Disclaimer: Nope, last time I looked in a mirror I wasn't James Cameron or anyone else lucky enough to own Dark Angel.
Summary: Sequel to "Then it comes to be." The cult loonies are gone but the transgenics have other problems to deal with, not to mention a whole civilization to build. M/A
Rating: R because of occasional violence and sex (to come later)
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Max sighed in frustration and rubbed her tired eyes with her fists. She was trying to draft a petition to the president. *Thank god for Logan,* she thought. *I don't know what I'd do without his help. I suck at this.* Give her someone to punch and she was fine. But playing the political game and using words to persuade just wasn't her thing.
*If only Logan weren't so hostile towards Alec, and everything he's trying to do here.* Not that she could blame him for feeling that way. Alec had come between them, and changed everything. And she didn't know how to deal with that. She sighed and rotated her head to work out some of the kinks in her neck.
Alec watched her from across the room. She was pushing herself so hard, trying to save them all. He could tell by her posture how exhausted and tense she was. He chuckled softly to himself. *I've got the perfect remedy for that, and I can't wait to see her face when she sees it.*
Max heard someone approach from behind and recognized Alec's footsteps. Without a word he laid his warm hands on her shoulders and started kneading her tense muscles. She melted under his touch. Alec was so thoughtful, in all the little ways.
"You need a break," he whispered in her ear. His warm breath brushing against her flesh sent a shiver down her back.
"Mmm," she muttered. As if. She had to get this damn thing done.
"It'll wait until morning. I have a surprise for you."
She craned her neck to look up at him. He gave her a cocky grin. "What is it?" she asked curiously.
"Aw, c'mon Max. If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise." He winked and backed up a few feet, his smile widening.
She glanced at the papers on the desk in front of her and then back at Alec. He crooked his index finger at her in the universal gesture of "come here." With a shrug she tossed her pen onto the desk and stood up. He grabbed her hand and led her out of HQ to the perimeter fence. They scanned the area for sector police but it was clear. The two who were supposed to be patrolling that section of the fence were chatting together 25 feet away. They jumped the fence and melted into the shadows on the other side.
Alec led her a few blocks from Terminal City. They turned a corner and Max stopped dead in her tracks. Original Cindy stood under a street lamp next to her Ninja. Max stared in shock for a few seconds and then ran to hug OC.
"Hey boo," OC said with a huge smile.
"It's so good to see you." Max reached out with one hand and touched her bike to make sure it was real. She laughed in delight. She'd thought she'd lost it forever after she'd been forced to abandon it in order to bust into Jam Pony during the hostage taking. Thinking it had probably been seized by the cops or stripped for spare parts had wrenched her heart. "How did you find it?"
OC grinned. "I didn't. Alec called and told me where to look. I picked it up the morning after the hostage thing at Jam Pony. Good thing too, cuz the cops were about to seize it."
Max crouched and ran her hands along the chassis. It was exactly as she'd last seen it. There were no new scratches or dents and none of the parts were missing. She glanced over at Alec. He'd wandered off a short way, giving her and Original Cindy space to chat.
"He's your boy, boo."
"Yeah," Max said softly, then stood up so she could look OC in the eyes. "You alright? How're things at Jam Pony now that we're, gone."
"Same old same old. Normal keeps asking about his golden boy."
"He's fine."
"In more ways than one."
Max chuckled. "Oh yeah."
OC gave her a quick squeeze and walked over to Alec. He heard her coming and turned around to face her. She smiled and gave him a big hug. "I heard what you did for my boo. You're a good man."
Alec shrugged. "Nah. It was nothing."
"Now you and I both know that's not true. And so does Max." OC turned and called to Max. "I gotta meet a fine lookin sista at Crash. Have fun you two."
Max looked up from examining her bike. "See ya later."
"Hey, beat Sketch at pool for me, ok." Alec grinned.
"No doubt." OC turned and headed out.
Alec watched her leave then walked over to Max. He smiled at the look of delight on her face. He loved the way her face lit up when she smiled like that. "I gotta go meet a contact. Try to make it home before the sun comes up."
