Wild Horses Chapter 2
"Hey, Man. The X-8's are looking for Ella. Class should have started half and hour ago." "I don't know where she is. Go check her place." Mole replied over his shoulder. "I did. I knocked on their door several times but no one answered." Gem exclaimed. Mole turned around with a wicked grin on his face and said, "Maybe they're busy and didn't hear you." Gem rolled her eyes and exhaled, "I couldn't hear ANY-THING. No one was there." Moles' face dropped and turned back around to the radio he was trying to fix, "then I can't help you. Go ask Brandon." "I can't find him either. I can't find Ella, I can't find Brandon, and Alec's no where to be seen." "Well, try harder. Max's order's No one can leave TC unless it's for a mission to get intel or supplies." "Pssh! Alec has authority to do whatever he wants and if you haven't noticed Ella and Max really don't see eye-to-eye so Ella does what ever she wants as well. As for Brandon, well, he's like Ella's little boy so, where she goes, he goes, too." "So, what do you want me to do about that?" "I want you to help me find Ella! Her class should have started half an hour ago and there are 15 X-8's who want to know what they got on their pop quiz last week. Apparently, the kid with the highest score gets to have dinner with her and Alec....Mole!" "What? You're still here?" "Mole, I swear one day I'll smack you!" "He he. You can try." Gem let out a frustrated yell and stalked out of the room. Mole smiled, took out a walkie talkie from under the table and pressed a button. "Luke, you know where Ella is,? She's late for class and there are 15 X-8's running wild in her class room, over." A pause and then a fuzzy buzz, "I can check TC surveillance and see if I can locate her, over, "Luke replied. "Thanks man. Oh, and if you see Gem tell her to relax already, over." "Will do, Mole. Over and Out."
Gem let out an exasperated sigh and turned to go down to the classrooms. Maybe while she was asking for Mole's help, Ella made it to her class. With that to cling to Gem picked up speed. She was in such a hurry that she ran smack into Luke. "Oh! Sorry!" "Hi, Gem. It's okay. I was just looking for you. I found Ella coming back into TC from the West gate and she's on her way to class so…as Mole said, 'Relax already.'" Gem smiled in relief and then scowled at the end message. "One of these days I'm gonna....., hey! You said Ella was coming back into TC?" "Yup, and so was Max. Both left late Friday night and just came back right now." "They left together?" "Hehe, no. Ella left and came through the West Gate and Max snuck out the North. It looks like Mole's gonna have to chew out the guards of those gate's today." Gem grimaced and shook her head in pity for the poor guards. "Well, it's not entirely their fault. When those two want to disappear they just do." "And Alec." "Yeah, him, too. Hey, I don't suppose you found Alec on the cameras, did you?" "Nope. Wasn't aware he was missing. Though seeing Ella alone was kind of weird. You usually don't see one with out the other," Luke said thoughtfully. "You don't think something's wrong, do you?" Gem said, worried. "Those two? Never. Those two love each other so much its kind of sick." Gem nodded, agreeing with the nomaly's words. "Well Luke, it was nice running into you. Thanks for the news and if you see Mole tell him he better watch it. Hope's teething and I might just set her loose, to gnaw on him!" Luke laughed at the funny empty threat and the picture in his head of a little cute baby on Mole's shoulders gnawing on the nomaly's ear. Gem laughed as well and set off at a trot to go check on Ella and the kids to make sure everything was alright. And then off to find another teething ring for Hope as she had torn the other one to shreds.
