Spoilers: Set after Hello, Goodbye - so anything prior to this
episode is spoiled and as the story continues, it may impinge
slightly on other episodes after unintentionally.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that we owe
thanks to James Cameron, FOX and anyone else associated with
Dark Angel.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY
Placing her trembling fingertips on his neck under his chin to the side, she felt a strong beat and collapsed on the ground. She eyed him carefully, searching for wounds from the shot she had heard. No blood, but a tranquilliser dart was stuck near his collarbone. She pulled it out cautiously and buried her face into the nape of his throat.
"Wake up Ben, don't let them win."
She felt her voice murmur and make him vibrate, but there was no response. Max shook him lightly and felt her heart surge as he rolled over.
"Max?"
"Hey. I thought I'd lost you. Again."
"I'm a pain in the ass that never leaves."
He coughed weakly and his head drooped back down onto the armrest. She felt an itch at the back of her throat and hot tears spilled down her cheeks,
"I don't want you to leave ever again."
He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it; choosing instead to relax into her warm, comforting embrace. 494 shivered as he eyes her swollen lips, curved into a somewhat contented smile. He was so close and if there was anything between him and this Max girl, which he hoped there was, now was the time to act. He kissed her, the kind that makes you weak at the knees and dizzy in the head.
*Yes!*
He thought triumphantly as she responded, pushing back as hard against his lips. His tongue snaked its way into her mouth and she suckled at it urgently, before opening her eyes and pushing herself away from him.
*No!*
"God what are we doing?"
"What, what's wrong?"
"This! It's not right. It's sick. You're like my brother!"
Her face became contorted with disgust and 494 spat, matching his face to hers, feeling completely overwhelmed and confused. Max sighed, trying to forget the taste of him, the feel of him pressed against her. It was so different to the time he had kissed her in her apartment. This was passionate, sweet, everything she could have ever dreamed. And although the face was the one in her dreams, it wasn't the right guy.
"Ben, look at me. It's okay. We've both been through a lot, we just.got caught up in the moment. Lets just move past it - okay?"
He looked at her and wrinkled his forehead. Ben was what she called him. It didn't seem like his name, but it did remind him of the dentist, the forest and (shudder) Psy-Ops. He flopped back down on the couch and stared off into space looking like an adorably troubled lost boy.
* * * * *
The door flung open and 494 watched himself storm inside. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. It was his clone. But, he had escaped with this Max character in 2009, and had been terminated so he understood. But then he had thought the same thing about 452 and here she was. So what was 493 doing here?
"Max!"
"What? Oh my god! ALEC!"
She ran over to him to embrace him and 494 felt a stab of jealousy, which he knew could in no way be recognised as brotherly protection. 493 held his hands up defensively to stop her in her tracks,
"Whoa there Maxie. Looks like you got it a little backwards. Aren't you able to tell the difference between your bro and your boy?"
She stared at him in shock, before turning to look at 494 on the couch,
"Alec?"
He didn't respond, how could he? He was frozen, lost in his mind - oblivious to everything around him. He had no idea who he was to the breathtaking creature before him. Manticore had done their usual sneaky business and wiped his memory, made him forget. Max turned back to Ben,
"What's wrong with him?"
* * * * *
"What do you think Max, he's not Alec anymore. Just a designation. X5-494."
Ben looked over at his twin, whose ears had almost literally pricked up by their own accord at the mention of his designation.
"He was only gone a couple of weeks."
"That's plenty of time to wipe one's memory. If at a harsh level and if they had nothing to hold on to."
Max sighed, depressed. She was seated between the two males and they were undistinguishable to the naked eye. Alike in almost every way.except their eyes, those windows to the soul demonstrated different things. Ben's had an edge, desperation, a sadness even. Alec's were not at all like they once had been. The spark that once was there - gone. Now they were empty.soulless. She shivered and Ben draped an arm around her, tucking his chin onto her head as he held her close.