Max swung her leg over the seat and gunned the engine. She scooted forward on the seat, making room for him to join her. "You got time before the meet?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"I'll make time." He grinned and slid on behind her, his arms tight around her ribs. They sped off through the dark streets. She'd missed this so much. She loved the speed, the sheer power of it. On her bike she felt invincible. All her problems were far behind her, small and insignificant. She took a corner at a dangerously high speed. Alec leaned into the curve, his body moving instinctively with hers. She increased the speed on the straightaway. They were almost flying. She heard Alec laugh. He felt the same exhilaration she did at hurtling through the night. Alec pressed even closer against her and his warm breath tickled her neck. It felt good.
Reluctantly he tapped his fingers against her ribs. She slowed enough to hear him over the wind. He directed her to one of the hottest clubs in town. There was a large crowd waiting at the doors to get in. She pulled around to the back. Alec hopped off and ran his hands through his dishevelled hair. "Be a good girl and wait here. And try and behave yourself until I get back," he said.
She smacked him playfully on the shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Get going already."
Alec sauntered over to the door and banged on it. They guy who opened the door was heavily muscled, dressed in a black t-shirt and black cargo pants. He wore his gun in plain sight in a shoulder harness.
Alec smiled at him and said, "Kolya, kak zhivyosh?"
Max's eyes widened slightly. She didn't know Alec spoke Russian. She was impressed. He was meeting with some serious players. The Russian mob could make anything happen.
{{Alec, you're late.}}
{{Yeah, I kinda lost track of time.}}
Kolya looked over Alec's shoulder at Max and grinned knowingly. {{A pretty girl will do that do you.}} Alec grinned.
{{C'mon, the boss is waiting.}} Kolya escorted Alec down a dark corridor. Alec could hear the thump of the dance music playing out front, but the music was muted back here. Kolya led the way into the boss's office. Inside were two more heavies dressed like Kolya. They gave Alec a friendly smile.
The boss wore an expensive, hand-tailored suit. He stood and welcomed Alec in the traditional Russian manner with a kiss to each cheek. Then he slapped Alec on the back. {{It is good to see you my friend. We have everything that you asked for. An interesting list. Not many high-priced items. Mostly basic medical supplies, the kind you would need to stock a hospital. Curious, don't you think?}}
Alec's muscles tensed and his sense were on full alert, though he gave no outward sign. {{Curiosity can be bad for your health, Vadim,}} he pointed out, his eyes narrowed.
{{Indeed. Well, I don't care who you're working for. So long as they pay their bills.}}
Alec opened his bag and removed the case of money Max had stolen off a drug dealer the day before the hostage taking at Jam Pony. The second guard took the briefcase and laid it on the desk in the corner. Popping the lid he swiftly counted the money.
Kolya grabbed a bottle of vodka and two shot glasses. He filled them and handed one to Alec and one to Vadim. The guard counting the money nodded and Vadim raised his glass in a toast. "Na zdopovye."
Alec followed suit. "Na zdorovye."
They drowned the shot. Vadim handed Alec a set of keys. {{I'll be in touch,}} Alec said. {{My client may have another order soon.}}
Kolya led Alec out the way he came. A truck was parked near the door. Alec signalled to Max that he was taking the truck and she should follow him. She nodded. Alec drove to a deserted alley just out of sight of TC. Max pulled up beside him as he got out of the truck.
"So how're we gonna get this stuff into TC? The FBI has the gate covered."
"Way ahead of you Max. Have a little faith." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialled base. "Dix, we're on."
The manhole cover slid open and two X-5s climbed out of the sewer. They each carried a sling and a rope. Alec opened the back of the truck and handed them each a package. They placed it in the sling and lowered it down the manhole using the rope. Dix was waiting at the bottom. He undid the sling and handed the package to a waiting transgenic. He tossed it to the next transgenic in line, and the package made its way from hand to hand down the sewer passage back to TC. The X-5 up top drew the sling back up the manhole and went back to the truck to repeat the process.
