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 Twenty-Four:
It was early, around 4am. Alec moved silently around his apartment. Everything was back in place. Faith's photos, her mug, clothes. He left some stuff in the boxes in his closet, but the rest he held around him, breathing new life into his dwelling. Alec slipped the necklace she had left him, back around his neck and then attached her cuff to his wrist. He moved out onto the window ledge and jumped, landing on the other side of the Terminal City fence. He had some things to do.
Yellow daffodils, white roses and lilies, freshly cut. He placed the bunch on Faith's grave. He lightly traced over her name with his finger, "Hey. It's me. I'm sorry I haven't been here in so long. But we've seen each other... Look, I know what you told me was important, so I am gonna do it. Clean myself up and make you proud. Our son is beautiful, everything I could have ever imagined. He'll take care of you. I can tell." Alec sat talking to her gravestone for hours. It was lunchtime when he finally stood up. He winked to the stone and moved off, turning around to whisper, "You are the best thing that happened to me. I will never forget you. But like you said, it's time to move on. And live. I am alive after all."
Alec jogged over to the corner building. He walked in and his piano still sat there. He produced a cloth and wiped it over, freeing the dust that had gathered. His eyes flicked over Faith's words,
'Without passion, we'd be truly dead...keep your passion alive'
"I was dead. But I am alive and I will stay that way.", Alec whispered to himself as he settled into the seat and placed his hands on the keys. He played for three days, non-stop. His fingers danced up and down along the keys. He played every song he knew, even created some. Finally, when he was completely relaxed he stopped. And smiled. His old smile, the one that had the ability to make any girl melt. But not Max, she had hated it. Alec stopped cold. Max! What was he going to do?
Flashback: "Talk to her...it's the best thing if you want her to know."
Alec raced down the streets of Terminal City, his feet barely touching the ground before springing off again. As he reached headquarters, he slowed and calmly entered. Joshua, Dix, Luke, Reese and Mart looked up at him in surprise. "Where is she?", He puffed nervously. They all looked over at her door and Alec rushed into her office. "Max." She shot her head up unexpectedly and she smiled uncertainly at him, "Hey, it's been while." He nodded, trying to think of the right thing to say. "I'm sorry.", She told him, hanging her head down in shame. "What?" "I...I took advantage of you. Or at least I tried to. I betrayed your friendship. I'm so sorry Alec." He licked his lips and moved towards her, "Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we didn't see what's right in front of us until it's too late. I didn't want that to happen again, so you need to listen to me Max. Sometimes we make mistakes." "It was one that shouldn't have been made." Alec ignored her interruption and continued, "And we don't realise what we've done until it's too late. That our actions have hurt people or caused them to die." "Alec..." "I thought that by stopping love, then I would be stopping pain because the two seem to go hand in hand. I was wrong. It brought more pain and there was no love to make it better. I couldn't tell people what I was feeling or thinking, I just kept pushing them away. I kept making the same mistake and I had convinced myself that I was alright." "And are you alright?" "No. I realised that I hadn't just lost Faith the person but faith in me. But I am back now and I've realised what's important is who I am" "Who are you?", Max whispered to him, her eyes boring holes into him. "I'm Alec. I'm a man who's doing his best to deal with the real world. I'm alive and I am human. I hurt like any human does. I just couldn't deal with that hurt. But I'm learning and I'm cleaning myself up and dealing. Move on." "Move on to what?" Alec stepped over to her and pulled her out of the chair. He moved his lips lightly against hers. Max threw her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. They eventually pulled away and his eyes twinkled at her as she nuzzled the nape of his neck, "Third time lucky right?" She smiled back at him and they joined lips again briefly before she pulled back, "Luck has nothing to do with it. It's love." Alec's mouth parted in a wide grin and he pulled her closer against him in a loving embrace, "It's always about love.", He quirked as they joined lips again.
THE END
Chapter Twenty-Four:
It was early, around 4am. Alec moved silently around his apartment. Everything was back in place. Faith's photos, her mug, clothes. He left some stuff in the boxes in his closet, but the rest he held around him, breathing new life into his dwelling. Alec slipped the necklace she had left him, back around his neck and then attached her cuff to his wrist. He moved out onto the window ledge and jumped, landing on the other side of the Terminal City fence. He had some things to do.
Yellow daffodils, white roses and lilies, freshly cut. He placed the bunch on Faith's grave. He lightly traced over her name with his finger, "Hey. It's me. I'm sorry I haven't been here in so long. But we've seen each other... Look, I know what you told me was important, so I am gonna do it. Clean myself up and make you proud. Our son is beautiful, everything I could have ever imagined. He'll take care of you. I can tell." Alec sat talking to her gravestone for hours. It was lunchtime when he finally stood up. He winked to the stone and moved off, turning around to whisper, "You are the best thing that happened to me. I will never forget you. But like you said, it's time to move on. And live. I am alive after all."
Alec jogged over to the corner building. He walked in and his piano still sat there. He produced a cloth and wiped it over, freeing the dust that had gathered. His eyes flicked over Faith's words,
'Without passion, we'd be truly dead...keep your passion alive'
"I was dead. But I am alive and I will stay that way.", Alec whispered to himself as he settled into the seat and placed his hands on the keys. He played for three days, non-stop. His fingers danced up and down along the keys. He played every song he knew, even created some. Finally, when he was completely relaxed he stopped. And smiled. His old smile, the one that had the ability to make any girl melt. But not Max, she had hated it. Alec stopped cold. Max! What was he going to do?
Flashback: "Talk to her...it's the best thing if you want her to know."
Alec raced down the streets of Terminal City, his feet barely touching the ground before springing off again. As he reached headquarters, he slowed and calmly entered. Joshua, Dix, Luke, Reese and Mart looked up at him in surprise. "Where is she?", He puffed nervously. They all looked over at her door and Alec rushed into her office. "Max." She shot her head up unexpectedly and she smiled uncertainly at him, "Hey, it's been while." He nodded, trying to think of the right thing to say. "I'm sorry.", She told him, hanging her head down in shame. "What?" "I...I took advantage of you. Or at least I tried to. I betrayed your friendship. I'm so sorry Alec." He licked his lips and moved towards her, "Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we didn't see what's right in front of us until it's too late. I didn't want that to happen again, so you need to listen to me Max. Sometimes we make mistakes." "It was one that shouldn't have been made." Alec ignored her interruption and continued, "And we don't realise what we've done until it's too late. That our actions have hurt people or caused them to die." "Alec..." "I thought that by stopping love, then I would be stopping pain because the two seem to go hand in hand. I was wrong. It brought more pain and there was no love to make it better. I couldn't tell people what I was feeling or thinking, I just kept pushing them away. I kept making the same mistake and I had convinced myself that I was alright." "And are you alright?" "No. I realised that I hadn't just lost Faith the person but faith in me. But I am back now and I've realised what's important is who I am" "Who are you?", Max whispered to him, her eyes boring holes into him. "I'm Alec. I'm a man who's doing his best to deal with the real world. I'm alive and I am human. I hurt like any human does. I just couldn't deal with that hurt. But I'm learning and I'm cleaning myself up and dealing. Move on." "Move on to what?" Alec stepped over to her and pulled her out of the chair. He moved his lips lightly against hers. Max threw her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. They eventually pulled away and his eyes twinkled at her as she nuzzled the nape of his neck, "Third time lucky right?" She smiled back at him and they joined lips again briefly before she pulled back, "Luck has nothing to do with it. It's love." Alec's mouth parted in a wide grin and he pulled her closer against him in a loving embrace, "It's always about love.", He quirked as they joined lips again.
THE END