Title: Rocky Mountain High

A/N: Aaaack!! I'm being attacked by plot bunnies!! Too many ideas all running through my head at once. Okay, so this is a return of Zack story, though it's more centered on the growing Alec/Max relationship. I'm writing this because I already have the last scene written and now I just have to get there. So Zack will be hanging around some, but isn't the focus, sorry. Any insights on his character would be appreciated, since I don't really know too much about him.

A/N2: So much for Switzerland, everything I'm thinking of now seems to be M/A centric. Oh, and Chapter 9 of Mind Games is up, and I should be finishing that shortly, but I just had to start this.

Spoliers: This is post DDA, but before SAH, so Alec has yet to find out about how Max told Logan they were a thing. Mild reference to Mind Games, but I mean, very, very mild.

Disclaimer: I can't believe we all still bother with these. Don't own em, blah.

~*~

"You gotta tell 'im at some point boo. You know if you don't this bitch is just gonna come back to bite yo ass." Cindy told her best friend authoritatively, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. Her chin was struck out in that "Listen to OC, cause she knows what's up," fashion.

Max raised an eyebrow and turned a little in her chair to better see the object of their discussion, Alec, flirting with a petite blonde girl. Max looked back at Cindy, resting her chin in cupped hands, virtually ignoring the mostly full beer resting between her elbows on the table. She sighed. "I know, I'm just waiting for the right time, and hoping that that right time conveniently never shows up."

"Right, like that's gonna work at for ya. How's Logan?"

Her hands dropped to the table, her fingers drumming on the table top and beer mug respectively. "I don't know. Haven't talked to him since the deal with the sewers and Annie."

"And how's Joshua?"

"Confused, angry, with himself as much as anyone. He doesn't think he should have left her. She's all he paints now. So, not good, all in all. Wish I could spend more time with him."

"You can't be doin everything boo. You ain't superwo....."she paused, chuckling slightly. "Well, you ain't completely impervious anyway." Even Max had to smile a little at that.

"So, what are we talking about ladies?" Alec interrupted suddenly, as was his tendency, something Max had become acutely aware of in the last few months. He poured more beer into his glass from the pitcher on the table as he turned one of the chairs around and straddled it. He took a long drink, leaning his forearms against the back of the seat. His eyes were sparkling, and the left side of his mouth quirked up in a grin.

Max rolled her eyes. "None of your business."

"Talking about me again huh? I can't blame you exactly. Max, Max, Max, when are you gonna learn that I'm just not into the kinky threesome thing with you and Log boy. But maybe," he tilted his head and shot Cindy a devilish smirk. Max smacked him upside the head.

Cindy sighed. "Forget it. It'll never happen. And if it did, you wouldn't be doin any more than lookin."

"That could work too." he ducked this time, narrowly avoiding being struck again by Max's open palm. "What?"

Max decided on another tack. "You strike out with the token blonde? I haven't seen you go home with anyone in a couple weeks. You must be losing your touch."

"Not a chance." Alec whipped a napkin from the pocket of his jacket. "Got her number right here." Max just groaned.

"Uh oh," Cindy piped up. "here comes yo boy, and he looks none to pleased." Max quelled the now automatic response of 'Alec is not my boy,' when she realized OC was talking about Logan. Of course, he wasn't her boy either, not now anyway. Logan was making his way through the crowd, heading straight for their table. Max immediately felt her heart rate jump. Logan and Alec together at the same time, neither knowing exactly what was going on. This was not good. She looked pleadingly over at OC.

The pretty black girl just shrugged. "What do you want me to do?" Alec glanced between her and Max quizzically, but kept his mouth shut. "Boo, sometimes there ain't no time but the here and now."

"Huh?" The male X5 managed.

"Never mind," the girls responded together.

