A/N: This is for you, Lany, for supporting the M/A idea when we both know Chris was begging for an M/L. And for anyone who was wondering when Vada was going to get on with her own love life, this is the chapter for you.
Max stormed into Terminal City, her eyes combing the courtyard for her family. The sun was almost done setting in the distance and Max just felt crummy.
"Alec! Vada!" She shouted in a shaking voice. "Come on."
The two exchanged a glance, and they got up, following her.
"Alec! Keys!" Max demanded, and Vada was amazed to see that he handed over the keys to 'Bitchy Baby' as she and Max put it.
Christian winked at her, disappearing through a door. Vada rolled her eyes and followed her parents to the car.
"You look like you're going to cry." Vada muttered from the backseat.
"Are you?" Alec asked worriedly.
"Nah." Max replied shakily. "It's no big deal."
Vada's eyes narrowed, especially since they began to sweep over the backseat and its contents. Boxes. Boxes upon boxes. Boxes of Max's stuff.
"What happened?" Vada whispered. "What is it, Mommy?"
Max bit her lip and pulled into a parking spot in front of the Space Needle.
"Logan and I have decided to call of the wedding." Max whispered finally. "It's for the better."
Alec swallowed thickly. He should be feeling good now.
"It doesn't matter, anyways. I wanted to go up here, you know, for some family time." Max said decisively, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Come on."
Alec and Vada exchanged a worried glance before following Max's example.
"Logan said he just figured out something was there between your father and I.."
"So he said he couldn't break up the best team he had seen in a while and that's how it happened." Max finished, grabbing a chip from the bag Vada had gotten.
"Oh, Mommy." Vada murmured, resting her head on Max's shoulder. "That's horrible."
"Yeah, Mommy." Alec drawled softly, putting his head on Max's other shoulder.
"You really know how to ruin a moment, don't you?" Max demanded playfully, pushing him off.
"That's my job- creating and ruining moments." Alec replied, putting his head back on Max's shoulder. "Hold me."
Max couldn't help smiling.
"You think I'm gorgeous.." Alec began in a sing-song voice, and Max's grin grew wider.
"You want to kiss me.." Max added, mocking his tone. She turned to face him.
"Hug me and marry me.." Alec finished, their faces only inches apart.
"This is the last time I rent a pre-Pulse chick flick." Vada muttered. "Why don't you two just jump each other and get it over with?"
She got up and went inside, disgusted.
"You know, she has a point." Alec whispered, sitting upright.
"About never renting pre-Pulse chick flicks again?" Max suggested.
"About jumping each other." Alec corrected, moving closer. "Tonight's pretty cloudy, even for Seattle."
"Stop talking about the weather." Max ordered quietly. "You know, we were made for each other."
"Made to compliment each other's DNA.." Alec added, moving even closer. They were barely a centimeter apart.
"Made to make perfect children." Max continued nervously. "Have the perfect family, be the perfect team, I mean, we even had a kid made for a test version. She's turned out great. I mean, how screwed up would our family be if we just.."
"Max," Alec began. She turned to him, her eyes wide and prepared for an order. "Just shut up."
"Make me." She snapped. He moved in even closer, cupping the sides of her face in his hands and just staring at her. "Well?"
"You asked for it." He whispered, closing the final gap between them, planting his lips firmly on hers. He felt her arms snaking around his neck and she opened her mouth. He took that as an invitation to continue, so he did.
Vada's Point of ViewOkay, so it's not much. It's actually kind of depressing, you know? My parents have just gotten their lives to that perfect formula and it took them three years. At least it's happened. They had a LUST. Code word for Lots of Unneeded Sexual Tension. Good, huh? I thought it was pretty creative myself.
It is really depressing that it took my parents twenty-four years to find that happy medium, especially being genetically enhanced. But of course, they're X5s. I swear, Manticore put a little self-destructiveness in their DNA. But of course, that's a common excuse. Blame Manticore and their DNA slicing lab. Without them, I wouldn't be here. If I wasn't here, who on earth would be able to pull of that wonderful matchmaking job I've done?
I took a bite of that Choc-Caramel that Daddy bought me from the first floor vending machine. It's like a movie, except free.
At least they know they're in a public place. I think that's the only thing keeping them from going at it like rabbits.
Oh boy, that was a lot of LUST. I mean, a LOT.
If it took them that long, how long is it going to take me? I mean, I haven't even fallen in love with a rich activist who's seven years older than I am. I'm way behind schedule. I mean, what if I'm completely unattached until I'm forty?
I don't have that much time!
Oh, God, Mom. You are such a slut.
Note to other people, try to keep those two words away from each other, just for your sanity. My sanity would be a hundred times better if, oh, God. There they go.
So much for the romantic aspect of it.
Can they at least wait until they're married? I mean, how would they feel if I was the one doing that? Huh?
Oh, wait, they'd never find out. Heh, heh, heh.
I'm feeling more and more pathetic as I watch my parents make out and more and more disgusted with myself for watching.
But as a lot of girls in show business say, "You never like your own work as much as an outsider, no matter how brilliant it is."
Oh, great. It's starting to rain. You'd think that would stop them. But, hell no! We're genetically enhanced soldiers! A tornado wouldn't stop us from making out with our perfect match.
I decided to walk around the indoor portion of the Space Needle. After all, it was getting kind of creepy just watching those two. I stood in front of a window, watching the raindrops drip down the window and admiring the view of the city. I can bet OC is out there clubbing, picking up any honey she can find acceptable underneath the club lights and the effects of alcohol. I bet Sketchy's trying to do the same.
I can barely see Terminal City in the horizon, but I guess that's a good thing.
Many have died in cold blood because of me, and it haunts me. But they had to die. For the good of fate and for the good of the country's security. Hell, they had to die for the good of Manticore's creations.
Like Tony. He once told me to never stop dancing until it hurt me so much I broke. But nothing would hurt me that much. Nothing physical. Nope, not me. Not the Virus, not the perfect little girl.
I guess I'm bitter. Who wouldn't be? Manticore forced my father to kill my clone, they murdered my surrogate mother before my eyes, and they separated me from the mother who never knew she had anyone else to take care of but herself. And they've practically destroyed the only love life I'll ever know.
I don't know whether I would have married Tony if I had been old enough and.. Normal. I don't think I would have. But I loved him. There's no doubt about that.
"Hey."
The voice startled me. I tore my eyes away from the city and found Chris leaning against a vending machine.
The transgenics in TC ask me how I can tell the difference between the two of them. Tristan and Christian, I mean. It's in the eyes. Chris's blue orbs have a sparkle in them, a curious sparkle that wants to learn everything about this world, and Tristan's own pair, well, don't.
"Hey." I replied after a moment, turning back to the window.
"I see Max and Alec finally came to their senses." He commented, moving so he could stand right next to me.
"Took 'em long enough." I said simply, pushing a bit of hair behind my ear and letting my arm fall softly to my side. "They both seem to wade in denial."
"Better than wading in blood." Chris muttered bitterly, glaring out at the city.
"You can't blame them for hating us. They just don't understand that we didn't ask to be born. We just were." I whispered, leaning on him. My head rested on his shoulder. "They're afraid to compete with us, because we'll win."
Chris shook his head. "It's not that. They started all the fighting and blame us for it."
"They've been brainwashed by the government. You should have been in Seattle after Manticore was torched. That's why I went to New York." I explained, closing my eyes.
"Let's not talk about this anymore tonight." Chris requested and I nodded, my face rubbing on the leather of his jacket. I opened my eyes and they were immediately looking at the inch between our hands.
His hand found mine and intertwined our fingers. The pain that had been erupting in my stomach ceased and we just sort of stood there in silence, admiring Seattle and enjoying the freedom we were slowly getting.
To Be Continued