A/N- Heres the second part to that, lots of questions answered and possibly more posed for ya. A lot of you asked for the reactions of the squad to Max's revelation well I'm afraid you have to wait until the next chapter… which is another flaming two parter! moans and whimpers as her head threatens to explode from sheer pressure. Enjoy!

A/N2- This is dedicated to Tina Parker (tyna) who I so will email soon!

~~~12b Maximum Exposure

"Hate the jungle, hate the heat, hate humidity and I hate Renfro." Sunny muttered as she ran the brush through her long blonde hair.

Biggs bit back a laugh and edged closer, "Is that a fact?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Just look at my hair. Ten minutes of Jungle heat and poof, I look like the amazing frizz ball."

Biggs, who couldn't see any difference of her hair, and didn't much care now that she was speaking to him again, just nodded.

It was getting late and Emma and Aiden were dousing the fire after dinner so that they could sleep in the night without fear of attack.

"Lights out in ten," Alec called "Keep warm, it gets cold out here."

"Ooh does that mean we have to snuggle for warmth?" Feen giggled not noticing the look of horror on Techie's face.

"Yup," Alec beamed "Conserve body warmth, sleep close."

"Great," Chance said softly with a look at Pix who bit back a moan at her sexy smile.

~

Drew rolled out her sleeping bag and Mets shuffled over, his hands in his pockets.

"Will you kick my ass if I sleep near you?"

"Only if you snore." She grinned at his lost little boy look.

Mets laughed and flopped down on the ground next to her, intent on fixing some of the damage that was done.

~

Biggs watched as Pix and Chance set up their bags next to each other and he frowned, wanting nothing more than to beat the man down until he left Chance alone.

"What's up, Biggs?" Sunny nudged him and smiled.

He gestured to a laughing Chance and smirking Pix.

Sunny laughed at him, "Oh come on big protector, sleep by me."

He eyed her, "Are you still mad at me?"

She bit her lips and considered, "Not so much. There is no denying that you acted like an ass but I've seen you try to make it up. Besides if I ignored everyone who acted like an ass I'd be very, very lonely."

Biggs laughed at that. "Speaking of acting like an ass, Alec just cornered me and asked me if anything was going on between me and Max- romance wise."

Sunny gaped for a second and then set off in peals of laughter.

"It's funny now," Biggs shuddered "But I thought my life was in danger!"

Biggs had just finished rolling out his bed, and had been looking at the fading light and as a result had only heard the tail end of Alec's comment.

"Great views around here huh?" He'd said and Biggs had turned to see Max bent over. He swallowed as she looked over her shoulder with her big brown eyes.

They both looked away, too uncomfortable around each other.

To Biggs' surprise Alec grabbed his arm and hauled him off into the jungle.

"Biggs we have known each other for so long, I think of you as not just my best friend but as family."

Biggs had blinked, shocked at Alec's show of emotion. Although his C.O had been more open these past few years, sometimes it was hard to reconcile this new open male with the closed, cool customer he had been before Special Ops.

"Me too, Alec," he said honestly.

Alec continued "We've never lied to each and I need you to tell me the truth right now as your friend as well as your C.O."

Biggs had no idea what could be so serious that Alec felt the need to say to him privately and so he just nodded, "Sure."

"Is there something going on between you and Max?"

To say that Alec's words were a shock would be like saying Niagara Falls was a big drip. Understatement. And for once in his life Biggs was totally stunned speechless.

"What?" He squeaked.

"Do you and Max have a thing?"

A thing, a thing? What kind of thing? A 'yes you put me down so I hate you' thing? An 'I accused you of being responsible for my best friends' being tortured' thing? Possibly not what Alec meant. Biggs saw the tensing in Alec's jaw.

Shit, Alec honestly thought that that Biggs and Max were involved? He would have laughed if he wasn't sure that Alec would kill him.

"Why the hell… what makes…when do…how could…NO!"

Alec's breath whooshed out "Really?"

Biggs wanted to laugh but managed to keep it in

"The heat is getting to you man," Biggs said in concern for his own skin as well as Alec's sanity. "Max is great, hot and all but no. No way."

"Then what's with all the glances and avoidance. Did something happen?"

Happen? Biggs felt like an echo. Ah Alec wanted to know about the fight. He coloured as he recalled the harsh words he'd said to Max.

"Biggs?"

"No, we had a fight of sorts okay. I thought it would blow over but it hasn't."

"What about?" Alec persisted and Biggs shook his head.

"That's between me and Max." he saw Alec start to protest and held his hand out.

"Sir! It's okay, I should have sorted it out before and I will but it is between me and Max, and please, don't ask me again."

He saw Alec think on this for a second even as he own mind whirled, it was true. He had to sort things out with Max, sooner rather than later.

"See that you do, I don't want tensions screwing up the mission."

Biggs raised an eyebrow at Alec's words. Yeah sure, that's what Alec had been worried about- the mission. And he was designed yesterday.

"Uh huh."

Alec had scowled and walked off.

"Scariest moment of my life," Biggs told Sunny who was still laughing.

"I bet it was!" She giggled and slipped an arm around his shoulders.

He leaned in as he smelled her scent, familiar and comfortable.

"So you need a snuggle buddy?" he asked hopefully.

~

Alec leaned against the tree with his arms folded and a boyish grin on his face.

"So, Max?"

"What?"

"It's the jungle and it gets cold here at night."

Max scoffed, "Congratulations, no wonder you passed Rudimentary Geography."

Alec's grin never faded. "We really should huddle together to conserve body heat."

Max rolled her eyes, "Nice try pretty boy."

Alec pouted and came up behind her as she shook grass off her sleeping bag.

He wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug and breathed into her neck, "Come on Max, wanna snuggle?"

"Fool!" she laughed and wriggled out of his embrace, she smacked his arm and then the back of his head and grabbed her blanket and bag, moving over to the other side of the dying fire.

"No groping allowed!" she warned as he pouted and flopped down onto his own sleeping bag.

"No fair!" he whined, "Now I'm gonna be cold!"

Max laughed, "Deal with it already. I'm sure that you could get someone to share with you."

Her eyes briefly caught Cece's but Max turned her back and lay down before the girl could say a word. 

~

Techie set his bag down near the trees, hoping for some shelter should it rain so his gear wouldn't get wet…wetter, the humidity wasn't exactly conducive to good maintenance of his electronics.

"So why are we sitting under the tree?" Feen perked up from by his ear causing him to jump and drop his bag.

"Uh…I was…there wasn't a," he took a breath and looked over her shoulder at Emma who rolled her eyes.

"Deep breaths!" she mouthed and he nodded with a grateful look.

"Keeps the rain off my equipment," He gestured to his computer at his feet. It had been designed to run off batteries so it didn't have to go through the mains.

"Cool," She said and sat down. Giving one last desperate glance at Emma who was rolling around in hysterics at his scared look he too sat down.

"Techie, I want to ask you something?"

"Uh...okay?"

Feen looked him in the eye, "Do you mind if I sleep with you?"

Techie trembled, "Uh...ok-ay?"

"Great!" she beamed and went to get her bag. Techie slumped and shot Emma an evil look as she grinned.

Not fair.

