back to him.
"Oh crap," Alec pulled out his phone, glancing down at the display. He shoved it back into his pocket, turning... but he paused as he was almost out the door. "Hey Max? Do you think that you could maybe… y'know… never take off your pants?"
"What?" She demanded.
"Nothing," Alec sighed, stepping out the room before she could finally be the one to ask him if he was, quote-unquote, "frustrated". Just to be vindictive, as soon as he was out the door, she was undoing the zipper that long, nimble fingers had tugged up (deep breath, 'cuz there was nothin' there to be all weird about except for the fact that she hadn't kicked his ass to kingdom come) and she was shoving down denim. And looked up, hair flipping over her shoulder, as a wooden floorboard creaked when he stepped back in.
"Hey, I forgot to ask if you'd-"
Oh come on.
They stared wide-eyed at each other, her pants halfway down her thighs, exposing that bright, lacy blue material once more.
"Now you're just being vindictive," He scowled.
"W-what?! Will you get out of here?!"
"It's my apartment," He argued, keeping his eyes firmly on her face as she yanked her pants up once more. God, this wasn't an elevator service, he needed to go already. But it was like he couldn't help himself; his eyes dipped down to her open fly, that hint of blue, and was that his voice, rumbling like that? "Need help with that?"
"V-very funny." Fingers slid up a zipper, buttoned up her jeans, and he looked up, focusing again on her face. What was that expression on his face, that secret in his eyes? She couldn't place either. His mouth opened-
A slight knock on the front door, and Rachel's voice, "Alec?", startled them both. The front door creaked open as he whirled and trotted quickly into the living room. Rachel's brown head was peeping around the corner of the kitchen/front entrance wall and she smiled when she saw him, stepping more surely into his apartment.
"Rachel? What are you doing here?" He demanded.
"I followed you, silly. Got bored waiting downstairs." Rachel rolled her eyes, charming. Then glanced away. "I thought… maybe it was time I got a look at your home."
Alec froze. Max, in the bedroom, did the same.
"Now's not really a good time," Alec's voice was tense, and Max wondered if Alec had told his girlfriend that she was staying with him.
Rachel's face colored. "I just… I don't… I just wanted to see your place, Alec. I don't want-" Her voice trailed off as she noticed the pots of water on the stovetop. "Are you making something?" She asked in confusion, because they were supposed to go see a movie.
Alec desperately hoped that Max would keep her well-formed ass securely in the bedroom, but she just had to lean in the doorway, didn't she?
"No, that's me," Max only did it because a small tiny part of her wondered if Rachel hadn't called an anonymous tip into the police, inadvertently reminding them that it was time to collect on their extortion money. "Taking a bath," She cocked her head to the side. "'Cuz you know my place got raided by the cops,"
"No," Rachel said stiffly, her head swinging to Alec, and she glared prettily. "I didn't know that."
Alec could swear that he heard the hiss of cats, but he was probably just imagining things as two women glared at him, like this was somehow his fault.
They left for their movie, and Max kicked out of her pants, and threw off her shirt for good measure, and hah, take that. Her water was done boiling anyway.
Alec came home, tense and angry. His girlfriend probably hadn't come right out and said it, but undoubtedly she wanted Max out of his apartment.
The door hit the wall, and Alec was glowering in his bedroom doorway. "Just wanted to say thanks for that stunning display of cold silence I had to sit through. For three hours."
Max blinked, lowering the magazine. "What?"
Alec's eyes flicked over her in annoyance. "And what did I tell you about pants?"
"This is my pajamas," She scowled, her knees drawing protectively up towards her t-shirt clad chest. Alec's eyes flicked down to her crossed ankles, the hint of hidden black panties behind them, and her cool words had his gaze swinging back upwards. "You don't like it, leave."
"What?!" He demanded, "This is my apartment!" He stalked to the bed and she swung her legs off so she could better glare up at him and why was fighting always so close quarters with them? Probably to expedite the rapid descent into physical violence.
