Story Title : What You Can't Have
Chapter Title : Perfection
Disclaimer : All DA characters, references etc belong to Cameron/Eglee and Fox. Katie belongs to me.
Summary : Max re-analyses her feelings for Alec after a new female becomes interested in him.
A/N : Thanks definitely (And I stress that word) go to my wonderful (stress that one too) beta reader, Whisper. Kudos to you, girl! Thanks also to my lovely reviewers, a reply for each of you can be found at the end of this chapter. On with the show, I say!
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(Half an Hour Later, Inside the Apartment)
"So… are you and Alec, you know, together?" Katie's question startled Max, almost causing her to drop the table they were moving.
"No! I mean, Alec and me? We'd kill each other in a few hours!" Max wanted to stop there, but curiosity took over. Curiosity also killed the cat. "Why do you say that?"
"Well, I figured since you were sharing an apartment... I guess I just assumed," Katie smiled prettily, dimples and all. "I didn't want to get on your territory or anything, but since he's free…"
With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she realized that Alec wasn't after Katie. Nope, in fact, it was the other way around. Looking at the other X5's 1000-watt smile, Max found she couldn't even muster up a cent of dislike for 'Miss Perfection'. Maybe it lay in Katie's uncharacteristic enthusiasm for everything she did. It helped with the housework, for sure. One simply couldn't find a reason to hate her.
I don't even know why I should dislike her, Max thought.
Studying Katie out of the corner of her eye, Max took in the other transgenic's appearance. She tried in vain to spot a flaw, a pimple, a birthmark; anything that would disprove her theory that X5-467 was, in actual fact, perfect.
Max couldn't find a single blemish. 467 was the epitome of perfection.
Max was not happy.
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('The Test Tube', TC, present)
Alec blinked, giving his genetically enhanced vision a chance to become accustomed to the dim lighting at 'The Test Tube'. Some nomalie had the bright idea of fixing up this abandoned underground warehouse as TC's first bar. Alcohol included, though Alec had no idea where the alcohol came from. He made a mental note to ask the manager about it.
Making his way towards the bar, he nodded in acknowledgement to the various X series, nomalies and, in general, transgenics who crossed his path. Semi-restored furniture and rotting wooden walls combined to give 'The Test Tube' a rough and ready kind of atmosphere. Rumour had it that this place actually used to be a nightclub, but of course was abandoned after the Pulse. Then some alcohol-deprived transgenics decided to restore it and voila! Viva la Test Tube.
If Max had known about it, she would have hit the roof, created a skylight, and headed towards what was left of the ozone layer at twice the speed of light. With steam coming out of her ears, of course.
Luckily she remained blissfully unaware, trying to consummate a relationship, which, physically, consisted of two plastic gloves and a bucket of bleach. Alec snorted, the 'hand-holding ceremony' just a week ago rising unbidden to his mind. What was the stupid girl thinking? Max, Miss Woe-Is-Me-24/7, was the one who thought that pushing Logan away would protect him. Max, Miss Alec-is-the-Bane-of-my-Existence, enlisted his help in pushing said person away. Max, Miss Hypocritical Bitch herself, was the one who wrecked all her 'hard work' with a simple joining of hands.
Alec felt a surge of an unfamiliar emotion. Something he couldn't remember experiencing before. It made him want to storm out of the bar, find Logan, and try out his new list of '101 Things to do to a Man who you Really Dislike at this Point in Time'. Interesting.
And you know what the worst part of this was?
Alec didn't have a bloody clue as to why he was feeling this way. He motioned to the barkeep for his usual drink.
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(Max, Alec, and Katie's apartment, Present)
"Katie, I'm heading down to HQ." Max called out to Katie. "Are you comin' with me or staying here?"
"Hold on a second…" the banging of cupboard doors and scraping of plates and dishes drifted down from the kitchen to the living room where Max was waiting. A few seconds later, Katie elegantly popped her head round the doorway.
How the fucking hell is she so graceful? In the two hours the two female transgenics had spent 'bonding', Max had learned that it would be wise if she could keep her mouth shut when thinking these thoughts.
"I found some things in the kitchen I could probably whip up a meal out of, so I might pass on going down to HQ," Katie bit her lip apologetically. "But since it's my first night, I thought we'd be able to have dinner together. The three of us."
"Oh," Max was… well, speechless. Speechless while the 'little Max' in her head was screaming, Oh fuck. She can cook too. Another reason for Alec to want to keep her around.
