Disclaimer: Not mine.

Authors Note: Ohhh I'm sorry! I never meant to leave this chapter so late but I lost it when my computer crashed and had to rewrite which was a real pain. Anyway I hope you like it. If anyone can give me a hand setting up on Nuns with Pens I would appreciate the help cause I have a couple of Max/Alec stories hiding on my hard drive that I wanted to post.

DARK TERROR

Chapter 21 - Wish to Forget

Alec's eyes darkened in a feral anger at the sight of the man that had caused his mate such suffering. Max's gentle weight in his arms was the only thing that held him back from leaping forward and ripping out White's throat in an instant.

Ames White smirked at the expression on the young transgenics face. Without taking his eyes off Alec, White kicked Lydecker's motionless body over to lie on his back. The empty eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, as dead as Max's own. One dark eyebrow raised as White glanced down checking Lydecker was dead.

"I had an idea he would do something like this." White said casually. "The man was nothing if not obsessive." He observed indicating towards Max with his gun.

A low growl emanated from deep within Alec's throat as he shifted Max in his arms. His eyes darted around the room as he searched for a place to shield her. His gun was at his side but he knew there would be no reaching it before White killed them both.

"Don't even think about moving." White gave a twisted smiled, correctly interpreting Alec's intentions. "Believe me when I say that several millennia of selected breeding has given me better speed than a petri dish freak like yourself." Alec froze at the words, hesitating from moving with Max so at risk.

"Put your gun on the ground. Move any quicker than a norm and I'll kill both of you just that much sooner." Slowly Alec obeyed White's instructions, shifting Max carefully in his arms. Once the gun was on the ground White jerked his head for Alec to kick it over to him. Real likely, Alec thought as he kicked the gun over to the other side of the room. As if I'm going to give him anything else to use against us. White looked vaguely annoyed at his actions but didn't fire immediately.

"You think I'm going to let you have her White?" Alec asked softly, looking him dead in the eyes.

White gave a short laugh in response. "I think your like your pal Lydecker. You would do anything to protect that piece of animal scum your holding. You fucking monsters think your so special. Your nothing. Nothing but a multi million dollar experiment gone wrong!"

"It didn't though did it?" Alec spoke quietly but with certainty. White looked momentarily taken aback and he continued. "Manticore as the government intended failed with their perfect soldiers but Sandeman succeeded. He created Max. She's what it was all about isn't she? Max and her perfect DNA."

"Perfect!" White spat out the word. "That god damn bitch-" Angered White lurched forward a few steps and Alec saw his chance. Spinning around with Max he threw himself behind the gurney that had held her protecting her body with his own. Hitting the ground hard, he released her instantly, shoving the metal gurney to shield her as he leapt over it to tackle White who was heading for them with unnatural speed.

Blurring Alec's heart pounded as he kicked White clear in the chest, knocking him against the back wall and sending his gun flying across the room.

White was on his feet again in a second but Alec was faster and fuelled with the rage of a broken love. His genetically engineered fingers grabbed White around the neck and squeezed hard. White clutched at the clenched hand trying to free himself but Alec held firm. Choking now and Alec eased his grip before starting to slam his fist into the familiar's face over and over again. He didn't want White to die yet. Alec felt the red haze of vengeance descend his sight. White needed to suffer. Suffer for every piece of pain Max had felt. Every tear of grief. Every nightmare…Every scream…

The warm slick blood coated Alec's hands as he threw everything he had into hurting White. His ears were deafened to sound by the ringing in his head but gradually the sound of laughter came. In short gasps where breath would allow White laughed at Alec's fury.

"You think-" he coughed and blood trickled from White's mouth. "Think you can hurt- me?" He laughed, a wheezing hollow sound. His arm hung useless at his side and he was slumped in a bloody pool spilt from his injuries.

Familiars cant feel physical pain. The memory came back to Alec as his sanity asserted control over his mind.

Alec felt something in him chill as he looked down at White. For the first time in a long time Alec felt Ben's presence at the back of his mind, a broken splinter piercing his heart that would never leave.

