Disclaimer: None of them are mine. Really. They all belong to this guy called Cameron and a few others as well.

Authors Note: The more you review, the faster I write! : )

DARK TERROR

Chapter 8 - Leaving Sanctuary

One week later;

"We have to do this Max." There was no reply but as Alec turned and looked at Max still sitting on the large double bed watching him, he sighed. Her expression was an infuriating mix of stubbornness and anger. Walking across the room, Alec pulled out a few more articles of clothes from the broken wardrobe in the cramped bedroom and stuffed them carefully into the duffel bag.

"I don't want to go." Alec paused at hearing Max speak. Her voice was hard but the tremor underneath clued Alec as to how close to tears Max was. He couldn't blame her, he loved this place to. Loved how far Max had come with her recovery in the warm sunlight and fresh air. No, Alec didn't want to leave but it had been too long and there was no way in hell White would have given up the search for them.

Alec continued to pack, ignoring Max's words. As much as it hurt to deny her this, it was for her safety. "Did you hear me Alec? I said I don't want to go!" Her voice rose and Max uncurled herself from her position against the soft pillows and walked over to where Alec was still packing. Max grabbed the bag from his grasp and before he had a chance to react she threw it across the room, contents spilling everywhere.

Alec froze for a moment, he took several deep breaths trying to control the anger that instantly flared. He was doing this for her! Didn't she see that? Alec pushed past her and picked up the bag and methodically started to repack the fallen things. It was easier not to look at her, to just ignore her.

"I'm not going! Do you hear me Alec? I'm staying here!" Max sounded defiant as she tried to convince him that if she chose to she could remain here without him. They both knew he would never let her and she wasn't strong enough to fight him. Not yet.

Alec looked up at her then. It was a mistake. He hadn't heard any sound of Max crying but her dark eyes were filled with liquid and her cheeks were stained with tears. She was chewing on her swollen lower lip and with her silky hair lying untamed down her back, looked for all the world like a child. Alec's heart tugged and he felt some of his anger fade.

"Max. I'm sorry but we don't have a choice." He told her, trying to make his voice gentle. Anger flashed in Max's eyes and her cheeks flushed a slight crimson with the strength of her emotions.

"Don't do that! Don't talk to me like I'm some kid that will just do what you say!" Max cried heatedly. She was sick of being helpless, sick of grieving, sick of being a victim!

Alec felt himself stare at her before shaking himself mentally. She was so beautiful in her rage and it had been so long since he had heard so much life in her voice, so much passion in her eyes. He just wished it wasn't directed at him in the form of anger rather than… Fuck. Stop thinking like that! Alec told himself, angry with himself now.

Seeing Max as she was now, yelling at him, wanting her own way, reminded him so much of how things had been before. When for him their arguments were a way of exorcising the sexual tension that built between them like electricity. A charge with only two ways of being discharged and because of Logan one of them had been off limits. Still was. Logan still stood between them, a mere ghost now but no less of an obstacle. Along with him stood White and the nightmare of the past 5 months.

"Fine. You want to be an adult about this, then help me pack, because we are leaving here today!" Alec knew his anger was misdirected, but despite all the alterations of his DNA, he was still mostly human and the frustration of being around Max, when he wasn't free to show her how he really felt, was starting to get to him.

"Why cant we stay? Just a few more weeks, nothings happened yet. We might be safe here." The words were hollow. Not even Max believed them and Alec felt his temper snap.

"Do you want to get caught Max? Do you want White-" Despite his anger Alec couldn't say what he had intended. He couldn't hurt Max like that, throw White in her face. The last time he had done that Max had tried to kill herself and he had hit her. Alec still felt sick to his stomach whenever he remembered that night, remembered hurting her, first with his words and then with his fist.

Max had frozen at the mention of White but she bit her lip hard and visibly reeled in her emotions, her fear. She had seen the flash of guilt on his face when he had stopped himself from saying whatever he had planned to.