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"Hello Class. Sorry I'm late." She paused and looked around at her happy students. Her lips quivered for a bit and their smiles dimmed. She forced her face to look calm and continued. "I had some good and bad news." Ella looked at her students solemnly. "You all know that my sister has gone back to Brazil to see if she could find anymore of our people." Her ever attentive students nodded. "I have received word that she has indeed found more of my Amazonian sisters but I need to leave TC and go get them." Jeremy, Brandon's best friend eagerly raised his hand. "Yes, Jeremy?" "How long will you be gone and who won the pop quiz?" The energetic kid rushed out. "I really have no idea how long I'll be gone which is why I've decided that even though you won the pop quiz, we'll be meeting here for a class party at lunch. I hope you don't mind." Jeremy clearly did mind. He had studied his butt off but he shrugged it off as her earlier words sunk in. "So, this is our last day of school?" He blurted out without raising his hand and waiting to be called on. The rest of the class gasped. Ella looked away out the window and then slowly turned around to face the shocked expressions of her beloved pupils. "My people need me." "We need you too," a soft spoken little girl who sat in front of Jeremy spoke out. "I'll speak with Gem and see about getting you a replacement teacher." "We don't want a new teacher! We want you!" Another cute transgenic boy cried out. They were so innocent looking. Wanting to be real kids instead of the soldiers they were and she so badly wanted to give them a bit of that. "I'm sorry, class." She walked away from the front of her desk to sit behind it. And took out a stack of graded papers, seeing Brandon's name on it she took a deep breath. "Has anyone seen Brandon?" "Not since yesterday morning." Jeremy replied. "He looked kind of bummed." Ella nodded and called up Arty, another casualty of Max's love for naming people. Arty was just like Joshua, obsessed with painting. If you wanted to find the little X-8 all you had to do was follow the scent of paint and turpentine and you'd get a cute; paint covered little black boy. "Can you pass back everyone's papers?" Arty nodded and proceeded to do just that. "I know this is all so sudden." She paused willing them to understand. Instead she was met with 14 gloomy faces. "I have to prepare for my trip so I think we'll end class for now and meet up again here for lunch at noon." The kids gaped and waited for Arty to give them back their quizzes. When all the papers were passed out they got up and walked out mumbling about the unfairness of it all. Ella was THEIR teacher, darn it. Why couldn't her sister take care of everything else? Her sister, after all was the Queen of the Amazons. You'd think she could do this herself!
Ella collapsed into her chair as the last of her students walked out, giving her a hurt puppy-dog look over his shoulder. Ella took another deep breath. She'd been doing that a lot but she had to. She vowed that she had cried her last tear over Alec the night before. Her body still ached from the racking sobs that had over taken her as she'd settled into her hotel room after leaving Alec and TC.
Flashback
It had been a bit hard getting past the guards what with two duffle bags but she had made it. Walking the 10 blocks to the nearest hotel was hard as well as she had forgotten her coat in her haste to leave and would have almost frozen if not for the heat of anger and pain radiating from with in. The hotel clerk had tried to make a pass at her but was stopped short when she looked him in the eye. For a moment there he felt her pain and was rendered speechless by what he saw in her eyes. He had nodded slowly and got a bell boy to take her bags and escort her to the best room they had to offer. Not once did she leave her room. The only times Ella even moved from the bed was when she had to call her sister and Queen of her people to let her know where she was and to receive her sister's good news. The other time was to answer the door because the bell hop and hotel clerk were worried about her and had sent her room service. Other than those times she lay in bed and replayed her last hours at TC and planned her next step. Her thoughts then touched on Brandon. Writing that letter to Brandon was difficult and was one of the reasons she had decided to come back one last time to TC. She felt that the letter really wasn't fair and she had to say a proper good bye.
End Of Flashback
Ella closed her eyes and took another calming breath. She didn't open her eyes until she was sure that the tears would stay there, stinging behind her eyes. She held her cardigan more tightly against her and walked out of the classroom. She tried to memorize her classroom and remember the good times she had there with her great students. She closed her thoughts off when her conscience started to tell her she was being selfish by leaving. But if she didn't leave she thought she would explode at having to see Alec and Max everywhere, together. She wasn't into self torture.
