A/N: A huge thank you has to go out to Rowe! She helped me so much through this chapter, especially as I was ready to pack it in and call its time of death! I'm still very unsure of this story, so we'll see how everything goes. It's amazing how hard AU can be to write! Hope you all enjoy! Sorry there was such a HUGE gap in between chaps. ~Mel
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Chapter two - Settling in
"Welcome to the bar."
Max swung the door open and motioned for Alec to go inside. He looked around at the dreary scene. There were tables, set with odd chairs, dim lighting and candles throughout the room.
Max could see the not so impressed expression on his face.
"It's not that great, I know."
"It's got alcohol right?"
Max nodded.
"Than it's perfect."
He gave her a bright smile and she returned it. They then weaved through the crowd to the lone empty table. Max took a seat and Alec wrapped his hands around the chair's edge as he spoke.
"So what can I get you?"
Max stood, holding out her hand in protest.
"No, it's my shout. A welcome to TC."
Alec mimicked her movements of protest.
"A gentleman never lets a lady but the first drink."
Max let out a small sigh, she wasn't quite ready to give up yet. She opened her mouth to talk but was interrupted.
"Besides, there'll be plenty more opportunities for you to buy me a drink. I hope." He added the last for considerate flare.
Max nodded in defeat, her mind already playing with the thought of 'other opportunities', she finally brought herself back to answer his original question.
"I'll have whatever you're having."
Alec nodded and gave her a quick wink, then turned and headed for the bar, Max returning to her seat.
Max surveyed the room for a while, noticing that the bar seemed extremely busy that night. She suspected that of lot of them were uptight and needed a way to relax. That's what Max wanted to do, just relax.
Her body jolted up quickly as she heard the raspy voice.
"Max. How wonderful to see you here."
She turned slowly and forced a toothy grin.
"Mr Cale."
"Please no." He took a seat next to her. "Call me Logan. Mr Cale sounds so stuffy."
*Well it goes nicely with that voice.* Max mentally slapped herself.
"I think it suits you nicely." Alec stood before them, grasping a bottle of scotch, two glasses and wearing a large mocking smile across his face.
Logan chose not to acknowledge him, speaking as he continued to stare at Max.
"I don't believe you were asked."
Logan grabbed the scotch and glasses from Alec's hands.
"Thanks for these, that was really thoughtful."
"No it wasn't." Alec grabbed the bottle back. "These are for Max and I. We're having our first-"
"Planning session!" Max jumped into the conversation, though part of her wished that Alec had finished that sentence.
"Well good." Logan was oblivious to Max's diversion of thought. "I guess Alec can join us then."
Alec gave him a confused, frustrated look.
"Join you?"
He was about to tell Logan that even though he had only known him for the briefest of hours, he had already formulated a list of 101 ways to torture a computer geek. But the pleading look in Max's eyes begged him otherwise.
"Fine."
He spoke at a transmission level that only Max could hear, then turned to Logan and put on his charm with a large smile.
"Why thankyou, I'd love to join you." *Join your arms and legs together and use you for batting practice!*
"Then you should probably go and get another glass."
Logan smiled at Alec. Alec imagined ripping that smile from his face and-
"No, I'll get it!"
Max began to rise from her seat, but Alec signalled her to stay seated.
"No it's fine. Let me."
He turned and walked toward the bar, freezing and clenching his fists as Logan yelled out to him.
"Get a bowl of beer nuts too."
The entire room went silent.
"What?" Logan looked around at everyone, completely dismayed.
"We're a transgenic nation, barricaded in a former wasteland, unable to walk in the free world. We have very few contacts and are therefore only able to get the necessities. We don't need beer nuts."
Max took a long breath after her short speech. Logan shrugged and took the bottle of scotch in his hands.
"But you need alcohol."
Logan had to stop himself from falling back on his chair as the sudden sound of the entire room collectively answer yes to his question, threw him backwards.
Alec chose not to look back, continuing his journey to the bar. Knocking the man's head from his shoulders was too compelling an option. Best to walk away. By the time he returned, Logan was deep in conversation and Max was bored. Though she was doing her best to hide her lack of interest.