"You know Max, this would go a lot faster if you gave me a hand," Alec said as he wrestled a larger package into position. She hurried over to the truck and helped load the packages into the slings. They worked swiftly, not wanting to draw attention. Within 30 minutes the truck was empty. Alec's two helpers slipped back down into the sewer and Alec replaced the manhole cover. He grinned at Max.
"I gotta return the truck. You gonna give me a ride or do I have to walk all the way home?"
Max laughed. "Can we take the scenic route home?"
They returned the truck to the club and then drove aimlessly for a while. Max wanted to go to the Space Needle but it was getting late. Now that she had her baby back, she could go another night. They snuck back into TC using a carefully concealed hole in the fence. Max pushed her bike to HQ as Alec walked in companionable silence beside her.
The crunch of their boots on gravel woke Logan. He was sleeping on the steps outside HQ. He'd gone looking for Max earlier that night and had panicked when he couldn't find her anywhere. Dix finally told him she'd gone with Alec to get the supplies. Dix hadn't wanted to say anything, because like a lot of the transgenics he was in on a little conspiracy to give Max and Alec time alone together without Logan around. But when Logan got angry and started yelling about needing to get together a search party Dix relented and told him where she was. Logan had gone quiet at the news and sat down on the steps of HQ with a determined look on his face. He'd fallen asleep waiting for her to return.
"Logan?" Max said, surprised he'd fallen asleep in such an awkward position.
He stumbled unsteadily to his feet. He was stiff and cold and not at all happy to see her with Alec. "What happened? Where have you been?" he asked worriedly. "The others were back hours ago."
"We went for a ride. No big deal. Relax."
The bike hadn't really registered in his sleep-fuzzed brain until she'd mentioned it. Alec had got her bike back for her, and had no doubt encouraged her to go racing, exposing herself. Anything could have happened to her. He'd been sitting here most of the night, half out of his mind with worry, while she'd been joyriding round town with Alec. "Max, it's too dangerous! You can't go out there! The CDC is still looking for you, and we don't know what the FBI is up to. You have to stay here where it's safe."
Max slammed the kickstand down on her bike. Crossing her arms she glared at Logan. "Did you just tell me what I can and can't do?"
The quiet tone in which she said that should have been a warning to him. Alec knew from experience that Max never yelled when she was really and truly pissed off. Alec watched in fascination as Logan opened his mouth to argue with her some more. He was digging his own grave, and he didn't have a clue. *Does he really know so little about her?* Alec thought in amazement. He certainly wasn't about to give the other man a heads up.
"Max, you have to listen to me." Logan tried to be reasonable but he was having a hard time controlling his temper. The thought of something bad happening to her made him sick to his stomach. He had to persuade her to stay here where he could keep an eye on her, keep her safe from harm. "You have to stay here where it's safe. You can't go racing around the city, especially not with him. He's reckless. He'll do something stupid and you'll get caught trying to save his ass. You have to lay low."
"It's my life Logan. No one tells me what to do." She spun on her heel and stormed off. Logan stared after her, his mouth hanging open. Alec could almost feel sorry for him. The guy had no clue how to handle someone like Max.
Logan saw the amused look on Alec's face. "You think this is funny?" he shouted in fury.
Alec smirked. "What are you really mad about Logan? The fact that she went out and had fun, or that she was with me?
"Stay away from her," Logan hissed.
"I think that's Max's decision to make. And so far, she seems to like my company more than yours."
Goaded beyond endurance, Logan swung at Alec. The transgenic easily dodged the clumsy blow and danced back a few steps.
"You don't want to do that Logan. One, I'd wipe the floor with your ass. And two, you'd probably die on contact. Max transfused me, remember? The virus is in her blood, her blood is now in me…So don't piss me off." He grinned evilly as Logan stared back at him in horror. *I probably shouldn't have done that, but Logan is so easy to play. As if I'd actually touch him.* He wasn't Ben. He didn't get his kicks from killing people. Besides, hurting Logan would really piss off Max, and that would not be a good thing.