"Ella!" Ella turned around and saw Gem walking towards her. "Class is over already?" "Yeah, I'm not feeling too good." "Oh. Is that why you weren't here to start class?" "Yeah," Ella replied. She wasn't too good at lying and Gem was one of her good friends in TC. Ella started to walk away and Gem fell in step with her. "Maybe you don't feel well because you left TC without your jacket the other night." Ella quickly looked up and grinned. "Luke found me on his monitors?" "Yeah, this morning. Look, are you okay? You seem a little off and it isn't' because you don't 'feel well', either. Something is going on." "Nothing is going on. Not really." Ella stopped and turned to face Gem. "I got a call from my sister. She found them." Gem gasped and hugged Ella in happiness. "I'm so glad!" "Yeah…" "So, when are they coming?" Gem grinned, a little confused by Ella's somber look. "I'm actually flying back to meet them." "Oh. For how long will you be gone?" "I'm not sure." Gem frowned. "Umm, o-kay. Uh, how about Alec?" Ella looked away. "Alec's staying. I'll be going alone." And before the transgenic could ask another question, "I told him that I might be gone a while and convinced him that he ought to stay here in TC, now I'm a bit bummed." Ella prayed that Gem would swallow the lie. She felt bad but she needed to talk with Brandon before anyone else. Gem was still frowning but nodded. "Well, before you go come by and hug Hope. And don't forget to tell Mole your travel plans so he won't worry so much." Ella forced a smile. "I won't." Gem waved good bye and headed towards the Medical Bay.
Ella waved back and walked away, quickly. As she neared her and Alec's building, Ella slowed down trying to think of what to say to Brandon; her little boy. She looked up, easily identifying Brandon's window, and two floors above it, hers and Alec's window. She shut her eyes tight and rushed in. She opened her eyes as she reached the lobby. It was partially empty except for some Transgenics who were coming back from a sparring workout and wanted a quick shower before reporting for duty. She nervously waved hello and headed up the stairs. She stopped at the second landing and made a right turn. The hallways were empty save for Jeremy who was knocking at a door. "Bran, it's me. Let me in." Ella must have made a noise, even though she stood perfectly still because Jeremy looked over and tried to smile at her but failed. Ella walked over and stood next to him. She put her arm around the boy and joined him in his effort to get Brandon to come out. She knocked on the door. Both she and Jeremy were met with silence. "He knows, huh?" Ella bit her lip and nodded. "I guess I'll come back later then," with that Jeremy walked down the hall and disappeared into his own bedroom.
Ella turned back towards the door and knocked again. "Brandon, its Ella. Please open the door." Ella waited for a moment and was again greeted with silence. She leaned against the door and spoke to it willing Brandon to let her in. "I know I was wrong to leave you the letter and run away. I wasn't thinking and…. I …I really didn't know what to do," she pleaded. "I had my reasons and I wasn't thinking. But I'm here now. I want to apologize and explain." Nothing. "Please, Brandon?" "Okay, I understand. I'll be at the classroom if you change your mind. We'll be celebrating Jeremy's A+ on his quiz." "You missed one," she whispered at the end. She waited again and then turned from the door, her hand lingering, caressing the surface as if she was caressing his cheek. She walked to the landing. Ella was ready to walk down the stairs when she looked up at the other side of the stairs going up. Two more floors and she'd be home…Home. It was no longer her home. She took a step down when a blast of cold air blew through her from an open window behind her. She clutched at her cardigan and looked up at the other flight of stairs. She could pop in and get her jacket quickly and he really wouldn't notice. She looked at her watch. He should be at command head quarters right now, in his office. She quickly closed her eyes tight as the repressed images came flooding back. She almost changed her mind when another gust of wind enveloped her as if it was urging her up towards the stairs to go and get her jacket. 'He's not home. You can quickly get it,' she told herself. With her resolve in place she quickly ran up the steps.
