Title: Coming to Terms

Disclaimer: You don't want what I got.

A/N: Appreciating all the reviews. Keep them coming! Some bad news though. I have band camp (that's right laugh it up…) until next Saturday. So until then…this will be the last post. But I will right more I promise! Don't stop reviewing! I will be back on the 31st!

He hated being woken up rudely. It's why he never spent the night with any of the women he went home with. They always wanted something. All he wanted was sex, then to go home and sleep. Nothing more and certainly nothing less. If he couldn't wake up with the woman he truly cared for, then he would rather wake up alone. None of this mattered right now though. He would probably never have anymore sex. White would probably kill him and harvest his organs for god knows what. He would miss two things about his life outside of Manticore: sex and Max. If only he had had the time to combine the two. That would've been great.

Not even bothering to open his eyes and making the smallest movements possible, Alec quickly discovered he was still shackled. He was definitely moving. Probably en route to his final resting place, so to speak. He doubted he'd be doing anything but resting. So many things he should've done and said. In his short time on the outside he had made some friends, gotten a job, a dump to live in. 'Living the American Dream my man. Yeah right. Maybe if the American Dream consisted of running from a secret government agency and a breeding cult bent on destroying all evidence that you and others like you ever existed. Not to mention watching the only person you could let yourself love and trust pine away after another man. Another man not worthy of who she really was, who wouldn't even let her be herself.' Why did his thoughts always come back to Max. It was such a waste. She didn't even like him. Probably just let him stick around so she would have someone to beat up on. This was just great. Even on the verge of death she was still tormenting him. At least she hadn't gone with him. If she had gone with him they both would've gotten caught. Now she could spend the rest of her life knowing that she was right. That he had gotten caught doing something stupid, and that she had told him that would happen. 'I hate it when she's right.'

All of a sudden he was jolted out of his thoughts when the vehicle came to an abrupt halt. Well, maybe he could give one last fight. Maybe they'd unshackle him, let him die trying. Probably not but hey, it doesn't hurt to have hope. With that he gave a noncommittal grunt.

"Are you awake back there???"

That sounded an awful lot like Max. Maybe they had gotten her two somehow. Maybe he should open his eyes. Yeah, that's a good way to start.

"Max?"

"Alec?"

"How did they get you? Do they know where you live? Is Cindy okay?"

"Woah calm down. No one caught me. I saved your ass from White."

"What do you mean you saved my ass? You were there?"

"Look I'll explain everything once we get you inside, okay?"

"Yeah…sure…"

Helping him out of the car, Max slipped one arm around Alec's waist to help support his weight. "Once I get you upstairs I'll pick the locks." With that she opened the makeshift door to their apartment building and the two slowly began to climb the stairs to the apartment. Once inside Max set Alec down on her bed. Hoping not to wake Cindy, she got everything she would need from the living room and shut the door to her room.

"You could've gone to my place. I wouldn't want to be waking O.C. up at this hour." Max was just looking at him. "So, uh, I appreciate you helping me and all Maxie, but why where you there? I thought I was on my own?"

Not taking her eyes off of the locks as she worked her pick set Max replied, "Well the more I thought about it the more I realized that if you got caught, I would probably be next. White would've probably gotten me out of you. There" With that she snapped the last restraint open. Alec began to rub his bare wrists. He was sure there would be bruises in the morning, but that didn't really matter right now. Changing the subject quickly Max added, "How did White know you would be there anyways? I mean, does he know where you live? Has he been tailing you?"

"Why, you want me to bunk up here for awhile maybe?" he said giving his characteristic smirk. Seeing that his humor was even less appreciated now then it usually was, he continued. "I don't think so. He said that he had been setting up these jobs. He was banking on the fact that only a transgenic would try to pull them off. Guess he was right. I don't even think he knew it was me."

"Well, I guess this means you'll have to stay out of trouble for awhile."

"Maybe. Probably not. I feed off of that rush. Not that I didn't appreciate the help, but I would've gotten out eventually."

"Uh-huh."

"You underestimate me Maxie. You couldn't even begin to comprehend what I'm capable of." 'Just setting the bait out…c'mon Maxie.'

"What you're capable of is getting into a lot of trouble that you can't get yourself out of. End of story. Plain and simple."

"You're jealous." 'Here we go.'

"Jealous??? I am not jealous of almost getting killed. I am not jealous of having to repel fifty feet into a museum to get a stupid painting!! And I am in no way jealous of you and you're stupid adrenaline rushes!"

"So you're telling me that the only reason you were there was because you wanted to make sure I didn't get killed. It had nothing to do with the fact that you're jealous. Nothing to do with the fact that you lead a boring and otherwise uneventful existence? Nothing to do with the fact that without me you wouldn't be half the person you could be?"

"What did you mean when you said 'I do'?"

"What? Stop trying to change the subject."

"You were up on the roof. It looked like you were thinking about something. Tell me."

He could use this. "Tell you what. I'll tell you what I meant if you do something with me."

"Alec…"

"It doesn't even have to be anything illegal. White kind of sidelined my after hours job. At least for the time being anyways."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I'll think of something good. No questions asked though. I'll come to you and say I have an idea and if you want to know what I was thinking about, you'll just come."

"I guess I could always kick your ass when we got wherever you took me."

"That's the spirit. So. You taking the couch tonight?"

A/N: I thought a nice long one would do you some good. Please! Review! See you in little less than a week!