Max didn't have time to think about herself. Logan was moving house so she
was helping with that, the dead transgenic was also taking up a lot of
time, Alec just got himself arrested for breaking into some rich person's
place, and for a little bit of fun she still had to show up for work
everyday.
~*
"Ah, ah, missy you're over two hours late!" Normal exclaimed when Max walked into Jam Pony.
"What happened to being afraid of me Normal?" Max asked raising her eyebrows at him.
"Alec talked me out of it." Normal replied with confidence as though he had spent the whole week working up to it and felt proud of himself.
"Alec hey?" Max nodded and smiled smartly. "Well during my lunch break I have to go bust his ass out of jail so don't think that the sun shines out of him."
"Why?" Normal asked shocked.
"He tried to rip off some ones place." Max said grabbing the package that Normal held in his stunned hands and left.
~*
Max strolled into Logan's new apartment with Alec in tow.
Asha looked up from the box of pots and pan that she was unpacking. "How'd it go Max?" She asked casually.
"Here he is." Max said presenting Alec and then letting him wander off and explore Logan's new living quarters.
"Holy shit!" Came Alec's loud exclamation from the next room. "This place could house Logan, me, Joshua, Original Cindy, You and You." Alec said reentering the room and pointing at Max and then Asha.
"Well then I guess that Logan will have to have a couple of slumber parties then." Asha laughed. "Maybe I can talk him into it."
Max smiled and shook her head slightly.
Asha watch Max as she eyed Alec. She watched, as Max looked him over from head to toe. When he moved into the next room, Asha watched as she stopped herself from following him.
Max turned to face Asha, "How's he settling in?"
"Oh, you know," Asha started, "He's excited about it. It is larger than his last place. He's been setting up he office mostly, like it's the most important thing."
"As long as he's happy, right?" Max said leaning against the wooden counter next to the stove and stared at the walkway that Alec had disappeared through.
"Yes, you're right," Asha began, "Personally I would fix my bedroom up first so I had somewhere to sleep and then worry about everything else later but I suppose that Logan isn't like that." When Asha saw that Max wasn't listening to a word she said she tried a different topic. "Then I'd probably strip down to my bare ass and introduce myself to the neighbors."
Max frowned and let what she just heard sink in, she looked at Asha and said, "What?"
"Max, what's going on?" Asha asked putting one arm on the counter and the other on her hip.
"What are you talking about?" Max wasn't ready for the question, "Nothing's wrong."
"Max we're friends, right?" Asha questioned suddenly aware that she had never asked herself about what sort of relationship she had with Max.
"Yeah, I guess." Max was confused. Asha was really Logan's friend, not hers.
"Well. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that you can talk to me if you ever need to. Okay?" Asha struggled with that more than she would have liked to.
"Okay, then." Max was even more confused now, "Ar, same here."
"Cool." Asha said.
The two of them sort of stood awkwardly for a few minutes and shifted uncomfortably.
Max moved her eyes around the room and along the floor. "Um," She started to move she shuffled from foot to foot and the headed for the exit, "Alec!" She yelled.
Asha bent down on the floor and continued to put pots in the cupboard she listened as Alec obediently follow Max out of the apartment.
"Shit." Max yelled as she nearly walked directly into Logan at the front door. If that happened it would be the end of Logan. Max pushed herself back from him rather quickly.
Max would have ended ass up on the floor but Alec stepped behind her and caught her in his arms. "You right?"
"Yes!" Max said shoving him off and turning to Logan, "See you later."
"Bye." He responded watching her leave closely followed by Alec.
"Don't you know how to be nice?" Alec asked as he followed her to her bike.
"I was never trained to be nice!" Max yelled back at him.
"The least you could do is try!" Alec yelled louder than she did.
"Why? So I can be looked down on and hunted for being a transgenic. No thank you!" She got on her bike and rode off.
"I'll have you Max Guevara." He whispered as he watched her ride off.
~*
At Jam Pony, Max entered to find Original Cindy and Sketchy in a heated argument. It wasn't uncommon but sounded really unpleasant. So to keep her head, Max decided to stay out of the way and headed for her locker.