"…and once again the Eyes Only mission was a success and I managed to be the hero of Seattle. Again."
As Alec sat down, he felt the subtle glance that Max sent his way. If words have come with it he would imagine they would say 'help'.
He shook his head at the smug grin that rested on Logan's face. Could this man be any more conceited? The world of every person in this room was in the midst of falling around them and all he could talk about was his Eyes Only missions. Alec wondered if Logan Cale truly cared to help save the transgenics world, or whether there was some other motive. Some other prize.
He shifted his glance between Max and Logan. At first one would presume that she was his prize, she was what he was after. But Alec suspected it was more. This wasn't about relationships, love or even saving the world (like that could actually happen). This was about power.
An almost sympathetic grin moved across Alec's face as he watched Logan yammer on. This man was obviously powerless as a child. He guessed the son of a powerful, wealthy business man, probably given everything he could ever need in life. Except for an actual life itself. He was probably sheltered as a child. Her certainly didn't look like he would have been the toughest kid in the neighbourhood. It was suddenly all making sense. Eyes Only was his way of wielding power and now he saw an opportunity to extend that power.
"Alec!"
The shrill voice that uttered his name drew him out of his thought. He looked upon the deliverer with disgust.
"What?"
His response was abrupt, but he didn't care. Mr Stuffy Ass Cale didn't have any power over him, nor would he ever.
"I asked if you have had very much experience in an operation of this magnitude?"
An operation of this magnitude? Was he going to try and out smart Alec? If this was the case he certainly new very little about transgenics. An X-7 could out smart Logan and they were only ten.
He was about to give his not-so-friendly answer when Max suddenly stepped in.
"Yes Mist-Logan." She forced a sweet smile to cover her slip, Logan completely fooled. "Alec has had plenty of experience. He was part of Manticore after all."
She accidentally let a little too much sarcasm drip into her last comment, but it went unnoticed by Logan. Just to be sure she shone him another fake smile.
"Well," Max stood from her chair and grabbed her jacket, both men following suit. "We have a few things to organise Logan. We need to set up some quarters for Alec and there's the plans to continue going over. I trust Luke set everything up for you?"
"Yes he did. Interesting little fellow."
Max just smiled at the comment, but she shifted her head slightly and Alec caught the roll of her eye. He chuckled inwardly.
"Well it's been nice talking with you Logan."
She extended her hand for him to shake, once again he took it and brought it to his lips. Her face scrunched and she had to do all she could to hold back a disgusted sigh. She glanced towards Alec, who had to bring a hand across his mouth to hide his smile. She tried to subtly pull her hand away, but Logan would let go. So she had to reef it away, causing Logan to go flying backwards and toppling over his chair. Max's elbow smacked into the nearby railing, causing her skin to gash open.
"Let me take a look." Alec lifted his cotton sweater and covered Max's wound. "This looks nasty, we're gonna have to clean it up. Do you have any supplies?"
She nodded as she looked down and winced at the cut, fresh blood oozing onto the material of Alec's sweater.
He placed a hand to her back and guided her out of the pub, both forgetting about Logan's awkward frame sprawled across the floor.
"I'm fine really."
No one offered to help him up.
"I'll see you tomorrow night then."
But Max and Alec were gone.
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"All better"
He placed his hands on either side of the wound and gave her a warm smile.
"Thanks. Sorry about your shirt."
Alec looked down at the stained material, letting go of Max's arm and lifted the shirt to inspect it closer.
"Ahhh, don't worry about it. Being us, living in this world, you kinda get used to blood stains."
Max let out a soft laugh, knowing all too well the truth of that statement.
"So what brought you to Terminal City?"
Max carefully moved the sleeve back down her arm, sure to not rip the bandaging.
"Well I hear it's the place to live."
He gave her a cheeky grin.
"Oh yeah, it's the prime residential district of Seattle." She couldn't help the smile that moved across her face. "We've had to turn maybe ten people away this week. Just can't cope with the demand."
"So does that mean your going to turn me away?" He gave her a puppy dog pout. "Is that the reason you wanted to buy me a drink? Thought you'd get me liquored up, then let me down real slow."
