Max starred at him in horror, waiting for what he was going to do next. Alec glared into her eyes; he could tell she was full of fear. Suddenly Alec's glaring face turned into a smile. "Scared ya didn't I?" He asked cockily. Max's mouth dropped and her eyes turned into a glare then she punched him hard in the face. Alec fell off her. "Ow, what the hell was that for woman!?" He asked chidingly standing up and rubbing his left cheek.

Max also stood up, smiling with her one eyebrow raised. "For scaring me like that." She said taking a step towards him. "I would have rather had a slap like a regular girl would do." Alec mumbled to himself, but Max heard him. "Really, scared. I scared you?" he asked changing the subject grinning slyly and pulled her closer to him. "Yeah if you were still high on that drug you would have probably grabbed me by the hair shouted by the top of your lungs and brought White down here." Max replied smiling letting him pull her closer to him. Their faces were only inches apart. "Your scared of White?" he asked in a mocking way. Max looked at him like he was stupid. "Yeah, sometimes. In here, Manticore, yes. Outside, no not really just have to stay away from him, it's easier." Max replied. Alec smiled at her and kissed her lips. Max smiled as he kissed her, wrapping her arms around his neck she was glad the old Alec was back.

Once their lips broke gently apart Max rested her forehead on his and they smiled into each other's eyes. "You know, for the record, I was kicking your butt." He said smiling wider. Max's mouth dropped and she pushed him away, her dropped mouth turning into a smile. She can't believe he said that. Alec laughed. "I'm jus kidding Max." he said trying to talk while he laughed. "You really know how to ruin a moment." Max said smiling. "What you in heat again?" he asked jokingly. Max smacked him in the air. Alec giggled. "Just kidding about that too Maxie." He said. Alec pulled her closer to him again and then looked at her hands.

There was still some blood one them from the fight. Alec winced at the sight as he saw one of her fingernails almost ripped off. Max looked at him weirdly then looked down at her hand to see what he was looking at. She noticed and smiled at Alec. "Did I do that?" he asked. Looking at her. Max looked at him with a grin. "Would it make you feel better if I said yes?" she asked. "No." he said glancing down at it again. "Yes." She said. Alec swung his head up and looked into her eyes. "Nuh uh." He said seriously. Max laughed. "No, you didn't. Ames did that, you did everything else." Max replied. Alec looked sympathetic into her eyes. "I'm sorry." He said touching her cut on her lip. Max smiled. "It's ok." She said softly. They stood, lost in each other's eyes, for a couple of seconds. "Come on, I'm getting out." Max replied breaking the silence and making her way to the door, expecting Alec to follow. Alec's groan made Max stop and turn around facing him.

"Max, always an outcast. Max why escape? Why? Your going into a world where you have to hide and people STILL want to kill you and you have to be afraid of EVERYTHING. Afraid of people noticing you from TV, tracking you down, capturing you, killing you, you always have to look twice, trusting no one, then White. Once he realizes you're gone, and believe me, he will as soon as that, cause you're the first one he checks on every morning I see him, I AM right across from your cell. And when he finds out that your gone he is going to flip his lid, I guarantee. And it's going to be 20 times worse, 20 times harder to run from him, and 20 times more painful WHEN he finds you. And he will, there are only so many places you can be. So why try, you'll just be getting yourself in deeper, and how deep you're in, well. let's just say I didn't think anyone could go as deep as you. You'll just make things worse for yourself Max. White is going to hunt you till the day you die, and he STILL might hunt for you after your dead, and knowing him he'll find a way to bring you back to life or something, they brought you back to life before Max, they'll do it again. They could keep you alive for eternity, as long as they want. As long as they have your body. You should have never gotten on his bad side, cause like I said, that bastard will hunt you down till the day you freakin' die Max." Alec said.

Max looked at him. Wow that was scary to her, she never thought of that before. Manticore could bring her back to life. Max shook the thought out of her head and walked up closely to Alec. "I would rather fight for my freedom and take the consequences than stay in here for the rest of my life Alec. They can kill me and bring me back to life, they can bring me down, they can beat the living hell out of me until you can't even tell if I'm a male or a female, they can TRY and brainwash me, and they can TRY to keep me here. But the truth is Alec, they can't. I always seem to get out. And you know why? Because I'm too smart for them. They just don't want to admit it. I can deal with pain and I can deal with the yelling and the pushing around, but I can't deal with the fact of staying here. They aren't pushing me around because they can, they're pushing me around because I LET THEM. All of us do. Well, I'm not going to let them anymore." Max said angrily. "Max if you can deal with the pain the beatings and the yelling, then what's the problem with staying here?" he asked.

Max starred at him for a minute, she could tell he was waiting for an answer. "I can't stand living in a building, in a cage all my life. Especially since they don't have TV. And now that they are brining people in here, I hate being a joke, being laughed at, treated like animal. As a matter of fact if I DO get out I'm going to free ALL the animals in the zoos. And I can't STAND seeing White smile. He can also push me around.. In here, but outside, I push HIM around and he can't stand that! I hate giving him the power over me." Max answered. Alec looked over at her. "Don't you want to be free?" she asked breathlessly. "Max, it's not that bad in here." Alec reasoned. Max sighed. "Oh yeah, forgot. You LIKE Manticore." Max said sadly. "Ok, when you say it like that, you make me sound like a traitor." Alec replied. "It's ok Alec, they gotten to you. After me and my brothers and sisters they gotten to you ALL. Even Joshua." She said even more sadly.

