A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long, but it's that busy time of year! You all know how it goes. So, I fell into one hell of a dark place writing this chapter, but hopefully you all like it. I can't thank everyone enough for all their support with the fic, being my first and all. Sorrow again, thank you! She gave me the nudge to get this chap going again. All the nuns! You know you all rule, that why you're in the bar in Sordid (and co-written story between Sorrow and I if you have no idea what I'm talking about…go the plug!). Well, let me know what you think! - Mel.

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Chapter 11 - Déjà Vu

"Max…Max…come on…"

Alec had never heard anything like it. The guttural scream that had escaped her lungs had sent shudders throughout his entire being. Now he rested on the ground beside her, trying to return her to consciousness.

"Max, please."

Alec brought his hands beneath her and slowly lifted her from the ground. He walked a large detour past Logan's still, hanging form and took her to the nearby lounge. He rested her down lightly, bringing a hand across her hair, then kissing her forehead softly.

"Come on Maxie, it's time to wake up."

He stared down at her features, the obvious shock of finding Logan, moving from her body and surging through his own. He removed his jacket, placed it over her slight frame and flipped out his cell phone to make the call.

"Dix…Alec" His voice was cold, his emotions shut off. He had allowed himself to slip back into the soldier he was becoming less and less familiar with. "I need you to send a team to the cabin."

"Sure…ah, mind if I ask why?"

"Logan's been killed."

The line went silent. Sure, Logan had managed to piss off a number of Terminal City's population over the past months, but at no time had any one of them wished this.

"Send a clean up crew. We need this done quickly."

"No problem Alec, I'll have them deployed in ten minutes."

Alec closed the phone.

He was startled when he turned, Max standing inches away, her face pale and lost of all emotion. She handed him his jacket and spoke.

"We have to get him down."

She turned her back on Alec and began to move toward the corpse. Alec brought a hand to her arm, pulling her back.

"It's under control, a team is coming out."

What were once deep brown glistening eyes, were now icy, glass orbs. Alec went to stop her again, but the venomous glare she shot his way advised him otherwise.

He watched as she moved across to Logan's body, turning slowly and looking his way.

"I can't do this myself."

Alec took in a long deep breath. He had been trained to handle situations like this. Hell, he had been trained to cause situations like this. But at the same time, it had never been like this. It had never been outside of Manticore. Never in a world that he actually cared or knew he was able to care.

He took in one last quick breath and moved to assist his fellow soldier.

**********************

He opened his eyes, the sudden burst of brightness piercing through his mind, causing him to shut them instantly. He waited a moment before opening them again, this time slowly, allowing himself to adjust to his surroundings. Taking them in, he rose from the bed he had been placed on.

The room appeared to be sealed shut, bringing him to the conclusion that he was quite obviously a prisoner here. A realisation that he didn't take lightly.

"Where the hell am I?"

He moved to his feet and screamed the question to the room. It didn't answer.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea who I am!"

White turned suddenly as a previously unseen door opened behind him. A tall figure entered the room, shaking his head.

"Why yes Ames, I do know who you are."

White's eyes widened, his mouth gaping open as he stepped back from the man before him.

The man began to laugh as he opened his arms wide and offered them to White.

"What?" A smirk moved across his face. "You're not going to give your father a hug?"

*************************

Max sat at the edge of the couch, blood staining her entire body. Alec sat beside her in a similar state. Neither looking at each other. Neither saying a word. They were two cold statues, their bodies still setting in stone.

They didn't hear the team from Terminal City come into the room. Didn't move a muscle as they cleared the area and removed Logan's body. Didn't acknowledge that the team was gone.

They just sat there, staring and hoping that none of this was real and that at any moment, they would wake up.

The jolting sound of Alec's cell didn't phase their casting stares. He smoothly and calmly removed it from his pocket and answered.

"494."

Alec didn't even notice the slip, but somehow, hearing him resite his designation like nothing in his world had changed, snapped Max out of her catatonic state. Her eyes widened as she took in the site of Alec, covered in blood.

"Oh God!"

She rushed forward as Alec listened on his phone, suddenly dropping it as her hands made contact with his body, searching. Her touch released the soldier and Alec returned, the sudden concern for his friend causing his emotions to come crashing back.

Her hands were running across his torso, searching for the source of all this blood.