"Well, if it isn't our little cat burglar." Normal stated as Alec strolled into Jam Pony.
"She told you?" Alec asked as if he had the biggest violation known to man done against him.
"What's wrong Boo?" Cindy asked stepping up next to Alec, "You talk as though some one launched a dirty pair of your underwear up a flag pole for the whole world to see."
"She may as well have." Alec said angrily storming off.
"Oh, I'd say he's in a bad mood." Cindy remarked as she and Normal enjoyed the display, as Alec chucked a tantrum.
~*
Since Alec didn't see Max at all for the rest of the day, he decided to pay her a visit at home.
He entered her apartment and looked around for signs of life.
Max exited her room dressed in tight leather pants and a tank top, finished with her leather jacket.
"How many cows died to make that outfit?" Alec asked leaning against the closed door of her apartment.
"Alec?" She said first surprised and then annoyed, "What are you doing here?"
"You told them that I was arrested!" Alec yelled at her.
"I was running out of things to tell them, plus the truth doesn't hurt that much." Max said smartly then moving towards the door that Alec was still firmly pressed against. She reached for the handle but Alec wouldn't move. "What the hell are you doing? I'm going out!"
"Oh really, I don't care!" Alec said bitterly without budging.
"What are you going to keep me hostage in my own home?" Max asked getting really pissed off.
"Maybe." Alec said acting like a snob an sticking his nose I the air
Max actually found this quite amusing and raised her eyebrows at him. "Alec, I don't get why you're so cut over this. So what, I told them that you got arrested, big deal, you'll get over it. Now don't make me hurt you. Get out of the way!"
Alec didn't want to move but some thing inside him made him move any way.
"Come on then," Max sighed and curled her little finger around his, "Come to Crash with me."
He let himself be pulled along by her. He just enjoyed the pleasure of her hand in his and they walked silently.
~*
At Crash, Max and Alec joined the rest of the crew playing pool out the back. Logan was playing Original Cindy and getting his ass whipped.
Asha arrived back from the bar with two pitchers of beer in her hands and greeted them, "Hey guys what's happening?"
"Nothing," Max started, "Alec tried to keep me under house arrest but I managed to talking him into fun with the rest of us."
"Funny." Alec mumbled bitterly.
The three of them stopped and turn when the others started cheering. Cindy had just won the game. She ran around giving everybody high fives and then put out her hand and let Logan off load the cash.
Alec left Max and Asha to talk to Sketchy.
"Max, what did you mean when you said that Alec tried to keep you under house arrest?" Asha asked finally letting her curiosity get the better of her.
"Oh, nothing," Max started, "He wasn't in a very good mood and was angry at me for telling Normal that he was in jail."
Logan spotted Max and started to move over to where she and Asha were talking.
"Is there anything going on between the two of you?" Asha asked.
"Me and Alec," Max was surprised that she would even raise that question, "God no! What on Earth made you ask that?"
"I've seen the way you look at him." Asha started but was interrupted.
"Look at who." Logan asked inviting himself to join the conversation.
"You sweetie." Max replied stroking a gloved hand down his arm. "Can you get me some beer?"
"You are so fake," Asha whispered hurriedly, "You don't deserve him."
"I'd like to see you try and get him!" Max whispered violently back at her.
"At least I can touch him!" Asha lashed out at her.
"I bet that's not all you'll try!" Max retorted.
"You bitch." Asha yelled and went to slap her.
Max blocked the blow with her hand. "I think you're forgetting who I am."
"I don't care if you're the freakin Terminator." Asha launched another fist at Max.
Max blocked it again determine to keep her cool and not harm Asha.
This time Asha grabbed a hold of Max's hair and pulled it hard.
Max poked Asha violently in the stomach but she wouldn't let go of Max's hair.
Cindy had noticed Asha and Max going for it and stepped in to stop the catfight. "Hey, stop it the two of you."
"Shut up," Asha screamed at her and threw a punch in Cindy's direction. Asha managed to connect her fist with Cindy's jaw. It hurt her fist like hell and caused her to pull harder on Max's hair.
Max couldn't stand the hair pulling anymore. She brought her arm down hard on Asha's.