Alec held up his hands defensively and went back to his beer, trying his best to ignore Logan's approach. It wasn't that he didn't like the guy, or respect him at least, but whenever he was around and then wasn't Max would go into a funk. And Max in a funk tended to gripe on Alec even more than usual. Not to mention that the pair, with their heartfelt stares, awkward silences, and, in his opinion at least, ridiculous off-again-on-again relationship became a little much to swallow after a while.

Logan finally reached the trio, and Cindy bade a swift farewell. "Hey Logan. I was just leavin. Original Cindy just spotted a sweet little chica on the floor. I'll leave you and yours to yo business. I get the feeling you got a lot to talk about." If looks could kill then OC would ahve been a goner, but thankfully all Max's stare did was hasten her retreat.

"Hey Max," Logan's low, soothing voice sounded even more wistful than usual that night. Max smiled softly and ducked her head. This was definitely not good. Her decidedly nosy and curious ex was sitting on one side of her, and her new, yet to know about the relationship, boyfriend was on the other.

"Hey Logan," Alec said cheerily. "Drink?"

"Alec," Logan's tone toward the other transgenic was clipped and hard, teetering on the brink of open animosity. Alec was mildly surprised. He knew what the computer hacker thought of him, but the greeting was cold, even for him. "And no thanks." Figured, the man never could relax.

Logan sat stiffly, and he ran his fingers through his hair nervously. Then he started plucking at his shirt. Alec's eyes darted between the two of them, narrowing slightly. Something was definitely up, but he sensed it wasn't exactly an open topic for discussion. "Well uh, I think I'll go leave you two to......whatever."

He went to stand, but Logan stopped him. "No, wait Alec. You should hear this too."

Max looked up then, brushing a long strand of dark hair out of her eyes. "What's up? White's not causing more trouble is he? That guy just can't take a hint, can he? What is it this time, nomalies, X series, what?"

"It's not White," Logan told them, shaking his head. "It's about Zack."

Almost immediately any and all awkwardness fled Max's visage. Her eyes turned deadly serious. "What about Zack?" she demanded. "Is he okay? Did someone figure out.....you know?"

"No, no one figured it out. And he's fine, at least as far as we know."

"What do you mean, as far as you know?" Alec leaned forward, his interest piqued.

"He's gone, left, disappeared. Didn't take any of his stuff. I just got the call. They figured we'd want as much warning as possible."

"That's nice of them, considering how not right in the head brother Zack was last time he came for a visit," Alec grunted.

Max stood abruptly, her chair clattering to the floor. "Come on Logan, we've got to get you out of here. Go with Alec. Take the car and head for Joshua's. You should be able to hide out there." She saw Alec about to argue. He wasn't made to run and hide, to lay low during a fight. "Please Alec? Just do this." She squeezed his arm and he nodded reluctantly.

The three of them left the club together, pausing outside the main entrance to finalize plans. Neither Logan nor Alec was far too thrilled about Max being alone with a possibly irrational Zack on the loose. Max went over to her bike, Alec following on her heels. "Look, I'll give you a call once I figure out what's what. Just do me a favor, and keep yourself out of trouble for once."

Alec grabbed her arm before she could ride off. "OH come on, when am I ever in trouble?" Max only rolled her eyes in response. "Okay, so there were a couple of times," he joked. "But in all seriousness Max, don't go after him alone."

"If Zack is in Seattle, I won't have to go looking for him. He'll find me. Don't worry, I'll be all right."

"Hey, I thought that was my line," he grinned. "I'll expect to hear from you in a few hours. You don't check in Max, and I make no promises."

Logan watched the scene from his station beside his car, feeling a small bubble of jealousy rise in his stomach. He wanted to just push Alec aside and let him be the one giving Max grief over being careful. "Stop it,' he chided himself. 'You want Max to be happy. Don't you?' He continued to watch them, feeling awkward, like the third wheel. They weren't even bickering at each other, which was unusual. 'God, but why did it have to be Alec? Anyone but him. Alec was just so......Alec, and so entirely not me.'

