Chapter 2 - Unexpected Friends

Alec wandered to the top of the Space Needle that overlooked Seattle looking for Max knowing it was one of her favourite haunts. Sure enough he saw Max sitting there alone knees pulled to her chest. She looked so alone. She was staring out into Seattle yet Alec doubted her eyes were actually seeing anything. Although he seemed uncaring Alec could relate to a broken heart and the loss of a loved one. The death of Rachel was still fresh in his mind even though it had happened so long ago and a part of him had died with her, the innocent naïve part of him. He knew everyone thought of him as the conceited jerk who cared nothing for anyone else but Alec did have some feelings hidden deep inside him and it was in moments like this, when someone he considered a friend was hurting, he had just as much feeling inside him as anyone else. Like when Biggs had been killed. Alec knew in some ways that what he felt at Rachel's death was the same as what Max had felt when she had said goodbye to Logan. Everyone had known it would have had to have happened eventually, but Alec pitied Max and the situation she was in. He couldn't imagine stepping into her shoes and living in the reality that was hers. Alec had watched their heart wrenching goodbyes and had waited for Max to come back inside Terminal City but when she didn't come back Alec knew where the find her.

The rain had stopped a few minutes before and Alec saw Max was drenched to the skin. Max didn't turn her head to acknowledge he was there and barely noticed that Alec draped a warm blanket around her. It was almost dawn and the sun was just beginning to peek out into the darkness. They sat there in silence for a few moments before Max turned to face Alec her eyes void of any emotion.

"Does the pain ever go away?" Max asked bluntly her eyes dull, no longer flashing with life as they had been before and Alec looked away from her to seriously consider the question.

"The pain turns to memories that will never be forgotten no matter how hard we try, some of the memories are bad ones but some Max, some are the fondest memories full of happiness you dream to know again and after that you know all the bad memories are worth the good ones," Alec said slowly saying exactly what was on his mind and Max looked at Alec in a new light as she recalled Rachel and the loss he had suffered. She had never realised how he had been hurting this whole time, with so much going on she hadn't paid much attention to him, he had seemed fine to her. She never imagined that Alec of all people had such raw emotion living inside him, it was unnerving yet comforting to know someone understood and could help ease the burden of her pain.

"Thanks Alec," Max said and for the first time in her life she really meant it and Alec heard the sincerity in her voice and looked touched.

"Anytime Maxi," Alec replied and although every other time his nickname for her had sounded condescending the sound of him called her 'Maxi' this time gave her nothing but a feeling of comfort and protection. Alec reached over unexpectedly and surprised both he and Max as he cuddled Max to his shoulder and squeezed her arm. Max took a deep breath and Alec squeezed her again encouraging her to cry and Max did just that, never dreaming that the one time when she really cried her heart out; it would be Alec holding her and comforting her. Somehow she had always imagined it would be Logan in whose arms she cried but things had changed, Logan was gone and now Max only had Alec to turned to and to her surprise the idea didn't disgust her as much as she thought it would.

When her tears finally subsided she pulled away and both managed to grin at each other weakly. Somehow in that short amount of time the two had come to an understanding that only they would know and it pleased both of them to know someone else was there for them. Alec looked down at his watched then stood up.

"Let's get you down from here," Alec said pulling Max to her feet and Max looked up at him mischievously and, in the spirit of fun, Max complained the whole way up.
When they arrived back at Terminal City Mole and Joshua came out to greet them. From the serious looks on their faces Max doubted that they had any good news to spread and her head ached at the thought of all the problems she would have to fix. Sometimes she wondered if she had done the right thing by freeing all the transgenics. But when she looked at their smiling hopeful faces she knew in her heart that she had done the right thing. But she had never imagined all the hardships she would have to endure by giving the others their freedom. The only thing not free in this world is freedom, Max thought to herself sadly.

"We're out of provisions little fella, food and medicine," Joshua stated gruffly and Max groaned thinking of all the complications involved. No one had any money which meant they would have to steal the provisions. The normal people hated the transgenics enough already, now they had to add theft to their list of offences. This would take a lot of man power. Where could they get enough food and medicine for all? It wasn't that easy and with the world and White looking for them, that made the whole situation a whole lot worse.

"And we need more guns," Mole interjected quickly cocking his shot gun for emphasis and Max pursed her full lips as she considered the two requests before nodding her head.

"Leave it with me," she assured Joshua and Mole and Mole gave her a gay little salute that had Alec smirking while Max fumed knowing Mole still thought little of her leadership. Joshua looked after Mole then at Max before grinning sheepishly and running after his new best friend. When they were out of sight Max turned to Alec desperately.

"What are we going to do?"

"We?" Alec asked somewhat bemused as he reverted to the conceited jerk he knew got the most response from Max but she didn't even notice.

"Yes we," she replied absently, tiredly rubbing her forehead and Alec frowned concerned for her. Terminal City was getting so big she wasn't sure she could provide for everyone, but she knew she had to try. There was no way she was giving up on her brothers and sisters.