Out of the corner of his eye Alec saw Max's still figure still lying where he had left her. Her head was visible from where he stood over White's form. Max's beautiful dark eyes were blank and staring at him. Alec looked at lovely face and back to the man at his feet. His hands reached down and pulled White to stand in front of him. In his beaten state Alec had to support most of White's weight as the two men faced each other.

Staring into each others eyes Alec saw the mocking glint in White's gaze in spite of his broken nose and shattered cheekbones. The red blood covered both men in indiscriminate splatters. "You think your little bitch is going to save the world?" White spat a mouthful of blood on the shiny tiled floor, a momentary look of distaste on his face. "She cant even save her self." Alec couldn't help but flinch inwardly at the words even as he kept his face emotionless to White. "She's already dead." White whispered smiling through bleeding lips.

Alec blinked slowly. His hands moved almost gently. Grasping White below his chin with one hand, holding the back of his neck with the other. Alec looked steadily at White. "You cant feel pain. Can you feel fear?" The words were quietly spoken and so matter of fact that White's eyes flickered. Was that fear?

Alec didn't care his hands were already starting to move, his fingers tightening on the other mans skin, ready to snap his neck. He felt White's arm shift slightly from his side, around to wrap Alec in an almost embrace. The moment happened too quickly and nothing could prevent it. Pain exploded in Alec's back as the concealed knife slipped through skin flesh and muscle.

White watched the range of emotions pass over Alec's face. Nothing, then surprise, pain, anger and lastly fear. But not for himself, even White could see that. Fear for the woman lying on the ground alone. Fear for Max.

I promised. I promised her…I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Max.

Alec felt his hands fall from White's neck and his knees lost the strength to hold him upright. This time it was White standing as Alec slid to his knees before him. White watched impassively as Alec's hand tried to find purchase to hold onto the smooth wall, to remain standing. It was useless. His sight blurred, edged with shadows.

Falling against the wall Alec felt his strength drain from him as fast as the blood slipped from his body. Using the last scrape of energy Alec pushed against the wall to turn himself around. He had to see Max, had to try something to save her.

"Max…" A whimper, a plea escaped Alec's lips. He couldn't see her. White stood between them looking down at Alec's bleeding body. I have to get to her, I have to save her from him. Alec tried desperately to move as he saw White walk across the room and reach down, stiffly from his earlier beating, to pick up the gun that had been dropped during the fight.

Alec could see Max still lying motionless on the floor. A muted cry of pain tried to escape as agony seared through his nerve endings. His hand pressed against the hole in his side trying to staunch the flow of blood so he could reach Max. It was useless and the pain that shot through him made his sight fade to black. No. He struggled to retain consciousness. He couldn't leave her. Not in the hands of that monster.

White limped back to Alec once again blocking his view of Max. He gave a small twisted smile as he weighed the metal of the gun in his hand. "You know," He said conversationally, "As much fun making your little bitch suffer has been I think its about time I put that animal down."

No! Despite the promise he had made to kill Max himself, the thought of White ending her life made his heart shatter. His hand raised and clutched at White's shirt as the other man turned around to face Max. His numb fingers easily fell from their tenuous grasp.

White raised the gun at Max. Alec threw everything he had into moving, into reaching White. His eyes closed his eyes in automatic reaction to the pain that surged forth at the desperate effort. He dimly felt the motion of his body moving over the overwhelming rush of agony.

The gunshot echoed though the room.

He had failed. Failed the woman who had meant everything to him.

Present:

Alec shuddered as the memory of that moment. A terrible coldness descended around him, as freezingly painful as that night had been. The ocean roared beneath him and Alec felt it call to him with its swallowing emptiness and treacherous rocks. They say the sea has no memory. Alec recalled the line from a book he had read once and looking into the churning water he closed his eyes and imagined how it would be to exist without memory. Never to remember pain, never to remember grief. Never to remember your bloody 'triumphs'…Never to remember your failure…

TBC.

A/N: Nope, not finished yet! Please review.