~~~

Zan slept lightly, it was one of his least favourite things since he just wanted to stay in bed for hours. But for once he was glad of it.

He'd been sleeping when he'd felt something brush by him. He'd opened one eye to see Alec sneaking off into the jungle.

Opening both eyes he peered around, confused for a second and then his eyes saw the empty spot where Max had stashed herself.

He got to his feet and pulled on his boots accidentally knocking Dek awake.

"I sleep about as often as Max does Zan, couldn't you let me sleep longer?"

"She's gone."

At that Dek shot up and to his feet, "Alec too." He added as he pulled on his own boots shaking Drew awake.

"Maybe they went for a romantic rendezvous?" she yawned.

At the sound of them talking most of the transgenics woke up and wondered what they were looking at. It didn't take long for them to discover the fact that their C.O's were missing.

"Let's go see," Pix said mischievously. 

Biggs laughed, "Oh if Alec is making out with Max and you interrupt…"

"Now, that, I'd pay to see!" Carrot laughed as he helped Tara on with her jacket.

"Not me," Zan mumbled and Cece agreed silently.

They started to creep through the jungle watching for the tracks that Max and Alec had made.

"They didn't go the same way," Aiden pointed out, he liked tracking exercises and they had let him take point because he was so good at them.

"Maybe they were in trouble?" Feen began to worry.

"Nah, they'd have found some way to warn us," Pix comforted and Feen smiled at him in thanks.