Logan shook his head, clearing his head of the mutinous thoughts as Max drove off and Alec returned. Yes, he DID want Max to be happy. And if her being happy meant being with Alec, well then, so be it. "We ready?" Alec nodded mutely.

The two men piled into Logan's car and headed off in the opposite direction Max had taken on the Ninja. They drove along the nearly deserted streets in uncomfortable silence for a long while. Logan kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead, knuckles white from gripping the steering wheel so hard. Alec stared blandly out the window, wishing with every passing block, that he was anywhere but where he was.

Logan was the one who finally broke the stalemate. "You think....you think she'll be okay? Think she can handle Zack?"

"I think Max can handle just about anything. She knows what she's doing."

Logan sighed and readjusted his grip on the wheel. "Take care of her, okay?"

"Huh?"

"Take care of her," Logan repeated.

"Uh, no offense Log, but Max is just about the last person I would attempt to uh 'take care of.'" Alec rolled his eyes. Okay, he knew Logan was protective, but this was ridiculous. Max was a soldier after all, not some helpless damsel in distress. And besides, if he even attempted to do what Logan was asking, he was more likely to get his ass kicked than get a thank you.

"So what then?" Logan felt his temper flare. How could he be so callous about the woman he's supposed to be dating? "Don't you care at all? Does she mean nothing to you?"

Alec squirmed a little. "Of course I care. Max is good people. I don't know. I just, personally, don't see the need for a 24/7 special watch on her. She does know how to take care of herself you know?"

"That's not the point! I never gave up on us, never gave up on her, but I know she needs to be happy. I just want to make sure that someone has her back. And I want to know if that's you. Get my point?" He glanced over at the transgenic beside him.

"No, not really. I mean really, I think you have officially gone off the deep end here. Look, I'm just doing what she asked. I can't exactly ahve her back and look after you at the same time, now can I?" Logan turned his head and opened his mouth to speak again, but Alec interrupted before he could get the words out. "Logan! Watch out!"

His head snapped back to the front, sighting in on the hapless hooded soul that had just stepped in front of the car. Logan slammed his foot to the brakes, but he already knew it was too late. Alec reached across the seats and grabbed the steering wheel, cranking it to the right. The vehicle tires screeched. The right side of Logan's bumper struck a brick wall and the car jolted to a sudden halt. Logan's hands were shaking.

Alec gingerly touched his throbbing forehead. When the car had hit, his head had inadvertently struck the dashboard. That was going to leave a mark. He straightened up and shook his head. "You all right?"

"I'm fine, I think." Logan answered.

Alec's eyes moved to the rear view mirror, half expecting to see a lump of human road kill lain out behind them. There was nothing there. He unbuckled his seatbelt, his senses suddenly on overdrive. The hair at the back of his neck stood on end. He opened the passenger side door and scrambled out, moving quickly to the driver's window. Logan lowered it and peered at him questioningly.

"Doe sit still run?" The computer hacker nodded. "Good. Drive away now, quickly. And don't stop for anything, got it? I'll meet you at dog boy's." Logan nodded, for once deferring to Alec. He backed up the car and drove away, with a crumpled in bumper and minus a hubcap, but basically intact.

He tread lightly out into the middle of the street. The illumination form two street lamps offered little comfort. He kept his fists up, his eyes darting to and from every dark crevice the street section offered. "Where are you?"

"Right here." The older blond transgenic moved out of the shadows behind him. Alec spun to face him.

"I wouldn't even bother going after Logan Zack. It's just not worth it. Max knows you're here, and we both know she'd fight to the death for him."

"well then it's a good thing I didn't come here looking for Logan," Zack told him. Alec was confused and must have looked it, because Zack continued. "I didn't come for Logan, I came for you."

Chapter 1

Well? Like it, hate it? Please review it. I have a few other little twists and turns in mind, but that, sigh, may not happen unless I see interest. (I'd probably write it anyway, I just feel like warning you, lol.