Alec took a deep breath and collected his ragged emotions. "We're leaving. Today. You can help me or not but after we've eaten, we're getting out of here." Max glared at him and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her for good measure.

"Shit." Alec dropped the shirt from his hand and ran his palm over his face trying to stay calm. Not caring how their belongings were packed now, Alec just stuffed things in quickly. The sooner they got out of here the better. Zipping up the bag roughly, Alec threw it over his shoulder and started to walk into the living room. He hesitated in the door frame and looked back into the small bedroom. The bed was still unmade from the morning and Alec remembered how it had felt to wake each day with Max held in his arms. They always started out on opposite sides of the bed but somehow during the night they were drawn together, like magnets they connected and were inseparable till dawn. Then Max would always pull away. Physically, emotionally. But for those few hours of night, when they both slept, Max belonged to him and Alec was no longer alone.

Enough. The voice of the soldier in Alec spoke up. Alec reacted and walked out of the bedroom, leaving his memories of being close to Max behind.

In the living room Max was sitting on in her favourite armchair. She ignored Alec's entry, only the tension in her body showing that she was aware of him. Alec sighed and dropped the bag on the floor.

"What do you want for lunch?" He asked, trying to keep his tone neutral, not wanting to start another fight. Max ignored him. "Max?" Alec tried to be patient, he knew she was still angry at leaving the first place she had felt safe at. "Max, what do you want to eat?"

"I'm not hungry." Finally an answer. Not one he wanted but still at least she was acknowledging him. Max's voice was still stressed with frustration and anger and Alec hated how much he cared that this was directed at him. Max had a high metabolism, they all did, the demands of their enhanced bodies needing more food then a normal person. Max was too thin, she had lost so much weight in White's grip and had yet to regain hardly any of it. Max seemed to hate eating, the food she had once enjoyed now reminding her of her lost love. Max seemed to hate that she still lived while Logan was dead. Logan. Alec's resentment towards the dead Logan was growing. It was irrational but Alec couldn't help but blame him for making Max love him so much, for making her suffer now, almost as much as White still made her suffer.

"You have to eat Max. How about a chicken sandwich? You like chicken right?" Alec asked rhetorically as he ignored Max's statement and started opening cupboards and laying out food on the counter.

"I said I'm not hungry!" Max's voice was rising again and Alec closed his eyes momentarily in frustration, before turning around to glare at her.

"I'm doing my best here Max! Why are you making this so difficult? I know you don't want to leave and I know you don't like eating but there is no choice here!" Alec's anger showed in his expression and his voice. He ran his fingers through his fine light brown hair and tried to calm down.

"Missing one meal wont kill me Alec." Max informed him, standing up. Her frail form made Alec want to cry and hit her all at once.

"No, but you hardly ate anything at dinner last night and I know you threw away half of that toast from breakfast. I'm not stupid Max and your skin and bone as it is." Ohhh, Alec hadn't meant to throw that one at her. Alec hadn't wanted this confrontation to come today, not with them leaving as well, but today Max seemed determined to fight him every inch of the way.

Max was facing him, her expression now contained hurt along with the anger.

"I'm well aware that I look like shit Alec! You think I like this? I'm trying, okay? I'm trying…" The last two words whispered off as all her anger and energy seemed to drain out and Max sank back into the chair and folded herself into a small ball.

Alec felt his heart crack as Max's spirit faded before his eyes. He knew this was hard for her, he was just so tired… Alec walked over to Max and knelt down. He cautiously took one of her small hands in his. Stroking her fingers gently Alec spoke. "I'm sorry Max. I know your trying. Just-just try a bit harder okay?" Large brown eyes met his steady hazel gaze. Alec tried a small smile. "Maybe we can come back here after a while. After everything's calmed down." The words were empty, they both knew it was unlikely this was ever going to end. But the suggestion raised a small answering smile from Max.

"Maybe." It was pure fantasy but a hope they needed.

Alec grinned. "Yeah." He stood and pulled Max up with him. "Now, how about that sandwich?" He took Max's silence as a tactic agreement and went back to the tiny kitchen.

