A/N: As always the thanks continue for the reviews and to Sorrow Reminisce for all her help and guidance. I hope you guys are still enjoying the story. As always, please let me know if the characters are correct and if you think there's any changes that need to be made. Above all, thank you for sticking around and reading! I can't tell you all how much I appreciate it. - Mel.
Max walked slowly into TransC. The bar had now been open for a month and to celebrate there was a huge party. Some of the X-6's came across a storage area a couple of months back. It was there that they found what seemed to be an endless supply of alcohol and it was a unanimous decision to set up TransC, short for Transgenic Central. It was a place for everyone to go and relax.
Max fondly remembered the night it opened. Joshua could barely contain his excitement. He kept asking Max and Alec if it was just like Crash. They look at one another, smiled and lied.
Max checked her watch and saw that she was half an hour late. *Good*. She surveyed the room for her companions but they were no where to be seen. A little confused, Max shrugged her shoulders and moved toward 'their' table. No one ever sat there, it was always reserved for Max, Alec and Joshua. It wasn't a situation that was enforced, but this was a population of soldiers and they knew how to treat their authorities and that was what Max and Alec were to them.
Max looked in the direction of the bar and gave Cheshire, the tender, a nod. Within minutes he brought over a pitcher of beer and two glasses, along with a bottle of scotch and a glass for Alec.
"Thanks Chesh."
"No worries Max."
Cheshire, as Joshua would say, had a lot of feline in his cocktail. He also had one of the widest smiles you had ever seen, his teeth seemed to go on for miles. Alec named him Cheshire after a cat from Alice in some kind of Land. Max had no idea where he got these things from. The guy had watched more TV in his year out of Manticore than Max had in her entire life.
Max picked up the pitcher and poured her self a glass.
"Drinking alone are we?" Max spun around like an excited child realising it was 4am and Christmas. "That's not like my Boo."
"Cindy!" Max's arms flung around Original Cindy's neck and drew her closer. "God, I've missed you!"
"And what about me?"
Max opened her eyes and saw the goofy features of Sketchy staring down at her. She stretched out her arm and brought him in for the group hug.
"Oh, it's so good to see you guys."
Max was grinning like a fool when she felt another set of arms wrap around the group.
"Yaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!" Max could hear the childlike sound coming from Alec on the other side of the hug. "You guys found her."
Joshua stood to the left, watching the four friends reunite. He swayed from side to side, hands behind his back, letting out small excited laughs. Suddenly a hand moved out and grabbed his arm.
"Come on buddy." Sketchy flashed Joshua a welcoming smile. "You don't want to miss this."
Joshua immediately outstretched his arms and joined the group hug.
"That's my doggy dog." OC rubbed a hand through his hair.
Joshua got a little over excited and started to squeeze just that bit too hard, causing the others to groan for air.
"Lighter Josh! Lighter!"
"Huh, sorry Alec." Joshua took a small step back and lightly patted their backs.
"That's ok buddy." Alec broke away from the group. "So. Who's up for a drink?"
The troupe headed for the table, grabbing a few extra chairs.
"I think we're gonna need a bigger pitcher." Alec winked at his friends and headed for the bar, Sketchy and Joshua in toe.
"So how's my Boo doin'?" Cindy took Max's hand in hers.
"Better now that you're here." Max smiled at OC and squeezed her hand. "So what brings you to the dusty fallout city?"
"Do I need a reason to see my Boo?" Max gave OC a look that said 'no, but that's not why you came.' "Alright, so your boy contacted me and said you might need some OC cheer."
"Well I'm glad he did," She put her arm around OC, "but he's not my boy."
"Whatever sugar, I'm just glad to be here."
"And what about Sketchy?"
"Why's he here?" Max gave her answer with a nod. "Pfft. Like I could keep him away. He was so excited that he almost let Normal in on the plan. I swear that man has super sonic hearing cause one mention of his golden boy and he was all over us with questions."
"Oh god, what did you tell him?" Max couldn't help laughing.
"That we were just talking about how we missed you guys." Max smiled at the response. "Then we had to sit there for 15 minutes listenin' to Normal talk of how much he missed Alec and his perfect muscular frame. I'm telling you girl, I almost puked."
Cindy and Max were in fits of laughter as Alec, Sketchy and Joshua were returning to the table.
"So Sketchy, do we remember what we talked about?" Alec raised an eyebrow and lowered his face to look directly in Sketchy's eyes.
"No mentioning Logan."
"Exactly." When they reached the table Alec placed two more pitchers of beer and another bottle of scotch on the table. "So. How are my girls?"
************************
Two empty bottles of scotch and five empty pitchers sat on the table. Max and Alec were still fairly sober, but OC, Sketchy and Joshua were pretty far gone. Actually, they were completely smashed.
"Geeze, I don't know about the service here guys, look at all this mess. It certainly doesn't compare to Crash." Sketchy slammed his hand down on the table as he spoke. "No sir-re. Crash runs rings and rings and rings round this joint."
Joshua's eyes opened wide and he looked back and forth between Alec and Max. "You said TransC good as Crash. Better!"
Alec quickly went to Joshua's side and whispered to him. "It is better Joshua, trust me. Sketchy's just a little…way drunk. Besides, you being here makes everything better."
Joshua let out short laughs. "Joshua make it better." He slammed his hands into his chest and smiled.
