A/N: I wrote this a while ago, but I just finished it up. If the end is a bit… different from the rest of it, it's because I wrote it a month later. So. R/R.

A/N II: Reformated 2.2.07, in a bored moment. Lyrics moved to bottom, obvious weird typos changed.

Disclaimer: It's not mine. How sad for me.

Alec sighed as he watched Max from across the crowded bar. She was so great… as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was attracted to her. Really attracted. And tonight, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He knew it was wrong; she loved Logan, not him, and even though they couldn't touch they both still hoped. Still, every time she shifted he felt a spark run through him and he could almost feel the fabric of her shirt, never mind the felling of her skin. He sighed and finished his beer, still watching her. Although they were not yet close friends, they were getting there. He guessed it was because of Rachel, who let Max see just who Alec really was: that he could care, just like anybody else and that he too had a bit of humanity in him, that he could feel for someone the way she felt for Logan, that he had felt loss and love. So they both put forth their best and tried to be decent, because, no matter how much they denied it, they did respect each other. She because he had stayed and survived, he because she had escaped and lived. Yet another thing he refused to admit was that he was grateful to her-- she had given him a life and a home and led him to a job and friends.

As Max stood up to leave, Alec felt his eyes remain riveted to her form and he had the urge to follower her out and corner her and… he cut himself off as something occurred to him, and he stood up.

Max walked out of Crash, sighing. She had come to take her mind off Logan, but that clearly wasn't about to happen; especially with her hormones in overdrive. Her thoughts of seeing Logan without the virus were plaguing her. Things to with Logan, to Logan, on Logan… Her dreams of Logan, however, were not as bad as some others she was thinking of; namely the newly freed X5, the sarcastic, jerky, blond, build, sexy-- Max cut herself off. Whoa girl, she thought to herself, gotta keep your mind in check. Let's not think about Alec. Her mind wasn't quite listening and she felt herself flush as she remembered him emerging from the shower as she walked into his apartment unannounced. She remember the feeling as he pressed her to the ground, lying on top of her and breathing heavily as they finished sparring-- his weight crushing her as she fought to keep herself from enjoying it. She was walking up to her baby when she heard someone walking behind her; she froze, always on her guard since her last experience with White. She braced herself and spun around, about to jump the person for two reasons: self-protection and sex. They were clearly male, she knew, and they were following her—it was their fault, really, for following her—she blinked when she realized whom she had just pinned to the cement.

Alec looked up at her.

"Max." his voice was deep and throaty, his desires clear.

Max pulled away, needing all her strength to separate herself from his built body. "Alec, what are you--"

He cut her off. "You're in heat, aren't you." It wasn't a question, but a statement of the obvious. He took a step towards her, reaching out to touch her arm.

"Oh, god." Max groaned and pulled her burning skin away from him. "Alec, go. Now."

He shrugged, taking another step forward. "Sorry, Max, can't do that."

Max went to step back, but found herself against the wall of Crash. She reached up to wrap her arms around him, kissing him for one electric moment before pulling away. "Alec, leave. I don't want this to happen--"

He cut her off yet again, and placed his arms on the wall, one on either side of her body, effectively trapping her against the wall when something occurred to him. "Max, have you ever been around another X5 when you're in heat?"

Max shook her head, suddenly realizing what he meant. "We left… to early… were separated by the… the time it happened…" The coherent train of thought long since crashed into the proverbial gutter that had become Max's life three times a year. The only thing left in her mind was the simple, pure power that she and Alec held; he needed her, she needed him, all because of a seemingly cruel and sadistic joke forced onto them by people who thought they could be gods. A simple draw between two people who could easily kill a normal person at a moment's notice: if not with force then by simply drowning in the tension they were emitting.

Alec grinned sadistically. "Really, Max. Well, isn't that interesting. Why don't I show you what happens to a male X5 around a girl in heat." He lowered his head to capture her lips in a bruising kiss. Both their bodies screamed in ecstasy, wanting more, while their minds cried out against what would change so many things.

As Alec pressed his body against Max's, they both froze, realizing exactly what was happening.

Alec pulled away with a shuddering gasp. "Sorry, Max--"

Max was breathing just as heavily. "Alec, not your fault… I should have stayed home…"

Again they crashed together, lighting sparks bright enough to power all of Seattle, each craving a simple act-- one, however, that both souls fought to give into to. However, it was a fight of strength, and bodies prevailed.

As Alec's hands slid around Max's waist, Max moaned and deepened the kiss. As she ran out of air—a few minutes later, admittedly, due to the Manticore lung capacity—she broke away to draw a shuddering breath. The last kiss had enough of an effect to let her think somewhat clearly, clearly enough to realize what was happening. "This won't work, it can't happen." She stated.