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"I love you. I've always loved you. I was just so scared and confused. I didn't know how to tell you." She whispered. "So, pushing me away and being hateful towards me was how you showed it?" He hissed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? In case you hadn't noticed I'm in love with Ella, I had a nice life going with her." Max looked up quickly. "I know." "No, you don't! You don't! Otherwise you wouldn't have come to me while you were in heat. Do you realize what you've done to me? To Ella?" Alec got up and paced. Finally stopping in front of her, he leaned in and put both his hands on either side of her on the armchair she was sitting in, "She left me. Did you know that?" He spoke softly, his eyes never leaving hers. Max shook her head, breaking the intense contact, cringing. "But I love you," she whispered again as if the words were a shield protecting her from his fury. Alec closed his eyes and straightened up. He opened them again to look down at her, into her pleading brown eyes. "And I love Ella." Alec turned his back on her and walked away. He was trying to hold on to that because even though it was days ago, Max's pheromones were still surrounding her. Light but definitely noticeable by the transgenic she'd mated with. Max bit her lip and stood up as well. She walked the few steps to where he stood. She wanted to run into his arms and have him shout his love for her but she knew that it wouldn't happen, at least not today. He stood still, tense at the nearness of her. "I love you Alec. I love you. I know you love Ella but I know deep down inside you, you love me, too. Otherwise I wouldn't feel this strongly." She implored. "Alec, I know I hurt you all those times before. I was terrified. I've never been in love before and the sheer magnitude of it overwhelmed me. I didn't know what to do." "Alec, please! I know you still love me." Alec sighed, his once strong shoulders now bowed with guilt and resignation. She took the last two steps separating them and put her arms around his waist. He stood still in her embrace, slowly melting into her warmth. "Alec,… I could be pregnant with your child." All was silent when they heard the soft thump of the door softly bouncing off the wall. Both Max and Alec turned around to face a pale, shaking Ella. Alec pushed Max's arms way and stepped towards Ella. Ella put up her hand as if to stop him, to ward him and what she had heard, away. Alec immediately stopped, breathing hard trying to figure out if this was just all a bad nightmare, praying that it was.
Ella didn't know what to do. All she could think was that 'he mustn't get close', 'he mustn't touch her'. Suddenly she gasped, letting out all the air she didn't know she was holding in. The tears threatened to pour out but with another ragged breath, they held. And to make sure that the sobs that longed to escape her lips didn't make it out, she bit her lower lip hard so that a drop of blood formed. As if the physical pain from the procurement of that drop of blood was the last straw, Ella finally moved. She fixed all her concentration on the coat hook near the door and walked towards it, turning away from the sight of Alec and Max. Her actions caused the air to move around Alec and he almost wept. This was real. She was back! She was back and….and….was leaving. Again.
"I'm sorry, Ella." Ella stiffened and turned back around slowly to face the speaker. Ella stared hard at the owner of the voice. "Yeah, you are sorry, Max." "A very fucking sorry excuse for a person! But that's okay. You can have him. Maybe he'll be good for you, show you what it's like to be real." And before the tears she had fought so hard to keep from trembling down her cheeks fell she turned away only to be stopped by Alec. She looked down at his hand on her arm and looked up in to his face. "That's it?" Ella looked behind him towards Max, who was trying not to look pained at the sight of Alec holding on to her. "That's it, Alec. It's done," she whispered. "I just wanted my jacket. I forgot it," Alec continued to stare at her. She gently pried his hand off her arm. "Good luck. I hope you two make it." She wrapped her arms around her to keep from reaching out to him, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She took one last look into his stormy green eyes, shiny from unshed tears, and walked away. She was almost out the door and Alec almost called to her when she halted. Filled with hope Alec nearly smiled, until the words spilled from her lips. "If you guys are having a child together, can I formally adopt Brandon and take him with me?" Ella turned around and faced both Max and Alec, again. "I did raise him for more than a year. I love him and he loves me. He and I consider each other family. He IS my family." She stopped for a moment. "If he wants to can he come with me?" Alec was too shocked to speak. Even though Brandon was essentially Ella's little boy what with Brandon's and Ella's history together, he, too, had come to love the boy. At first Alec loved Brandon because Ella loved the little boy. Soon though Alec regarded Brandon as his son, too, completing his 'family'. "If he wants to, he can go with you." "Max!" Alec turned to face her with anger written all over his face. "Stay out of this!" "I'm the leader of TC I am authorized to make this decision!" "You have no authority in this! He's mine and Ella's son!"
"Fuck," everyone turned around to face the intruder at the open door way. Mole looked around in growing terror as he took in the faces of Ella, Max, and Alec. What he had rushed into tell Alec and Ella burned on his tongue. It was already terrifying what he had to tell the two, but with the situation he was now facing, he wished he were dead. "White has Brandon!"
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Authors' Note: I wanted to update every other day but I have to confess chapter 3 isn't ready yet. My close friend has just died and still fresh from the funeral. I hope that what I have up so far is enough. I will try to work on it and post at least by next week. Sorry, guys. I'll try as hard as I can but really haven't been in the 'mood' to keep going but I do PROMISE it will be finished, just not as soon as I liked. Think of this as a traffic delay?