Asha screamed and let go of her hair. She stood up straight gripping her arm. She did however manage to get her foot to meet Max's shin before Max's clenched fist smacked her across the left eye and knocked her out cold.
Max only then realized that the crew had been gripping at the two of them to stop fighting. Everybody that is, except Logan and Alec.
Logan was being held back by Alec before he got his hands on Max and ended up dead. Logan owed his life to Alec and he knew it but didn't want to admit it.
~*
The crew departed then. Max and Alex helped a frazzled Cindy back to Max's apartment. Whilst Logan hauled Asha back to place.
Asha sat on Logan's couch with ice wrapped in a wet washer on her quickly bruising eye.
"What the hell happened?" Logan asked sitting on the coffee table in front of Asha.
Asha saw this opportunity to blame Max and hopefully get someone one her side. "I didn't do anything and the next thing I know she's throwing punches at me so I grabbed her hair. I didn't mean to hit Cindy, she was in the way."
Logan watched as she nursed her right arm. "What's wrong with your arm?"
"Oh, I think it was just jarred or some thing from where Max hit it." Asha replied looking at her arm, she could hardly move it.
"Let me have a look." Logan said kneeling on the floor and taking her arm. He tried to extent it out straight but stopped when Asha cried out. "I'm taking you to the doctor."
"No, it's nothing." Asha said brushing off his plot.
"Is it really?" He said poking her arm and again she cried out. "I think it's broken and you're going to the doctor."
"Fine you win!" Asha said angrily climbing to her feet and following Logan out to the car.
~*
At Max and Cindy's place. Alec got out some ice and refilled the ice trays while Max made sure Cindy still had all of her teeth and put her in bed.
"She's almost asleep." Max said reentering the kitchen after settling Cindy in with some ice on her swollen jaw.
"How are you?" Alec asked looking at the scratch on the right side of her face. He gently ran his fingers over it.
Max winced a bit but she didn't know if it was from the pain or from Alec's hand running down he face. She hesitantly looked into his eyes, she was afraid of who she see in there.
"What?" Alec whispered looking back into her eyes.
"Who are you Alec?" Max asked without breaking eye contact.
"You know who I am." Alec said slipping his hand behind her neck and pulled her close.
"I don't think I do." She said wanting to fall into his arms and let him take her.
"I think I'm falling for you." Alec whispered moving his mouth to hers.
Just before their lips met and frantic rapping on the door reminded Max that she had a boyfriend.
She swung the door open and Logan came rushing in.
"Are you okay? Is Cindy okay? Are either of you hurt?" Logan asked looking over her trying to resist grabbing her.
"We're fine Logan," Max tried to calm him. "How's Asha?"
"I just dropped her off at the hospital and quickly came round here to make sure you're alright." Logan said taking a few deep breaths.
"Hospital!" Max exclaimed becoming panicked herself.
"Yes," Logan replied, "You managed to break her arm!"
"Opps." Max said biting her bottom lip, "Will you tell her that I'm deeply sorry?"
"Yes, I can do that." Logan said taking a seat on Max's couch.
Alec took the opportunity to get a word in while they were both taking a breath, "Max, I'm gonna head home now. I'll see you at work tomorrow."
"Okay then," Max started, "Thanks heaps for your help tonight, I really appreciate it."
If Logan saw some thing pass between them he choose to ignore it. "I guess that I should go and get Asha from the hospital." He got up to leave.
"Okay then, take care." Max said letting him out.
"Bye." And with that he too, was gone.
Max was left the only conscious person in her apartment. She suddenly found herself wishing that Alec didn't leave. What would have happened if Logan didn't come over at that moment? What would have happened if Logan hadn't come over at all?
Max gave up on trying to think of reasons why Alec had done that. Done what? Every thought brought up new questions.
Max got undressed and climbed into bed. She stared at the ceiling, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Max these days.
She could feel her relationship with Logan was going nowhere and the pull of Alec.
Max put a pillow over her head and very, very slowly drifted off to sleep.
She dreamed of Alec. She and Alec were together on a beautiful tropical island. She never wanted to wake up. She didn't want to leave Alec. But Original Cindy woke her up at the same time every morning.
