Disclaimer: Ha! Sue me!
Author's Note: Hey all, it's been a while but I've been busy. Well, that's one big lie, I've just been lazy! Anyways, hope you like and don't forget to review!
A Different World
Chapter 17
Alec got them to the hospital in record speed. His enhanced abilities the only thing keeping them from ending up road kill. As soon as the car stopped Ben was out the door and in the hospital, carrying an unconscious Angie in his arms. She was taken away immediately, the severity of her wounds much worse than most of the people in the emergency room waiting. Max, Alec and Ben were left to wait with them and as Max looked around at the people there, sick or hurt, she suddenly felt ill and raced out the door. Alec was behind her immediately but Ben held back for a couple of seconds before joining them outside.
He found them in each other's embrace as Max cried. Alec was not unsympathetic, whispering in her ear reassuringly. For someone who spent their whole life being taught that emotions were weakness he sure caught on quick. Ben felt much more accepting of Max and Alec as he watched them together now than he had the other night. He felt a slight tenderness developing for his twin the more time they spent together.
"We have to go, Max." Or maybe not thought Ben as he heard Alec's words.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Ben exclaimed, furious at such a suggestion. Max looked shocked herself and stood tensely in his arms but didn't push him away as Ben thought she should have.
"Lydecker knows that Angie was hurt and this is the first place they're gonna be looking for us." Alec stated calmly. He didn't want it to be this way but they had no choice.
"No way. And leave her in there for them to find. I don't think so." Ben replied adamantly crossing his arms over his chest in complete defiance.
"They have no use for her anymore. They won't touch her and if you're that worried Max could get Cindy and Kendra to keep an eye on her." He said looking at Max for confirmation.
She didn't know what to do. She was torn between staying out of loyalty to her friend and leaving to save her family. Max knew that Alec was right but it didn't feel right to leave Angie there either. Shrugging her shoulders she buried her face in her hands for a few moments before coming to a decision. "I'll call Cindy and let her know what's up."
"Max!" Ben protested wildly. "Are you insane? That's your friend in there!"
"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think the only thing I want to do is run in there and stay with her for as long as it takes?" She yelled back, tears once again forming in her eyes. "But what choice do we have? Us being here is putting her in more danger than she's already in. Alec's right, Lydecker's gonna be set up on every hospital, doctors surgery and veterinary hospital in the whole of Seattle. We have to go."
Ben hung his head dejectedly. Sure, he knew they had to leave but he couldn't bring himself to do it. They didn't even know if she had made it or not and now they were leaving her there. Alone. He hated that feeling and that was how he now felt. Max must have sensed his mood because she stepped toward him and engulfed him in a warm, gentle hug.
"I know you've come to care for her, I care about her too but you know what we have to do." She whispered and he nodded his head softly in resignation and she pulled back, squeezing his hand in hers reassuringly before heading to the payphone to make the arrangements.
A few hours later the trio were in Max's apartment waiting. Tension hung thickly in the air and not a word was uttered. Max was standing at the window looking out at the city silently as Alec stood behind her, his arms wrapped securely around her. She had the cordless phone in her hand waiting for news from OC or Kendra on Angie's condition. The last they had heard was that she had come out of surgery and had been put in intensive care on a respirator. The bullet had just grazed her right lung but there was no internal bleeding and the damage was repairable. They had also said that a couple of suspicious looking men had been sitting in the hallway outside Angie's room for a while but they hadn't entered her room once in all the time they were there. They had all tensed though at the information and remained that way since.
Ben sat on the couch holding his necklace between his fingers and carefully inspecting it. The light reflected off the gold, illuminating the figure stamped on it in an almost heavenly way. He felt scared for Angie but at the same time he felt certain everything was going to be fine. They were two very conflicting feelings and he couldn't explain why but the hope was outweighing the dread, and as he looked at the pendant a small smile crossed his face.
"What's amusing enough to make you smile after being Mr. Grumpy all day?" Max asked curiously.
"I was just remembering Angie's nimble fingers." He said but then at Max's raised eyebrow and Alec's suggestive smile he stuttered another response. "No, I mean, uh, that didn't come out right. I mean, she's a remarkable pickpocket. Took my necklace while we were at lunch, just pretending to fix the collar on my jacket. I've never seen an ordinary capable of something like that."
"Yeah, well, she's spent a really long time on her own. She learned to do what she had to in order to survive. And of course I showed her a thing or two when we hooked up." Max reminisced with a smile of her own.
"Yeah, well I heard about how you two met and let me say what a beautiful tale it is." Ben laughed.
"Did she tell you the part about how she almost got me caught that night before taking off with my loot?" Ben shook his head and laughed. "I went after her to kick her ass and get my stuff back so I followed her to where she was living. It was a half demolished warehouse where a whole bunch of kids were living. She was talking to the group, some were her age, some younger, but all homeless. She was telling them about all the stuff she got and how they would be okay once she sold it and got some money. They looked so hopeful and I didn't have the heart to take it away. I befriended her that night, got her a job at Jam Pony, introduced her to OC and Kendra and we all helped her put her life together." Just as Max finished her story the phone rang, jarring her and everyone else out of their lighter mood.