"Wait, you hear that?" Drew held up her hand and they stopped all listening hard. If anyone had walked by just then it would have seemed more than a little bizarre. Twenty or so teenage soldiers standing statue-still in the night time jungle all with their heads to the side listening intently.

"You have GOT to be kidding me!"

"It's Alec," Aiden said and they looked at each other and moved cautiously towards the noise that they could hear.

"They sound they are having a fight," Feen whispered and moved closer to Techie. He put his arm around her shoulders.

Zan straightened and edged closer to the voices. He motioned to them to follow him and they followed his Manticore signals and fanned out into the jungle.

Peering through the gaps in the trees they could make out Max and Alec standing in a small clearing.

Max was standing with her hands on her hips, defiant as always and Alec paced, looking every bit as frustrated with her as he sounded.

"So this guy was your C.O, it's not worth you throwing the mission over, Max," he said and those listening exchanged glances.

"What's going on?" Whispered Chance and Pix shrugged and put a finger to his lips urging her to be quiet and listen.

"That wasn't my idea, Alec. I'm not running away, I'm going back to Manticore. I'll tell them that my heat combined with the heat of the jungle was too much and so I took myself out of the equation rather than risk the mission."

"If you show up without us then they'll do tests and realise that you aren't even in heat and they'll send you to Psy-Ops, Max."

Zan shuddered at the thought of Max in Psy-Ops again and he glanced at Sunny who had gone pale and was clutching Biggs's hand like she'd break it.

"Been there, done that. Got the lobotomy. Doesn't bother me."

Biggs frowned, how could it not bother her? Psy-ops was the worst torture that Manticore had come up with and as a deterrent, it was the most effective tool that they had. Just the threat of Psy-Ops was enough to make even the most determined soldier rethink their position.

Alec tried to reason with Max but she cut him off.

"No you listen. I can't rescue them, Alec, I can't. I've put up with some crap from Manticore and they owe me. I won't do this. I don't care if they die. I don't."

Cece tensed at the abject hatred in Max's voice and winced as she wondered if her life was on that same level now that she had openly slated Max. Did Max care if she lived or died and what did that mean for her if her C.O no longer wanted her as part of the pack…unit.

"Maxie, I know you're mad at them but Psy-Ops…" Alec began again but he was cut off as Max laughed incredulously.

"Mad at them? You can't possibly understand what happened. You think Psy-ops was bad? It was a damn picnic at kindergarten compared to what they did. What they put me through. Not even Lydecker was that mean or Renfro was that sadistic. Bulli lived up to his name believe me, Alec."

Carrot pulled Tara closer to him as he knew what had prompted Max to say that. He looked over her head to lock glances with Pix who nodded, acknowledging that he too understood where Max was coming from. Coco watched the interchange and hugged herself.

Alec carried on talking, running a hand through his hair in a frustrated gesture that they all recognised.

"Ok so things were bad, I'm not saying they weren't Max, but if you get sent to Psy-Ops it would mean they'd take you off the Special Ops program."

"You're still here."

They all winced as Max threw Alec's failed mission in his face.

They had all heard him scream at night and knew that his wounds from that mission were still too fresh to talk about. Max was usually the most sensitive and for her to touch that subject meant that she was fast losing her temper.

Alec swallowed.

"Lucky break, they thought that they had broken me, or I would be bumped back to the units." He folded his arms over his chest. "Your plan is crazy Max; they might even throw you in reindoc."

 "I…DON'T…CARE," she spat and they could all taste the truth in her words.

In his arms Tara began to shake and Carrot reacted on instinct and began to pet her hair and stroke her back. Despite her calmness and composure, she really was sensitive and cared deeply for both of her C.O.'s. Their fights hurt her more than them. 

Tara hid her face in Carrot's strong chest and shivered as her two best friends began to fling hurtful words back and forth.

Cece bristled as Max called Alec self-centred but it was a scared kind of anger as their words grew harsh.

Chance squeezed her eyes tight and ducked into Pix's chest, her small body shaking as the words echoed in the small clearing.

"Make them stop," She whispered to Pix. He looked helplessly down at her swimming eyes and kissed her forehead not knowing what to do.

Drew looked over as Dek who stood with his fists clenched, his gaze darting between the two of them. He gave her a small smile and she nodded reassuringly. She was okay.