"Hey, Man. The X-8's are looking for Ella. Class should have started half and hour ago." "I don't know where she is. Go check her place." Mole replied over his shoulder. "I did. I knocked on their door several times but no one answered." Gem exclaimed. Mole turned around with a wicked grin on his face and said, "Maybe they're busy and didn't hear you." Gem rolled her eyes and exhaled, "I couldn't hear ANY-THING. No one was there." Moles' face dropped and turned back around to the radio he was trying to fix, "then I can't help you. Go ask Brandon." "I can't find him either. I can't find Ella, I can't find Brandon, and Alec's no where to be seen." "Well, try harder. Max's order's No one can leave TC unless it's for a mission to get intel or supplies." "Pssh! Alec has authority to do whatever he wants and if you haven't noticed Ella and Max really don't see eye-to-eye so Ella does what ever she wants as well. As for Brandon, well, he's like Ella's little boy so, where she goes, he goes, too." "So, what do you want me to do about that?" "I want you to help me find Ella! Her class should have started half an hour ago and there are 15 X-8's who want to know what they got on their pop quiz last week. Apparently, the kid with the highest score gets to have dinner with her and Alec....Mole!" "What? You're still here?" "Mole, I swear one day I'll smack you!" "He he. You can try." Gem let out a frustrated yell and stalked out of the room. Mole smiled, took out a walkie talkie from under the table and pressed a button. "Luke, you know where Ella is,? She's late for class and there are 15 X-8's running wild in her class room, over." A pause and then a fuzzy buzz, "I can check TC surveillance and see if I can locate her, over, "Luke replied. "Thanks man. Oh, and if you see Gem tell her to relax already, over." "Will do, Mole. Over and Out."
Gem let out an exasperated sigh and turned to go down to the classrooms. Maybe while she was asking for Mole's help, Ella made it to her class. With that to cling to Gem picked up speed. She was in such a hurry that she ran smack into Luke. "Oh! Sorry!" "Hi, Gem. It's okay. I was just looking for you. I found Ella coming back into TC from the West gate and she's on her way to class so…as Mole said, 'Relax already.'" Gem smiled in relief and then scowled at the end message. "One of these days I'm gonna....., hey! You said Ella was coming back into TC?" "Yup, and so was Max. Both left late Friday night and just came back right now." "They left together?" "Hehe, no. Ella left and came through the West Gate and Max snuck out the North. It looks like Mole's gonna have to chew out the guards of those gate's today." Gem grimaced and shook her head in pity for the poor guards. "Well, it's not entirely their fault. When those two want to disappear they just do." "And Alec." "Yeah, him, too. Hey, I don't suppose you found Alec on the cameras, did you?" "Nope. Wasn't aware he was missing. Though seeing Ella alone was kind of weird. You usually don't see one with out the other," Luke said thoughtfully. "You don't think something's wrong, do you?" Gem said, worried. "Those two? Never. Those two love each other so much its kind of sick." Gem nodded, agreeing with the nomaly's words. "Well Luke, it was nice running into you. Thanks for the news and if you see Mole tell him he better watch it. Hope's teething and I might just set her loose, to gnaw on him!" Luke laughed at the funny empty threat and the picture in his head of a little cute baby on Mole's shoulders gnawing on the nomaly's ear. Gem laughed as well and set off at a trot to go check on Ella and the kids to make sure everything was alright. And then off to find another teething ring for Hope as she had torn the other one to shreds.