Max didn't mind going to work today, she knew that she would get to see Alec there.
~*
"Ah, ah, missy you're over two hours late!" Normal exclaimed when Max walked into Jam Pony.
"What happened to being afraid of me Normal?" Max asked raising her eyebrows at him.
"Alec talked me out of it." Normal replied with confidence as though he had spent the whole week working up to it and felt proud of himself.
"Alec hey?" Max nodded and smiled smartly. "Well during my lunch break I have to go bust his ass out of jail so don't think that the sun shines out of him."
"Why?" Normal asked shocked.
"He tried to rip off some ones place." Max said grabbing the package that Normal held in his stunned hands and left.
~*
Max strolled into Logan's new apartment with Alec in tow.
Asha looked up from the box of pots and pan that she was unpacking. "How'd it go Max?" She asked casually.
"Here he is." Max said presenting Alec and then letting him wander off and explore Logan's new living quarters.
"Holy shit!" Came Alec's loud exclamation from the next room. "This place could house Logan, me, Joshua, Original Cindy, You and You." Alec said reentering the room and pointing at Max and then Asha.
"Well then I guess that Logan will have to have a couple of slumber parties then." Asha laughed. "Maybe I can talk him into it."
Max smiled and shook her head slightly.
Asha watch Max as she eyed Alec. She watched, as Max looked him over from head to toe. When he moved into the next room, Asha watched as she stopped herself from following him.
Max turned to face Asha, "How's he settling in?"
"Oh, you know," Asha started, "He's excited about it. It is larger than his last place. He's been setting up he office mostly, like it's the most important thing."
"As long as he's happy, right?" Max said leaning against the wooden counter next to the stove and stared at the walkway that Alec had disappeared through.
"Yes, you're right," Asha began, "Personally I would fix my bedroom up first so I had somewhere to sleep and then worry about everything else later but I suppose that Logan isn't like that." When Asha saw that Max wasn't listening to a word she said she tried a different topic. "Then I'd probably strip down to my bare ass and introduce myself to the neighbors."
Max frowned and let what she just heard sink in, she looked at Asha and said, "What?"
"Max, what's going on?" Asha asked putting one arm on the counter and the other on her hip.
"What are you talking about?" Max wasn't ready for the question, "Nothing's wrong."
"Max we're friends, right?" Asha questioned suddenly aware that she had never asked herself about what sort of relationship she had with Max.
"Yeah, I guess." Max was confused. Asha was really Logan's friend, not hers.
"Well. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that you can talk to me if you ever need to. Okay?" Asha struggled with that more than she would have liked to.
"Okay, then." Max was even more confused now, "Ar, same here."
"Cool." Asha said.
The two of them sort of stood awkwardly for a few minutes and shifted uncomfortably.
Max moved her eyes around the room and along the floor. "Um," She started to move she shuffled from foot to foot and the headed for the exit, "Alec!" She yelled.
Asha bent down on the floor and continued to put pots in the cupboard she listened as Alec obediently follow Max out of the apartment.
"Shit." Max yelled as she nearly walked directly into Logan at the front door. If that happened it would be the end of Logan. Max pushed herself back from him rather quickly.
Max would have ended ass up on the floor but Alec stepped behind her and caught her in his arms. "You right?"
"Yes!" Max said shoving him off and turning to Logan, "See you later."
"Bye." He responded watching her leave closely followed by Alec.
"Don't you know how to be nice?" Alec asked as he followed her to her bike.
"I was never trained to be nice!" Max yelled back at him.
"The least you could do is try!" Alec yelled louder than she did.
"Why? So I can be looked down on and hunted for being a transgenic. No thank you!" She got on her bike and rode off.
"I'll have you Max Guevara." He whispered as he watched her ride off.
~*
At Jam Pony, Max entered to find Original Cindy and Sketchy in a heated argument. It wasn't uncommon but sounded really unpleasant. So to keep her head, Max decided to stay out of the way and headed for her locker.
"Well, if it isn't our little cat burglar." Normal stated as Alec strolled into Jam Pony.
"She told you?" Alec asked as if he had the biggest violation known to man done against him.