"Well Lookie Ms my first reaction is to run away, maybe you should consider sticking around. I mean, hell, wasn't having your original unit as traitors enough?"

Everyone froze as Alec's hateful words echoed in the silent clearing.

The words hung in the air, bitter and vicious and everyone tensed in anticipation of Max's explosion.

Zan couldn't believe that Alec had just said that and he moved forwards to attack him and help Max when Emma grabbed onto his arm.

Emma was usually so perky that they forgot that she was the most empathetic and right now she was feeling both Alec and Max's pain. She shook her head at him even as tears dripped down her cheeks and he clenched his jaw but took a step back. Emma stepped closer to him and he took comfort in her presence.

"Max I'm sor-"

Alec tried to minimize the damage that he had done but Max held up a hand to cut him off.

"Well at least I know how you feel."

Alec shook his head desperately "No you don't, I didn't mean…"

She laughed and they all felt the chill it held., even Zan shuddered as the sound echoed.

"You asked what went down with Biggs and me and the rest of the units."

Cece and Biggs stiffened and looked over at each other. Damn she was going to tell him! Of them all, Cece and Biggs had said the worst and probably done the most damage of all.

"What?" Alec seemed perplexed at the change.

"They blamed me. You blew off your mission and they blamed me for being a bad influence on you, after all I'm an 09er, a traitor. Their golden boy's spending time with me was bound to result in an infraction sooner or later and there it was. You screwed up so they blamed me. It was like being back in Wyoming. People hissing and laughing as I went by, oh there were no tricks or fights but somehow the mental stuff always gets to you more, and when people that you thought were your friends, like Biggs," Biggs blanched, "glare at you like you're something from the bottom of their shoe…well. No matter the missions we've been on together or how many times I've helped them out, laughed with them, after everything I'm still second class for something someone else made me do when I was nine years old."

Chance looked away from Pix's searching gaze and felt shame as Max's words sounded loud and clear.

"I'm an 09er," Max continued, still unaware of her audience, "not one of you. Tensions run riot and they show their true colours- turn on the enemy …and it's clear that you're exactly the same."

She finished quietly.

None of them said a word as they allowed her words to sink in and swamp them.

It was like she was discussing someone else's pain but they could all feel it as if it were their own.

"Is that what you think?"

Alec said finally and Max shrugged.

"That's what you just said. Max is a traitor- always has been."

 "I've never thought that. Never."

It was almost as if Max had been waiting for those words. The harsh front that had been her constant façade for months dropped and thanks to their enhanced eyesight they could see as tears gathered in her eyes and her lower lip trembled.

When she spoke again there wasn't one there who doubted her pain.

"Do you know what it's like to have a whole unit hate you so much that they throw a search and destroy mission, risk punishment, to catch you and beat you into the ground with their fists and feet?"

Chance gasped.

"To break three ribs and get you sent to Psy-ops just because of who your family was? Have you ever been beaten by a pool cue over your back, feeling it snap over your muscles? Felt the feet of people who are supposed to be your unit try to kick you into oblivion?"

Feen swallowed hard and held tight to Techie's hand.

"Has any of your unit ever held you under in the tank until you pass out?"

"Oh God," whispered Emma and Zan closed his eyes.

"When you've been released after a week in the pit with no food and no water and no sleep and you go back and there's barbed wire in your bed that you know will take all night to unwind and get you in trouble the next morning at inspection for tearing the sheets? Have you ever been too scared to sleep because your unit might find some way of killing you before you wake and to know that the trainers wouldn't even blink?"

Skye gave up all pretence of being tough and sought comfort in Flex's arms even as she looked up into his horror filled gaze.

"Five years of constantly being on your guard, five years of constantly watching your back." Max finally closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek as she shook with suppressed sobs "I'm so tired Alec."

The atmosphere in the clearing was one of horror and recrimination as the full account of what happened to her finally penetrated.

The images of what she had gone through flashed through all of their minds like they had actually been there and sent shivers of revulsion down their spines.

Alec was the first to move and he leaped forward and pulled his arms around her. "God Max. I didn't know. I'm so sorry."

"I hate them Alec, I hate them. Don't make me do this please!" she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes and a sad expression.