"Well…"
The corner of her mouth crawled across her cheek as she began to turn towards the door. She couldn't help but play the tease.
"I haven't quite decided yet. You may be lucky. There may just be a vacancy."
"Well you know, I'm happy to bunk with someone."
Two could play at this game.
"Good, because I know Joshua would love some company."
And one would have to loose.
"Who's Joshua?"
"You'll see."
With that she was out the door, with Alec in close pursuit.
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"Joshua, meet Alec. Alec, Joshua."
Max stood between the two, both towering over her, one much higher than the other.
Alec extended a hand that was met by Joshua's large paw-like one. Alec let himself think back to little over a year ago when a half dog, half man would have seemed like a strange occurrence, even for a guy who was a complete bitza. But spending a fair sum of that recent year trudging around the sewers gave a guy an open mind.
"Nice to meet you Josh."
Joshua smiled and laughed short bursts of joy. Nobody had called him Josh before and he liked it.
"Nice to meet you too Alec."
Joshua brought his other hand to the movement and shook Alec all over, with great excitement. Max finally had to move to his side and pull his arms away, laughing and trying to settle him down.
"I thought Alec could stay with you?"
Any success that Max had had in calming Joshua down was now thrown out the window. He bounded over to Alec and slammed an excited hand to his back, causing the X5 to go flying forward. Even with his transgenic agility, Alec had a hard time of preventing his face from being introduced to the floor. He jumped forward slightly, waving his hands to the side to help return his balance, his knees bending to aid him.
Max subsided in a fit of giggles, Joshua joining in, though he didn't quite know why. He just liked to laugh and he hadn't seen Max laugh like that in months.
Alec directed one suspicious eye at her, his eyebrow rising questioningly.
"What are you giggling at?"
She brought a hand to her face and tried to stop herself.
"I'm sorry, it was just your face."
She suddenly stood up straight, all evidence of laughter gone from her face, except her eyes, which were still enjoying themselves. What was he going on about? Max Guevara did many things in this world, but she certainly didn't giggle! She laughed, sometimes she may even chuckle, but giggle? It was just so…girlie!
"And I don't giggle."
"Well you just did." Alec straightened his frame and sent Joshua a questioning gesture. "Didn't she?"
"Yup."
Joshua nodded his head and shoulders in one movement. His short bursts of laughter continuing.
"Thanks a lot Joshua, he's your new roomie so you take his side?"
Max placed both hands sternly on her hips, though her voice remained playful. Joshua threw a lanky arm across Alec's shoulder, squeezing him into his chest.
"Joshua and Alec roomies."
Alec lifted a hand to Joshua's chest and padded it a few times.
"Yeah. We sure are buddy."
"Alec like Mac and Cheese? And…and painting?"
Joshua's excitement and joy was infectious. There was no way that it couldn't rub off on everyone and anyone that stood around him. Alec smiled at his new friend.
"You bet I do Josh."
"Good."
Joshua moved around the room in joy, arranging all the paintings he was going to show Alec. Max shook her head slightly at the big oaf. He couldn't be any cuter if he tried. She stepped forward slightly as she began to talk.
"Well, you guys seem to have a lot to talk about. I'll see you both in the morning."
Joshua spoke quickly as he continued his search.
"Ok Max, see you in morning."
Alec dove his hands in his pockets and stepped towards Max.
"Thanks for everything."
He gave her a warm smile. One that Max awkwardly returned.
"No problem. I'm sure Joshua's glad to have you here."
Joshua looked up briefly and nodded. Max was glad he was there too, but she wouldn't allow herself to tell him that.
"I guess… I'll see you in the morning?"
Alec buried his hands further into his pockets, his words a little unsure. This was generally the part of the night where clothes were an issue, not words. Normally quite content with the way he could make a girl scream, it surprised him that he didn't just want this with Max. He wanted something more. That or the near seven foot dog man was cramping his style.
"You will."
Max nodded as she gave her answer. Undecided what to do or say next, she thought it best to go with tradition.
"Bye."
She turned quickly and silently left the room. Awkward moments were never her strong point. Better to leave before she found the need to have her foot surgically removed from her mouth.
