Title: The Trials of Time and Love-Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Never in her life did she remember sleeping that well. It was a routine of bed before 3am, up before 6. As she slowly drifted into consciousness now, she could feel the sun already up, as it tried to permeate her eyelids. Snuggling closer into the chest that had been her oh so comfortable pillow last night, Max was bombarded of images from what they had done. Usually, this would be the point where she would want to crawl away as quietly as possible, trying not to wake whatever poor man she had subjected to her heat cycle.

Right now though, as she felt the steady rise and fall of the muscled chest beneath her, all she wanted to do was stay like this for as long as possible. Forget that anything or anyone else in the world existed except for her and Alec. That was a stupid dream though, because she knew sooner or later they would have to leave and head back for Seattle. She'd have to explain everything to Logan and he'd have to learn to fit in.

Suddenly, she wanted nothing more than to have him open his eyes so that they could start their new lives together. Placing her ear to his heart, she listened to it's steady beat as she traced idle patterns along his chest. Suddenly she felt him stirring beneath her and when his eyes finally opened he was greeted with two chocolate orbs staring back at him, trying their best to look innocent.

Rubbing his eyes with his hand, he thought about how great it had been to wake up with her looking at him like that. She had the look of someone who was finally beginning to piece together the jigsaw puzzle that was her life, and someone who could help him find his pieces.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself, Maxie."

"Wow, I can honestly say that I have never slept that well. You really know how to tire a girl out."

"What can I say, it's a gift."

"A gift that I plan on taking full advantage of from now on."

"So, are you saying that you want to stay with me?"

"No Alec, I drove two states over for a one night stand. Actually, I should be getting back." And wit that she pulled herself from where she lay on top of him and began pacing around the room looking for her clothes.

"Alright, alright I get it. But, I can't really imagine you wanting me to come back to Seattle with you after everything that happened. I mean, you did after all say that I had ruined your life."

Sensing the sudden serious tone his voice had taken on, Max stopped her clothing retrieval mission, and sat down on the bed next to where he still lay. Reaching out to soothingly rub his forearm, Max looked at him. "I meant to talk to you about that last night, before anything happened. In all honesty, I didn't think we would have gotten that far."

Feeling like his heart had just been ripped out, Alec interrupted her before she could go any further, "So, you regret it?"

"No! Would you let me finish?" Seeing that he had no immediate objection, she continued, "I wanted to apologize to you. I realize I kind of overreacted. It's not like you went looking to have that thing put in your neck, or that virus put in me. You were only following orders, or trying to get by. I have this habit of blaming whoever happens to be around for the crappy things that happen in my life. It's not something that I'm proud of, more of a survival tactic. Anyways, I wanted to tell you that I regretted what I had said, and that I hadn't meant it."

"But, what happened between us, last night…you didn't mean for that to happen? I mean, it was great and all, but not exactly your standard apology from what I've learned so far."

"No. I did like it. I just wasn't expecting it." Seeing that he still wasn't believing her, she tried a different approach. 'I wanted to tell you that I had these feelings for you. Feelings that up until a few weeks ago, I had only ever had for one other person."

Hearing these words, Alec suddenly looked up from the spot on the bed he had dutifully been concentrating on. "What are you saying? That you actually have feelings for me? That you, Max, 'I'm-in-this-life-to-save-the-world-Max', could actually have feelings for someone like me? Someone who would rather sit back and drink a bottle of scotch than stick his neck out on the line for another person, whether it be human or transgenic? I mean, don't get me wrong Max, it's great and all, but not exactly the most believable thing I've ever been fed in my life."

"Well, if you're gonna be an ass about it then forget it. I didn't drive all the way here to have my words shoved back in my face, okay?"

Sensing that he had maybe gone to far a few seconds ago, he jumped up from where he had been laying and grabbed onto her wrists. Turning her around to face him, he halted her movements. "Max, I was just kidding. I think I know how you feel. I mean, when you told me to leave, I had never felt that hurt before in my life." He regretted his choice of words immediately as she tilted her head downwards, refusing to meet his eyes. Tilting her chin up back to meet his gaze, he continued down a different path. "What I meant, was that, it hurt me to leave you Max. Whether you still feel the same way or not now, you were still hurt then. I felt so bad, and I don't really ever feel bad Max. Even when I do, it's pretty easy for me to just bottle it up inside, and I couldn't do it with you. I was going to go make some quick cash out on the East Coast and send it back to you guys. It was all I could think to do. I knew it wouldn't be enough though. Max, I've never felt this strongly about someone before. I've never needed someone in my life as much as I need you. Now."

Hearing the absolute sincerity in his voice, Max's heart swelled as he continued to stare into her eyes. It felt like he was doing so much more though, she felt like he had peered into the depths of her very being, and spoken the words she had always wanted to here, but was too afraid to admit so. This was real, what she had with him now. What she had been with Logan was in the past. That had been a substitute for the real thing. Something she had needed while she waited for this man. Logan was her past, and Alec, he was her future.

"Alec. Let's go home."

TBC…awwww…so cute….

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