Zan couldn't stand the look of pain in Max's face anymore and he moved away from Emma and towards the scene in the clearing. Biggs grabbed his arm, he looked traumatised at her words, but he couldn't let Zan interfere.

Zan must have stepped on a twig or something because Alec finally registered that there was someone else there. He stared straight into Biggs' face and he saw the unrestrained fury that was lying there.

Biggs knew that as soon as Alec got him and the rest of unit8 alone that there would be hell to pay.

Biggs swallowed and nodded, saying that he understood and accepted it.

Alec inclined his head and they all melted back into the shadows. Max hadn't forgiven them yet and if she knew that they had seen her weak moment then it was doubtful that she would be ready to any time soon. The last thing Max wanted was for them to see her weakness.

They made their way silently back to camp, only the occasional sob from Tara or sniff from Chance puncturing the air.

Techie grabbed his and Feen's sleeping bags back to the fire and lay closer to the unit. It seemed that they all had the same idea and all shuffled until they were practically all on top of each other.

After that, after everything they needed the comfort of each other's warmth and familiar scent.

But sleep was a long time coming and it wasn't until they heard the soft footsteps of Max and Alec as they came back to camp that they all fell into uneasy slumber.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ting- who reviewed at Agora- So glad that you liked my pictures! They are fun to do.

Moonlite star- Well since you NEED it, here it is then.

Mely's the name- Good point about Zack and Zan, Zan does kinda have the whole brother-crush thing covered but we'll have to see. Thanks for reviewing on either!

Hanna- hey pet, glad you liked that. this part was out quick.

Stormvind- Mutual appreciation society here. How's the brainstorming for your fic coming on? Will Maxie forgive them? Ooh wait and see, Will they apologise? Hell yeah! Will Alec get pissed? Hell yeah, pissed Alec is coolness. Sunny with Bigs or Zan? Which?

GivenAlias- Aw bless ya, that's sweet for saying so. Are you sure you could stand two posts a week? LOL, my little fingers would be worked to the bone! You like Dek and Drew huh? Yeah someone else mentioned that there was something about Mets that they didn't like but couldn't put their finger on. Any ideas?

Geminangel- Yeah they had to do it surreptitiously so that the trainers didn't see but each of them had something to say to 261. Don't worry though they'll get theirs. Pix and Chance all the way!

Poo- Well 12 a and b anyway- like I said the chapters are getting too damn long now! Yah Biggs makes a great kind of brother doesn't he? I know mine wouldn't offer to rip out a boyfriends entrails for me L  Well that's one for Drew and Mets anyway!

Elfie- Thank you darling, glad it was appreciated. I meant that the Trainers were in support of what Bulli did so he obviously thought Lydecker was too, The Trainers had been seen to have been slacking by letting the 09ers escape so they took it out on the remaining one. I'm leaving the familiar thing way alone in this story!

Ru- Thanks, Pix and Chance make the cutest couple ever and should have been back together so yay to that.

Jade-k- Can't get too steamy because ff.net is not NC-17 friendly, but so far it's a nice level of intimacy. Pix and Biggs will be having a few more hear to hearts in the near future!

Wildchild494- Hey pet! I try to update soon!

Barcode_babe_210- LOL, feel free to rejoice as much as you want e-hugs are nice!

Ganko- Pix has layers! He's not just a joker- who'd have thunk?  Yeah Chance needs to remember that she is allowed to have a spine and so she shall.  It's great the X-series girls aren't afraid of smacking the guys around when they need it! As for the rest- well tell me what you think!

Cecelia- The whole of unit 8 was there when Max had her rant. I wanted to make it personal for them all, hope I managed it.

Kim- That will all be uncovered in the next chapter- which will be a two parter …again! whimper

SGOU- THANK YOU! I loved that scene and you were the only one who commented on it! The next chap will be for you pet! Aiden is growing on me too, which I was surprised about since he was originally just a quiet extra. Sunny can get quite fierce when she puts her mind to it. The whole Biggs,Chance, Pix circle isn't over yet and just wait until Biggs finds out what Pix is doing with his baby sister!!!! Ahh the subtext, how cool was that!

Dokushok79 pouts aww I like your long reviews telling me what you liked. Oh well at least I know that you sent one! I'm just confusing everyone on this Dek/Drew/Mets thing, not to mention myself. Damn this chapter that I have just written I couldn't believe what a tangle I've got them all into!! Urgh! LOL.