Title: Hook, Line, and Sinker
Author: Owl
E-mail: Owlthepsychica@aol.com
Archive: Yes, please.
Rating: PG-13, mostly for language
Summary: A love interest for Zack is found. But who is she? Zack and Max find they know as little about Alex as she knows about them. AU
Spoilers: "411 on the DL" and "Cold Comfort" especially, but any eps with Zack.
Feedback: I like it, I love it, I need more of it!
Disclaimer: Alex is my character, but everything else associated with Dark Angel belongs to Fox. I'm pretty sure, at least. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Notes: Thanks, Anna! And Pooh Bah!
Hook, Line, and Sinker
by Owl
"So, when are you gonna hook up?" Max asked Alex.
Alex sighed. They had discussed this for quite a while and she wished that they would talk about something other than her love life. Or lack thereof. She was the polar opposite of flirtatious, preferring not to bother with the male gender unless absolutely necessary. Her thick dark hair fell past her shoulders while her dangerous green eyes challenged even Max's testiness.
"Or," Original Cindy offered, "when are you gonna swing to the all-girl scene?"
"Original Cindy, we've been over this. I. Am. Not. Nor will I ever be. Gay," Alex explained, slowly, for her friend's benefit.
"A'ight. Just tryin'," Original Cindy responded nonchalantly. "Original Cindy knows when to take a hint."
"If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
Before Cindy could answer, they heard a strange sound: the sound of someone walking their bike through the front door. After Normal told them that they couldn't ride their bikes inside, they'd been doing it ever since. Alex glanced at the door, wondering who the offender was. No one she knew, obviously. They wouldn't be caught dead doing something Normal told them to do.
It was a new guy, some rookie Normal hired, probably just 'cuz he called him "sir" or something. Blonde hair, hazel eyes, nothing remarkable. He smiled at her, kind of hesitant and uncertain, like a little boy. Which normally would have appealed to her maternal side, but it was that time of the month, so now she was just bothered by it. She didn't know how to respond anyhow, so she just turned back to her friends, who were looking at her with dismayed looks on their faces.
"This is why you never go out," Max informed her.
"What?" Alex asked defensively.
Max just shook her head while Cindy explained, "Girl, even Original Cindy knows that when a boy smiles at you, you's s'posed to smile back."
"Yeah, whatever."
She went over to unlock her bike, not understanding her friends' attitudes. They were just guys; what was the big deal?
"Excuse me," said a male voice behind her. Ten to one it was the rookie.
She turned around. Score one for Alex. "Yeah?"
"Do you know where," he paused to check the address, "Spring Street is?"
"The end of Bolyston and Madison," Alex answered, turning back to her bike.
He started to say something else, but Normal's screeching cut him off. "Hot run, 125 Madison!" He tossed the package to Alex, who turned around and caught it without flinching, dropping it in her bag.
She glanced at the rookie, then said, "Since I seem to be going your way, I'll show you where it is." She watched as he tried to hold onto his bike and the package at the same time. Finally she shook her head and held out her bag. "Give me your package. That's why we carry bags. I'll haul it for you this time, but next time you're on your own."
He stared at her, but obeyed, saying, "I can carry it."
"Ha. No." She was so not going to take any macho shit right now. She put the package inside her bag and slid the strap over her head.
"Let's go."
Outside, he tried to introduce himself. "Um, I'm Sam."
Alex rolled her eyes. "Wonderful."
"Do you have a name or should I just call you Girl Without a Name?" he asked, smiling.
"You can call me Brunhilda if it'll get these packages delivered faster."
He was silent after that, for which Alex was grateful. She didn't feel like talking right now, in case it wasn't obvious. Ten minutes later, they reached Alex's destination, 125 Madison Street. She checked the address just to make sure, then walked up the steps and knocked on the door.
A guy, obviously hired muscle judging by the shades, unnecessary in the dim lighting, and the Firestar 9 mm he had pointed at her. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"Jam Pony messenger. Package for Mr. Ribiero. Sign here, please." She could be professional about this.
He looked at the package and clipboard she had in her hand, then back at her. "Maybe you'd better come inside." It wasn't a request.
"Leave her alone."
Oh, great. The last thing she needed was the rookie to get them both killed.
"Go back to the bikes."
"No." Shit, now was a really bad time to get obstinate.
"I can take care of myself. Get back to the bikes. This is a rough neighborhood." Boy, was that an understatement. "Wouldn't want them to get stolen or anything."