"Why did you come here?"
"This is where you brought me when you took me. It's where it started. I guess I wanted it to finish here. I kinda expected you to be here."
"Had to see someone."
"Why did you come back here Ben?"
"Because I owed it to you. I remember everything I did. And I didn't want to lie or hurt you anymore. Lydecker came to see me, told me how I needed to capture you, but not hurt you. That I should let you escape. How I couldn't let anyone hurt you or 494, especially not Eyes Only. Lydecker is a good man Max, he treats us like his children, he cares about us."
Max snorted, stopping as she took in Ben's serious face.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I needed you to know I wasn't a bad guy."
"I'd never think that."
Ben's face dropped as he struggled to speak, his words coming out ever so softly,
"I don't know what I'd do if you ever thought that."
"You were never one to care about what others thought Ben."
"It's different with you! The way you look at me, the way you talk. It all matters to me. How could I not want to be all that I could for you!"
Max fell silent, trying to figure out what he was saying.
"I care about you, not like a sister, but like someone I want as a lover. I want to be with you."
Ben gestured wildly to a silent 494,
"He's gone. There's nothing there but a shell. Pick me."
Max's forehead creased with lines and she nervously tugged at her hair, taking in everything he had just said.
"When they brought me back to life, it was like a second chance, the ability to do it all again and this time to finish it right."
"And how do you do that?"
"By winning the girl. All good stories finish with the lead character getting the girl and living happily ever after. You know how much I love stories."
"I'm not sure I'm the girl for you to get. My heart lies somewhere else."
Max looked pointedly from Ben to Alec,
"And it's just not fair for me to use you as a substitute. You're the closest thing I have to a brother. Family. And that's something I treasure greater than anything else."
She finished her explanation, breathing ragged as Ben's face crumpled, then quickly became resolved,
"I respect that. I want to ask why, but I already know."
He leaned over, kissing Max on the forehead softly, before standing to leave,
"You know, when I came in here you thought I was him. I'm not, but I wish I was.I'd do anything to be.Take care of yourself Maxie."
And he was gone.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY
Placing her trembling fingertips on his neck under his chin to the side, she felt a strong beat and collapsed on the ground. She eyed him carefully, searching for wounds from the shot she had heard. No blood, but a tranquilliser dart was stuck near his collarbone. She pulled it out cautiously and buried her face into the nape of his throat.
"Wake up Ben, don't let them win."
She felt her voice murmur and make him vibrate, but there was no response. Max shook him lightly and felt her heart surge as he rolled over.
"Max?"
"Hey. I thought I'd lost you. Again."
"I'm a pain in the ass that never leaves."
He coughed weakly and his head drooped back down onto the armrest. She felt an itch at the back of her throat and hot tears spilled down her cheeks,
"I don't want you to leave ever again."
He opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it; choosing instead to relax into her warm, comforting embrace. 494 shivered as he eyes her swollen lips, curved into a somewhat contented smile. He was so close and if there was anything between him and this Max girl, which he hoped there was, now was the time to act. He kissed her, the kind that makes you weak at the knees and dizzy in the head.
*Yes!*
He thought triumphantly as she responded, pushing back as hard against his lips. His tongue snaked its way into her mouth and she suckled at it urgently, before opening her eyes and pushing herself away from him.
*No!*
"God what are we doing?"
"What, what's wrong?"
"This! It's not right. It's sick. You're like my brother!"
Her face became contorted with disgust and 494 spat, matching his face to hers, feeling completely overwhelmed and confused. Max sighed, trying to forget the taste of him, the feel of him pressed against her. It was so different to the time he had kissed her in her apartment. This was passionate, sweet, everything she could have ever dreamed. And although the face was the one in her dreams, it wasn't the right guy.
"Ben, look at me. It's okay. We've both been through a lot, we just.got caught up in the moment. Lets just move past it - okay?"