"Yeah that's right Big Boo, Joshua makes it better." Cindy sluggishly put a hand on Joshua's shoulder, causing him to smile more.
Alec looked in Max's direction. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"That it's time to put these guys to bed?"
"Mmmhmmm."
"Then we're on the same wavelength."
Max started to get up from the table when Sketchy's hand grabbed her arm.
"Talking about wavelengths Max, heard Logan is cured."
Sketchy immediately got a boot to the shin and a fierce glare from Alec.
"Whadid you do that for?" Sketchy was starting to have trouble forming his words. He suddenly realised what he said and brought a hand to his mouth. "Oops, I wasn't meanto say anyfing. No menshhhioning Logan." Alec kicked him again. "I'm shorry Max."
"It's ok Sketchy." Max had a smile on her face that could match Cheshire's. "Not a problem." She stood up from the table and helped Cindy to her feet. "Come on Joshua, time to go home. Alec can you get Sketchy?"
Alec nodded at her slowly, but with concern. She avoided eye contact, instead pretending that Cindy had dropped something.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning." Max then dragged Cindy and Joshua to her quarters.
Alec watched as Max exited the bar, never looking back. He then turned to Sketchy who was now snoring away, his head flat against the table. Alec wrapped a hand under Sketchy's arm and pulled him to his feet. "Come on you great lug." He then dragged him out of the bar.
**************************
Max looked out over Terminal City and could see the Space Needle perched in the background. She missed it up there. Sometimes she'd sneak out and return to her thinking place, but it was getting too dangerous so she found a new place to think. It was on the outskirts of TC, about ten blocks away from headquarters. The building was the tallest in the city, rising about 40 stories. High enough to help forget her troubles. But not tonight.
She sat there with her hands wrapped around her legs, pulling them tightly into her body, trying to forget the passed days events. The scenes kept flashing in her mind. Logan retrieving the gun, her without thinking and taking it from him, not remembering for that instant that her touch would be fatal. That manic laughter as she couldn't breath and Alec bled. Shooting Alec.
"Thought I'd find you here."
Max jumped to her feet startled and tipped too close to the edge. Her left foot slipped from underneath her and she began to fall back. Alec connected his hand with Max's arm, just under her shoulder and held on for dear life. Max's eyes were wide and her breathing fierce as Alec pulled her to safety. When her two feet were safely planted Alec rested his hands on her shoulders.
"Are you ok?"
Successive punches and slaps were laid into Alec's chest. Max feverously hurtled herself toward him, connecting fist to torso.
"Why did you have to scare me like that!" She was screaming almost hysterically.
Alec got a hold of both her arms and forced them to stop moving. It was the first time he had ever used his full strength against Max and both of them were shocked.
"Just calm down alright!" He shook her slightly in an attempt to bring her back to reality. "I called out to you before, but you weren't answering!"
Max's chest rose slowly as she tried to calm herself. "I didn't hear you."
"Well…yeah, kinda got that."
"I'm sorry." Max turned her back to him and returned to where she was sitting earlier. "What are you doing here and how did you know where to find me?"
"Wasn't hard. Just walked till I got to the really tall building, plus you've got a killer view of the Space Needle from here." He took a seat next to her. "And I wanted to see how you are."
"I'm fine."
"Again with the German. I'm not easily fooled Max. Covering up your problems with a smile is my gig and I will be asking for royalties later." He nudged her side with his arm, producing the slightest of smiles on her face. They sat in silence for a moment. "You still love him don't you Max?"
Tears welled in her eyes. Damn Alec! She had managed to control them for so long, well since the last outbreak whilst in his presence. What was it about him that could allow her to open up? Her answer was barely above a whisper, "Yeah, I do."
Alec sat in silence, lowering his head toward the ground. "Just promise me something Max." She looked across at him, his head still buried against his chest, his voice deadly serious. "Don't ever let anyone make you forget that."
He began to fiddle with a piece of debris that rested on the ground. Max continued to stare at the side of his face, trying to force his thoughts out from their well locked cage. She raised her hand and brushed a stray hair away from Alec's forehead. He turned to her, startled by the gesture.
"Tell me about her."
A shadow moved across Alec's eyes. He had told nobody the story of Rachael. Not even the Manticore hacks could get it out if him. One of the reasons he was kept in psych-ops for so long, but something told him it was time to let go.
Alec drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "It was my first major mission. Targets name was Robert Berrisford…"
*********************
"You wanted him to shoot you that night didn't you? To end it all?"
Max had her head resting on her knees, her face toward Alec's as he sat in her mirrored position. He laughed slightly.
"What gave it away? The pleading scream?" The sound came flooding back to both there minds, 'DO IT!'. "I just wanted it over. They'd managed to force me to forget about it back at Manticore, tortured the memories from my mind. Having it all come back was just too-"
"Hard."
The expressions of his face confirmed the answer. "That's why I don't want you to forget about him Max. Not ever."
The two sat in silence for several minutes.
"It's not half bad up here is it?" It was Alec who broke first.
"You just can't stay quiet for more then a few minutes can you."
"Maybe when I sleep? Wanna watch me?"
Max laughed and pushed him aside.
"Hey watch it, we don't need a repeat performance" He pointed to the side of the building, indicating the earlier events.
"Come on."
She dragged him to his feet and they headed back to headquarters. They made it ten metres before Alec spoke again.
"About those royalties…"