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.

A/N: The NC-17 version of this story is posted at http://nunswithpens.hyperboards.com/.

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The rest of the command team was already assembled and waiting impatiently by the time Max and Alec finally arrived at HQ that morning. "You're late," Conner pointed out with a knowing grin.

Max blushed slightly and tried to act casual as she slipped into her seat next to Joshua. Alec shrugged as he looked around the table. "Nah. You're all early" he said with a cocky grin.

"How do you figure that?" Conner asked, looking down at his watch.

"Morning meeting can't start without me. Which means we're right on time."

Lydecker ignored the banter and watched the TV news update with growing interest. A group of armed men had stormed a senator's house that morning. The senator and his wife were already out for the day but the men had taken several other people hostage, including the senator's 6 year old son. The police had the estate surrounded and were trying to establish contact with the men inside, but so far they hadn't made any demands.

----*----

Syl and Krit walked into HQ after lunch looking for Alec. They deliberately avoided looking in Lydecker's direction. Having a civil conversation with the man responsible for making their childhood a living hell wasn't high on their list of things to do. It didn't even come close to making the list. *What are we supposed to say to him? 'So Deck, what've you been up to in the last 10 years besides hunting down my family and making everyone else's lives miserable? Got any hobbies?' Yeah, right.* Syl shook her head in disgust and tried to forget he was in the room.

"Hey, anyone seen Alec? We heard he's got a job for us." Krit asked the room in general.

Conner looked up from the shotgun he was modifying. "Yeah. He's in his office. But uh, better knock first. Max went in there 5 minutes ago to give him a report and one of them's probably lost a shirt by now." Syl smiled as Conner waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Krit smothered a laugh. Neither one believed him.

Conner had made an effort to get to know Max's siblings over the last few days. Syl suspected he only spent time with them because Alec had asked him to, but she was grateful for the opportunity. She wanted to make amends for their screw up and earn the other transgenics' respect. It was happening, slowly. It helped that Smythe had no idea what happened to the necklace they'd stolen off him. Apparently Smythe had ruled out the possibility that it was stolen by an outsider since there was no evidence of a break in. Last they heard his wife was consulting a psychic about a poltergeist. The transgenics thought the whole situation was hilarious, which made it a little easier on Syl and Krit.

Syl and Krit walked down the hall to Alec's office and Krit banged loudly on the door. Max must not have shut it tightly when she went in earlier, because the door swung open when he knocked on it. They both stared in shock. Alec was sitting in his desk chair and Max was straddling his lap, her legs on either side of him. He had one hand on her ass, the other tangled in her hair, and their tongues were so far down each other's throats Syl wondered how either of them were breathing.

"Ohmigod, I'm sorry, we'll just, um, we'll come back later. Much later." Syl stammered.

Max's head whipped around at the sound of her sister's voice. Her eyes went wide and she blushed a bright red. She scrambled awkwardly off Alec's lap and nearly tripped over his legs in her haste. Only her cat-like reflexes kept her from falling in an awkward heap on the floor. She backed across the room and stared at her shoes, too embarrassed to look her siblings in the face.

Alec smirked and casually straightened his shirt. "Hold up. It's ok."

Syl saw the amusement dancing in his eyes and wondered how she'd ever mistaken him for Ben. The only time she'd seen her brother after the escape his eyes had been blank, empty holes. He'd frightened her. The blue lady was just a childhood game to the rest of them, but Ben had turned it into an obsession. *Alec's really nothing like Ben* she thought, feeling oddly grateful.

"We, um, heard you had a job for us" Krit said. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, embarrassed at seeing his baby sister like that. He was just thankful no one was missing a shirt.

"Yep. That idiot Melvin Smythe just bought his wife another necklace to replace the one that's missing. Since you're such good friends, I thought maybe you'd like to pay him another visit."

"Oh yeah," Syl said with a wicked grin.

"But," Alec said, dragging the word out to two syllables, "it may be a trap so take Zane and Jondy with you for backup."

Syl opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. She shrugged. "Ok."

"Go see Conner. He'll get you kitted out. Radios, guns, whatever you need."

"Great. We'll um, we'll go now so you can get back to Max's…report."

Alec grinned. "Shut the door. Tight." Then he got out of his chair and sauntered over to Max. He placed his hands on the wall on either side of her body to keep her from bolting from the room. "So where were we?" he murmured as he bent his head to reclaim her lips.