He looked at her and wrinkled his forehead. Ben was what she called him. It didn't seem like his name, but it did remind him of the dentist, the forest and (shudder) Psy-Ops. He flopped back down on the couch and stared off into space looking like an adorably troubled lost boy.
* * * * *
The door flung open and 494 watched himself storm inside. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. It was his clone. But, he had escaped with this Max character in 2009, and had been terminated so he understood. But then he had thought the same thing about 452 and here she was. So what was 493 doing here?
"Max!"
"What? Oh my god! ALEC!"
She ran over to him to embrace him and 494 felt a stab of jealousy, which he knew could in no way be recognised as brotherly protection. 493 held his hands up defensively to stop her in her tracks,
"Whoa there Maxie. Looks like you got it a little backwards. Aren't you able to tell the difference between your bro and your boy?"
She stared at him in shock, before turning to look at 494 on the couch,
"Alec?"
He didn't respond, how could he? He was frozen, lost in his mind - oblivious to everything around him. He had no idea who he was to the breathtaking creature before him. Manticore had done their usual sneaky business and wiped his memory, made him forget. Max turned back to Ben,
"What's wrong with him?"
* * * * *
"What do you think Max, he's not Alec anymore. Just a designation. X5-494."
Ben looked over at his twin, whose ears had almost literally pricked up by their own accord at the mention of his designation.
"He was only gone a couple of weeks."
"That's plenty of time to wipe one's memory. If at a harsh level and if they had nothing to hold on to."
Max sighed, depressed. She was seated between the two males and they were undistinguishable to the naked eye. Alike in almost every way.except their eyes, those windows to the soul demonstrated different things. Ben's had an edge, desperation, a sadness even. Alec's were not at all like they once had been. The spark that once was there - gone. Now they were empty.soulless. She shivered and Ben draped an arm around her, tucking his chin onto her head as he held her close.
"Why did you come here?"
"This is where you brought me when you took me. It's where it started. I guess I wanted it to finish here. I kinda expected you to be here."
"Had to see someone."
"Why did you come back here Ben?"
"Because I owed it to you. I remember everything I did. And I didn't want to lie or hurt you anymore. Lydecker came to see me, told me how I needed to capture you, but not hurt you. That I should let you escape. How I couldn't let anyone hurt you or 494, especially not Eyes Only. Lydecker is a good man Max, he treats us like his children, he cares about us."
Max snorted, stopping as she took in Ben's serious face.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I needed you to know I wasn't a bad guy."
"I'd never think that."
Ben's face dropped as he struggled to speak, his words coming out ever so softly,
"I don't know what I'd do if you ever thought that."
"You were never one to care about what others thought Ben."
"It's different with you! The way you look at me, the way you talk. It all matters to me. How could I not want to be all that I could for you!"
Max fell silent, trying to figure out what he was saying.
"I care about you, not like a sister, but like someone I want as a lover. I want to be with you."
Ben gestured wildly to a silent 494,
"He's gone. There's nothing there but a shell. Pick me."
Max's forehead creased with lines and she nervously tugged at her hair, taking in everything he had just said.
"When they brought me back to life, it was like a second chance, the ability to do it all again and this time to finish it right."
"And how do you do that?"
"By winning the girl. All good stories finish with the lead character getting the girl and living happily ever after. You know how much I love stories."
"I'm not sure I'm the girl for you to get. My heart lies somewhere else."
Max looked pointedly from Ben to Alec,
"And it's just not fair for me to use you as a substitute. You're the closest thing I have to a brother. Family. And that's something I treasure greater than anything else."
She finished her explanation, breathing ragged as Ben's face crumpled, then quickly became resolved,
"I respect that. I want to ask why, but I already know."
He leaned over, kissing Max on the forehead softly, before standing to leave,
"You know, when I came in here you thought I was him. I'm not, but I wish I was.I'd do anything to be.Take care of yourself Maxie."
And he was gone.