AN: Since ff.net is going to be experiencing outages from time to time, I
regularly update my fic at this group,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NunswithPens/
It's a great group and it's a good place to read Alec fic or M/A fic.
Ch. 9:
"Max?!" Alec yelped, jumping away from my kitchen counter and frantically cleaning up my living room. He began putting away the empty scotch bottles that had lain there since last night and dumped them into the garbage pail. Then he ran over to my CD player and began riffling through my CDs. I stared at him with my hand on the doorknob.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked.
Alec looked up at me, holding up a Kenny G CD. "Bobbie, you need to get some good music in your collection." I glared at him. Then it dawned on me the significance of what he was doing. Oh, no. He wasn't going to do this. Not now.
"Alec, you are not going to romance that girl in my apartment!"
"This isn't just some girl, Bobbie," Alec replied. "This is Max."
"I know," I answered dryly. "That's why I'm saying you can't have a date with her here."
Looking crestfallen, Alec begged, "Come on, let me just set the mood. Aren't you supposed to go with Peter tonight?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Yes. After we deal with Bree. Get your mind on the mission, soldier!"
"I will. Please, Bobbie. This is the first time Max has actually come over when I asked her to." I looked at Alec, completely stunned.
"You invited her over?" Unbelievable!
"She called me last night while you slept. She needed a place to eat breakfast. She's got shark DNA, you know."
"I know and you are so not putting that in to set the damn mood." I pointed to the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles CD in Alec's hand.
"Bobbie, you love Motown."
"Yes, I do and that's beside the point. You are not going to have a date with Max in my apartment!" The doorbell rang again and I shouted, "Hold your damn horses!"
"Bobbie, please. Watch your language." I shot him a dirty look, to which he ignored as he placed the CD in my player. I nearly felt like crying as the strains of "Ooh, Baby, Baby" drifted from the CD player. Alec smoothed down his hair and dimmed the lights. Using hand signals, he told me to open the door. Feeling ill, I turned around and opened the door. Max stood before me, her hair hanging straight down her back, the top part lying flat against her head. She looked uncomfortable as she greeted me.
"Hey, Bobbie. Alec." She gave Alec a shy smile. As I let her in, I saw Alec smile so brightly, I thought I would have to wear shades. As he led her to the table and handed her a leftover pancake, I closed the door. Alec sat down opposite Max as she nibbled on the pancake. I settled myself onto my couch, watching Alec gaze in a love-struck fashion at Max. Somebody, kill me now.
"So, Max," I said, desperately searching for conversation. "How did the cure go for you and Logan?"
Max looked at me in surprise while Alec shot me a pained glare. She dropped her fork and twisted her hands nervously. "It went okay. Me and Logan, we're good."
"So, I take it that this was the real cure," said Alec, his voice soft. I could see the hurt in his hazel eyes.
Max nodded. Alec looked crestfallen for a second, and then let his face become impassive.
"That's great," he said, with a forced smile. "I'm happy for you. I guess, you guys are what, getting married now?"
Max looked uncomfortable. "No, um, Logan and I still need to work out a few things. We just took the cure. Nothing happened."
Alec held up his hands and he shook his head. "Hey, I didn't ask anything. What you and Logan do is none of my business."
"I know. It's just." Max trailed off, her gaze glancing out of my window. At first her face looked confused, then her dark brown eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, my god! Are they?" Alec looked in her direction and grinned.
"Hey, Bobbie, it looks like your window neighbors are having sex!" I shrugged.
"It's nine in the morning. They're right on time."
"You mean they have sex on their table at nine in the morning? Don't they know people are looking in on them?" Max looked out the window again and laughed.
"Oh, yeah," I replied. "I think Mr. Malone gets off on it."
"Eww," said Max, crinkling her nose. "That's disgusting."
"No more than Renfro watching two X5's go at it during heat," I snapped back. Max burst out laughing again, louder this time.
"Oh, God! I can't believe she would do that!" Then Max frowned, "This was Renfro, of course, she'd do something like that."
Alec shuddered. "That was one scary lady." The three of us took a private moment to hope that Renfro was burning in hell. Silence reigned for several minutes as I picked up an old magazine and began flipping through the pages.
"Max, Bobbie and I were planning on doing a raid on Fiftieth and Main," said Alec trying to look casual. "Think you might want to come along?"
Max pushed her hair behind her ears. "I don't know. What's the raid about? Guns? Too many transgenics stealing from one place?"
"Transgenic blood junkies," Alec replied.
Max looked blank as she asked, "What?"
"Come on, Max," Alec said teasingly. "You can't tell me you don't know about the transgenic blood business. It pays big bucks for the X-series."
"I've heard of it. I am on the Transgenic Council, you know," said Max shooting Alec a dark look. "I can't understand why anyone would want our blood." Max gave a little shudder at the thought.
