Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Jondy, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (Elle/X5-164, etc.).

Chapter 49: Zack (X5-599)

Free time is something that you learn to treasure pretty quickly when you've lived your entire life at Manticore. I was lucky enough to have some free time before lights out, so I planned on going back to my cell to just think. Max was going to leave on her mission with Mia tomorrow morning and it would be at least a couple of months before she would be returning back here. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I guess the jury's out on this one, Jack, Ben, Kenny, Alec, and Biggs caught up with me as I was heading back to the block and talked me into playing some pool with them. We managed to grab a free table in one of the rec rooms and divided ourselves into two teams. Kenny racked up the balls and I took the first shot. I sunk two balls on my first shot. Not bad.

Alec raised an eyebrow. "Are the rest of us going to get a shot in or is it going to be the Zack show?"

"We'll have to see," I muttered, already concentrating on my next shot. I frowned when I missed and stood back to let Alec take his shot. "Damn. I thought that I had that one."

"Hey, if you're mind is somewhere else because you're not looking forward to Max going away on her mission, that's understandable," Jack said. "She'll be okay. It sounds like a fairly easy assignment to me."

"It doesn't sound too difficult to me, either," I agreed. I shook my head and watched as Alec missed and stepped aside for Kenny. "I'm just not looking forward to having her gone for such a stretch. The soonest that computer chip will be ready will be four months from now, and that's being optimistic. Max and I talked to Parker about the mission last night and he said that based on the blueprints for the chip and what work has been done so far on it, that it's more likely that the assignment will run for twice that length of time."

Kenny sank his shot and winced. "Ouch, bro. That's not going to be fun." He leaned down to line up his next one, but he looked up and grinned. "How much property damage do you think that Max has caused by now?"

"Beats the hell out of me," Ben said, shrugging. "But when they announce that the punching bags in the gym will be unavailable for a couple of days because they've all been shredded, you'll have your answer."

"On one hand, Max is lucky enough to get out of here for a good stretch," Jack said. "No offense, Zack, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," I agreed. To be away from Manticore, even if it's on assignment, is a great thing. Damn, if only it didn't mean this time that Max and I would be apart from each other. "No offense taken."

"Damn," Kenny swore as he missed his next shot. He stepped aside for Biggs. "I was really cleaning up, too."

"And I never thought that I would see the day when you'd actually do really well at pool." Alec, Biggs, Jack, and Ben laughed when Kenny jumped in response to Max's question, causing his shot to go wild. Even I couldn't help chuckling. Max reached up and patted Kenny's shoulder. "Don't worry, Kenny, I'm sure that it happens to lots of guys."

"What, missing shots?" Kenny said, trying to recover his cool.

Biggs smirked. "I think that she was referring to having the living shit scared out of you by a girl."

"Time out, guys," Jack said, holding his hands in up in front of him. "Maxie, are you done with your prep work?" When Max nodded in response, Jack turned to me. "Zack, why don't you and Max go have some alone time?"

"Good idea," I said gratefully. "Thanks, Jack."

"Um, Jack? Remember the game that we've got going?" Kenny pointed out. "Ben and I are going to be short-sided if we continue to play without Zack."

"Don't sweat it, Kenny," Ben assured him. "Even without Zack, the two of us can still beat the daylights out of Alec, Biggs, and Jack with our eyes closed." His expression brightened as Rena entered the room. "And it might not have to be the two of us, after all. Hey, Rena! I've got a proposition for you."

"Shall we?" I asked Max. She nodded and we left the rec room and walked back over to my cell. When we reached it, we went inside and I shut the door behind us. "How did it go in mission prep?"

Max shrugged. "Same old, same old. Mia and I are set to go tomorrow. All I've got to do tonight to get ready for the mission is to pack what street clothes I've got except for what I'm going to be wearing tomorrow."

"What sort of gear will you be taking?"

"Standard stuff for an assignment like this. A couple of firearms, nothing too fancy, laptop loaded with the right programs, that kind of dealio," Max replied. She grinned. "And in addition to the car that Mia and I'll be driving to get there, we're also each taking a motorcycle."

"Did you manage to reserve the Kawasaki that you used on your last mission or no?" I wondered.

"No," Max said, aggravated. "Some stupid X6 on his first solo assignment snagged it. Oh, well. That's how it goes. The bike that I signed out will do nicely."

I nodded and pulled Max into a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much, Maxie."

"I know, baby," Max said softly. She tightened her grip on me. "It already hurts. We'll be back together again before too long, Zack. It's going to be okay."

"It better be," I murmured. I buried my face in her shoulder and just breathed deeply. God, I was going to miss her. There was nothing that I wouldn't do for this woman. I lifted my head and looked Max in the eye, tenderly moving a stray curl away from her face. "I love you, Max."

"I love you, Zack," Max breathed. I gave her a long, deep, tender kiss before pulling her back into an embrace.

"Whatever you do, stay safe," I instructed. "Come back in one piece."

"Consider it done," she promised. She reached up, framing my face with her hands. "No matter what, Zack, I will come back to you. I love you. I'm yours."

"And I'm yours," I swore. "I love you, Maxie." I leaned forward and captured her lips in another kiss.

TBC