"If Queen Rachel wants me out of your place, just come out and say it. Stop bringing my pants into it." Max scowled up at him.
"Maybe I want you out of my apartment, did you ever consider that?" He scowled back. She stood and shoved at him and her "Fine," shouted right into his face, could have deafened an ordinary man. Then he shoved her back and it descended into its usual wrestling match, and it was almost predictable the way they tumbled onto the bed, because, really, all their fighting held a hint of sexual charge, didn't it? The weight of him, heavy and solid, started a chain reaction that she was hard pressed to ignore and it was less predictable the way his eyes squeezed shut, burying his nose behind her ear and sucking her in, when she unexpectedly arched up into him in a movement that didn't much resemble wrestling.
They fell absolutely still. Someone on the outside, lookin' in, might have known it was coming, but for them, that sudden shift, it was an unexpected revelation into a previously unheeded world. Her gasped name against her neck, "Max?", and her fingers still pressing into his shoulders. His name punctuated by a shaky exhale of breath, "Alec.", and his glance down as he pulled away and a large hand slid up the curve of her hip. His hand bunched in the green material of her t-shirt, sliding it up, the skin of her side prickling as it met the cool air.
Everything was hesitant, primed, and she was sure that if their lips were to touch, everything would explode into fire. He sat back, between her knees, staring down at her, solemn, and she, she didn't know what she wanted, but she was relatively certain that if he didn't kiss her, she'd never forgive him. He released his death grip on the sheets at her side, sliding the other half of her shirt up, just below her breasts. She sucked in much needed breath as the palm of his hand moved against her ribcage, around to her back, and he lifted her up, away from the mattress, his hand sliding down now and maybe this, this limited skin to skin contact, as her head fell back and her eyes fell shut, would have to be enough. She leaned back into her forearms, supporting her own weight, but he kept that one hand on the small of her back, the other drawing back to rest against her knee, move solidly down the inside her thigh, squeezing her flesh, and he was almost shaking, choking, "Oh God… I want…" and what could she say, other than a soft, "I know."
Was it cheating? They didn't do anything, but there was something heavy in the encounter. He collapsed back into her, and she fell back into the bed, her hands sliding through his hair, and they just lay there until a floorboard creaked and Cindy was frozen in the doorway, back from her long shift.
Two heads had whipped towards her as she made a little noise of shock and surprise, and two pairs of wide eyes blinked as she backed out, waving her hands in warding. The sound of the front door slamming had them slowly looking back at each other. Alec pulled away from her and whatever it was that they'd just done or not done or something.
When Cindy came back, Alec was gone, and Max snapped, defensive, before her friend could say a word, "We didn't do anything."
"Sure 'nough," Cindy shook her head. "But when I walked in, I ain't never seen anybody lookin' as tore up about not doin' something as you two were."
Everything after that was carefully orchestrated, a choreographed dance of avoidance. Helped that they were both working, and he was dating, and she spent a few nights out, taking care of Eyes Only stuff. Their overall silence, so different from their normal bickering, was strange enough that even Normal turned to Alec and asked, "You and Miss Muffet have a fight?" Alec's vehement protest caught Max's attention from across the room, and he happened to glance over and their eyes caught. She booked it to the bathroom as Alec watched and Normal asked, "Are you sure?" like he was lookin' for an excuse to be mad at Max. She hadn't been late all week and he needed a reason to fire her. He did it once a week, after all.
"Positive," Alec said, pushing away from the counter, and Normal pretended like he didn't see Alec follow Max into the bathroom. O.C. just shook her head, hoping they'd finally be able to talk this bitch out.
Max, leaning over the sink, glanced up in surprise.
"We didn't do anything wrong," Alec said simply.
"Then why do I feel so guilty?" She snapped.