Max placed both her hands on his chest and pushed him back. "No way. Not when everyone's listening."

Alec grinned. "You suddenly turn shy, Max?"

"Patience is a virtue, remember?"

"I'm not feeling particularly virtuous right now," he said in a low voice.

"Good things come to those who wait," she teased, a smile dancing on her lips.

He grinned wickedly. "I'm gonna hold you to that," he said before stepping back to let her by. She quivered at the intense look in his eyes and quickly slipped out of the room before she could change her mind and tackle him.

Dix and Luke avoided looking in her direction but Conner gave her a knowing smile. "Finished your report already?" he asked. Max shot him a dirty look but refused to rise to the bait. She hurried into her own office and collapsed into her chair. She laid her head on the desk and tried to get her breathing and heart rate back under control.

----*----

The hostage situation got uglier and more and more tense as the day advanced. The police were attempting to negotiate at the same time as they manoeuvred a SWAT team into position. An angry crowd had formed sometime after lunch. Lydecker could hear them in the background of the news report, shouting for the police to go in shooting. He smiled to himself and walked slowly out of HQ. No one asked where he was going. As soon as he was alone he took his cell phone out of his pocket.

Witherspoon said the voice on the other end.

Lydecker here.

Have you established control already? Witherspoon asked, surprised.

Of course not. I already told the committee, it will take time.

Then why are you calling me? Do you have something to report?

A suggestion, actually. Have you seen the news today? The hostage situation is rapidly getting out of hand. Let my kids take care of it.

The local police seem to have the situation under control.

Not for long. Those men in there are heavily armed. If the SWAT team goes in a lot of people are going to end up dead, including the boy. But my kids could handle this in their sleep. Plus, sending them on an 'honourable' mission like this should help relieve some of their reluctance to be of service to you.

There was a long pause as Witherspoon considered Lydecker's idea. I'll be in touch he said and hung up. Lydecker smiled, knowing the ball was now in play under his terms.

----*----

When Lydecker's phone rang an hour later it caused instant silence in HQ. All eyes turned to watch as he answered. Lydecker here.

The committee has approved your suggestion Witherspoon said. The police want all six gunmen taken alive. A military escort is on its way. I want your men on site within the hour.

Understood. Lydecker stood and walked over to the conference table. "That was Witherspoon. He has an assignment for you."

Max's entire body tensed. *Oh god, not yet. I'm not ready for this.*

Lydecker grabbed the remote and flicked on the TV. The image of the senator's house surrounded by armed police filled the screen. "This morning, six gunmen stormed a senator's home and took his young son and several staff members hostage. Your mission is to subdue the gunmen and free the hostages."

Max let out the breath she'd been holding with a sigh of relief. Her eyes caught Alec's and she gave him a shaky smile. This was a good thing. This was a mission she could live with. She turned back to face Lydecker. "What are the gunmen after?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Apparently the senator is opposed to ration cards. He feels people should work for a living rather than taking handouts."

"And what are they supposed to do for work if there aren't any jobs?" Max asked in disbelief.

"Somehow that fact seems to have escaped the senator's notice." Lydecker said dryly. "In any case, taking his son hostage is not the solution to the problem."

"When?" Alec asked Deck.

"Immediately. Your escort will be here shortly."

"Alright. Max and I will handle this one. Conner, Dix, you two are in charge until we get back." He turned to Max, his mind already busy planning the attack. "C'mon. Let's go have some fun."

Alec pulled his cell phone from his pocket as soon as they were out of Lydecker's hearing. Hey, Sketch, it's Alec. How'd you like a scoop for the Weekly World News?

----*----

Max and Alec followed the military escort through the police barricades. They were supposed to ride in the vehicle, not drive themselves on their bikes, but they'd insisted and the military guard sent to fetch them hadn't objected too strongly. He'd been involved in the counter-attack against the cult and he'd been sufficiently impressed with their abilities that he wasn't about to argue.

They surveyed the scene with professional eyes. The police had entirely surrounded the senator's walled estate, and had enough firepower aimed at the house to destroy several city blocks. There was an angry crowd to one side, including a dozen reporters. Sketchy was there with his camera. Their arrival had attracted quite a bit of attention. Max was dressed in a sleek black cat suit that was moulded to her curves. But the males weren't the only ones admiring the view. Alec was dressed in black cargo pants and a tight black t-shirt that fit him like a second skin. Speculation ran wild through the crowd.