"Max? What are you doing?"

He took her hands in his and held her back slightly. Teary eyes looked up at him, confused by his question.

"You're hurt, all this blood." She reached for him again. "All this blood."

Alec stopped her once more.

"Max…it's not mine."

She looked up at him completely stunned. She traced the form of his body and along his hands as they held her tight. She then saw the blood on her own and instinctively searched across her own body.

"Oh God, there's so much blood."

Alec took her arms once more, forcing her to stop the frantic search.

"Max, it's not yours either."

Once again, glassy eyes bore into his skin. She looked so confused, so innocent. All Alec could do was wrap his arms around her and draw her near. She'd done the one thing that he had wanted least and most for her to do. She had forgotten.

It was only for the briefest of moments, but during that time she had lost all recollection of the days events. Alec knew the exact moment they came flooding back. Her airway seized and her legs buckled. Alec held her tightly and whispered comforts in her hair.

Though nothing would comfort her at that moment.

He knew the feeling.

*********************

"Alec?"

Callie, the X-5 who had assisted in their earlier mission, stood in the doorway. Alec looked up from his embrace and acknowledged her presence.

"Everything's ready. I brought you both a change of clothes."

Callie stepped forward and handed a bag to Alec. He nodded to her and let his eyes say thank you. Callie gave him a warm smile and stepped back from her two superiors.

Max's head was still buried in Alec's chest, though there was no evidence of crying, only the slow movement of her back as she took in each breath. Alec shifted her body away from him and bent down to look into her eyes.

"Max, why don't we get you cleaned up?"

Max nodded slowly and allowed Alec to guide her to the bathroom. She took a seat on the corner of the bathtub and stared glassily at the tiled floor.

Alec placed the bag on the ground and leant over the tub, running the water until it was luke warm, then wetting two washcloths. He returned to the bag and knelt before it, removing its contents into two piles. His and Max's. He handed Max her pile, along with a small towel.

"Here." She took the clothing from him. "It's all clean."

Max looked at him slightly dazed, then stood from the bath, shaky hands moving to unzip her jacket. She grabbed at the material and steel, her trembling preventing her from getting a grip on the zipper foot.

Alec moved silently to her and gently moved her hands away, undoing her jacket for her.

"Thanks."

She spoke so quietly as he stood there, staring down at her. She moved her hands to the seam of her shirt and looked up at him.

"Um, do you-"

"Oh God, sorry Max."

He quickly grabbed one of the wet cloths and turned away from her, removing his shirt and cleaning the red stains from his body, hearing Max do the same.

There was a sudden knock at the door, before it flung open, Callie slipping onto the floor at the sight of her half naked superiors. She rose to her feet quickly and turned her eyes away.

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok Callie, what is it?"

Alec placed on his clean shirt as he turned to the X-5.

"We got a call from Dix. There's a little rumbling with the sector cops about vehicles coming out of TC. We need to get back ASAP."

Alec gave Max a quick glance as she pulled a clean shirt over her head.

"You right to go?"

She nodded. "Just let me finish cleaning up."

Alec gave her a quick smile, grabbed his things and left the bathroom.

***********************

It had been a fairly long drive back to Terminal City, well it was when you were being sure to avoid all sector police. They had decided to take the back entrance, it was safer and less likely to be under watch.

Max had fallen asleep on the way home, her head slowly falling forward, causing Alec to instinctively bring her to his shoulder, giving her something to lean on. He hadn't realised until the strange feeling moved across his hand as he exited the car, but he had been stroking her hair the entire way home, leaving a strange burning sensation on his palm.

He shifted Max carefully out of the car, being sure not to wake her. The other transgenics looking at him for direction. He spoke barely a whisper.

"Just take the bikes out and call it a night."

They nodded their understanding and proceeded to the back of the van to remove the bikes.

Alec turned slowly and quietly took Max to her quarters.

***********************

He let her down onto her mattress softly, sliding his hands out from underneath her, sure to not rouse her from her sleep. He brushed stray hairs away from her face and took in her peaceful slumber. He contemplated removing her shoes, but fear of waking her altered his thoughts. If she was to wake now, it was unlikely that she would return to whatever moment of peace she was experiencing. It was strange how after suffering such a great loss, your first sleep could be so peaceful. More so for transgenics than humans, as they rarely slept long enough to feel peace or anything other than discomfort or worse. If Max was to be woken up at that moment, it would be unlikely that she would enjoy that peace ever again.