She felt him hesitate, then retreat down the steps. Good. One less thing to worry about. She addressed the muscle. "Sign here."
"Maybe you'd better come inside." It still wasn't a request.
"Maybe you'd better ask a little nicer." Her eyes flashed dangerously.
He pointed the gun at her head and released the safety. "How's that for nicer?"
"Great, bodyguard humor." In a flash, she spun around, dropping both package and clipboard, twisting his arm behind her, making him let go of the gun, grunting in pain.
She aimed the gun at him, taking a two-handed stance, and shoved the package and clipboard at him with her foot. "Like I said, sign here."
He did so, shaking visibly, then handed the clipboard back to her very cautiously. She took it back, not taking her eyes or the gun off him. She discharged the magazine, steadying the gun against her ribs, and stuffed it down her pants, then dropped the gun in the trash. "Those are very dangerous." As she walked away, she stopped, then turned around and said, "Oh yeah; thanks for using Jam Pony."
The rookie, Sam, didn't say anything as she walked back and kicked up the kickstand on her bike. Finally, as she mounted her bike, he asked, "Where did you learn that?"
"School," she answered shortly. Which was true.
He laughed, albeit nervously. "What kind of school did you go to?"
"You don't want to know."
As they rode, he asked, "Well, how about your name then?" When she didn't say anything, he continued, "I'll guess then. Does it end with 'x'?"
Alex stopped, then nodded, hiding her surprise. After all, it's not like a lot of names end with 'x.'
"Max?" he guessed.
Alex shook her head. Was it a coincidence one of her closest friends was named Max? She brushed her suspicion aside. Growing up with a dad in the FBI had gotten her paranoid. "It's Alex."
"Alexandra?"
She shook her head. "Alexia. Not that it's any of your business," she added.
He just smiled charmingly at her. Half of her started to melt, but her pragmatic half just snorted and said, "Yeah, whatever."
After they delivered the other package, Alex stopped at a small coffee shop.
"Where are we going?" Sam wanted to know.
"We are not going anywhere. I am going to the bathroom. It's very uncomfortable to ride a bike with a clip down your pants."
She walked inside, leaving him, once again, more than slightly startled and with no one but the bikes for company. When she came back out, she was holding two steaming cups of coffee. She handed one to Sam, who took it carefully. "Thanks," he said, surprised at the unexpected change in character.
She shrugged, taking a sip. She closed her eyes as the warmth flooded her body. Who needed heat in their apartment when they had coffee? Well, that's what she was telling herself anyway. She opened her eyes as she heard metal clanking against metal. Some kid was trying to steal her bike.
With a sigh, she handed her coffee to Sam. "Hold this for a sec. Hey!" she yelled at the kid. She ran over as the kid tried to ride away. "Get off the bike. Now." She grabbed his ear and pulled him off the bike. "Next time be careful who you steal from, got it?" The kid nodded, whimpering. She sent him on his way with a smack upside his head, shaking her head. "Kids these days."
She walked back to Sam and took her coffee back. "Thanks."
"Hey, no problem. You know, you weren't kidding when you said you could take of yourself."
She looked at him. "I know." She decided to try and make conversation. "So how long have you been in Seattle?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, a shade too quickly.
"I mean, how long have you been in Seattle? You obviously haven't been here too long 'cuz you don't know where anything is."
He visibly relaxed. Alex wondered what he was trying to hide. "I've been here a couple of weeks."
"Why did you come?"
"A friend of mine lives here," he answered. "Done interrogating?"
Alex blushed and looked down. "Sorry," she muttered. "I was just trying to make conversation."
Sam grinned. "It's okay. Can I ask a few questions?"
Alex shrugged. "Sure."
"What are you doing tonight?"
She looked at him in shock. Surely he wasn't asking her on a date!
"Nothing," she answered slowly.
"How about I take you out for Chinese then?"
She considered his offer, then smiled. "Sure. I love Chinese food."
"Great." He smiled at her, then confided, "The first thing I learned when I came here was where to get good takeout."
She laughed. "You're kidding."
He shook his head. "I'm serious."
"Well, I'd love to," she told him. She looked at her watch. "If we hurry, we can make three more runs before lunch. And I do not get paid enough to have guns pointed at me."
Alex breezed into the bar and ran up the stairs to where her friends were sitting. "Hi," she said with a big smile on her face.