"Ordinaries want a taste of what makes us different," Alec explained. "Besides, it doesn't hurt that our blood gives them a high and makes them feel like they can wrestle a 300 pound guy and win."
"Can you imagine someone with an inferiority complex pumped on transgenic blood?" I asked with a shake of my head. "That person's going to feel like he's as good or even better than us."
"You know, I used to think Familiars were bad," said Max. "But this is worse. These people have no idea of the cost of that blood is for us. The transgenics who sell it are just as bad, I think. They're betraying their own people." Alec and I exchanged uncomfortable glances.
"Maybe they need the money," I said, thinking of Bree. "Maybe what happened at Manticore screwed them up so much, the only way to deal with the memories is to have the blood sucked out of them. Gives them an orgasm from what I remember."
Alec rubbed his thumb against the bottom of his lip. His brow was furrowed as he tried to assemble his thoughts. "Max, I don't like this transgenic blood business anymore than you do. I'm just saying that Bobbie and I want to get someone from there and get her out."
"Who are you getting out?" Max asked. Alec looked at me and I frowned at him.
Evasively, Alec replied, "It's a friend of ours. She's in trouble and we're going to help her."
"What'll you do if the transgenics there stop you?" asked Max.
Alec shrugged. "A little violence always helps." Max grinned and her eyes sparkled.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go." She started to get up, but I stepped over to Alec and pulled him up. The two transgenics stared at me as I gave Max a tight smile.
"Max, you don't mind if I talk to Alec for a bit?" Before Max could respond, I dragged Alec to my bedroom and closed the door. I smacked him upside the head.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?" He yelped rubbing the back of his head.
"That's for thinking with your other head," I snapped. "What are you doing trying to bring Max into our mission?"
"I'm not!" said Alec. "I just invited her, thinking we could use a little company."
"Oh and suddenly, I'm not good enough for your company?"
"Bobbie, that's not what I mean!"
"I know exactly what you mean. You're making the mission into a date with me as the chaperon."
"That's not." Alec trailed off and flushed. "Bobbie, that's not what I meant. Max looks a little upset about what happened with Logan. I figure she could use some excitement, you know, get her mind off things."
"Alec, the girl's in a relationship."
"I know. I'm just trying to be her friend."
"I know you think you're being her friend, but you're playing with fire."
"I can take care of myself and Logan."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
"Alec? You in there?" Max knocked on my bedroom door.
Alec looked at me before yelling, "Yeah, Max. Bobbie and I were just talking."
"Luke's calling you. Says it's urgent." Alec opened the door and Max handed him my portable phone. She waited for Alec to finish his conversation with the bat-like transgenic.
"Hey Luke, what's up?" asked Alec. He listened attentively as Luke's voice squeaked over the phone. After several minutes of back and forth conversation between the two, Alec turned off the phone and handed it to Max who returned it to its stand in the kitchen.
"What was that all about?" I asked as soon as Max was out of earshot. Alec bit his lip before answering.
"Mole. Luke says he's got some guns and he's rallying the trans-humans to join his team."
"So, I guess we're headed to Terminal City this afternoon."
"Yeah, we are," Alec replied, looking a little sad.
"It wasn't your fault, Alec," I said. "What happened with Mole was just damn bad luck."
"Yeah," Alec laughed bitterly. "Damn bad luck that I could have stopped."
"What could you have stopped?" asked Max, who was leaning on the doorjamb.
"Mole," said Alec. Max's face softened and she started to step towards Alec, but stepped back when she realized what she was doing. Looking uncomfortable, Max crossed her arms.
"You couldn't have stopped what happened, Alec," she said. "It's Mole's problem. What happened to him was terrible and I wish there was something we could have done, but there wasn't."
Alec shook his head and then took a deep breath. "I guess you're right. I just wish I could stop feeling guilty."
"If you didn't feel guilt, you wouldn't be human," said Max.
Alec looked up at her. "I'm not."
Max flushed and fell silent. Uncomfortably, the three of us stood in my room. Finally, I said, "All right. Let's go to TC and check out Mole's latest plan."
"Yeah, we should go," said Max. "I'll meet you guys there, later. I've got to pick up my cycle from my place."
"Good," said Alec with a warm smile. "Bobbie and I will head off Mole and we'll do the crack-house thing once you get back to Terminal City."
"Sounds like a plan," said Max, leaving my room and headed towards my front door. She turned to Alec, her eyelids half closed. She opened them once Alec stepped close to her. Surreptitiously, Max's hand brushed against Alec's. The two jumped back a bit before Max blushed and went down the stairs. Alec stared at her retreating back.
"Come on, lover-boy," I said, tossing him his jacket. "Let's get going so I can be back here to go on my date."
"Did you see that, Bobbie?" Alec asked. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah, I saw that," I replied. "God help us all when she decides what she really wants." With that, I followed Alec out of my apartment and closed the door.