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"Hello Class. Sorry I'm late." She paused and looked around at her happy students. Her lips quivered for a bit and their smiles dimmed. She forced her face to look calm and continued. "I had some good and bad news." Ella looked at her students solemnly. "You all know that my sister has gone back to Brazil to see if she could find anymore of our people." Her ever attentive students nodded. "I have received word that she has indeed found more of my Amazonian sisters but I need to leave TC and go get them." Jeremy, Brandon's best friend eagerly raised his hand. "Yes, Jeremy?" "How long will you be gone and who won the pop quiz?" The energetic kid rushed out. "I really have no idea how long I'll be gone which is why I've decided that even though you won the pop quiz, we'll be meeting here for a class party at lunch. I hope you don't mind." Jeremy clearly did mind. He had studied his butt off but he shrugged it off as her earlier words sunk in. "So, this is our last day of school?" He blurted out without raising his hand and waiting to be called on. The rest of the class gasped. Ella looked away out the window and then slowly turned around to face the shocked expressions of her beloved pupils. "My people need me." "We need you too," a soft spoken little girl who sat in front of Jeremy spoke out. "I'll speak with Gem and see about getting you a replacement teacher." "We don't want a new teacher! We want you!" Another cute transgenic boy cried out. They were so innocent looking. Wanting to be real kids instead of the soldiers they were and she so badly wanted to give them a bit of that. "I'm sorry, class." She walked away from the front of her desk to sit behind it. And took out a stack of graded papers, seeing Brandon's name on it she took a deep breath. "Has anyone seen Brandon?" "Not since yesterday morning." Jeremy replied. "He looked kind of bummed." Ella nodded and called up Arty, another casualty of Max's love for naming people. Arty was just like Joshua, obsessed with painting. If you wanted to find the little X-8 all you had to do was follow the scent of paint and turpentine and you'd get a cute; paint covered little black boy. "Can you pass back everyone's papers?" Arty nodded and proceeded to do just that. "I know this is all so sudden." She paused willing them to understand. Instead she was met with 14 gloomy faces. "I have to prepare for my trip so I think we'll end class for now and meet up again here for lunch at noon." The kids gaped and waited for Arty to give them back their quizzes. When all the papers were passed out they got up and walked out mumbling about the unfairness of it all. Ella was THEIR teacher, darn it. Why couldn't her sister take care of everything else? Her sister, after all was the Queen of the Amazons. You'd think she could do this herself!
Ella collapsed into her chair as the last of her students walked out, giving her a hurt puppy-dog look over his shoulder. Ella took another deep breath. She'd been doing that a lot but she had to. She vowed that she had cried her last tear over Alec the night before. Her body still ached from the racking sobs that had over taken her as she'd settled into her hotel room after leaving Alec and TC.
Flashback
It had been a bit hard getting past the guards what with two duffle bags but she had made it. Walking the 10 blocks to the nearest hotel was hard as well as she had forgotten her coat in her haste to leave and would have almost frozen if not for the heat of anger and pain radiating from with in. The hotel clerk had tried to make a pass at her but was stopped short when she looked him in the eye. For a moment there he felt her pain and was rendered speechless by what he saw in her eyes. He had nodded slowly and got a bell boy to take her bags and escort her to the best room they had to offer. Not once did she leave her room. The only times Ella even moved from the bed was when she had to call her sister and Queen of her people to let her know where she was and to receive her sister's good news. The other time was to answer the door because the bell hop and hotel clerk were worried about her and had sent her room service. Other than those times she lay in bed and replayed her last hours at TC and planned her next step. Her thoughts then touched on Brandon. Writing that letter to Brandon was difficult and was one of the reasons she had decided to come back one last time to TC. She felt that the letter really wasn't fair and she had to say a proper good bye.
End Of Flashback
Ella closed her eyes and took another calming breath. She didn't open her eyes until she was sure that the tears would stay there, stinging behind her eyes. She held her cardigan more tightly against her and walked out of the classroom. She tried to memorize her classroom and remember the good times she had there with her great students. She closed her thoughts off when her conscience started to tell her she was being selfish by leaving. But if she didn't leave she thought she would explode at having to see Alec and Max everywhere, together. She wasn't into self torture.