Max looked at her. "You didn't."
"No, I didn't. He did."
"When?"
"Tonight."
"With who? The new kid?" Original Cindy asked, joining them.
Alex nodded.
Sketchy looked at Cindy incredulously. "You just got here and you know what they're talking about? I've been here the whole time and I have no clue what they're talking about."
"That's because you ain't got the skills," Original Cindy explained.
"Oh."
"So where's he taking you?" Max asked Alex.
"Out for Chinese," Alex answered with a smile, twisting her hair into a ponytail.
"Wait, wait," Sketchy interrupted. "You're going on a date?"
Max and Alex exchanged looks. It was Alex who said it first.
"Sketchy, you're an idiot."
Alex rummaged through her tiny closet, looking for something to wear. Heels were out of the question; she refused to dress up to go out for Chinese food. Just wasn't gonna happen. She pulled out a black article of clothing. Turning it around, she tried to figure out if it was a tube top or a skirt. Oh well, she wasn't wearing it anyway.
She tossed it on the bed and kept looking. The next thing she pulled out was a crimson off-the-shoulder top with long sleeves.
This could work.
Matched with a comfy pair of jeans, it looked pretty good. Now she had to do something with her hair. She sighed. Dates were such a pain in the ass. Not that she wasn't looking forward to it, but still. She pulled her hair back into a loose bun, brushing a few loose strands away from her face. As a rule, she didn't bother with makeup. She felt that if you weren't comfortable with the way you looked, a few tubes of face cake were not going to help you.
But there are always exceptions to the rule. She opened her medicine cabinet. Among the various pills and other junk she kept up there was a single tube of lipstick. The color was called "Scarlet O'Hara." Blood red was more like it. But she put it on anyway.
She found her large gold hoops that she hadn't worn for like, ever, and put them on, looking at her watch. If she ran down the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator, she would just make it. So she did, pausing at the bottom to catch her breath. 'Come on, Alex, he's just a guy,' she told herself. Well, he was. She brushed her hair out of her face one last time and pushed open the door to the lobby.
There he was, leaning against the wall and looking really good. She bit her lip and instantly regretted it, just knowing that she got lipstick on her teeth. Man, this was not going to work. She should turn around and go right back upstairs. Or at least take the lipstick off. But it was too late. She ran her tongue over her teeth and walked over. "Hi," she said, smiling.
"Hey," he replied with a smile. "Wow. You look amazing."
Alex blushed and looked down. "Thanks."
Her usual reply would have been 'I know,' but she wasn't thinking straight.
He reached out to brush a stray lock of hair away from her face. Alex froze. Behind them, an old man coughed, as if to say 'Get a room!' and the spell was broken.
"Come on, let's get outta here," she said with a smile.
The restaurant Sam took her to was small but clean. They were seated at a table near the window. Alex, after they gave the waiters their orders, gazed out the window, watching the rain fall in sheets. Sam, following her gaze, commented, "You know, if there's one thing I love about Seattle, it's the weather."
"I know, it's great. Rain every day and twice on Sunday," replied Alex dryly. She looked at him. "How long are you staying in Seattle?"
He smiled at her. "As long as I can."
She smiled back, then looked out the window again. She wasn't good at making small talk. Never had been, never would be. Still, she was determined to try. "So, um, where are you from?"
"All over. You?"
She shrugged. "I was born in Wyoming, but I lived away from home until I was 18, then I came to Seattle."
"Where'd you live until you were 18?" Sam inquired. While he seemed to have a problem talking about himself, he certainly didn't have any problem talking about her. Now, while other girls might have enjoyed the fact that the guy they're dating wants to know more about them, Alex found it singularly odd and uncomfortable. Oh well. It was her problem, not his. She'd worry about it later.
"At school."
"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you about that," he said. "What kind of school did you go to, anyway?"
"Military school."
"Military school," he repeated.
Alex nodded. It irritated her when he started to smile.
What, does he think I'm joking?
"I'm serious."
"I know," he assured her. "I just thought it was funny because I went to military school too. Well, sort of."
Okay, now we're getting somewhere.
"Sort of?"
He nodded, then changed the subject. "So, why did you come to Seattle?"
Okay, now we're not.
She left it alone for the time being. "Well, after I finished school, in California, I was going home, and I was halfway there when I realized that I didn't have a reason to go back. So I didn't. And that left me in Seattle."