Logan backed away several feet and then turned and ran. Alec shook his head and walked home. Max was waiting for him in his apartment. She was standing in the dark, staring out the window. Alec crossed the room and stood beside her. She glanced over at him. "Thanks for saving my bike."
"Don't worry about it. We all know it's part of your soul. And I prefer to see you smiling."
She looked away. A single tear rolled down her cheek. "So why doesn't Logan? He was everything to me. He was all I wanted. But somehow it just…slipped away. Now I don't know what to do."
Alec ached to see her so lost, so sad. "Tell me what to do Max."
"Just hold me," she whispered. "I don't want to be alone tonight." Without another word he wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head under his chin.
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The next morning Max walked into her office at HQ to find Logan already there. He was sitting in her chair, staring at his hands. He looked exhausted and he was still wearing the same clothes he'd had on the night before. "I waited for you all night but you never came home" he said in a dull, defeated voice. "You were with him, weren't you?"
"I needed to be with a friend." She didn't have the energy to deal with this, not now, not on top of everything else. She had to focus on saving her people, not arguing with Logan about their mixed up relationship.
Logan looked up at her. "Alec's not your friend Max. He's just playing a game. He'll only let you down."
"No, he won't" she said vehemently. She thought of him holding her last night so she wouldn't have to be alone. She thought of all the times he'd protected her when she rushed headlong into a rescue mission, heedless of the danger. "I've dragged Alec into some fucked up situations and he's always had my back. He's a good person. He's not what you think he is."
"He's not what you think he is either. He threatened to kill me last night."
Max stared at Logan in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"
"He's infected with the virus and he threatened to touch me if I got in his way."
Max rolled her eyes and walked past him. "He wouldn't actually touch you Logan. He's not a killer."
Logan moved to follow her. "That's exactly what he is!" He couldn't believe she would just dismiss it. *How did Alec get her so turned around that she can't see straight?* He seethed with jealousy. A month ago, before the hostage taking, he really thought he could step aside and let Alec care for her. He wanted her to be happy. But everything was different now that he was living in TC with them. He couldn't bear to see her with another man. They were supposed to be together forever. The virus was Alec's fault anyway. If he hadn't tried to play White to save himself, they would've got the cure off that lab tech and been together months ago.
"Look Max, I know you feel like you owe him for what happened at the cathedral. But you have to face facts. He's not stable. You have to send him away."
Max spun to face him. "Stop it!" she yelled at him.
Logan was stunned by the blind fury in her eyes. He took an involuntary step backwards. Her shoulders slumped as her anger faded in the face of Logan's fear. She looked down at her shoes. "I can't do this anymore Logan. You and me…it's just not going to work."
"So you're giving up," he whispered in disbelief. "You're actually choosing to be with him instead of me."
She looked at him sorrowfully. "Something happened, Logan. When I'm with him, I feel normal. Whole. I can't explain it. It just feels right."
"And we don't" he said bitterly.
"You always wanted me to be like you. To be human. But I'm not. And I'm tired of hiding from what I am."
"This isn't how things are supposed to be Max" he pleaded.
"Maybe it is. This place, the transgenic cause, Alec – it's the only real thing in my life. The rest of it was just pretend… I'm sorry. I think you should go."
If only he could touch her maybe he could make her see it his way, but he'd foolishly forgotten his gloves in his room. Which was probably an omen. Love wasn't always enough. He turned and stumbled out the door.
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A/N: Thanks for the reviews – you guys are so great! Ok, so I realize Logan is a bit grumpy in this story, but the way I figure it, he's jealous and feeling a tad superfluous right now, so he's not exactly on the top of his game. He's over-reacting because he's afraid he's going to lose Max to Alec, and he's worried about her safety. Right motive, wrong actions. Alec nearly died trying to save Max (see my other story "Then it comes to be" for how and why). That event forced both Max and Alec to confront their feelings and admit them to themselves and to each other. So now they're going to act on it. Anyway, keep the reviews coming. I love to hear what you guys think.