"What's wrong Boo?" Cindy asked stepping up next to Alec, "You talk as though some one launched a dirty pair of your underwear up a flag pole for the whole world to see."
"She may as well have." Alec said angrily storming off.
"Oh, I'd say he's in a bad mood." Cindy remarked as she and Normal enjoyed the display, as Alec chucked a tantrum.
~*
Since Alec didn't see Max at all for the rest of the day, he decided to pay her a visit at home.
He entered her apartment and looked around for signs of life.
Max exited her room dressed in tight leather pants and a tank top, finished with her leather jacket.
"How many cows died to make that outfit?" Alec asked leaning against the closed door of her apartment.
"Alec?" She said first surprised and then annoyed, "What are you doing here?"
"You told them that I was arrested!" Alec yelled at her.
"I was running out of things to tell them, plus the truth doesn't hurt that much." Max said smartly then moving towards the door that Alec was still firmly pressed against. She reached for the handle but Alec wouldn't move. "What the hell are you doing? I'm going out!"
"Oh really, I don't care!" Alec said bitterly without budging.
"What are you going to keep me hostage in my own home?" Max asked getting really pissed off.
"Maybe." Alec said acting like a snob an sticking his nose I the air
Max actually found this quite amusing and raised her eyebrows at him. "Alec, I don't get why you're so cut over this. So what, I told them that you got arrested, big deal, you'll get over it. Now don't make me hurt you. Get out of the way!"
Alec didn't want to move but some thing inside him made him move any way.
"Come on then," Max sighed and curled her little finger around his, "Come to Crash with me."
He let himself be pulled along by her. He just enjoyed the pleasure of her hand in his and they walked silently.
~*
At Crash, Max and Alec joined the rest of the crew playing pool out the back. Logan was playing Original Cindy and getting his ass whipped.
Asha arrived back from the bar with two pitchers of beer in her hands and greeted them, "Hey guys what's happening?"
"Nothing," Max started, "Alec tried to keep me under house arrest but I managed to talking him into fun with the rest of us."
"Funny." Alec mumbled bitterly.
The three of them stopped and turn when the others started cheering. Cindy had just won the game. She ran around giving everybody high fives and then put out her hand and let Logan off load the cash.
Alec left Max and Asha to talk to Sketchy.
"Max, what did you mean when you said that Alec tried to keep you under house arrest?" Asha asked finally letting her curiosity get the better of her.
"Oh, nothing," Max started, "He wasn't in a very good mood and was angry at me for telling Normal that he was in jail."
Logan spotted Max and started to move over to where she and Asha were talking.
"Is there anything going on between the two of you?" Asha asked.
"Me and Alec," Max was surprised that she would even raise that question, "God no! What on Earth made you ask that?"
"I've seen the way you look at him." Asha started but was interrupted.
"Look at who." Logan asked inviting himself to join the conversation.
"You sweetie." Max replied stroking a gloved hand down his arm. "Can you get me some beer?"
"You are so fake," Asha whispered hurriedly, "You don't deserve him."
"I'd like to see you try and get him!" Max whispered violently back at her.
"At least I can touch him!" Asha lashed out at her.
"I bet that's not all you'll try!" Max retorted.
"You bitch." Asha yelled and went to slap her.
Max blocked the blow with her hand. "I think you're forgetting who I am."
"I don't care if you're the freakin Terminator." Asha launched another fist at Max.
Max blocked it again determine to keep her cool and not harm Asha.
This time Asha grabbed a hold of Max's hair and pulled it hard.
Max poked Asha violently in the stomach but she wouldn't let go of Max's hair.
Cindy had noticed Asha and Max going for it and stepped in to stop the catfight. "Hey, stop it the two of you."
"Shut up," Asha screamed at her and threw a punch in Cindy's direction. Asha managed to connect her fist with Cindy's jaw. It hurt her fist like hell and caused her to pull harder on Max's hair.
Max couldn't stand the hair pulling anymore. She brought her arm down hard on Asha's.
Asha screamed and let go of her hair. She stood up straight gripping her arm. She did however manage to get her foot to meet Max's shin before Max's clenched fist smacked her across the left eye and knocked her out cold.
