Title: Between A Rock and A Hard Place Part 7
Author: Rhasa
Rating: R
Spoilers: General Season 2 before 'Freak Nation' BEFORE MAX and Alec are
seemingly together.
Category: Drama/Angst/ Relationship(s) Note plural.
Summary: Max goes into heat around a virus infected Logan who calls Alec
for help.
Disclaimer: Not mine. No infringement intended. No money being made, yadda
yadda, yadda.
Feedback: Yes, please, pretty please. I only write when I get feedback, so
feel free to feed the monster. Rhasa4@yahoo.com
Part 7
Alec hadn't expected her to show up on his doorstep a day later. He had guessed that avoidance would have been her coping strategy. He was somewhat surprised to find her standing before him, looking sheepish, hands in pockets and chin down.
"Hey," she had simply said when he had opened the door in answer to her soft knock.
"Hey."
"Can I um. come in?" she asked which was something totally new - usually she barged straight past him.
"Yeah. Sure," Alec said stepping aside. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he closed the door behind him.
"The worst of it's over."
"Good," he replied awkwardly, moving further into the room. He didn't have anything prepared to say. The fact that she hadn't smacked him upside the head by now had him a little worried. Maybe she didn't remember what they had shared a mere twenty-four hours ago.
"Alec, I'm sorry.
Apparently she did remember.
"I'm sorry Logan dragged you over there. I guess he was scared. By the way I was acting I don't blame him."
"He didn't drag me there, Max," he said as he turned and faced her, the sofa acting as a barrier between them. "I went there because he told me you were in trouble--"
"I was. It kind of hit me more suddenly this time. Usually I get a sense of it . .I mean. .once before, prior to the whole virus thing.. me and Logan.. well, I knew beforehand and-"
"Max, it's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to me," he shrugged.
"Why not? I seem to be doing it an awful lot lately."
"To Logan, you mean."
"Yeah," she sighed.
"Max, I don't want to get into anything about you and Logan, I-" he said holding up his hand.
"He told me," she said quickly, cutting him off.
"What?"
"Everything."
"Oh."
"Everything he said to you," she clarified.
"And he still has both arms, both legs? Or did you just rip him a new one?"
She grinned. "I know. Maybe I should have. At first when I heard what he had to say, I wondered if he had been replaced by a clone or something."
"Or something," Alec agreed.
"But then. what he said." she looked down, her eyes darting to and fro, her mind searching for what it was that she really wanted to say. "Some of what he said kind of made sense." She looked up at Alec, stared him directly in the eye.
"You can't be serious."
"I know.. I know.. it sounds so bizarre. An arrangement like that - In the past I would never have thought about it. But he kinda convinced me.. he only suggested it because he loves me."
"Max, that's not what love is."
"Isn't it? He wants us to stay together, Alec. He'd do anything. He's afraid of losing me."
"There are other ways, Max. If he loves you, he should exhaust all those other ways," Alec said, not quite believing that those words were coming from *his* mouth.
"Are there? I mean we've been searching for the cure for the virus, the one true thing that keeps us apart, for months now and nothing has come of it. It's not likely that we'll be able to touch soon. It's not likely that he could be there for me during my next heat. And if my future heats come on as quickly as this one then I don't know if I'll be able to get myself somewhere safe in time, somewhere away for him... Somewhere away from the others..."
"I can't believe you. He has you spouting *his* argument. He's.. he's brainwashed you."
"No, he hasn't."
"This isn't the Max I know."
"Just who is the Max you know?" she whispered in a daring tone.
"The Max I knows never compromises herself for anyone. The Max I know kicks ass, most frequently my ass to be precise. The Max I know doesn't let get herself get dictated to by anyone. The Max I know wants to beat this bitch of a heat of hers... Not.. not give in to it."
"I'm not compromising myself. Can't you see I'd be doing the opposite?"
"What do you mean?"
"My heat has made me hook up with guys; guys like Eric and Darren and even Rafer; guys that I would never give a second look to normally. I have no control over it, Alec. It's like being on some bad trip, you know what's going on around you but you're helpless to stop it and the only thing you can do is to ride it out, knowing.. all the time, knowing that you are going to hate yourself for it when it's over but being totally and utterly powerless to stop it.." She choked. "But what Logan suggested, means that.. maybe I won't feel so powerless anymore. I won't be helpless, I won't hate myself. I'll just accept it for what it is.. Us being together," she waved a hand between her and Alec, "would merely be the best contingency plan.. a way to prevent an.. undesirable outcome."
Alec looked down and sadly shook his head. "I can't believe that this is what you want."
"Haven't you heard that old song? 'You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.'"
"And this is what you need?"
"Yeah.. maybe. I mean, I need... I need to take control over this Manticore nightmare that is my life."
I know but.." Ale trailed off. There wasn't really anything more he could say.
"Alec," came Max's small voice. She took a few steps towards him and playfully punched him in the shoulder. He looked up and she inwardly cringed at the sadness she saw in his eyes, not knowing that a similar look was reflected in his. "Alec, I'm asking. Will you help me?"
End Part 7
Author's Notes:
For those of you who can't stand the suspense (or to put it in your words, me "dragging it out") then don't despair only two or so more parts. Don't you watch daytime soaps for crying out loud??? They take a whole month to complete one conversation.! And I know it's been long. I don't usually write this way, but I gotta admit it's been fun exploring these characters and I think some of you have enjoyed the ride (and hopefully still are). I also LOVE your own insightful comments about the characters and their motives. Thanks. I like the chase better than the catch if you know what I mean. Hot monkey sex you can get anywhere (and who knows you may still get it here) but suspense and angst and sexual tension which are the real fun things in life is often hard to come by.