Ch. 9:
"Max?!" Alec yelped, jumping away from my kitchen counter and frantically cleaning up my living room. He began putting away the empty scotch bottles that had lain there since last night and dumped them into the garbage pail. Then he ran over to my CD player and began riffling through my CDs. I stared at him with my hand on the doorknob.
"What the hell are you doing?" I asked.
Alec looked up at me, holding up a Kenny G CD. "Bobbie, you need to get some good music in your collection." I glared at him. Then it dawned on me the significance of what he was doing. Oh, no. He wasn't going to do this. Not now.
"Alec, you are not going to romance that girl in my apartment!"
"This isn't just some girl, Bobbie," Alec replied. "This is Max."
"I know," I answered dryly. "That's why I'm saying you can't have a date with her here."
Looking crestfallen, Alec begged, "Come on, let me just set the mood. Aren't you supposed to go with Peter tonight?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Yes. After we deal with Bree. Get your mind on the mission, soldier!"
"I will. Please, Bobbie. This is the first time Max has actually come over when I asked her to." I looked at Alec, completely stunned.
"You invited her over?" Unbelievable!
"She called me last night while you slept. She needed a place to eat breakfast. She's got shark DNA, you know."
"I know and you are so not putting that in to set the damn mood." I pointed to the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles CD in Alec's hand.
"Bobbie, you love Motown."
"Yes, I do and that's beside the point. You are not going to have a date with Max in my apartment!" The doorbell rang again and I shouted, "Hold your damn horses!"
"Bobbie, please. Watch your language." I shot him a dirty look, to which he ignored as he placed the CD in my player. I nearly felt like crying as the strains of "Ooh, Baby, Baby" drifted from the CD player. Alec smoothed down his hair and dimmed the lights. Using hand signals, he told me to open the door. Feeling ill, I turned around and opened the door. Max stood before me, her hair hanging straight down her back, the top part lying flat against her head. She looked uncomfortable as she greeted me.
"Hey, Bobbie. Alec." She gave Alec a shy smile. As I let her in, I saw Alec smile so brightly, I thought I would have to wear shades. As he led her to the table and handed her a leftover pancake, I closed the door. Alec sat down opposite Max as she nibbled on the pancake. I settled myself onto my couch, watching Alec gaze in a love-struck fashion at Max. Somebody, kill me now.
"So, Max," I said, desperately searching for conversation. "How did the cure go for you and Logan?"
Max looked at me in surprise while Alec shot me a pained glare. She dropped her fork and twisted her hands nervously. "It went okay. Me and Logan, we're good."
"So, I take it that this was the real cure," said Alec, his voice soft. I could see the hurt in his hazel eyes.
Max nodded. Alec looked crestfallen for a second, and then let his face become impassive.
"That's great," he said, with a forced smile. "I'm happy for you. I guess, you guys are what, getting married now?"
Max looked uncomfortable. "No, um, Logan and I still need to work out a few things. We just took the cure. Nothing happened."
Alec held up his hands and he shook his head. "Hey, I didn't ask anything. What you and Logan do is none of my business."
"I know. It's just." Max trailed off, her gaze glancing out of my window. At first her face looked confused, then her dark brown eyes widened in surprise, "Oh, my god! Are they?" Alec looked in her direction and grinned.
"Hey, Bobbie, it looks like your window neighbors are having sex!" I shrugged.
"It's nine in the morning. They're right on time."
"You mean they have sex on their table at nine in the morning? Don't they know people are looking in on them?" Max looked out the window again and laughed.
"Oh, yeah," I replied. "I think Mr. Malone gets off on it."
"Eww," said Max, crinkling her nose. "That's disgusting."
"No more than Renfro watching two X5's go at it during heat," I snapped back. Max burst out laughing again, louder this time.
"Oh, God! I can't believe she would do that!" Then Max frowned, "This was Renfro, of course, she'd do something like that."
Alec shuddered. "That was one scary lady." The three of us took a private moment to hope that Renfro was burning in hell. Silence reigned for several minutes as I picked up an old magazine and began flipping through the pages.
"Max, Bobbie and I were planning on doing a raid on Fiftieth and Main," said Alec trying to look casual. "Think you might want to come along?"
Max pushed her hair behind her ears. "I don't know. What's the raid about? Guns? Too many transgenics stealing from one place?"
"Transgenic blood junkies," Alec replied.
Max looked blank as she asked, "What?"
"Come on, Max," Alec said teasingly. "You can't tell me you don't know about the transgenic blood business. It pays big bucks for the X-series."
"I've heard of it. I am on the Transgenic Council, you know," said Max shooting Alec a dark look. "I can't understand why anyone would want our blood." Max gave a little shudder at the thought.
