Chapter 25

Liz pushed back the strands of hair that came loose from her ponytail. She had her cell phone pressed to her ear and was making her way through the side alley toward the stairs leading to her home. The female robotic voice spoke the same words in her ear for the third time. "Dammit Alex."

She sprint up the stairs and opened the door. Frustrated she put the phone back in her pocket. If Alex didn't want to talk to her then fine, she'd give him hell tomorrow but it was fine.

After her impromptu make out session with Alec that afternoon in the gym, which, frustratingly enough only lasted a few minutes because of the knock on his office door, she went back downstairs to where the rest of the students were still engaged in sport activities. Maria saw her come down the stairs and only smirked at her before focusing again on the volleyball game.

When class finished Liz promised Maria that tomorrow night she could come over and Liz would tell her what exactly was going on with her and Alec. That afternoon however Liz was busy working her last day at the Crashdown. Next week she'd start her job with Congress Woman Whitaker. Then to top it all off with the homework assignments she received that day and meeting with Michael that night she wouldn't have time for a proper girl chat until tomorrow.

Liz tossed her backpack on the chair in the living room. She'd watch some TV while she worked on her homework, it'd make the boring task pass by a little quicker.

She went to the kitchen and poured a glass of milk. An hour before her shift started, what would she do until then? Maybe she'd practice her flips on the balcony edge…a little danger would keep her awake for another nine hours.

Liz made her way towards her room when she heard a noise coming from the same direction. She paused. It wasn't her parents, she saw them downstairs taking care of the restaurant. Could be any one of her friends, they tended to stop by when she least expected. It could also be someone far more dangerous to her and Alex, which wasn't the kind of danger she was after.

Setting down the glass she tiptoed her way to the bedroom she opened the door and thankfully found Alex. The irritating little brother that wouldn't pick up his phone. However before she got out a sarcastic comment she saw why he was there.

"Hey, didn't think you'd mind." Alex wrung his hands together.

"You're right, I don't. So was this why you were all pissy today?" She knew it was but she needed him to say it.

Alex nodded and ran a shaking hand through his sweaty head. "Can you close the door?" He asked as he sat on her bed.

"Sorry." She did as he asked. The smells from the house hit him like a freight train, especially the smell of at least one available and ready female that had been up in the house a few hours ago. Normally her home was safe for Alex to go to when he was in heat, she was his sister and there for unavailable and her mother wasn't able to have children so she didn't drive Alex crazy. But today the bathroom for the Crashdown wasn't functional for an hour and customers had to use the upstairs bathroom in the apartment.

Unfortunately for Alex that included a couple of females that were able to breed. It drove her brother up the wall. She was the same way with men when she was in heat.

"Why did the bathroom downstairs have to be non-functional today?" Alex growled.

"Don't ask me." She got on the bed next to Alex and wrapped an arm around his back rubbing muscles tense from trying to control the heat.

"I'm sorry I was such an ass to you about Tess." He apologized.

Liz smiled. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch about Tess." Alex laid his head down on her shoulder and concentrated on breathing in and out calmly.

"Part of it was the heat. I was getting protective of her because I saw her as a potential breeder." He explained. "But the other part—I just don't get why you and Maria are so mean to her, she's trying to get by, like we all are. The heat just made something that would have been a minor irritant into a much bigger one."

Liz nodded and sighed. "I know you can take care of yourself Alex. I know you don't need me to protect you from every little thing. I can't help it though." She admitted to him. When he didn't speak she continued. "I don't trust Tess. I may be a hundred percent wrong about her but I can't see you hang around her and not say anything. Not watch her for any sign that I'm right."

Although his first reaction was to argue he didn't. Instead he asked. "Have you seen any sign that you're right about her?"

"Besides the fact that Manticore would love her? No."

Alex thought about what she said. Yes, Manticore would love Tess. She'd be perfect for what they wanted. Beautiful, focused, and not afraid to use her sexual wiles to get what she wanted. Even though Tess wasn't one who could blend in easily that would have been fine. There were plenty of gorgeous X5's and blending in wasn't their forte either.

"Other than that you haven't seen anything though?"

"Nope." She would have loved to have said 'yes' but she hadn't seen anything besides the typical alien stuff. Liz saw Tess with the Destiny Book a few times and figured she was trying to read it. She saw Tess trying to warm Max, Isabel, and Michael up to her. And she occasionally saw her and Nasedo talking together but none of that raised red flags.

Alex sighed, even though he didn't agree with Liz's hate and suspicion of Tess, he was aware enough to realize that some of his instincts might be clouded by the heat that came upon him.

"Listen, if you want I can shut my mouth about Tess…at least in front of you." She offered.

"No, it's fine. Just try to be civil at least to her." Alex asked.

Liz breathed in and slowly exhaled. "Ok. I can try." She promised. "But this doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching her and looking out for you."

"Wouldn't expect you too." He smiled and moved out of her arms to lie back on the stack of pillows behind him.

"So when did you realize that you were in heat?"

Alex chuckled. "This isn't going to make you like Tess anymore than you do already." Liz remained silent and waited for him to continue. "We were in computer class and I offered to help her with the Destiny Book. I leaned over to grab said book and lets just say I was eyeing her assets…a lot more than I normally would, then I realized that I had been eyeing a lot of women all day and practically every woman I came across I wanted to pound her into the lockers for a few hours."

"Eww." She regretted asking her question. It was one thing to know her brother had a sex drive it was another to hear about it.

"You asked." He laughed out loud.

"That I did and I regret it." She told him.

Alex draped his arm over his eyes covering them from the sunlight outside. "Speaking of things we regret. What's up with you and the English teacher?"

"Excuse me?"

"The interaction between the two of you during class. Him telling you to stay after so he could talk to you. Plus the fact that I've never seen you that nervous or that excited over a guy before. All adds up to something happened. Do I need to kick his ass?"

"No, don't you dare." Although she appreciated his willingness to protect her honor it wasn't necessary. "Do you remember the morning I came home a few days ago and you were here?" Alex nodded but kept quiet. "He's the guy I met."

"Non-heat guy?"

"Yea. I didn't realize he was a teacher and he didn't realize I was a student, let alone his student." She explained.

"Awkward. No wonder he looked like he swallowed a Buick." He started laughing as he visualized Mr. Spencer's face the second he saw Liz.

"Oh shut up." She picked up a pillow and hit him in the stomach with it. "It's not funny." Even as she said that though her mouth turned up at the sides.

"This is going to be a very interesting school year big sister." Alex predicted.

TBC

Next Chapter: Alec gives an X-5 information to give to their mutual boss, but he leaves something out. Liz's last official day at the Crashdown.

Note: 5 more updates before this is up to date. Should be posting the rest on Sunday.