Feedback always welcomed at Rhasa4@yahoo.com
Part 7
Alec hadn't expected her to show up on his doorstep a day later. He had guessed that avoidance would have been her coping strategy. He was somewhat surprised to find her standing before him, looking sheepish, hands in pockets and chin down.
"Hey," she had simply said when he had opened the door in answer to her soft knock.
"Hey."
"Can I um. come in?" she asked which was something totally new - usually she barged straight past him.
"Yeah. Sure," Alec said stepping aside. "How are you feeling?" He asked as he closed the door behind him.
"The worst of it's over."
"Good," he replied awkwardly, moving further into the room. He didn't have anything prepared to say. The fact that she hadn't smacked him upside the head by now had him a little worried. Maybe she didn't remember what they had shared a mere twenty-four hours ago.
"Alec, I'm sorry.
Apparently she did remember.
"I'm sorry Logan dragged you over there. I guess he was scared. By the way I was acting I don't blame him."
"He didn't drag me there, Max," he said as he turned and faced her, the sofa acting as a barrier between them. "I went there because he told me you were in trouble--"
"I was. It kind of hit me more suddenly this time. Usually I get a sense of it . .I mean. .once before, prior to the whole virus thing.. me and Logan.. well, I knew beforehand and-"
"Max, it's okay. You don't have to explain yourself to me," he shrugged.
"Why not? I seem to be doing it an awful lot lately."
"To Logan, you mean."
"Yeah," she sighed.
"Max, I don't want to get into anything about you and Logan, I-" he said holding up his hand.
"He told me," she said quickly, cutting him off.
"What?"
"Everything."
"Oh."
"Everything he said to you," she clarified.
"And he still has both arms, both legs? Or did you just rip him a new one?"
She grinned. "I know. Maybe I should have. At first when I heard what he had to say, I wondered if he had been replaced by a clone or something."
"Or something," Alec agreed.
"But then. what he said." she looked down, her eyes darting to and fro, her mind searching for what it was that she really wanted to say. "Some of what he said kind of made sense." She looked up at Alec, stared him directly in the eye.
"You can't be serious."
"I know.. I know.. it sounds so bizarre. An arrangement like that - In the past I would never have thought about it. But he kinda convinced me.. he only suggested it because he loves me."
"Max, that's not what love is."
"Isn't it? He wants us to stay together, Alec. He'd do anything. He's afraid of losing me."
"There are other ways, Max. If he loves you, he should exhaust all those other ways," Alec said, not quite believing that those words were coming from *his* mouth.
"Are there? I mean we've been searching for the cure for the virus, the one true thing that keeps us apart, for months now and nothing has come of it. It's not likely that we'll be able to touch soon. It's not likely that he could be there for me during my next heat. And if my future heats come on as quickly as this one then I don't know if I'll be able to get myself somewhere safe in time, somewhere away for him... Somewhere away from the others..."
"I can't believe you. He has you spouting *his* argument. He's.. he's brainwashed you."
"No, he hasn't."
"This isn't the Max I know."
"Just who is the Max you know?" she whispered in a daring tone.
"The Max I knows never compromises herself for anyone. The Max I know kicks ass, most frequently my ass to be precise. The Max I know doesn't let get herself get dictated to by anyone. The Max I know wants to beat this bitch of a heat of hers... Not.. not give in to it."
"I'm not compromising myself. Can't you see I'd be doing the opposite?"
"What do you mean?"
"My heat has made me hook up with guys; guys like Eric and Darren and even Rafer; guys that I would never give a second look to normally. I have no control over it, Alec. It's like being on some bad trip, you know what's going on around you but you're helpless to stop it and the only thing you can do is to ride it out, knowing.. all the time, knowing that you are going to hate yourself for it when it's over but being totally and utterly powerless to stop it.." She choked. "But what Logan suggested, means that.. maybe I won't feel so powerless anymore. I won't be helpless, I won't hate myself. I'll just accept it for what it is.. Us being together," she waved a hand between her and Alec, "would merely be the best contingency plan.. a way to prevent an.. undesirable outcome."
Alec looked down and sadly shook his head. "I can't believe that this is what you want."
"Haven't you heard that old song? 'You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.'"
"And this is what you need?"
"Yeah.. maybe. I mean, I need... I need to take control over this Manticore nightmare that is my life."
I know but.." Ale trailed off. There wasn't really anything more he could say.
"Alec," came Max's small voice. She took a few steps towards him and playfully punched him in the shoulder. He looked up and she inwardly cringed at the sadness she saw in his eyes, not knowing that a similar look was reflected in his. "Alec, I'm asking. Will you help me?"
End Part 7
Author's Notes:
For those of you who can't stand the suspense (or to put it in your words, me "dragging it out") then don't despair only two or so more parts. Don't you watch daytime soaps for crying out loud??? They take a whole month to complete one conversation.! And I know it's been long. I don't usually write this way, but I gotta admit it's been fun exploring these characters and I think some of you have enjoyed the ride (and hopefully still are). I also LOVE your own insightful comments about the characters and their motives. Thanks. I like the chase better than the catch if you know what I mean. Hot monkey sex you can get anywhere (and who knows you may still get it here) but suspense and angst and sexual tension which are the real fun things in life is often hard to come by.
Feedback always welcomed at Rhasa4@yahoo.com