Because as much as Max didn't like Rachel, she was still a good person, and she didn't deserve this… Didn't deserve Alec walking over to Max, eyes dark, weighing, and Max turning, gripping at the sink. Or the way he leaned into her, breathing in her hair, his hands on her upper arms, or the way she released the sink, clutching at the underside of his forearms, her eyes closing and her breath hitching.
"Rachel," Normal's eyes were wide, and he scatched nervously at his neck. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to take Alec out to lunch. Is he out on a run?"
Jam Pony descended into an awkward silence 'cuz there wasn't a person in there that hadn't seen Alec follow Max into the women's restroom.
Cindy's eyes darted to the bathroom, and she slowly started edging her way along the line of lockers towards the heavy blue door. Damn it, Max, why'd you have to wait till he got a real boo before you opened your damn eyes?
Alec's hands slid up, over her shoulders, and down her back, molding her to his body. Somehow she had managed to wrap her arms tightly around him and she wasn't entirely sure if she would let him go this time. She looked up as he looked down and Cindy slipped in.
"Y'all owe me so, so big," Cindy scowled, plastering herself against the blue door, the defender at the gate, the faithful steward of the castle. "Hot Boy, get your ass out that window before Rachel follows the silence and the sneaky glances in here."
"W-what?!" Alec released Max quickly and Max almost scowled, or she would have if her heart hadn't started working overtime.
"Your girlfriend," Cindy stressed the word, pushing away from the door, "is outside, looking for you, and all of Jam Pony is lookin' like a hot bed of guilt. Any second now, Normal is gonna cave and tell her you in here and-"
"And I'll wonder why," Rachel frowned from the doorway.
All eyes were on the bathroom when Sketchy came back from his run.
"What's goin' on?" Sketchy leaned into the counter, next to Alec and Cindy.
"Stay out of this Normal!"
Sketchy's eyebrows rose into his hairline. "That sounded like Max,"
Normal abruptly got shoved out of the ladies' bathroom. "That's coming out of your paycheck, Missy!" He shouted, turning to find all eyes upon him. "Get back to work!" And he stomped his way back to the safety of his cage.
"Rachel caught Alec and Max talkin' in the bathroom," Cindy said blandly. "And some words was said."
Alec frowned. "Rachel called Max a tramp." Sketchy winced, letting out a, "Ooo, that can't be good."
Cindy shook her head, "Then Max called Rachel the self-righteous queen of Seattle,"
"Gettin' worse," Sketchy nodded.
"After which, Rachel took off the boxing gloves and went for the old-fashioned slap." Alec shook his head. Is it bad that he'd gone on the defensive for Max? Rachel had seemed to think so when it'd been Alec that had bodily stepped between them, frowning angrily, and not O.C. It was probably good he had though, 'cuz he could feel the pressure building behind him and Max had just about lost it. It had descended into shouting after that, and O.C. and Alec realized they weren't much needed anymore as two major personalities went head-to-head.
"What did I tell you?" Normal scowled at Alec, rubbing at his bruising chest. That girl had some push to her. "Inter-office romance-"
"Hey, Rachel is blowing this all out of proportion! There is nothing remotely romantic about me and Max!" Alec protested, straightening from his lean over the counter to wave his hands in denial.
"Riiight," Normal frowned, and what the hell was that about? And what was with O.C.'s knowing smirk and Sketchy's snort.
"What?" He demanded.
"Please, Alec, who you think you foolin'?" Cindy pushed up her sleeves, crossing her arms.
"You and Missy Miss have been dancing around it since you first stepped in here," Normal added on.
"The man has a valid point," Sketchy nodded.
"Don't you have a boyfriend?" The girl scowled, but at least they weren't shouting any more. "Why can't you go make him miserable and leave us alone?!"
Max wasn't givin' an inch, though. "Like I would let Alec be corrupted into someone he's not by your subtle little niceties."
"What are you talking about? Alec and I-"
"Stop talking about him like you know him." Max threw her hands up in disgust and exasparation. "You don't know him, Rachel, you don't know anything about him."
