ARCHIVE: No
By Valjean
A Little Talk
"Have you given any thought as to what you'll do after he dies?"
Max stared out at the water, one hand steering the power boat, the other bracing herself against the seat, pretending she hadn't heard Logan's question.
"Max?" Logan persisted, edging closer to her on the bench, raising his voice to be certain she'd hear him over the wind, waves, and the hum of the Sea Ray's motor. "I asked you what you're going to do after Alec dies."
"He's not going to die," Max said simply. "He's going to be fine. We'll figure something out. We always do."
"Max, Alec's dying. He might only have days left to live. You know how bad the seizures are getting, how often he's having them now. He can't even leave the island. It's just a good thing you brought me here when you did. At least you won't be alone."
She looked at him then, and the brief flicker of gratitude in the depths of her liquid brown eyes told Logan Cale volumes. Max was tired of worrying, tired of being afraid, tired of not being able to count on Alec yet again.
"He doesn't mean to let you down," Logan said gently. "Alec's always been unpredictable. It's just the way he was made, his nature. That's one reason you were so standoffish toward him for so long. You knew you couldn't trust him."
"I can trust Alec!" Max said hotly. "He'd die for me ... for the cause!"
"Die for you, yes," Logan admitted. "But in the end, how's that going to really help you? What he needs to do is live for you. And that's something he can't do. You need to make plans, Max. You need to protect yourself and your son from the grief he's going to cause you." He put an arm around her shoulders and was mildly surprised when she didn't shrug him off. "You need to find someone else to love," he whispered in her ear. "Because the one you love now is going to leave you, and then you'll be all alone."
Max looked at him again then, her eyes welling with tears. And when Logan pulled her into a hug she wrapped her arms around him and clung as if for dear life, momentarily letting go of the boat's wheel. "Help me, Logan," she implored, her voice muffled against the material of his denim jacket. "I don't want to be alone."
*****
Alec was hungry -- a very good sign Joshua declared, and proceeded to bring his recovering friend a plate of Gem's chicken and biscuits from the kitchen.
"So, if this magic formula of the Doc's is as good as it seems to be, and I don't keel over dead in a day or so," Alec said through a mouthful of food, punctuating his words by jabbing a fork in the air, "I figure we're home free. We'll get everyone vaccinated and then Sandeman won't have any excuses to not back us any more. He won't need his Plan B army."
"Plan B army?" Joshua asked, his blue eyes inquisitive. He was seated in a chair on the opposite side of the table, working on a plate of macaroni and cheese. "What's Plan B, Alec?"
Alec stopped chewing. He remembered now. Joshua didn't know about Sandeman's betrayal. For a second, he considered sugarcoating the whole thing, not letting Joshua know that his so-called "Father" had tried to murder him and Max and was planning on letting the rest of the X series on Chimera die from the seizure malady -- that his precious "children" had suddenly become liabilities rather than assets. But he valued Joshua's friendship too much to do that. The big guy deserved to know the truth.
"Listen," Alec said, putting down the fork. "I've got to tell you something, Josh, and you're not gonna like it."
Joshua shook his head in bewilderment, those innocent eyes now filled with worry. "About Father?" he said softly. "Bad news about Father?"
"Yeah, bad news about Father," Alec said. "When me and Max were on Calvi this last time, Father tried to kill us."
"No," Joshua said calmly. "You're wrong, Alec. Father loves you and Max ... loves me ... loves all of us. He'd never hurt us."
Alec scooted his chair around the table, took hold of Joshua's hands in his own, and leaned forward, looking deeply into his friend's eyes, using every ounce of his persuasive ability to drive home his words. "Joshua, Father's given up on us. He's decided we're all dying and we won't be able to be an army. Plan B is a new army of X5 clones. He's growin 'em in vats beneath his castle even as we speak. And he tried to kill Max and me because he overheard us sayin' how we weren't gonna let that kind of thing ... that Manticore kind of thing ... happen again. Us on the island livin' normal lives and havin' children is one thing. Growin' pseudo-X5 monsters in tanks is something totally different."
Joshua was silent and Alec watched him closely. "Now, don't go cryin' on me, 'cause Max'll have a fit when she gets back if she finds out I've upset you."
"Father really tried to kill you and Max?" Joshua asked, his voice a whisper.
"Sent four of his X5 clones after us on Calvi. But they weren't very well trained. Max and me took 'em out."
Joshua stood up suddenly, yanking is hands away from Alec, and overturning the chair. "I must go to Father!" he declared. "Father will listen to me. I'll make it all right again, Alec. I'll tell him you're all better."