Alec nodded. "I'll leave."

Max nodded as well. "I'll go home."

Alec still held her waist, though, and he made no move to leave.

Max sighed. "You're not moving."

Alec chuckled as he looked down at his hands. "I'm not, am I?"

Max giggled as well. "Nope."

"You're not going either." He pointed out.

"I can't, you're holding onto me." Max pointed out.

Alec pursed his lips. "I'm going."

A few second later, however, they were still pressed together, warming each other against the cold Seattle night. Max burst into laughter. "This isn't working."

Alec started laughing as well. "I have to leave."

However, as they laughed, both were feeling the desire building up again, and they knew that it was a lost cause. Max went to stifle her laugher by resting her head against Alec's shoulder, but that made it worse… and, for the third time in the dark parking lot, the battle of mind versus body began. Before they could consider anything else, they had climbed onto her bike, and as she flew down the street she had no regard for speed limits. All she knew was the feeling of Alec pressed against her, his arms around her waist, and the desire to get to his apartment as soon as possible. As they reached it, Alec kissed her neck and pulled her off the bike and into his apartment. "Max, are you sure…"

Max reached out to touch his cheek. "Bit late, isn't it Alec?"

Alec groaned. "Max, I'm sorry… I should have left you when I could."

Max sighed as she made the effort to separate herself from Alec. "Alec, I need this. Not your fault, not mine, it's Manticore's…"

Alec began to argue, but Max cut him off with another kiss. She felt him respond, and she began backing him up against the wall.

Alec swallowed and pulled away; admittedly against Max's-- and his-- instincts. "You know what, Max?"

Max groaned into his neck. "What, Alec?" She asked miserably.

"I really hate Manticore." He replied, leaning over to kiss her again.

Max laughed against his lips. "Alec, so do I. Right now I need this, though. I want this, you want this, and we can forget it happened tomorrow."

Alec nodded and let her capture his lips again. His hands, of their own accord, slid around her waist and fingered the hem of her shirt. She pulled away so he could remove it, and as they backed into his room, shedding clothing, they faintly heard a beeper beeping.

Alec lay in his bed, spooned against Max. As he slowly gained consciousness, he sighed. He pulled away, sore, knowing his body would be covered in tell-tale bites and scratches. He felt Max stir as he got off the bed, and he stretched. Alec walked into the bathroom, locking the door, planning on giving Max plenty of time to run and avoid confrontation… that was, after all, what X5s did best; next to fighting of course.

He walked into the shower, washing away the memories of last night, the hot water cleaning the deep marks on his back. He sighed as he turned off the water a few minutes later, and he climbed out. He wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked into the bedroom.

He stopped, shock, as he has Max still sitting on the bed. "Max?" he asked, confused.

"Alec, I'm sorry."

"About what? It wasn't your fault."

Max gestured at his chest and back where fingernail marks were slowly fading. "Everything. It was my fault, I should have known better."

Alec sighed. "Max, we can pretend it didn't happen. It wasn't what either of us wanted, so…"

"It didn't happen." Max continued, trying to convince herself.

Alec nodded and put on a shirt. "So, Max, what are you doing in my apartment at eight in the morning?"

Max sighed and held up the small black object in her hand. "Logan needs us."

Alec groaned. "Logan."

Max rested her head on the bed, a pose that looked amusingly catlike. "We won't tell him."

"Max, he'd understand."

Max sat up, angrily. "No, Alec. We will not tell him, because it didn't happen. He doesn't need to know."

Alec reached out to touch her arm. "Yes, Max, he does."

Max sighed and looked down as she pulled away from Alec. "I don't want him to know. He'd be disgusted." Before Alec could object, she continued. "Come on, he paged sometime last night."

The two headed out the door.

Lyrics:

If it weren't for your maturity none of this would have happened
If you weren't so wise beyond your years I would've been able to control myself
If it weren't for my attention you wouldn't have been successful and
If it weren't for me you would never have amounted to very much

Ooh this could be messy
But you don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime

We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this

You're essentially an employee and I like you having to depend on me
You're kind of my protege and one day you'll say you learned all you know from me
I know you depend on me like a young thing would to a guardian
I know you sexualize me like a young thing would and I think I like it

Ooh this could get messy
But you don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime

We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
I've more than honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this

What part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept?
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?
What with this distance it seems so obvious?

Just make sure you don't tell on me especially to members of your family
We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse
I wish I could tell the world cuz you're such a pretty thing when you're done up properly
I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body

Ooh this could be messy and
Ooh I don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime