Chapter 30: Candlelight Love
They had barely made it to Alec's apartment before the clothes started coming off. He had just closed his door and turned around taking his shirt off. For a moment Lexa gazed at him and he was unable to read her expression.
"If your not comfortable with this-" He said slowly remembering the ordeal she had been through.
She quieted him by putting a hand to his lips. She replaced her hand with her mouth, hot and searching. He pulled back slightly, gentling the kiss. Tenderly he rubbed her back and brought her closer to him. He trailed kisses to her neck.
"Mmm." She murmured leaning into him. He pulled back completely from her, his head spinning. Holding her hand he led her to his room.
He gently pushed her to the bed and moved to light the candles. Once done he turned on the CD player. "You are so beautiful." He whispered to her huskily. He moved in close to her and his scent filled her senses.
They kissed again and the walls were filled with the shadows of their forms making love.
~*~*~*~*
Afterward he lay watching her sleep. A smile spread across his face as he thought about the way she had gasped his name. He looked at the clock near the bed and sighed regretfully. It was time to wake her so that they could go have dinner with Vin.
He shook her gently and she woke yawning and smiling contently. He kissed her and said. "As much as I would love to keep you my prisoner, I think if we don't start getting ready now Vin will come looking for us."
She simply nodded her head and rose naked, heading for the bathroom. "Don't suppose you would like to help me reach that hard to reach spot on my back, would you?" she gave him a naughty smile.
He rose quickly. "Always ready to help a lady."
~*~*~*~*
Vin had been nervous when he called Max. When she answered he had almost hung up. "Yeah?" Max said. When he didn't answer she got testy. "Look pal-"
"Sorry it's me." Vin said.
"Vin?" she asked uncertainly.
"Yes."
"What's up?"
He could tell she had been crying. He wanted to hurt that jerk. "I wanted to know if you would like to come to dinner here?" he asked.
"I don't know."
"Please. Lexa got her hands on our records from Manticore, we thought the four of us would go over them. I know she has yours and most of your unit."
"Okay, I'll be there. What time?"
"Say an hour and a half?"
"Sounds good."
"Good. And Max?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
She didn't ask for what. "Thanks. Me too. See you soon." Then she hung up. Turning to Original Cindy she said. "Oh god. What do I wear?"
~*~*~*~*
An hour later.
Max was sitting on the couch drinking a wine cooler Vin had just handed her. She had arrived early and they were listening to music while Vin cooked. He was making mesquite chicken and vegetables.
"Where did you get the chicken?" Max asked taking a sip of her drink.
"A guy I work with at the docks "came across" a couple and he owed me a favor."
Max laughed. "You sound like Alec. He always knows someone who owes him a favor. So what did you do to earn a favor like this?"
"He got jumped by a few men looking to make a quick buck. Apparently he owed a bookie."
"And let me guess," Max said standing to lean against the counter. She was well aware of the cleavage she was showing in her black shirt. Original Cindy had even made a comment along the lines of 'looks like my girl is looking to do some itch scratching.' "You came to his rescue."
Vin grinned. "Something like that."
The door opened and Alec and Lexa walked in. They were holding hands. Both Max and Vin took note of the body language. Things appeared to be good.
"You were almost late." Vin said frowning at them.
"Sorry dad." Alec said smiling.
Lexa walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie from a jar on the counter. "We got a little, caught up." She said blushing. Then she looked at Max. "Nice shirt." They shared a look that only women could understand. Max straightened up from the counter.
"Thanks. You're welcome to borrow it any time."
Alec's eyes widened. "Please tell me you mean that."
Vin laughed.
Max turned back to Lexa. "So what's this that you have our records?"
Lexa nodded. "I got them from the guard that helped me get out that night. I was going to take them to Logan to give to you and Alec, but well, you know."
Max's face became hard and she nodded tightly. "Yeah." It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it then.
Vin turned from the oven. "Tables set and the food's ready. Grab some drinks and sit down."
Alec sat and Lexa came to the table holding two beers. Alec reached for one and she playfully held it just out of reach. He shrugged. "Fine, I would rather have this." Before she could ask what, he grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her down for a kiss. She moved to pull back and he pulled her into his lap.
"Now I can see how they got caught up." Vin remarked dryly.
The two broke apart. The looked almost guilty. Almost.
Lexa moved to her chair and the meal began.
"So what do you hope to find in the records?" Max asked.
"Well, I want to know what all of those tests that they ran on us were for. They gave us so many shots and drugs, they had to have had some reason for it. Maybe they outlined the outcome." Lexa answered.
"I want to know what they intended for us alphas." Vin said.
Alec had been quiet. "I looked at Ben's file Max."
Max looked at him. "What did you discover?" she asked. Max knew that he had always worried that he would turn out to be like Ben, killing innocent people.
"Not many things are the same."
Max breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Vin turned the conversation to something more pleasant. The meal progressed easily. After the dishes were cleared the four sat in the living room. Alec and Lexa reclined on the floor leaving Vin and Max on the couch. They had noticed the looks that had been flying between Vin and Max and were trying to encourage them.
Lexa got up to get the crate of records from her room. She returned moments later setting it down on the coffee table. She then took out the original unit's files first. "I want to go through our own files tonight but I thought you would like to see these Max."
She laid them on the table opening them to the pictures. "I don't have Brin's. Maybe he couldn't find it. But look, here's Zane." She pointed to him. "And Krit." And pointed to him.
Max knew that Lexa had been particularly close to those two back at Manticore when they were young. "Well, I saw Krit and Syl a while back. Zack brought them in on that mission I told you about."
Lexa perked up. "Really? How do they look?"
"Krit's really dark and kind of lean. He has gotten so tall. And Syl's hair is still blond, about shoulder length. You would recognize them immediately."
Lexa shook her head. "I wish I had seen them."
Vin cleared his throat. "How about we start going through our records?"
The girls nodded and reached for their own records. Lexa leaned back against Alec. He could smell his shampoo on her hair and a small thrill ran through him. He felt an almost territorial pride. Looking down at her he couldn't believe after all this time the three of them had finally found their way back to each other.
She opened her record to the first year. It was filled with results of tests on hearing, sight, and reaction to stimuli. The tests seemed like normal tests until she reached her second year.
"Hey, am I the only one whose records have so many sight tests? And also they have me labeled as Intel. Anyone else?" She asked confused.
"I have a lot of hearing tests. Not so many sight though." Max kept flipping through her record. "I was put in an Alpha Category."
The other three looked up sharply at her. "Vin, what is yours?" Alec asked although part of him already knew.
Vin looked up from his record slowly. "Alpha."
For a moment the four of them looked at each other. "I am a Beta." Lexa said. Then she read aloud from her record. "Subject is proving to demonstrate exceptional sight and mechanical comprehension. It is this doctor's recommendation X5-427 be involved in experiment 221." She looked at Max. "What about you?"
"I am down for experiment 830."
"So they picked us when we were two." Alec said slowly.
"But I thought that we were all being punished when they put us in the programs." Lexa said. "I had already been in too many units."
"Obviously they had many ideas for experiments when they started. They just decided to put all of us headstrong ones into them." This came from Vin.
"Let me see your record Vin." Lexa said. He shook his head. Lexa was puzzled but didn't say anything.
Max set hers aside. "What about they time that you guys spent in that experiment? Why don't you guys check that out."
The three of them turned to the part of the folders that said Experiment 221. Lexa's jaw dropped when she saw all the hormones she had been given. She looked at Alec's. His was resting on his knee next to her. His list of hormones was considerably smaller.
"What did they give you?" She asked Vin.
He scanned his list then looked up. "A lot of steroids that's for sure."
Alec gave a dramatic sigh. "Whew, I knew those muscles couldn't be all natural." He grinned. Vin responded by throwing a pillow from the couch at him.
"Listen to this, " Lexa said reading from her file. "Subject is exhibiting normal pain measure due to Tyrania injection, her teammates seem to be feeling sympathetic pain, and this is beyond expected parameters. None of the other teams seem to be exhibiting the same behaviors."
"So, we were abnormal." Vin said.
"Could explain why they are so amped to have us back in particular." Lexa said snuggling closer to Alec.
A shudder ran though her body as she thought about being taken again. Alec, as if he could tell what she was thinking, kissed the top of her head.
Lexa turned a page in her chart and said "Well, I wanted to know what they wanted me for and here it is in black and white. "Subject is to be Intel portion of group 469. Sight is off the charts and subject shows advanced efficiency with mechanics and computers."
She looked at the group. "So I guess I was supposed to be the computer girl and take stuff apart." She looked to Vin this time. "It explains why I always loved computers." He nodded.
Lexa took Alec's file from him and quickly turned to the same page. She skimmed the paragraph. "So Alec was supposed to be like my back up. I guess that makes you the muscle Vin. Alec's hearing was extraordinary. Guess that is why you picked up the piano so easily." She turned to face him, before the dark memories could take over she kissed his nose quickly. Vin and Max shared a grin at seeing this.
Lexa hopped up. "You know what? I am going to have some of that wine Vin and I have been saving. Anyone else want some?" She asked. Max replied that she would. Lexa returned a moment later carrying two glasses of wine and handed Max one. She gave her a quick hug and said a soft "Sorry." Max nodded.
The group agreed to put away the records and focus on lighter subjects for a while. Lexa packed them back into the crates. Max had said she would take hers with her. Lexa didn't think it was the time to mention that a partial structure of the virus was in the folder. She knew Max would find it in time. Besides, she wasn't for her and Logan getting together anyway, Vin had been lonely for a long time and Max would be perfect for him.
Lexa knew that Vin had dated occasionally but she wanted him to be really happy and she would do all that she could to see to it that he was.
***To Be Continued...
Sorry it was such a long time coming. I am going to try and wrap it up soon.
They had barely made it to Alec's apartment before the clothes started coming off. He had just closed his door and turned around taking his shirt off. For a moment Lexa gazed at him and he was unable to read her expression.
"If your not comfortable with this-" He said slowly remembering the ordeal she had been through.
She quieted him by putting a hand to his lips. She replaced her hand with her mouth, hot and searching. He pulled back slightly, gentling the kiss. Tenderly he rubbed her back and brought her closer to him. He trailed kisses to her neck.
"Mmm." She murmured leaning into him. He pulled back completely from her, his head spinning. Holding her hand he led her to his room.
He gently pushed her to the bed and moved to light the candles. Once done he turned on the CD player. "You are so beautiful." He whispered to her huskily. He moved in close to her and his scent filled her senses.
They kissed again and the walls were filled with the shadows of their forms making love.
~*~*~*~*
Afterward he lay watching her sleep. A smile spread across his face as he thought about the way she had gasped his name. He looked at the clock near the bed and sighed regretfully. It was time to wake her so that they could go have dinner with Vin.
He shook her gently and she woke yawning and smiling contently. He kissed her and said. "As much as I would love to keep you my prisoner, I think if we don't start getting ready now Vin will come looking for us."
She simply nodded her head and rose naked, heading for the bathroom. "Don't suppose you would like to help me reach that hard to reach spot on my back, would you?" she gave him a naughty smile.
He rose quickly. "Always ready to help a lady."
~*~*~*~*
Vin had been nervous when he called Max. When she answered he had almost hung up. "Yeah?" Max said. When he didn't answer she got testy. "Look pal-"
"Sorry it's me." Vin said.
"Vin?" she asked uncertainly.
"Yes."
"What's up?"
He could tell she had been crying. He wanted to hurt that jerk. "I wanted to know if you would like to come to dinner here?" he asked.
"I don't know."
"Please. Lexa got her hands on our records from Manticore, we thought the four of us would go over them. I know she has yours and most of your unit."
"Okay, I'll be there. What time?"
"Say an hour and a half?"
"Sounds good."
"Good. And Max?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
She didn't ask for what. "Thanks. Me too. See you soon." Then she hung up. Turning to Original Cindy she said. "Oh god. What do I wear?"
~*~*~*~*
An hour later.
Max was sitting on the couch drinking a wine cooler Vin had just handed her. She had arrived early and they were listening to music while Vin cooked. He was making mesquite chicken and vegetables.
"Where did you get the chicken?" Max asked taking a sip of her drink.
"A guy I work with at the docks "came across" a couple and he owed me a favor."
Max laughed. "You sound like Alec. He always knows someone who owes him a favor. So what did you do to earn a favor like this?"
"He got jumped by a few men looking to make a quick buck. Apparently he owed a bookie."
"And let me guess," Max said standing to lean against the counter. She was well aware of the cleavage she was showing in her black shirt. Original Cindy had even made a comment along the lines of 'looks like my girl is looking to do some itch scratching.' "You came to his rescue."
Vin grinned. "Something like that."
The door opened and Alec and Lexa walked in. They were holding hands. Both Max and Vin took note of the body language. Things appeared to be good.
"You were almost late." Vin said frowning at them.
"Sorry dad." Alec said smiling.
Lexa walked into the kitchen and grabbed a cookie from a jar on the counter. "We got a little, caught up." She said blushing. Then she looked at Max. "Nice shirt." They shared a look that only women could understand. Max straightened up from the counter.
"Thanks. You're welcome to borrow it any time."
Alec's eyes widened. "Please tell me you mean that."
Vin laughed.
Max turned back to Lexa. "So what's this that you have our records?"
Lexa nodded. "I got them from the guard that helped me get out that night. I was going to take them to Logan to give to you and Alec, but well, you know."
Max's face became hard and she nodded tightly. "Yeah." It was obvious that she didn't want to talk about it then.
Vin turned from the oven. "Tables set and the food's ready. Grab some drinks and sit down."
Alec sat and Lexa came to the table holding two beers. Alec reached for one and she playfully held it just out of reach. He shrugged. "Fine, I would rather have this." Before she could ask what, he grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her down for a kiss. She moved to pull back and he pulled her into his lap.
"Now I can see how they got caught up." Vin remarked dryly.
The two broke apart. The looked almost guilty. Almost.
Lexa moved to her chair and the meal began.
"So what do you hope to find in the records?" Max asked.
"Well, I want to know what all of those tests that they ran on us were for. They gave us so many shots and drugs, they had to have had some reason for it. Maybe they outlined the outcome." Lexa answered.
"I want to know what they intended for us alphas." Vin said.
Alec had been quiet. "I looked at Ben's file Max."
Max looked at him. "What did you discover?" she asked. Max knew that he had always worried that he would turn out to be like Ben, killing innocent people.
"Not many things are the same."
Max breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Vin turned the conversation to something more pleasant. The meal progressed easily. After the dishes were cleared the four sat in the living room. Alec and Lexa reclined on the floor leaving Vin and Max on the couch. They had noticed the looks that had been flying between Vin and Max and were trying to encourage them.
Lexa got up to get the crate of records from her room. She returned moments later setting it down on the coffee table. She then took out the original unit's files first. "I want to go through our own files tonight but I thought you would like to see these Max."
She laid them on the table opening them to the pictures. "I don't have Brin's. Maybe he couldn't find it. But look, here's Zane." She pointed to him. "And Krit." And pointed to him.
Max knew that Lexa had been particularly close to those two back at Manticore when they were young. "Well, I saw Krit and Syl a while back. Zack brought them in on that mission I told you about."
Lexa perked up. "Really? How do they look?"
"Krit's really dark and kind of lean. He has gotten so tall. And Syl's hair is still blond, about shoulder length. You would recognize them immediately."
Lexa shook her head. "I wish I had seen them."
Vin cleared his throat. "How about we start going through our records?"