Alec and Max strode over to the police command center. The officer in charge stood with his arms crossed over his barrel chest, his stance belligerent. He gave them a cold stare. "So you think you can handle this better than my men?"

*Hell yeah,* Alec thought to himself with a laugh. *The X-8s could handle this better than your men and they're only 7 years old.* Alec was careful to keep his amusement to himself. "We've been well trained" he said, his voice neutral. They might need the cops' support one day, so alienating them now just because they were infinitely better at this kind of thing wouldn't be a good idea.

"Huh. We'll see. Any of the hostages die, I'm hauling your asses into jail no matter what that government suit has to say about it. You got it?"

Alec just smiled politely as the cop glared at him.

"How many men?" Max asked.

"Six, as far as we can tell. All heavily armed." The cop leaned forward and pinned Max with his stare. "I want those s.o.b.'s alive and fit to stand trial, understand?"

Max smiled. "No problem. Any idea where the hostages are being held?"

The cop clenched his teeth and shook his head. The lack of accurate intel was probably the only reason the hostage situation had dragged on all day. The cops couldn't storm the house without knowing exactly where the senator's son was located. Their careers would be ruined if the boy got caught in the crossfire.

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We'll find them before the gunmen even know we're in the house." She turned to face Alec. He was busy examining the roughly drawn layout of the house and grounds that the senator had done for the cops. "Ground floor, east side" he said, pointing to the map. Max nodded. The gunmen would expect any attackers to come in through the front or back doors. A window was their best bet to enter undetected.

"This won't take long," Alec said to the police commander. He and Max jogged around the wall to the east side of the estate, away from the journalists' prying eyes. They jumped and grabbed the top of the brick wall. They pulled themselves up smoothly and lay prone on the top of the wall, careful not to be silhouetted against the moonlight, and then rolled and dropped to the ground. They crouched low and darted from shadow to shadow, moving in a zigzag pattern across the lawn. The house stayed silent and still.

They knelt beneath a window that led into the formal dinning room. Alec used his knife to pop the catch and slid it open. It was standard police procedure to cut power to any building used in a hostage situation, so at least they didn't have to worry about triggering any alarms on their way in.

They snuck across the room and took up position on either side of the swinging doors that led to the kitchen. Alec cautiously pushed open the door a crack and took a quick glance at the room beyond. The heavy oak worktable had been shoved up against the door to the walk-in pantry, so that was most likely where the hostages were confined. One of the gunmen was off to their right, peering out into the night through the window in the back door. He was standing directly in front of the door. Not the smartest place to be in case the SWAT team decided to storm the house. That door wasn't bullet-proof. The second of the two gunmen currently in the room was rummaging through the fridge for a snack. He'd left his gun on the counter. Alec rolled his eyes. *Amateurs. Idiots.*

He signalled to Max, pointing first at himself, then right, then at her, and then left. She nodded. Together they slid through the doors and across the room like water, perfectly silent. Their fists lashed out and connected before the two gunmen knew they were in the room. They slumped to the floor, unconscious. Max quickly secured their wrists and ankles with the plastic ties the police had provided. Alec grabbed a small roll of duck tape from one of his pockets and taped their mouths shut. One of the gunmen had a full beard and moustache. Removing the tape was gonna hurt.

Alec grabbed the gun off the counter. It was a Glock. These guys may be amateurs, but they were well-armed. They even had on Kevlar vests. Max and Alec each hefted a body over their shoulder and dumped them in the dining room, out of sight. Then they left the kitchen and padded down the main hallway toward the front part of the house, as silent as prowling cats. Logic dictated that there'd be at least two guarding the front door.

In fact, there were three. Alec and Max pressed up against the wall, nearly invisible in the shadows in their black clothing. He signalled that he would take the two on the left, leaving her the one on the right. She rolled her eyes at his protectiveness but just nodded in agreement. They blurred and quickly closed the distance between them and the gunmen. Alec slammed his right elbow into the base of a skull and grabbed the guy by his collar to keep him from falling noisily to the floor. He spun and faced his second target. The gunman stared at him in surprise, his weapon dangling from his shaking hands. He opened his mouth to shout a warning when Alec connected with a vicious left hook. Max caught his body as he fell backwards and eased him to the floor. Her target was already unconscious. Alec lowered his first target to the floor and they quickly bound and gagged all three. Then they began to systematically search the ground floor for the sixth gunmen.