"Ella!" Ella turned around and saw Gem walking towards her. "Class is over already?" "Yeah, I'm not feeling too good." "Oh. Is that why you weren't here to start class?" "Yeah," Ella replied. She wasn't too good at lying and Gem was one of her good friends in TC. Ella started to walk away and Gem fell in step with her. "Maybe you don't feel well because you left TC without your jacket the other night." Ella quickly looked up and grinned. "Luke found me on his monitors?" "Yeah, this morning. Look, are you okay? You seem a little off and it isn't' because you don't 'feel well', either. Something is going on." "Nothing is going on. Not really." Ella stopped and turned to face Gem. "I got a call from my sister. She found them." Gem gasped and hugged Ella in happiness. "I'm so glad!" "Yeah…" "So, when are they coming?" Gem grinned, a little confused by Ella's somber look. "I'm actually flying back to meet them." "Oh. For how long will you be gone?" "I'm not sure." Gem frowned. "Umm, o-kay. Uh, how about Alec?" Ella looked away. "Alec's staying. I'll be going alone." And before the transgenic could ask another question, "I told him that I might be gone a while and convinced him that he ought to stay here in TC, now I'm a bit bummed." Ella prayed that Gem would swallow the lie. She felt bad but she needed to talk with Brandon before anyone else. Gem was still frowning but nodded. "Well, before you go come by and hug Hope. And don't forget to tell Mole your travel plans so he won't worry so much." Ella forced a smile. "I won't." Gem waved good bye and headed towards the Medical Bay.
Ella waved back and walked away, quickly. As she neared her and Alec's building, Ella slowed down trying to think of what to say to Brandon; her little boy. She looked up, easily identifying Brandon's window, and two floors above it, hers and Alec's window. She shut her eyes tight and rushed in. She opened her eyes as she reached the lobby. It was partially empty except for some Transgenics who were coming back from a sparring workout and wanted a quick shower before reporting for duty. She nervously waved hello and headed up the stairs. She stopped at the second landing and made a right turn. The hallways were empty save for Jeremy who was knocking at a door. "Bran, it's me. Let me in." Ella must have made a noise, even though she stood perfectly still because Jeremy looked over and tried to smile at her but failed. Ella walked over and stood next to him. She put her arm around the boy and joined him in his effort to get Brandon to come out. She knocked on the door. Both she and Jeremy were met with silence. "He knows, huh?" Ella bit her lip and nodded. "I guess I'll come back later then," with that Jeremy walked down the hall and disappeared into his own bedroom.
Ella turned back towards the door and knocked again. "Brandon, its Ella. Please open the door." Ella waited for a moment and was again greeted with silence. She leaned against the door and spoke to it willing Brandon to let her in. "I know I was wrong to leave you the letter and run away. I wasn't thinking and…. I …I really didn't know what to do," she pleaded. "I had my reasons and I wasn't thinking. But I'm here now. I want to apologize and explain." Nothing. "Please, Brandon?" "Okay, I understand. I'll be at the classroom if you change your mind. We'll be celebrating Jeremy's A+ on his quiz." "You missed one," she whispered at the end. She waited again and then turned from the door, her hand lingering, caressing the surface as if she was caressing his cheek. She walked to the landing. Ella was ready to walk down the stairs when she looked up at the other side of the stairs going up. Two more floors and she'd be home…Home. It was no longer her home. She took a step down when a blast of cold air blew through her from an open window behind her. She clutched at her cardigan and looked up at the other flight of stairs. She could pop in and get her jacket quickly and he really wouldn't notice. She looked at her watch. He should be at command head quarters right now, in his office. She quickly closed her eyes tight as the repressed images came flooding back. She almost changed her mind when another gust of wind enveloped her as if it was urging her up towards the stairs to go and get her jacket. 'He's not home. You can quickly get it,' she told herself. With her resolve in place she quickly ran up the steps.