"And you do?"
"More than you, sister, believe me." Her head cocked to the side, and what she said next, wasn't meant to be mean, it was just supposed to be honest. "Don't you get it? He doesn't love you. He loves the idea of you. What you represent. You're supposed to be the untouchable perfection; the thing he wants but can't ever have."
When Rachel didn't say anything right away, Max added. "Trust me, I know what it is to put someone up on a pedestal, worship the ground they walk on, treat them like royalty. You can fool yourself for a while, but eventually you realize that it's not really love. Especially once the person you put up there comes down from the pedestal and you realize you're not entirely sure what to do with them." Max's eyes went distant as she remembered that window of opportunity she had missed right before Rachel Berrisford had thrown her life into upheaval.
Rachel stared at her for a long moment and finally said, "You're a soulless bitch," and Max's mouth almost dropped open, and she almost stomped over there and punched perfect Rachel Berissford in her perfect nose, but perfect Rachel Berrisford was still talking. "Who is it that you really think he has on a pedestal? Me or you?"
Perfect Rachel Berrisford started to stomp out on perfect little heels, but Max's voice stopped her.
"Just to be clear, it was you that called the cops, wasn't it?"
Perfect little Rachel Berrisford; not so perfect after all, as her face colored in shame. She stormed out of the bathroom, leaving Max to shake her head. Man, the little upstart had actually given her a run for her money. But come on; there was no dethroning the master.
Cindy and Sketchy booked it when they saw the fiery angel of anger descending upon them, Reagan Ronald retreated back into his office, and it was just the two of them, staring each other down.
"Do you love me?" Rachel asked.
Alec stared at her a bit impassive. He'd thought he did. And then she'd woken up and she'd been with him in the real world, only not a part of it, more of an upper class outsider looking into his low class world. Maybe he should have tried harder. Maybe he should have given up who he'd become and turned back into Simon Lehane, lover of art and music, a man that never presses the advantage, and prefers wine over beer, and books over TV, and-
"I don't think I do," Alec said softly, and even though he was being honest, and it was better in the long run, he felt like the biggest asshole in the world when her eyes teared up and she rushed past him.
"Well, it's official," He said as he watched her rush out of Jam Pony. "I'm the meanest jerk alive."
"At least you were honest," Her voice came from behind. He turned slowly, and she was looking down, at her beeper, at 6 missed pages that had her chewin' her lip in thoughtfulness.
"I guess." Alec scowled, pulling her pager from the clip on her belt, and tossing it behind the desk. "Hey!" Max protested.
"While we're on the subject of honesty-" Alec started.
"I'll tell Logan tonight, okay? God." Max scowled.
Alec blinked. "I was going to say I'm not expecting anything from you." His smirk started slowly and built and became something wicked and promising. "Tonight, huh? Not wasting any time, are you Maxie?"
"Shut up," Max's scowl deepened. "It has nothing to do with you! Just… this thing with Rachel… and with you… It made me realize-"
"How incredibly horny you are?" Alec grinned.
"No! I just want-"
"To get laid?"
"Seriously, Alec, not sleeping with you." She turned on her heel, trotting quickly out of the building, Alec quick to follow her.
"Well, why not?"
Cindy shook her head, her eyes following them out. "And Queen Max is back on top; life returns to normal."
Sketchy glanced at Cindy. "Normal? Are you kidding? Ten bucks says he comes to work tomorrow covered in hickeys. Max is gonna need to work all that possessiveness out of her system."
"Ten bucks, huh?" Cindy thought about it for a moment, before finally shrugging. "No, Cindy gonna hafta replace some clothes when she finally get back to her place. Can't afford to be throwin' away money like that." She frowned. "And while I'm at it, need to call my sweet chickadee. Ain't no way I spendin' the night at Alec's tonight."
"Wise decision," Sketch nodded sagely.