"What about your dad?" Sam asked.
Alex shrugged. "He got over it, I'm sure. He sure as hell didn't care when I was there, so why would he care if I was gone?" Her tone was careless, but it had a bitter edge to it. "So," she said, changing the subject, "what about you? I feel selfish talking about myself. Tell me something about you."
"Well, there's really nothing to tell…"
"No," Alex corrected. "There's always something to tell. It's just a matter of whether you want to tell it or not. And I'm guessing you don't. Which, normally, would be fine, but," she explained with mock seriousness, "that totally limits our dinner conversation."
"Oh, does it?" he asked with a half-smile, leaning on the table.
"Yes, it does," she returned, mirroring his movements. To his look, she simply raised her eyebrows and smirked.
He leaned forward a little further, just to see what she would do. She copied him, and then they both realized just how tiny the space was between them.
"I never noticed how small these tables are," Sam spoke in a low voice.
"Tell me about it."
Although she tried to sound casual, Alex's heart was thudding in her chest. It did double time as he leaned closer…
"Excuse me, sir, madam, the food has arrived."
Alex wanted to strangle the waiter.
They were standing in front of the door of her apartment.
'Now what?' Alex wondered.
"Well, um, I had a really nice time," she tried.
He gave her a quick smile. "Me too."
"Well…" She stalled for time, but finally couldn't think of anything else even half-intelligent to say. "Bye."
She turned to go into her apartment.
"Alex, wait."
She turned back, and his lips met hers. The kiss didn't last long, but it left Alex breathless all the same. She didn't know what else to say, so she settled for "Um, I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?" and walked into her apartment as though she were sleepwalking. She closed the door behind her and sank against it.
It was…nice, Alex thought later, musing. She sighed. Who was she kidding? It was more than nice. It was…hopelessly beyond any adjectives, she decided. No, she corrected herself, it was perfect. 'Ugh, Lex, stop it. Making yourself sick has truly got to be a skill,' she thought with disgust. 'Besides, you'll see him at work tomorrow, so don't get all excited.'
But she didn't see him the next day. Or the next. It was like he just disappeared. Or, as Alex told Max a few weeks later, like he never existed at all.
"Hey, don't sweat it, girl," Max replied absently.
"The boy was a flake," Original Cindy added. "Probably still out there lookin' for a sucker to play."
'Yeah, like me,' Alex thought miserably. Out loud she said, "Anyway, I'm gonna go. Catch some Z's and all. See ya."
Back at her apartment building, Alex took the elevator up to her floor. Fuming over this rip-off they called an economy (Five bucks for a soda? Come on!), she was almost down the hall before she realized who was waiting at her door. Narrowing her eyes, she walked up to him and shoved him, hard, against the wall. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she hissed.
He'd forgotten how strong she was. And she was obviously pissed off. With anyone else, that'd be a dangerous combination. Maybe it still was. "Alex, I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" she repeated in disbelief. "Well, ain't that just daisies." She winced, hearing how stupid that sounded out loud, then shrugged it off. She had more important things to worry about at the moment.
"Please don't be mad."
"Mad?" Her voice sounded strange to her own ears. "Why the hell would I be mad? You just left, that's all!"
"Listen, I'm sorry! I can't explain why I had to leave!"
She looked at him, hands on her hips. "So why am I still here? Excuse me." She brushed past him and got her keys out of her pocket. As she did so, she noticed her hands were trembling. 'Oh, that's just no good,' she thought.
He noticed it too, and took her hand in his. She stayed silent, but didn't try to pull away. "Alex, I'm not going to lie to you. I can't stay."
"Why?" she asked, her voice a whisper, not looking at him.
He tucked her hair behind her ear, making her look at him. "Because I have to get my sister out of trouble."
"You have a sister?" At any other time, Alex would have found that almost sweet. But not now.
Sam nodded. "What kind of trouble is she in? No," she said as Sam started to speak, "I know what you're going to say. You can't tell me." He nodded. "Well, that's that, then. I'll see you around. Or maybe not," she added on second thought.
She opened the door, then turned to him. "Good-bye." She walked inside, then shut the door behind her, not looking back.
He started to knock on the door, then stopped. Even if she did open the door, what was he going to say? Better to leave and forget about her.
Alex turned back to face the closed door. She couldn't help feeling as though she had just made a huge mistake. She ran to the door and opened it, calling, "Sam, wait!"
But the hallway was empty.