The girls nodded and reached for their own records. Lexa leaned back against Alec. He could smell his shampoo on her hair and a small thrill ran through him. He felt an almost territorial pride. Looking down at her he couldn't believe after all this time the three of them had finally found their way back to each other.
She opened her record to the first year. It was filled with results of tests on hearing, sight, and reaction to stimuli. The tests seemed like normal tests until she reached her second year.
"Hey, am I the only one whose records have so many sight tests? And also they have me labeled as Intel. Anyone else?" She asked confused.
"I have a lot of hearing tests. Not so many sight though." Max kept flipping through her record. "I was put in an Alpha Category."
The other three looked up sharply at her. "Vin, what is yours?" Alec asked although part of him already knew.
Vin looked up from his record slowly. "Alpha."
For a moment the four of them looked at each other. "I am a Beta." Lexa said. Then she read aloud from her record. "Subject is proving to demonstrate exceptional sight and mechanical comprehension. It is this doctor's recommendation X5-427 be involved in experiment 221." She looked at Max. "What about you?"
"I am down for experiment 830."
"So they picked us when we were two." Alec said slowly.
"But I thought that we were all being punished when they put us in the programs." Lexa said. "I had already been in too many units."
"Obviously they had many ideas for experiments when they started. They just decided to put all of us headstrong ones into them." This came from Vin.
"Let me see your record Vin." Lexa said. He shook his head. Lexa was puzzled but didn't say anything.
Max set hers aside. "What about they time that you guys spent in that experiment? Why don't you guys check that out."
The three of them turned to the part of the folders that said Experiment 221. Lexa's jaw dropped when she saw all the hormones she had been given. She looked at Alec's. His was resting on his knee next to her. His list of hormones was considerably smaller.
"What did they give you?" She asked Vin.
He scanned his list then looked up. "A lot of steroids that's for sure."
Alec gave a dramatic sigh. "Whew, I knew those muscles couldn't be all natural." He grinned. Vin responded by throwing a pillow from the couch at him.
"Listen to this, " Lexa said reading from her file. "Subject is exhibiting normal pain measure due to Tyrania injection, her teammates seem to be feeling sympathetic pain, and this is beyond expected parameters. None of the other teams seem to be exhibiting the same behaviors."
"So, we were abnormal." Vin said.
"Could explain why they are so amped to have us back in particular." Lexa said snuggling closer to Alec.
A shudder ran though her body as she thought about being taken again. Alec, as if he could tell what she was thinking, kissed the top of her head.
Lexa turned a page in her chart and said "Well, I wanted to know what they wanted me for and here it is in black and white. "Subject is to be Intel portion of group 469. Sight is off the charts and subject shows advanced efficiency with mechanics and computers."
She looked at the group. "So I guess I was supposed to be the computer girl and take stuff apart." She looked to Vin this time. "It explains why I always loved computers." He nodded.
Lexa took Alec's file from him and quickly turned to the same page. She skimmed the paragraph. "So Alec was supposed to be like my back up. I guess that makes you the muscle Vin. Alec's hearing was extraordinary. Guess that is why you picked up the piano so easily." She turned to face him, before the dark memories could take over she kissed his nose quickly. Vin and Max shared a grin at seeing this.
Lexa hopped up. "You know what? I am going to have some of that wine Vin and I have been saving. Anyone else want some?" She asked. Max replied that she would. Lexa returned a moment later carrying two glasses of wine and handed Max one. She gave her a quick hug and said a soft "Sorry." Max nodded.
The group agreed to put away the records and focus on lighter subjects for a while. Lexa packed them back into the crates. Max had said she would take hers with her. Lexa didn't think it was the time to mention that a partial structure of the virus was in the folder. She knew Max would find it in time. Besides, she wasn't for her and Logan getting together anyway, Vin had been lonely for a long time and Max would be perfect for him.
Lexa knew that Vin had dated occasionally but she wanted him to be really happy and she would do all that she could to see to it that he was.
***To Be Continued...
Sorry it was such a long time coming. I am going to try and wrap it up soon.