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"I love you. I've always loved you. I was just so scared and confused. I didn't know how to tell you." She whispered. "So, pushing me away and being hateful towards me was how you showed it?" He hissed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? In case you hadn't noticed I'm in love with Ella, I had a nice life going with her." Max looked up quickly. "I know." "No, you don't! You don't! Otherwise you wouldn't have come to me while you were in heat. Do you realize what you've done to me? To Ella?" Alec got up and paced. Finally stopping in front of her, he leaned in and put both his hands on either side of her on the armchair she was sitting in, "She left me. Did you know that?" He spoke softly, his eyes never leaving hers. Max shook her head, breaking the intense contact, cringing. "But I love you," she whispered again as if the words were a shield protecting her from his fury. Alec closed his eyes and straightened up. He opened them again to look down at her, into her pleading brown eyes. "And I love Ella." Alec turned his back on her and walked away. He was trying to hold on to that because even though it was days ago, Max's pheromones were still surrounding her. Light but definitely noticeable by the transgenic she'd mated with. Max bit her lip and stood up as well. She walked the few steps to where he stood. She wanted to run into his arms and have him shout his love for her but she knew that it wouldn't happen, at least not today. He stood still, tense at the nearness of her. "I love you Alec. I love you. I know you love Ella but I know deep down inside you, you love me, too. Otherwise I wouldn't feel this strongly." She implored. "Alec, I know I hurt you all those times before. I was terrified. I've never been in love before and the sheer magnitude of it overwhelmed me. I didn't know what to do." "Alec, please! I know you still love me." Alec sighed, his once strong shoulders now bowed with guilt and resignation. She took the last two steps separating them and put her arms around his waist. He stood still in her embrace, slowly melting into her warmth. "Alec,… I could be pregnant with your child." All was silent when they heard the soft thump of the door softly bouncing off the wall. Both Max and Alec turned around to face a pale, shaking Ella. Alec pushed Max's arms way and stepped towards Ella. Ella put up her hand as if to stop him, to ward him and what she had heard, away. Alec immediately stopped, breathing hard trying to figure out if this was just all a bad nightmare, praying that it was.
Ella didn't know what to do. All she could think was that 'he mustn't get close', 'he mustn't touch her'. Suddenly she gasped, letting out all the air she didn't know she was holding in. The tears threatened to pour out but with another ragged breath, they held. And to make sure that the sobs that longed to escape her lips didn't make it out, she bit her lower lip hard so that a drop of blood formed. As if the physical pain from the procurement of that drop of blood was the last straw, Ella finally moved. She fixed all her concentration on the coat hook near the door and walked towards it, turning away from the sight of Alec and Max. Her actions caused the air to move around Alec and he almost wept. This was real. She was back! She was back and….and….was leaving. Again.
"I'm sorry, Ella." Ella stiffened and turned back around slowly to face the speaker. Ella stared hard at the owner of the voice. "Yeah, you are sorry, Max." "A very fucking sorry excuse for a person! But that's okay. You can have him. Maybe he'll be good for you, show you what it's like to be real." And before the tears she had fought so hard to keep from trembling down her cheeks fell she turned away only to be stopped by Alec. She looked down at his hand on her arm and looked up in to his face. "That's it?" Ella looked behind him towards Max, who was trying not to look pained at the sight of Alec holding on to her. "That's it, Alec. It's done," she whispered. "I just wanted my jacket. I forgot it," Alec continued to stare at her. She gently pried his hand off her arm. "Good luck. I hope you two make it." She wrapped her arms around her to keep from reaching out to him, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. She took one last look into his stormy green eyes, shiny from unshed tears, and walked away. She was almost out the door and Alec almost called to her when she halted. Filled with hope Alec nearly smiled, until the words spilled from her lips. "If you guys are having a child together, can I formally adopt Brandon and take him with me?" Ella turned around and faced both Max and Alec, again. "I did raise him for more than a year. I love him and he loves me. He and I consider each other family. He IS my family." She stopped for a moment. "If he wants to can he come with me?" Alec was too shocked to speak. Even though Brandon was essentially Ella's little boy what with Brandon's and Ella's history together, he, too, had come to love the boy. At first Alec loved Brandon because Ella loved the little boy. Soon though Alec regarded Brandon as his son, too, completing his 'family'. "If he wants to, he can go with you." "Max!" Alec turned to face her with anger written all over his face. "Stay out of this!" "I'm the leader of TC I am authorized to make this decision!" "You have no authority in this! He's mine and Ella's son!"
"Fuck," everyone turned around to face the intruder at the open door way. Mole looked around in growing terror as he took in the faces of Ella, Max, and Alec. What he had rushed into tell Alec and Ella burned on his tongue. It was already terrifying what he had to tell the two, but with the situation he was now facing, he wished he were dead. "White has Brandon!"
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Authors' Note: I wanted to update every other day but I have to confess chapter 3 isn't ready yet. My close friend has just died and still fresh from the funeral. I hope that what I have up so far is enough. I will try to work on it and post at least by next week. Sorry, guys. I'll try as hard as I can but really haven't been in the 'mood' to keep going but I do PROMISE it will be finished, just not as soon as I liked. Think of this as a traffic delay?