Out of the folds of the transgenics strolled Gem, humming softly to the babe in her arms that she had named Ruby. When she spotted Alec and Max her smiled brightened and she headed straight for them with a wide smile on her face as she showed them her little girl whom they had saved.

"Look Ruby, Uncle Alec and Aunt Max are here," Gem said grinning as she waited for their reactions and as expected both Alec and Max grimaced. Max however continued to stare at the baby and the innocent face of the little girl smiled up at her and all of Max's worries seemed to wither away. She felt so in tune to the baby, and Max felt a longing inside her she had never felt before. Alec however was not overcome by particularly paternal thoughts and he folded his arms across his chest and scowled at the baby.

"Uncle Alec? I don't think so," Alec politely refused any implication that he and the baby knew each other and Gem pouted as her eyes began to water. Everyone knew how Alec couldn't stand to see a woman in pain, it brought out the sensitive side in him.

"Please Alec, she does adore you," Gem pleaded and unexpectedly handed her over to a startled Alec who stared down at the baby he held so awkwardly in his hands. The baby giggled waving it arms in the air and kicking its legs. In that moment Alec felt an affinity with the small creature he held in his arms. Struck dumb Alec wordlessly handed little Ruby over to Max who gently held the little girl giving the baby her finger to play with.

"Imagine Max if you had let me sleep with you at our scheduled copulation time this could have been our baby," Alec reminded Max cheekily and narrowly missed being kicked in the shin for his attempt at humour. Max looked up and scowled at him and Alec couldn't help but smirk his eyes glittering with laughter.

"Stop trying to scare me Alec," Max said after a few moments fluttering her eyes at him and Gem giggled knowing that the two transgenics loved nothing better than to argue with each other.

"Aww come on Max you know you want four or five just like him running around and tugging at your legs," Gem taunted Max who looked horrified at the very thought, more by the fact Gem referred to Alec as the father than at the idea of having kids.

"When hell freezes over!" Max exclaimed in alarm and Alec pretended to look crushed.

"That hurts daddy when you say that," he said pitifully leaning his head towards Max and begging her with his eyes and Max rolled her own eyes and placed her palm against his forehead pushing him away.

"Shut up," she said simply and Alec grinned knowing he had won the argument.

"Will do," he said giving her a little salute and Max kicked out at him again hitting him this time and he whined in pain.

Max. Max looked up at the sound of someone calling her name but nobody seemed to be looking for her attention. They were all involved in other activities and she looked over at Alec about to accuse him when she spied him happily chatting with Gem.

Max. There was that voice again and Max was sure it hadn't been Alec because she had been watching him. Disconcerted by the voice Max handed Ruby back to her mother and closed her eyes to concentrate. Alec sensed Max was confused by something and immediately he thought she was thinking about Logan. To comfort her he reached out to take her hand and for some reason Max accepted it without a sound. Come Max, I am waiting at the gate for you. Max's eyes snapped open, positive she wasn't just hearing things. Max turned in the direction of the gate and strode towards the entrance pulling a confused Alec behind her.

"Uh, where are we going?" Alec asked politely but Max didn't stop or slow down.

"I heard someone tell me to meet them here," Max said with conviction and after she said it she realised how lame and unstable she sounded. Alec frowned at her aware that she was a little shaky at the moment.

"Max, hallucinations are common for someone who has been through such emotion strain but you can't just follow the voices in your head on a whim," Alec scolded her rolling his eyes and Max suddenly came to a complete stop and Alec accidentally bumped into the back of her his hand brushing past her behind. Alec fully expected Max to round on him for daring to touch her but she didn't say a word, she didn't even turn her head towards him. She seemed frozen with shock and Alec peered over her shoulder to see what had her so amazed.

Standing before them were two men. One they knew very well. Lydecker had been the one who had trained them at Manticore to begin with. Both knew who he was and a long time ago just the mention of Lydecker's name instilled fear into the hearts of those who heard it but things were different now. The transgenics were no longer those scared innocent children looking for respect in their mentor's eyes, they were young men and women, experienced in the workings of the outside world. Lydecker seemed older than Max remembered. His sandy blonde hair was greying in many places and his dark brown eyes looked old and tired. He was looking at Max proudly however, obviously still holding onto his dignity if not his youth. The other man seemed to be aged about sixty or so with silvering black hair and warm blue eyes that shined with pride and affection. Max however wasn't inclined to believe Lydecker was with this man out of the goodness of his heart. Lydecker didn't have one in Max's opinion. What did they want?

"Who are you?" Max demanded harshly finding her voice at last referring to the man she did not know and the old man chuckled.

"I have been called many names in my time, 'father' was my fondest but my real name is Sandeman, and I have been looking for you Max, you are my living Talisman," the old man said and Max took a good long look at him before her eyes fluttered and her senses soared. She found herself falling backwards and as she fell into unconsciousness she felt Alec's strong arms take hold of her and his worried voice asking her if she was all right.