DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters; they are the brilliant
creation and property of James Cameron, FOX etc. I do own Faith and some
minor characters, but you know the rest.
SPOILERS: Takes place after Freak Nation - the imaginary season 3.
Chapter Eighteen:
Max directed her wheelchair through the streets of Terminal City. She had been up and about for several weeks, after an exhausting and completely boring fortnight spent in the hospital bed recuperating. She was slowly regaining her ability to function normally and it felt great to be outside. The weather was warm, it had been according to Joshua, ever since the fight against the familiars. She stopped outside the vast plot being used as a graveyard. Her pupils enlarged and she watched as Alec lay down a thick bunch of flowers on a grave. Her eyes zoomed in further. Yellow daffodils and white roses tied together carefully with a white ribbon. They were beautiful. She knew she should leave him in private, but she couldn't tear away. She was fixated. He whispered something soundlessly to the grave, to Faith and a single tear dropped onto the grassy bed. He turned and smiled when he saw her. Max's heart gave a leap into her chest, she had been caught. "Hey Max. How's the life of sit and spin? It's good to see you out and about." He moved behind her chair and pushed it along the street as the two chatted casually.
"Here we are Madame.", Alec said as he tipped an imaginary hat at Max, "You okay to get in?" "I'm fine Alec, just push me up that ramp over there." "You know no one expects you to come in and work. They aren't even really working, there's not much to do these days." "I know that. I just want to go in and see everyone." Alec pushed her up the ramp that had been set up for her, which led into headquarters. Inside, everyone was lazing around, most watching television. He raised his hand to greet them when something caught his eye. Faith's jacket was gone. So was her phone. And her pen. Someone had moved Faith's possessions. As Max cheerily was welcomed, Alec stormed past her into the office which adjoined his, Faith's office. It was empty. He came rushing out, "What the hell is going on?" He demanded angrily, snarling with his nostrils flaring, "Who's responsible for this?" Everyone shifted uncomfortably, no one looking at the fuming X5. A keen X6, Mart, finally spoke up, "We thought that it was time to organise the building. Toss away unnecessary junk." Luke winced at the words and ducked his head down, attempting to hide behind his computer. Dix had already done that and Joshua was pretending to blend in with the wall. Alec stopped and glared daggers at Mart. He stepped towards the nervous X6, a predatory look overtaking his normally sassy eyes, "Say that again?" Mart's face became shrouded with fear. Max look at the two nervously. "I asked him to.", She interrupted, her lie breaking the menacing stare-down between the two. He turned, the anger dropping out of his eyes and being replaced by hurt. It broke her heart. "What? Why would you do that Max?" "I thought it would be too hard to be an effective CO constantly having all her belongings surrounding and distracting you." "Wanna clean out my apartment too? Destroy her grave? Burn the piano? Put me in Psy-Ops for another 6 months. Go ahead. I will never forget, she is a part of me, the only thing good inside this, (he hit his chest) this genetic freak cocktail.", Alec shouted at her, his voice shaking. He turned and punched the wall, his hand sending a large chunk of plaster flying on onto the street below. He brought it out of the whole, the skin broken and bleeding. "I'm sorry.", She whispered, in full regret of admitting to doing something she did not do. She was in danger of losing him. "Yeah well...Max. I'd like to appreciate the thought, but I cant. Not really. So just...stay the hell out of my business." Alec turned and walked to his office, pausing momentarily in the doorway at Mart's voice, "We put her stuff in boxes in your cupboard." Alec didn't answer and silently closed the door behind him.
"Thanks.", Mart spoke up after several minutes of silence, looking Max in the eye as he spoke. "You made a mistake. He would have torn your throat out. But he wouldn't hurt me. But thanks to your mistake, I may have just lost my best friend." *And any chance of him loving me the way I love him.* "Still. I appreciate it." "Whatever. Just next time, all of you need to consider Alec's feelings. He is trying to cope with losing the woman he loved, as well as having to accept the responsibility that eleven soldiers died under his command. Mantecore never taught lessons in dealing with emotion, he is trying to figure it out. Alec is out commanding officer, he deserves all of our respect and you should all be treating him as the superior officer he is.", Max lectured them all, as they hung their heads in shame. She could see Krit watching her thoughtfully in the corner of the room. She wheeled over to him, "Hey big brother." "Hey baby sister. You did a good thing just then." "Nah, just fixed up a stupid thing. I just hope Alec doesn't hate me." "Never. He loves you too much to hate you." "Oh, no. We're not like that." "I know. But I can see in both your eyes, you're crazy about one another. It will only be a matter of time Maxie." She fell silent and became lost in her thoughts. Alec couldn't love her. No, he was still jonesing for Faith, he barely saw her. She tried to shake the thoughts from her head, but they refused to budge. He didn't even see her, let alone love her.