"Ordinaries want a taste of what makes us different," Alec explained. "Besides, it doesn't hurt that our blood gives them a high and makes them feel like they can wrestle a 300 pound guy and win."
"Can you imagine someone with an inferiority complex pumped on transgenic blood?" I asked with a shake of my head. "That person's going to feel like he's as good or even better than us."
"You know, I used to think Familiars were bad," said Max. "But this is worse. These people have no idea of the cost of that blood is for us. The transgenics who sell it are just as bad, I think. They're betraying their own people." Alec and I exchanged uncomfortable glances.
"Maybe they need the money," I said, thinking of Bree. "Maybe what happened at Manticore screwed them up so much, the only way to deal with the memories is to have the blood sucked out of them. Gives them an orgasm from what I remember."
Alec rubbed his thumb against the bottom of his lip. His brow was furrowed as he tried to assemble his thoughts. "Max, I don't like this transgenic blood business anymore than you do. I'm just saying that Bobbie and I want to get someone from there and get her out."
"Who are you getting out?" Max asked. Alec looked at me and I frowned at him.
Evasively, Alec replied, "It's a friend of ours. She's in trouble and we're going to help her."
"What'll you do if the transgenics there stop you?" asked Max.
Alec shrugged. "A little violence always helps." Max grinned and her eyes sparkled.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go." She started to get up, but I stepped over to Alec and pulled him up. The two transgenics stared at me as I gave Max a tight smile.
"Max, you don't mind if I talk to Alec for a bit?" Before Max could respond, I dragged Alec to my bedroom and closed the door. I smacked him upside the head.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?" He yelped rubbing the back of his head.
"That's for thinking with your other head," I snapped. "What are you doing trying to bring Max into our mission?"
"I'm not!" said Alec. "I just invited her, thinking we could use a little company."
"Oh and suddenly, I'm not good enough for your company?"
"Bobbie, that's not what I mean!"
"I know exactly what you mean. You're making the mission into a date with me as the chaperon."
"That's not." Alec trailed off and flushed. "Bobbie, that's not what I meant. Max looks a little upset about what happened with Logan. I figure she could use some excitement, you know, get her mind off things."
"Alec, the girl's in a relationship."
"I know. I'm just trying to be her friend."
"I know you think you're being her friend, but you're playing with fire."
"I can take care of myself and Logan."
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
"Alec? You in there?" Max knocked on my bedroom door.
Alec looked at me before yelling, "Yeah, Max. Bobbie and I were just talking."
"Luke's calling you. Says it's urgent." Alec opened the door and Max handed him my portable phone. She waited for Alec to finish his conversation with the bat-like transgenic.
"Hey Luke, what's up?" asked Alec. He listened attentively as Luke's voice squeaked over the phone. After several minutes of back and forth conversation between the two, Alec turned off the phone and handed it to Max who returned it to its stand in the kitchen.
"What was that all about?" I asked as soon as Max was out of earshot. Alec bit his lip before answering.
"Mole. Luke says he's got some guns and he's rallying the trans-humans to join his team."
"So, I guess we're headed to Terminal City this afternoon."
"Yeah, we are," Alec replied, looking a little sad.
"It wasn't your fault, Alec," I said. "What happened with Mole was just damn bad luck."
"Yeah," Alec laughed bitterly. "Damn bad luck that I could have stopped."
"What could you have stopped?" asked Max, who was leaning on the doorjamb.
"Mole," said Alec. Max's face softened and she started to step towards Alec, but stepped back when she realized what she was doing. Looking uncomfortable, Max crossed her arms.
"You couldn't have stopped what happened, Alec," she said. "It's Mole's problem. What happened to him was terrible and I wish there was something we could have done, but there wasn't."
Alec shook his head and then took a deep breath. "I guess you're right. I just wish I could stop feeling guilty."
"If you didn't feel guilt, you wouldn't be human," said Max.
Alec looked up at her. "I'm not."
Max flushed and fell silent. Uncomfortably, the three of us stood in my room. Finally, I said, "All right. Let's go to TC and check out Mole's latest plan."
"Yeah, we should go," said Max. "I'll meet you guys there, later. I've got to pick up my cycle from my place."
"Good," said Alec with a warm smile. "Bobbie and I will head off Mole and we'll do the crack-house thing once you get back to Terminal City."
"Sounds like a plan," said Max, leaving my room and headed towards my front door. She turned to Alec, her eyelids half closed. She opened them once Alec stepped close to her. Surreptitiously, Max's hand brushed against Alec's. The two jumped back a bit before Max blushed and went down the stairs. Alec stared at her retreating back.
"Come on, lover-boy," I said, tossing him his jacket. "Let's get going so I can be back here to go on my date."
"Did you see that, Bobbie?" Alec asked. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah, I saw that," I replied. "God help us all when she decides what she really wants." With that, I followed Alec out of my apartment and closed the door.