Title: The Discussion--Chapter Three

A/N: Sorry it took so long…still love me?

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To the untrained eye, it would appear as if it where any other night. The dark blonde transgenic sat at his usual spot amongst patrons in the dirty, run-down bar. His shoulders were slightly hunched over as he solemnly nursed his scotch, staring at his distorted reflection as it danced aimlessly amongst the glass bottles littered against the wall.

This wasn't any other night, however, and as Alec sat, he waited. He was waiting for the woman of his dreams to come through the bar's entrance and either tear his heart into two pieces or rid him of his doubts and insecurities. Because as much as he loved her, and as much as he believed she loved him, Alec was afraid of what she would come back and tell him tonight, or if she would even come back at all.

Part of him knew that he was being ridiculous, that he was letting his emotions get the better of himself. Unfortunately though, he was helpless to do otherwise when it came to her. She had taken his life and rewritten the handbook. Everything he had been taught to believe in as true went straight out the window whenever she would press herself up against him, or look at him in that way she did no one else.

Even before he would spot her in a room, he could feel a tingling in his chest, somewhere close to his heart. She had so much control over him and he doubted she knew just how powerless he was when it came to her.

Laughing to himself as he took another sip from his drink, he raised the glass to eye level and watched as the amber liquid swirled incessantly within its glass confines. Through his glass, he caught a warped glimpse of her descending Crash's stairs. He watched out of the corner of his eyes as she made her way over to him. He could tell she was upset, but that could mean anything. For all he knew, she could be upset because she felt bad about having to tell him that 'it had been fun while it had lasted', and that she 'hoped they could still be friends.'

Making it a point not to look at her, he drained the rest of his drink and audibly placed the empty glass back down onto the bar.

"You gonna ask me what happened?"

"I don't know. Am I gonna want to hear it?"

"I think I made Logan cry."

Swirling around on his stool, a satisfied grin slapped in place, Alec rested an elbow on the bar. Trying to look as casual as possible, while suppressing the urge to take her where she stood, he reached for her hand.

"I'm here if you wanna talk, Maxie."

Scoffing at his all too sudden eagerness, Max sat herself on the stool next to his and pulled it closer until her knees were cradling one of his. Playing with the imaginary lint on his jeans, she tried to gather her thoughts in order before speaking. There was no pressure here, and for that she was grateful. With Logan it had always seemed like he was demanding something from her. He had expected her to put her life on the line for his Eyes Only missions and in return he had given her morsels of information on the whereabouts of her siblings. Their relationship had always been more about give and take and less about actual love. Alec expected nothing from her. She knew this, because he had told her so repeatedly during her many bouts of uncertainty. This, what she had now, was healthy.

"I told him that I didn't want to be part of his life anymore if he was going to hold Eyes Only on a higher pedestal than me." With a roll of her eyes and a shake of her head she continued. "He denied that he ever had of course."

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Using his arms to push himself up from his seat besides the computer terminal, Logan looked exasperated under her accusing glare.

"Max, you always come first! You always have!"

Unconsciously taking steps back from him, she pinned him with her heated gaze.

"Logan! You blew off what should have been our first date for Eyes Only! Even after I told you that I didn't feel like doing recon that night, you wouldn't stop pushing! You wouldn't give up until I gave in. We've been the same way since."

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Nudging her knee where it rested against his, Alec urged Max to look up at him.

"I think that in Logan's world you probably wanted those things as bad as he did. Somewhere along the line I think he confused your missions in life as being the same as his." Shrugging dismissively, he motioned for the bartender to refill his glass. "You want something?" With the shake of her head, he rolled his eyes at her obvious determinedness to get this over and done with.

She sat there contentedly while he took a sip from his fresh drink. Since when had Alec become so supportive of anything Logan?

"So, what…are you saying that he was right to put me in danger?"

Choking slightly at her words, he wiped away any scattered remnants of alcohol from his mouth with the back of his hand. "No! I'm just saying that maybe, somewhere along the lines, he must have had good intentions."

Laughing at the reaction she had gotten out of him, she turned on her stool and rested her upper body on the cool, wooden surface of the bar. Inhaling deeply, she soaked in the pungent aroma of alcohol emanating from all around her. She saw him set his glass down next to her face, and then closed her eyes as he rubbed her back soothingly. She sighed contentedly, her thoughts drifting to her earlier discussion with Logan.

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"Max, I would've gotten you out of there. I had contacts who--"

"Damnit Logan! Don't you get it? I'm sure you had contacts that would have been more than happy to help the great Eyes Only, but you also had Alec! You knew he would've come to help me, but you were just too damn pig headed to even bother telling him what was going on! You must've known he was my best bet out of there fast and safe. Hell in the end, he came on his own and did just that." At his befuddled expression she continued on. "The point is, I just think that whatever relationship we have just isn't working. It's too much work. Literally. I can't do this anymore."

She was ready to leave. Turning on her heel, she gave one last look to Logan before heading towards the door.

"Max! Wait!"

Stopping in her tracks, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before facing him.

"What, Logan?"

"You're right. I screwed up. I'm sorry. Things don't have to end between us because of this one thing, do they?"

"No. Things have to end between us because it's not just one thing. Between the virus, Eyes Only, and all this other drama we have to deal with, I just don't think I can be part of you anymore. It's too dangerous for me. In the end, it'll be too dangerous for both of us."

Logan looked dead on his feet, like he could sleep for the next week. She knew that she had been harsh, but it was really the only way she could cut him loose. The only way to tell him definitively that they were through, that he should move on. Like she had. "Sounds like something Alec would say about us."

She smiled at that, and Logan's heart broke just a little bit more. "Alec's a lot smarter than I ever gave him credit for."

"He's your knight in shining armor I suppose."

"Logan, I know that deep down you meant well. But I also know that you do realize everything I'm saying is true. We mixed business with romance, and in the end, that was probably our downfall. On the other hand, we probably never would have been anything if we hadn't. Maybe we were just doomed to end this way from the beginning."

"Maybe you're right, but I can't help to think that if you had never gotten caught by Manticore, never paired up with him, that things would be different between us."

Her hand on the doorknob, Max thought about what he had just said. What would her life be like now had she never been paired off with X5-494?

"Maybe. But I think Alec and I would have crossed paths sooner or later either way."

And when he looked up again, she was gone.

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"Hmmmm?"

Quirking his head to the side, Alec could faintly make out the remnants of whatever daydream she had been lost in.

"I asked if you wanted to get going. You look kind of out of it."

"Don't you wanna know what happened between me and Logan?"

Taking her hands in his own larger ones, he looked straight into her eyes as he spoke. "Look, Max. I know that you and Logan are always going to have a history. I also know you well enough to believe you when you say that the two of you are over."

"We are over. Me and Logan. I just thought you'd want to know what he said about the hospital."

"As long as you're okay with it, then I'll pretend to be. Honestly, I don't think anything he could have to say would make me hate him any less for endangering you like that. But then again, I don't know him like you do. Are you okay with it?"

"Yeah. I am. I understand why he did what he did. I don't like it, but I understand."

Raising his glass off the bar, he raised it in a mock toast. "Then so am I." Taking one more sip, Alec tossed down a few bills before sliding from his seat. Pulling her to her feet as well, he kissed her lightly before hugging her body to his.

They stood there for a short period, just taking in each other's scents, content in the safety their relationship provided them with. Pulling back, Alec took her hand in one of his and grabbed his jacket with the other.

"Your place or mine?"

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A/N2: Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd done. Please review if you liked it….or hated it….please?