He moved silently to the far end of her room, sliding himself down the wall until he rested on the ground. He would stay with her that night, guard her and be sure that nobody interrupted her sleep.

*********************

They say that transgenics don't dream.

But they have nightmares.

So vivid, so frightening that sometimes, they don't wake up.

Alec stepped off his bike and hid it in the bushes near the cabin. He looked around, confused by the feeling of déjà vu, sure that someone else was supposed to be with him. He placed the last branch across the bike and moved toward the cabin, taking the stairs slowly.

He reached the door and looked around once more. Something just seemed familiar, yet wrong.

He turned the handle slowly and pushed the door open.

Instantly he lost all ability to breathe, the lack of oxygen causing him to slump to his knees, grabbing at his throat as he choked for air.

Forcing his eyes to the body hanging before him, he cried out in pain. Blood dripping to the floor, her face blue, body lifeless.

He flew at her, grabbing at her body, cutting the wire and bringing her to the ground. Rocking her back and forth, brushing bloodied hair away from her face, as the sounds of her playing flooded back to him. The sound of her giggle when she mischievously changed the pace or style of the music from Mozart to Armstrong.

"What's wrong 494?"

Alec flung around at the sound of Whites voice.

"Couldn't save your precious 452 this time?"

Alec looked back at the body in his arms, eyes widening as Rachael's face had now become Max's. He let out a guttural scream, rocking her body back and forth fiercer then before, crushing his eyes together and willing her to come back.

He drew her head back to his lap, running his hand across her hair, loud sobs escaping his throat.

"Oh god Max, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Suddenly her eyes shot open.

"Why couldn't you protect me Alec?"

He let go of her body and scurried back across the floor. Turning again as White began to speak.

"You failed her 494. You're worthless. You're not even a soldier anymore. You're nothing."

Alec crushed his eyes shut once more, praying for the scene to stop. He opened them slowly.

Alec stepped off his bike, quickly setting it to the side of the road and running toward the cabin. He took the stairs two at a time and flung the door open.

"Max?!"

The room was empty and he frantically moved into the bedroom, stopping dead as he saw the lifeless body hanging from the rafters. He ran towards her, taking her body in his arms and cutting the wire that was strung around her neck. Lowering her to the ground slowly, he crushed his forehead against hers, water streaming down his face as he wailed through gritted teeth.

He knew by her colour that it was no use, but he frantically searched for a sign of life. A pulse, a breath, anything. He found nothing.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and crushed her into his chest, rocking her body back and forth, wishing that she would wake and threaten to beat him up, just for touching her.

He moved her away from him, running a hand across her eyes and brushing back a mass of dark brown hair. He let out screeches of pain, as though someone was skinning him alive.

He closed his eyes and let the tears run freely and the darkness envelope his body.

Alec sprung off his bike and threw it to the side. He didn't bother hiding it in the bushes, nor did he care that the right hand mirror smashed as it hit the ground. He bounded up the stairs in one giant leap, kicking the door down and running inside.

"MAX!!!"

The room was empty. He ran into the bedroom. It was empty too. He frantically looked from side to side, before crashing the door of the bathroom.

There she was, laying in the bathtub, blood strewn everywhere, a thick wire cord around her neck.

Alec slide along the floor, scooping her out of the tub and holding her in his arms. He checked for a pulse and the light movement under his fingers made him cry out with a glimmer of hope.

He looked down at her glazed eyes, her chest rising quickly and sharply as she gasped for breath.

"Max, I'm so sorry."

He brought a hand to her throat, trying to stop the bleeding. She reached for words that became only small sounds. Alec rocked her against him, trying to hush her.

Max brought a bloodied hand to his face.

His eyes widened as he watched her take her last breaths, his bloodied hand coming to her face, trying aimlessly to keep her eyes open.

"No, please no."

He brought his chin to her forehead, nestling her against his chest, shutting his eyes as the hot tears poured across his face. He released a wail of pain before he opened his eyes.

Alec leapt off his bike, throwing it to the side of the cabin…

They say that transgenics don't dream.

But they have nightmares.

So vivid. So frightening, that sometimes, they can't escape.