"Father will never trust us again," Alec said, getting to his feet as well. He grabbed Joshua's shoulders and made him look into his eyes. "Listen to me! We can't trust Sandeman any more. He wants Max and me dead, and maybe the other X's too if he thinks they'll cause trouble. His only priority is defeating the Familiars in this apocalyptic battle he says is comin'. We were nothing but his tools, and now he's decided we're broken. He doesn't need Max any more, he doesn't need me any more, and, truth be told, Big Fella, he never really needed you for anything in the first place."
"Father would never hurt me," Joshua said harshly, shoving Alec away so hard he nearly fell.
"Josh!" Alec said sharply, recovering his balance, his legs still weak from his recent ordeal. "Don't be like this! You've got to face the truth!"
Joshua spun to face him, and the look of feral anger on the dogman's face made Alec back up a step. "It's not true!" Joshua snarled. "Father loves me. You're lying. I don't know why, but you're lying."
"I'm not lying," Alec said quietly, gently, for the first time in a very long while a little bit afraid of the transhuman.
Joshua glared at him, the look of hatred in his eyes cutting Alec to the quick. "You'll see," he said, his voice low with anger. "I'll go to Father and he'll explain. Then you'll see how wrong you are."
"Joshua!" Alec yelled as his friend overturned the table and stormed for the door. "Josh!" He grabbed the big transhuman's arm, attempting to stop him. "Come back here! You can't--"
And then suddenly a huge hand was gripping the front of his jacket, and a set of very large fangs were in his face, bared mere inches from his throat. The feral savageness in those suddenly inhuman eyes was chilling.
What have I done? Alec thought. God, what have I done?
"Leave ... Me ... Alone." Joshua snarled, emphasizing each word with a shake hard enough to make Alec's teeth rattle.
"Or what?" Alec whispered. "You'll kill me? Like you almost killed White? You'll break my neck, or my back? Or tear out my throat? Could you do that to me, Josh? Could you kill me so soon after savin' me? After holdin' me like you did, beggin' me to stay alive ... beggin' me to live? You'd take it all back now ... take my life?"
Alec's words had an effect. Slowly, the blaze of fury in those blue eyes looming above him began to dim, replaced by a look of pure anguish. "I'm sorry, Alec," Joshua said roughly, letting him go.
Alec fell backwards, caught hold of a chair, and sat down, his shaking limbs giving way. If his plea hadn't been heeded, Joshua could have killed him easily. He was that weak.
"I'm sorry," Joshua sobbed. Then he turned his back on his friend and fled.
*****
"Max," Logan said. "Max, can you hear me?"
"Huh?" Max blinked her eyes, wondering why she felt so sleepy. They'd only had two glasses of wine at dinner in the restaurant downstairs. But she'd been so tired she hadn't even had dessert, instead telling Logan she was going to go rest in her hotel room. When she and Alec came over to the mainland they always stayed here, at the Wellington Arms. Logan's room was just next door. They'd buy the supplies tomorrow, she told herself, then return to the island in late afternoon. At least that was the plan.
"Max?" Logan repeated. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her hand in his. "Remember what I said on the boat, about how you needed to start letting go of Alec? How you have to push him away now because he's going to leave you?"
"I remember," Max mumbled. Her mouth felt extremely dry, and it was as if she couldn't quite move right. That must have been awfully potent wine, to have this effect on her.
"Here," Logan said gently, his fingers taking hold of her t-shirt. "Let me help you out of these clothes."
"No," Max said, forcing her eyes open. "I'm fine. Really. Just let me sleep awhile. I don't know what's wrong with me."
"Nonsense," Logan said jovially, a big smile on his face as his glasses loomed above her. "You'll be uncomfortable sleeping in your clothes all night." He pulled the shirt up and over her head. And then his fingers were undoing the clasp of her bra. "Just relax," he breathed in her ear as he fondled her flesh.
Max heard the sound of a zipper, of clothes falling to the floor, and then Logan, bare chested, was tugging on her pants, pulling them off, pulling her panties off ...
No! This isn't happening! Alec! Help me!
She couldn't move. Couldn't fight. Couldn't stop him. Which is when Max knew. Rohypnol. Logan had spiked her wine with the same drug that had rendered Alec so vulnerable back in Seattle, one of the few human concoctions that could take down a transgenic.
She tried to cry out, tried to call for help, but his mouth was smothering hers. "I've waited forever for this," he whispered harshly against her lips. "Alec's as good as dead. You belong to me now." Then, as her eyes filled with tears, Logan's cold hands forced her legs apart.
To be continued ...
Also, I'd like to encourage all M/A DARK ANGEL fans to read Max Collins' official prequel novel BEFORE THE DAWN. True, Alec isn't in the story (yet), but there's lots of canon background material in the book that would be pertinent to Alec later on. Plus, Mr. Collins says that Alec and Joshua will be "centerstage" in the DARK ANGEL sequel novel SKIN GAME coming out next February. -- author's note