It wasn't that Max disliked Katie. In fact, if it wasn't for the new X5's 'perfectness', they probably could have been great friends.
"Yeah, that's fine, Katie," she smiled, a horribly fake smile. "What time do you want me here by?"
"How does six-thirty sound?" An elegant twirl of the blonde hair.
"Great. See you then," Max turned, yanked open the door and made to close it.
"Oh, and Max?" Classy pursing of the lips.
"Yeah?" Max poked her head through the doorway.
"If you see Alec, tell him to be here at six-thirty."
Sure. Whatever. He'll probably be back here to check up on you before then anyway. Her irritation began to mount, and Max knew it was time to leave.
"Yup, can do. Gotta blaze. See ya." Almost racing down the stairs, the warm sunlight that cascaded down on her outside calmed her. Making her away doggedly to Terminal City HQ, she replayed the morning's events again.
And again.
And again, searching for the meaning behind the silent resentment she felt for the new girl. For that's all she was, a new girl. Too new to be a real threat to her relationship with Alec.
"Oh my god," Max whispered, realizing she had 'done it again'. She'd been thinking of Alec in a more-than-friends context. Two times in a day, Max. Not a good sign. There was nothing between her and the constant annoyance, aptly named Alec. There's nothing there. Nothing between Alec and I.
"There's nothing there," she began to repeat her mantra, weaving through people littered around the interior of HQ. "Nothing there, Max."
"Hey, Max," Dix looked up from his computer in greeting as she passed, seemingly blind to her surroundings. She seemed to be talking to herself. Now is not a good time to be losing it Max, he thought. "Max?"
"What!" Mantra-Chanting interrupted midway, the 'leader' of TC whirled around irritated. "I'm busy, Dix." She turned back around and stormed the rest of the way to her office, where she promptly slammed the door and sulked in her big, comfortable leather chair.
The poor dear.
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(TC Headquarters, Ten minutes later)
There's nothing there. Nothing between Alec and I. Nothing I want to happen between said asshole and myself.
Yeah, right Max. Keep telling yourself that. Maybe if you say it enough, it might decide to manifest itself and kick your ass and make you realize.
Whoosh…Slam. "I don't like Alec."
Whoosh…Slam. "I honestly don't like Alec."
Whoosh…Slam. "Really, I don't like him. Never have."
Punctuating each phrase with the opening and closing of a desk drawer as she searched for some papers, Max knew she was lying to herself. If she honestly didn't like him, there would have been better ways to ensure he never bothered her again. Always responding to his taunts and jabs made him want to hang around. No, if she really didn't like him, she would have ignored him.
And he'd be gone by now.
That thought scared Max far more than anything else she'd ever encountered. Though she'd never say it aloud, she depended on Alec, more so in the past week. The thought of him gone, especially when she was just starting to realise her feelings…
Whoosh…Slam. "Where is that goddamn file?"
A knock disturbed her. Meekly, Dix opened the door and peeked through.
"Uh, Max, you should come see this."
"Not now, Dix," Max had a whole afternoon of sulking to do. Well, until six-thirty, that is. When she'd be due back at the apartment, ready to watch Katie make googly eyes and giggle girlishly at Alec over dinner. Fun.
"I really think you should see this."
"I said, I'm busy."
"It's to do with Logan." Almost reflexively, Max leapt up and rushed out of her office, looking for any sign of trouble that involved her 'not-like-that' partner. She found it all right; directly outside HQ.
"Oh. My. God." The third time she had said that today.
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Thanks to my reviewers:
Mystik87: Thanks for your encouragement, and comment that this could be a hit! Do ya really think so? *sal's lil ego grows a bit*
BHG: Thank you for your review, and yes, it's my first DA fanfic :o). And there's certainly more fics in the pipeline.
Sam: Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you decided to write a short note to say hi even if you think you don't know how to review properly. Who cares, right?
lakergirl: I completely agree with you that Max can be so blind. You're probably right when you say that she was fated to be recaptured and meet Alec. It's better than the 'non-existential fairytale' of a relationship Max has with Logan.
panda007: I'm glad you liked this, and thanks for your review. Makes lil ego here *sal pats lil ego* very happy.
fuko: Thanks for your review, and sorry I didn't update sooner. *please don't hit me* .
Whisper: Hey, girl! All thanks to you that this chapter doesn't suck. Thanks so much for your help! I can only wish that my stories ever become as successful and as good as yours!
pinay: Katie's personality will be developed throughout the entire fic, a lil more is added in this segment of the story. Thanks for reviewing, and enjoy this chapter!