There was a partially open door in the library. Max carefully glanced inside. The sixth gunman, presumably the leader, was sitting in the senator's private office with his feet propped up on the desk. His gun was in his lap and he was scribbling something on a pad. *Probably his grocery list* Max thought with a laugh. *These guys are pathetic.*

Max pointed to the door and signalled 'Target Confirmed'. Then she mouthed the word "mine." Alec shrugged. He signalled 'Wait' and then pointed to himself and made the sign for 'Diversion'. Max grinned and took up position beside the door. Alec moved silently back down the hallway to the front door. He hauled two of the gunmen to their feet and then let them fall to the floor with a loud thump. Max heard the creak of the desk chair as the leader jumped to his feet. He rushed across the room and yanked the door open wide. Max stuck out her arm and clothes-lined the guy. He staggered forward, choking. Max slammed her knee into his ribs and then punched him on the jaw. He fell hard to the floor. She tied his hands and feet and then joined Alec in the kitchen.

Together they moved the worktable away from the pantry door. There were half a dozen adults cowering in the corner of the pantry, but no little boy. Alec gave them his most charming smile and held up his empty hands to show them he wasn't a threat. "We're with the police. The gunmen have been arrested. It's over. We're gonna take you out of here now."

"Where's the boy?" Max asked.

The servants looked at each other, clearly frightened and confused. Max tried to keep her impatience from showing. Finally one of them answered. "I dunno. They took him upstairs."

Max raced upstairs. She found him in the third room she checked. His hands and feet were tied to a chair and he was gagged. He stared at Max, his eyes wide with fear. She smiled gently at him. "Hey," she said softly and crouched so they were at eye level. "You've been a very brave boy, but now you're safe. My name's Max. I'm gonna take you to your mom and dad. They've been so worried about you." She quickly untied him and then picked him up. He sniffled and wrapped his arms tight around her neck. She carried him downstairs.

Alec was waiting at the front door with the rest of the former hostages. They were supposed to call in the police at this point and let them make the rescue for the cameras. *Now's where's the fun in that?* Alec thought to himself with a mental shrug. People needed to see the transgenics doing good, helping out, if they were ever going to learn to trust and accept them.

Max cracked the front door open a few inches. "Hold your fire!" she shouted. "We're coming out with the hostages." Slowly she eased the door wide open and stepped out. The crowd cheered at the sight of the little boy in her arms. She walked down the driveway towards the massive iron gates. Alec was a step behind with the rest of the hostages. His arm was around the elderly cook, supporting her weight. It was the perfect image. Cameras flashed as the reporters took picture after picture.

Max ignored the police and walked straight towards the senator and his wife. She was sobbing, her arms outstretched towards Max and her son. Max hurried over. "He's ok" she said as she gently placed the boy in his mother's waiting arms. "He's not hurt, he's just scared." The woman clutched her son to her chest while the senator awkwardly hugged them both.

Max paused and smiled at the sight. The wife looked up and clutched at Max's arm. "Thank you," she said as the tears streamed down her face. "Thank your for saving my little boy."

"Don't worry about it. It's why they made us. To keep people safe." She stared at Max in confusion, not certain if she'd heard correctly.

Max smiled and walked away to join Alec. The police commander was gruffly congratulating him for their quick work. "You got the hostages out alive and unharmed. And my men tell me the gunmen are all alive too. I respect that. It could've been a lot worse." He stuck out his hand. "Thank you."

Alec grinned and shook his hand. "No problem. If you ever need a hand, you know where to find us."

"Hun. We'll see. But you better leave now, before the crowd gets out of control." Max and Alec nodded and headed for their bikes.

Some guy in the crowd noticed that Sketchy was paying more attention to Max and Alec than the reunited family, unlike the rest of the reporters. Curious, he nudged Sketchy in the ribs. "So who do you think those two are? CIA special ops?"

"Nah," Sketchy replied. "They're transgenics."

"No way, dude!"

"I'm telling you. They're transgenics. Look, you can see guy's barcode."

At that moment Alec casually ran his hand through his hair and down his neck. His fingers hovered for a second over his barcode, which was just visible above the neck of his t-shirt. Sketchy had his camera ready and snapped a couple of pictures while the rest of the reporters were busy photographing the happy family. He zoomed in and got a close up of Alec's barcode. *This is definitely going on the cover of the Weekly World News,* he thought excitedly. *Thank you, Alec! My editors are totally gonna love this.*

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A/N: Please read and review!