Chapter Eighteen:
Max directed her wheelchair through the streets of Terminal City. She had been up and about for several weeks, after an exhausting and completely boring fortnight spent in the hospital bed recuperating. She was slowly regaining her ability to function normally and it felt great to be outside. The weather was warm, it had been according to Joshua, ever since the fight against the familiars. She stopped outside the vast plot being used as a graveyard. Her pupils enlarged and she watched as Alec lay down a thick bunch of flowers on a grave. Her eyes zoomed in further. Yellow daffodils and white roses tied together carefully with a white ribbon. They were beautiful. She knew she should leave him in private, but she couldn't tear away. She was fixated. He whispered something soundlessly to the grave, to Faith and a single tear dropped onto the grassy bed. He turned and smiled when he saw her. Max's heart gave a leap into her chest, she had been caught. "Hey Max. How's the life of sit and spin? It's good to see you out and about." He moved behind her chair and pushed it along the street as the two chatted casually.
"Here we are Madame.", Alec said as he tipped an imaginary hat at Max, "You okay to get in?" "I'm fine Alec, just push me up that ramp over there." "You know no one expects you to come in and work. They aren't even really working, there's not much to do these days." "I know that. I just want to go in and see everyone." Alec pushed her up the ramp that had been set up for her, which led into headquarters. Inside, everyone was lazing around, most watching television. He raised his hand to greet them when something caught his eye. Faith's jacket was gone. So was her phone. And her pen. Someone had moved Faith's possessions. As Max cheerily was welcomed, Alec stormed past her into the office which adjoined his, Faith's office. It was empty. He came rushing out, "What the hell is going on?" He demanded angrily, snarling with his nostrils flaring, "Who's responsible for this?" Everyone shifted uncomfortably, no one looking at the fuming X5. A keen X6, Mart, finally spoke up, "We thought that it was time to organise the building. Toss away unnecessary junk." Luke winced at the words and ducked his head down, attempting to hide behind his computer. Dix had already done that and Joshua was pretending to blend in with the wall. Alec stopped and glared daggers at Mart. He stepped towards the nervous X6, a predatory look overtaking his normally sassy eyes, "Say that again?" Mart's face became shrouded with fear. Max look at the two nervously. "I asked him to.", She interrupted, her lie breaking the menacing stare-down between the two. He turned, the anger dropping out of his eyes and being replaced by hurt. It broke her heart. "What? Why would you do that Max?" "I thought it would be too hard to be an effective CO constantly having all her belongings surrounding and distracting you." "Wanna clean out my apartment too? Destroy her grave? Burn the piano? Put me in Psy-Ops for another 6 months. Go ahead. I will never forget, she is a part of me, the only thing good inside this, (he hit his chest) this genetic freak cocktail.", Alec shouted at her, his voice shaking. He turned and punched the wall, his hand sending a large chunk of plaster flying on onto the street below. He brought it out of the whole, the skin broken and bleeding. "I'm sorry.", She whispered, in full regret of admitting to doing something she did not do. She was in danger of losing him. "Yeah well...Max. I'd like to appreciate the thought, but I cant. Not really. So just...stay the hell out of my business." Alec turned and walked to his office, pausing momentarily in the doorway at Mart's voice, "We put her stuff in boxes in your cupboard." Alec didn't answer and silently closed the door behind him.
"Thanks.", Mart spoke up after several minutes of silence, looking Max in the eye as he spoke. "You made a mistake. He would have torn your throat out. But he wouldn't hurt me. But thanks to your mistake, I may have just lost my best friend." *And any chance of him loving me the way I love him.* "Still. I appreciate it." "Whatever. Just next time, all of you need to consider Alec's feelings. He is trying to cope with losing the woman he loved, as well as having to accept the responsibility that eleven soldiers died under his command. Mantecore never taught lessons in dealing with emotion, he is trying to figure it out. Alec is out commanding officer, he deserves all of our respect and you should all be treating him as the superior officer he is.", Max lectured them all, as they hung their heads in shame. She could see Krit watching her thoughtfully in the corner of the room. She wheeled over to him, "Hey big brother." "Hey baby sister. You did a good thing just then." "Nah, just fixed up a stupid thing. I just hope Alec doesn't hate me." "Never. He loves you too much to hate you." "Oh, no. We're not like that." "I know. But I can see in both your eyes, you're crazy about one another. It will only be a matter of time Maxie." She fell silent and became lost in her thoughts. Alec couldn't love her. No, he was still jonesing for Faith, he barely saw her. She tried to shake the thoughts from her head, but they refused to budge. He didn't even see her, let alone love her.