As Alec started to prepare the food he felt Max's eyes on his. The feel of her hand on his, stilling his work, surprised him. As did the next words from her mouth. "Let me." So softly said but meaning so much. Alec stepped silently aside and Max pushed forward, picking up the knife and starting to cut the chicken.

"You sure?" Alec asked as he watched her move. Max must have heard the doubt in his tone because she laughed lightly. Still such a rare sound that Alec's heart leapt to hear it.

"I am capable of throwing together a few sandwiches, you know. Its hardly complicated." Max continued with her work. Sensing that Max was trying to make amends for their earlier argument, Alec decided to tease her on her limited cooking skills.

"Really? Because I heard from a very reliable source that you once gave a certain someone food poisoning." Alec kept his tone light as he tested this new return to their old banter.

Max smiled nostalgically as she was reminded of the time she had made Original Cindy sick for two days after cooking a casserole with meat that was not quite as fresh as it should have been. "Yeah well, I guess I'm going to have to have words with that certain someone for giving out classified information." The memory was quite a happy one but Max's eyes dimmed slightly as she remembered that it was unlikely it would ever be safe enough to see her best friend again. Even a phone call or postcard would put Original Cindy in danger. Alec saw Max's mood change and almost regretted bringing up the story. Silence lapsed in the kitchen for a moment while Max finished making the sandwiches.

"Done." She announced, surveying the end product. Despite her earlier claim, the sandwiches were untidy and looked a bit dubious in regard to quality.

Alec leaned over Max's arm and helped himself to one of the finished sandwiches. "You sure its safe?" He teased lightly.

Max picked up her own sandwich. "Guess your just going to have to try it for yourself and see." Taking a bite of her own for emphasis Max watched as Alec took a tiny bite.

"Hmm" Alec said thoughtfully. Max raised a dark eyebrow and smiled softly.

"Still alive?" She asked innocently. Alec grinned.

"Apparently. How long did it take for that casserole to bite Original Cindy?" Max laughed slightly at that and Alec knew, as he absorbed her every reaction and note, that he would do anything to keep that light in her eyes and that tentative happiness on her face.

They both quietened as they sat as closely as they could together on that beaten sofa. Alec ate his sandwich quickly and watched as Max picked her way through her own meal. She managed a little over half before putting the plate aside. Alec looked at, feeling the sadness envelope her once again, as memories overtook the fragile moment of contentment from before.

"You done?" He asked softly. Max refused to meet his eyes and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm done." Standing Max took their plates to the sink. She started to rinse of their dishes after throwing the remains in the bin. Alec watched her. She was so beautiful…

Flashback;

Oh God! Alec felt like he was going to be sick as he looked upon Max's still form, from across the room. Sirens were blaring and the red lights flashed overhead, spinning the room into a hellish chaos.

She couldn't be alive - Could she? Oh please no. Please let her be dead… Alec prayed as he stepped closer, the dread clutching his heart. The room was not unlike a surgical bay, sterilised and tiled. Medical equipment covering the walls, the doctors must have fled at the alarms as it was empty in here now, the guards dead by the door, killed by Alec's own hands.

Max…

Alec knew he should be hurrying. The fires he had started were already out of control and they were in the middle of nowhere. No fire brigade would be rushing to put out the flames that were currently consuming this building. But despite this, Alec's footsteps were slow and measured. He didn't want to get closer. Didn't want to see the reality of Max like this - didn't want her to be alive… Not like this, please not like this. Alec didn't believe in God. But the plea continued, a blind need for a higher power that would never allow this travesty against life.

Then he was there. Beside her. She was so still. The heart monitor and equipment she was attached to was silent and mocking in its deadness. The electricity had gone out and the base was operating on emergency power. Max was restrained, he could see that and Alec fought against the implications that came anyway. Why would they restrain her if she wasn't alive?