Max only then realized that the crew had been gripping at the two of them to stop fighting. Everybody that is, except Logan and Alec.
Logan was being held back by Alec before he got his hands on Max and ended up dead. Logan owed his life to Alec and he knew it but didn't want to admit it.
~*
The crew departed then. Max and Alex helped a frazzled Cindy back to Max's apartment. Whilst Logan hauled Asha back to place.
Asha sat on Logan's couch with ice wrapped in a wet washer on her quickly bruising eye.
"What the hell happened?" Logan asked sitting on the coffee table in front of Asha.
Asha saw this opportunity to blame Max and hopefully get someone one her side. "I didn't do anything and the next thing I know she's throwing punches at me so I grabbed her hair. I didn't mean to hit Cindy, she was in the way."
Logan watched as she nursed her right arm. "What's wrong with your arm?"
"Oh, I think it was just jarred or some thing from where Max hit it." Asha replied looking at her arm, she could hardly move it.
"Let me have a look." Logan said kneeling on the floor and taking her arm. He tried to extent it out straight but stopped when Asha cried out. "I'm taking you to the doctor."
"No, it's nothing." Asha said brushing off his plot.
"Is it really?" He said poking her arm and again she cried out. "I think it's broken and you're going to the doctor."
"Fine you win!" Asha said angrily climbing to her feet and following Logan out to the car.
~*
At Max and Cindy's place. Alec got out some ice and refilled the ice trays while Max made sure Cindy still had all of her teeth and put her in bed.
"She's almost asleep." Max said reentering the kitchen after settling Cindy in with some ice on her swollen jaw.
"How are you?" Alec asked looking at the scratch on the right side of her face. He gently ran his fingers over it.
Max winced a bit but she didn't know if it was from the pain or from Alec's hand running down he face. She hesitantly looked into his eyes, she was afraid of who she see in there.
"What?" Alec whispered looking back into her eyes.
"Who are you Alec?" Max asked without breaking eye contact.
"You know who I am." Alec said slipping his hand behind her neck and pulled her close.
"I don't think I do." She said wanting to fall into his arms and let him take her.
"I think I'm falling for you." Alec whispered moving his mouth to hers.
Just before their lips met and frantic rapping on the door reminded Max that she had a boyfriend.
She swung the door open and Logan came rushing in.
"Are you okay? Is Cindy okay? Are either of you hurt?" Logan asked looking over her trying to resist grabbing her.
"We're fine Logan," Max tried to calm him. "How's Asha?"
"I just dropped her off at the hospital and quickly came round here to make sure you're alright." Logan said taking a few deep breaths.
"Hospital!" Max exclaimed becoming panicked herself.
"Yes," Logan replied, "You managed to break her arm!"
"Opps." Max said biting her bottom lip, "Will you tell her that I'm deeply sorry?"
"Yes, I can do that." Logan said taking a seat on Max's couch.
Alec took the opportunity to get a word in while they were both taking a breath, "Max, I'm gonna head home now. I'll see you at work tomorrow."
"Okay then," Max started, "Thanks heaps for your help tonight, I really appreciate it."
If Logan saw some thing pass between them he choose to ignore it. "I guess that I should go and get Asha from the hospital." He got up to leave.
"Okay then, take care." Max said letting him out.
"Bye." And with that he too, was gone.
Max was left the only conscious person in her apartment. She suddenly found herself wishing that Alec didn't leave. What would have happened if Logan didn't come over at that moment? What would have happened if Logan hadn't come over at all?
Max gave up on trying to think of reasons why Alec had done that. Done what? Every thought brought up new questions.
Max got undressed and climbed into bed. She stared at the ceiling, which wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Max these days.
She could feel her relationship with Logan was going nowhere and the pull of Alec.
Max put a pillow over her head and very, very slowly drifted off to sleep.
She dreamed of Alec. She and Alec were together on a beautiful tropical island. She never wanted to wake up. She didn't want to leave Alec. But Original Cindy woke her up at the same time every morning.
Max didn't mind going to work today, she knew that she would get to see Alec there.