Author's Note: Hey all, it's been a while but I've been busy. Well, that's one big lie, I've just been lazy! Anyways, hope you like and don't forget to review!
A Different World
Chapter 17
Alec got them to the hospital in record speed. His enhanced abilities the only thing keeping them from ending up road kill. As soon as the car stopped Ben was out the door and in the hospital, carrying an unconscious Angie in his arms. She was taken away immediately, the severity of her wounds much worse than most of the people in the emergency room waiting. Max, Alec and Ben were left to wait with them and as Max looked around at the people there, sick or hurt, she suddenly felt ill and raced out the door. Alec was behind her immediately but Ben held back for a couple of seconds before joining them outside.
He found them in each other's embrace as Max cried. Alec was not unsympathetic, whispering in her ear reassuringly. For someone who spent their whole life being taught that emotions were weakness he sure caught on quick. Ben felt much more accepting of Max and Alec as he watched them together now than he had the other night. He felt a slight tenderness developing for his twin the more time they spent together.
"We have to go, Max." Or maybe not thought Ben as he heard Alec's words.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Ben exclaimed, furious at such a suggestion. Max looked shocked herself and stood tensely in his arms but didn't push him away as Ben thought she should have.
"Lydecker knows that Angie was hurt and this is the first place they're gonna be looking for us." Alec stated calmly. He didn't want it to be this way but they had no choice.
"No way. And leave her in there for them to find. I don't think so." Ben replied adamantly crossing his arms over his chest in complete defiance.
"They have no use for her anymore. They won't touch her and if you're that worried Max could get Cindy and Kendra to keep an eye on her." He said looking at Max for confirmation.
She didn't know what to do. She was torn between staying out of loyalty to her friend and leaving to save her family. Max knew that Alec was right but it didn't feel right to leave Angie there either. Shrugging her shoulders she buried her face in her hands for a few moments before coming to a decision. "I'll call Cindy and let her know what's up."
"Max!" Ben protested wildly. "Are you insane? That's your friend in there!"
"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think the only thing I want to do is run in there and stay with her for as long as it takes?" She yelled back, tears once again forming in her eyes. "But what choice do we have? Us being here is putting her in more danger than she's already in. Alec's right, Lydecker's gonna be set up on every hospital, doctors surgery and veterinary hospital in the whole of Seattle. We have to go."
Ben hung his head dejectedly. Sure, he knew they had to leave but he couldn't bring himself to do it. They didn't even know if she had made it or not and now they were leaving her there. Alone. He hated that feeling and that was how he now felt. Max must have sensed his mood because she stepped toward him and engulfed him in a warm, gentle hug.
"I know you've come to care for her, I care about her too but you know what we have to do." She whispered and he nodded his head softly in resignation and she pulled back, squeezing his hand in hers reassuringly before heading to the payphone to make the arrangements.
A few hours later the trio were in Max's apartment waiting. Tension hung thickly in the air and not a word was uttered. Max was standing at the window looking out at the city silently as Alec stood behind her, his arms wrapped securely around her. She had the cordless phone in her hand waiting for news from OC or Kendra on Angie's condition. The last they had heard was that she had come out of surgery and had been put in intensive care on a respirator. The bullet had just grazed her right lung but there was no internal bleeding and the damage was repairable. They had also said that a couple of suspicious looking men had been sitting in the hallway outside Angie's room for a while but they hadn't entered her room once in all the time they were there. They had all tensed though at the information and remained that way since.
Ben sat on the couch holding his necklace between his fingers and carefully inspecting it. The light reflected off the gold, illuminating the figure stamped on it in an almost heavenly way. He felt scared for Angie but at the same time he felt certain everything was going to be fine. They were two very conflicting feelings and he couldn't explain why but the hope was outweighing the dread, and as he looked at the pendant a small smile crossed his face.
"What's amusing enough to make you smile after being Mr. Grumpy all day?" Max asked curiously.
"I was just remembering Angie's nimble fingers." He said but then at Max's raised eyebrow and Alec's suggestive smile he stuttered another response. "No, I mean, uh, that didn't come out right. I mean, she's a remarkable pickpocket. Took my necklace while we were at lunch, just pretending to fix the collar on my jacket. I've never seen an ordinary capable of something like that."
"Yeah, well, she's spent a really long time on her own. She learned to do what she had to in order to survive. And of course I showed her a thing or two when we hooked up." Max reminisced with a smile of her own.
"Yeah, well I heard about how you two met and let me say what a beautiful tale it is." Ben laughed.
"Did she tell you the part about how she almost got me caught that night before taking off with my loot?" Ben shook his head and laughed. "I went after her to kick her ass and get my stuff back so I followed her to where she was living. It was a half demolished warehouse where a whole bunch of kids were living. She was talking to the group, some were her age, some younger, but all homeless. She was telling them about all the stuff she got and how they would be okay once she sold it and got some money. They looked so hopeful and I didn't have the heart to take it away. I befriended her that night, got her a job at Jam Pony, introduced her to OC and Kendra and we all helped her put her life together." Just as Max finished her story the phone rang, jarring her and everyone else out of their lighter mood.