That thought, shook him into action and Alec closed the feet separating them in an instant. A green sheet covered her body carelessly, hiding all but her head from view, but there was blood. It saturated the sheet, soaking it in a wide brownish red stain.

Blood. So much blood. Alec reached a trembling hand out. He was shaking, he was actually, physically shaking. He pulled the sheet down to her waist and felt the vomit fight to be released. Alec couldn't help it. He turned and threw up on the shiny, white tiled floor. He retched so hard he felt his body protest at the action and nothing was left to be lost but acidic bile.

Max was naked but hardly an inch of skin was visible unmarred. There were metal tubes going into her body. In and out, in and out…All over her torso. What have they done to her? Scars, old and new decorated Max's perfect skin. Small metallic hooks were piercing her forearms cruelly. Alec knew what they were for. He knew they conducted electricity into the very tendons of a person, causing excruciating pain. They weren't commonly used anymore, too barbaric and had on occasion caused subjects to lose their sanity from the pain.

Why? It was a pointless question. Alec had seen first hand before what White was capable of. For his own pleasure if nothing else. Alec couldn't bear to look at her tortured body anymore. Couldn't stand to see what other violations would be visible beneath the rest of the sheet.

Only her face was untouched. Her beautiful perfect face. She looked dead, pale and beyond his reach. Alec broke out the sobs that built inside him and brushed the back of his fingers across the soft skin of her cheeks.

"Max." He choked her name. She has to be dead, she has to be…Please let her be dead.

As with every other prayer in his life this one went unanswered and Max's eyes flew open the second Alec's touch made contact. Her wide brown eyes were staring at him. Alec snatched his hand back in shock. "No." He whispered, more dead than alive then himself. Max was alive. More than that, she was conscious. Was conscious, could feel what had been done to her…all this time…

Present;

"Alec? Alec, are you okay?"

Alec came back to the present as Max's voice penetrated the haze of memories that had claimed him. Her voice was gentle and concerned and she stepped towards him, her hand outstretched to touch his arm.

He pulled away, out of her reach. Alec couldn't let her touch him then, not while the image of her suffering was so firmly etched in his mind. He would break down in tears and he couldn't afford to do that. Max needed him, needed him to be the strong one. To protect her from that monster.

"I'm fine." Alec's voice was rough with restrained tears. He saw the slightly hurt look cross Max's face as he had pulled away and regretted it.

"Oh. Okay." Max said softly, retreating into herself at his dismissal.

Alec didn't know if she remembered him finding her. If she remembered the pain there must have been when Alec had found a doctor and forced him to remove the metallic obscenities from her body. Her eyes had been fixed the whole time on nothing and not even a whisper of pain had escaped her lips. A silence that spoke more of the torture and suffering then the most horrific screams could have. Hers was a voice that had been silenced through hell. Pain, blood, agony without an end.

Alec turned his back to Max and forcibly pushed the memories back down into his subconscious. They had to leave. It wasn't safe here, they had to move on. Once Alec was sure his feelings were no longer painted on his face for Max to see, he faced her once more.

Max was sitting, perched on a stool by the counter, watching him, wide eyed and cautious. Alec took a deep breath. "We should go now." He said, standing and picked up the bag and walking over to Max. She stood as he approached and held out a hand to take one of the bags. Alec was surprised again at the glimmer of the Max she had been. Hesitating, Alec considered whether or not to give her one before he handed her a small light bag. She said nothing as she accepted it, and he said nothing as he watched her sling it over one slender shoulder.

Together they walked to the door silently. The mood was sombre now as they both said their silent goodbyes to a place where they had temporarily found peace and healing.

"You ready?" Alec asked Max quietly. Her face was sad and Alec knew his mirrored hers.

No. No, I'm not ready. I want to stay here, where I feel safe and warm. I don't want to go back to the reality of what our lives are.

"Yeah." Max gave a final look at the apartment. "I'm ready."

With that they both turned and walked out of the door. Back into the painful world from which they had gained a brief reprieve from. Back into the darkness, back into life.

TBC.