Alec sighed. "Max half of your brothers and sisters are dead. Only you and a few others are still living. And that's darn impressive. Once you 12 left they would talk nothing but getting you guys and giving you a terrible death. And so far they kept their promise. All you brothers and sisters that died have died badly." He said. Max looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She didn't like talking about her brothers and sisters, brought back too many memories. "Then why haven't I got mine?" she asked. Alec looked at her. "Think about it Max, all your brothers and sisters have died when you were with them, most of them. It's not because your poisoned to people you love, it' because SOMEHOW they always manage to kill them in front of you or something similar, they want to make you feel like that. Max can't you see, I'm trying to protect you. I don't want you getting hurt. If we escape, there will only be so many ways I can protect you from them. All they have to do is pull a trigger or a tranquilizer or anything, tie me up, it's easier in here for you Max. It makes me feel better if you're safe." Alec replied grabbing the sides of her face. Max looked into his eyes tears falling. "Are you coming with me or not?" she asked after a while. Alec sighed and let her go. "Why do I have a feeling, BOTH of us are going to regret this?" he asked her. Max whipped away her tears. "What's life without risks?" Max asked then led him out the door.

Max, Sam, and Alec crept down the facilities hallways, until they came to another door. Quickly and as quietly as they could, knocked the guard out. Alec handed her the keys. Max took them and looked at him. "You 2 stay watch." She instructed as she unlocked the door and walked in. Max looked around through the darkness. "Boo!" a voice said happily. Max closed the door, because it had a handle on the inside, not like all the other doors. "Max!" Rafer said with relief also. "Shh, I'm getting you guys out then I'm breaking out of here." Max said running over to their cages.

Sam and Alec stood outside together for a little while. They both froze once they heard footsteps. "Max, someone's coming!" Alec whispered through the door. Max had gotten Cindy out. She heard it and the pushed Cindy back in and locked it. "Boo, what are you-" "Trust me." She hissed then dropped to the ground right underneath the window. Alec pushed Sam into a dark corner and leaned the guard up against the wall then ran into the corner himself. He saw a man look into the window at Cindy and Rafer and Joshua. Alec prayed Max was hiding. Suddenly a ringing filled the quiet halls. He saw the man reach for his cell and held it up to his ear. "White?" the man replied. Alec sighed. "Without a doubt. That guy never sleeps." Alec whispered to himself. "Fe'nos tol." Ames said next. "Oh great he's talking to his loony friends." Alec commented. Sam smacked his in the arm. "Ow, darn it, gosh, you're as bad as Max." he told her. Sam looked at him like he was stupid.

Alec didn't say anything but put his finger between his lips telling her to be quiet. "Yes, I am glad you thought it went well." Ames replied. Max pressed up against the side of the wall as far as she could so he wouldn't see her. The whole room was dark besides the little bit of light shining in through the window. "Yes, I informed 452 of his disposal, we won't have any problems from that guy again." Ames replied. Max knew instantly they were talking about Logan and had to keep herself from jumping up. "So your ready do you want me to get her?" he asked. Max froze and listened. "Yeah meet me at the back gates in 20 minutes, I'll get her now." Ames replied. "Fe'nos tol." He replied then shut his cell off and walked down the way her came.

Max jumped up and started freeing her friends from their prison. Alec and Sam jumped up as well and ran into the room. "May we hurry it up a little?" Alec asked panically. Max freed Joshua who gave her a big hug in response. As did Cindy and Rafer. Max glanced at Logan's cage and then saw something gleam in it. She slowly walked up to it, reached her hand through the bars and pulled out a necklace. Necklace? Logan didn't wear a necklace, did he? No he didn't. I

t was in the shape of a cross then she flipped it open. A picture of them together was cut out in a heart and engraved on the other side was, Max Guerrera the love of my life always, no matter what may separate us. Max fought to hold her tears in and the lump in her throat grew making it hard for her to smile. Cindy, Rafer, and Joshua knew what she was looking at it and looked down at their feet. Alec frowned as she saw Max, on her knees, let her face fall into her eyes. He could tell she was crying. But he didn't know why. "Where's Logan maybe he can cheer her up with one of his computer jokes." Alec whispered to Cindy. Max, thanks to her super enhanced hearing heard what he said and she cried harder. "Alec you idiot. Logan's dead, that's why she's crying, ya nitwit!" she snapped at him. Alec's eyes widened just as if someone shot Rachel. "How?" he asked. "White." Rafer replied.

Alec's shocked face turned into a glaring face. "When I get my hands on him.." Alec began then looked at Max and stopped. This has to be so hard on her. Alec thought. "We're really screwed now." Alec whispered to Cindy and Rafer as he walked up beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Immediately Max turned around and buried her face in his chest. He looked at Cindy and Joshua helplessly. All they did was watch. Alec sat his chin on her shoulder and rubbed her back soothingly. Soon within a couple of minutes of hearing Max cry, she got up and dried her eyes. Alec also stood up. Max looked at the locket then clipped it around her neck, next to her brother's. "Let's go." She said sternly. "Max are you ok?" Alec asked. "I'm fine." She snapped as soon as the words left his mouth. Alec shook his head yes and followed. "Logan wore a necklace, I never noticed it before." Alec told Cindy. "He probably wore it under his shirt." Cindy suggested. Alec shook his head. "Obviously." He replied then Sam, Alec, Rafer, Joshua, and Cindy followed the expert of escaping.