Chapter 6:
Author's Note: I'm sorry this is taking me so long, but it's taking me
time to get my s*** together, considering my computer is being a pain and
not letting me on the net. Grrrr. Anyway, love torturing Alec, it
certainly brightens my day, lol. Have fun reading and don't forget to
review!!
Disclaimer: Lord know I wish I owned em.
A/N2: Did anyone watch that new show "Birds of Prey" with former Dark
Angel caster Ashley Scott?
~*~
"Alec!" Max yelled hopelessly. He was gone, just gone. There was no sign of him at all in the newly turned snow. "Alec!" She screamed again. Everything remained quiet. Max ditched her pack by the entrance to the cave and trudged out into the mouth of the pass. The wind had kicked up again, though not nearly as strong as before, and the icy granules lashed at her face. The snow rose high and she sank down up to her knees in some places. In others she sank up past her waist. It pulled at her, holding her back, sucking down on her feet.
She headed for the spot where Alec had disappeared, or where she thought Alec had disappeared. Her eyes were wide and wild, flicking frantically back and forth over the snow. Her heart pounded against her chest and her hands were sweating in her gloves despite the cold. Never in her life had she been this close to pure, absolute panic. "No, no, no, no, no." She said anxiously. She grunted as she heaved a leg out of the snow. "Not like this. Damn it Alec."
She searched randomly for a few moments, digging sporadically in the powder. After three or four minutes of fruitless searching Max stopped herself. 'Wait,' she scolded herself silently. 'Think, slow down.' She took a deep breath. The avalanche wouldn't have buried him where he fell. It was like a tidal wave, sucking him along in its current. She turned and started down the hill, eyes roaming carefully over the hillside.
Fifteen feet or so down the slope she stopped again. She squinted. The wind was making it difficult to see, but there, ahead of her was something dark protruding upward. She trudged toward it, using her hands to pull herself along. Max stripped her gloves, casting them aside, bare fingers wiping off the object. It was Alec's pack, more than half buried, but it was his. It even smelled like him, like leather. She started to dig.
Her fingers numbed so fast it burned, but she ignored it and plunged her hands deeper. She ignored the wind, the snow, her fear, focusing all her energy into digging. More time passed. Five minutes, ten, she wasn't really sure. Max knew people could survive underneath an avalanche, but for how long? Then her fingertips brushed something. She tried not to let herself become too excited. All the same she dug just a little faster. A boot, Alec's boot. She followed it down, until she dug out his leg and torso too.
Grabbing the front of Alec's jacket she heaved upward, falling back ontop of the snow pack and bringing Alec's still form with her. She rolled him over onto his pack, wiping the ice and snow away from his face. His eyes were closed and his face was pale. His lips were tinged a frigid blue and the skin cracked, blood freezing over the splits. He wasn't breathing. She pressed her fingers into the side of his neck. His pulse was weak, but it was there.
Max wasted no more time. Manticore had been careful to instill in all their kids a basic knowledge of First Aid and field medicine, including CPR. She crouched over Alec, not too hard considering she sank every time she moved. She cupped his chin, tilting his head back. She leaned over, her hair draping them both and made a seal of her mouth over his. She breathed for him, feeling his chest rise beneath her hand. She pulled away after a moment, hoping that he would just suddenly sit up and make some wise ass comment about the whole situation, but he just lay there.
Max bit the inside of her lip. "Come on you stubborn ass. Breathe." She leaned in again. Nothing. Tears pricked her eyes. She leaned in one more time and sat back. His chest rose, slowly at first, then with ever increasing regularity. Max let out her breath with a whoosh. He was still unconscious, but at least he was breathing.
The storm was getting worse. She couldn't see their cave at all, only her innate sense of direction told her where it was. She gripped Alec firmly, half carrying, half dragging Alec back in the direction of the cave. By the time the cave came into sight, the sun had begun to set over the craggy peaks. She was sweating, her teeth gritted. Alec was like a giant anchor. It wasn't until she reached the mouth of the cave and saw her own bag that she realized she had forgotten Alec's pack. She shook her head. She'd go back for it in the morning.
Max pulled Alec carefully into the cave. She shook her head and snow flew from it like dust. She shrugged off her jacket and turned to her friend. His lips were still blue and his face was icy cold. She started fiddling with his jacket, unzipping it and peeling it off him. The soaked garment was doing more harm than good to him now. She threw the coat into one corner of the cave and went for his long sleeved shirt, pulling it off over his head and setting that aside as well. She went for his boots next, then his socks and pants, until he wore nothing more than his boxers and a black wife beater.
The fact that his body was still so cold disturbed her. Max took the bed roll from her pack and laid it out on the floor of the cave. She moved Alec until he was lying on top of it on his side, then covered him with a thin space blanket. Max stripped her sweatshirt and shirt and removed the top layer of her pants, a waterproof shell. She lay down on the bedroll next to him, pressing her back to his chest and draped his arm over her. Hopefully her own body heat could help warm him. She took great comfort in his breath washing over her neck, his heart beating steadily against her back.
She lay there for a few minutes, until the silence began to get to her. She sighed, settling her head on his forearm like a pillow. The story came slowly at first, then with ever increasing ease. "So you wanted to know when I learned to ride a horse? Well fine, I'll tell you. not like you can hear me anyway. It wasn't long after I escaped Manticore the first time."
"I was separated from my brothers and sisters, alone. I wandered for days, keeping low, always moving, just like Zack taught us. I know you don't really like him, but he's saved my life more than once. Anyway, three days after the escape I wandered upon this farm. It was in the middle of nowhere, a little house and a barn. I was so tired, and cold, scared even. I hadn't slept. I figured I could hide out in the barn and get a move on before anyone noticed I was ever there. Yeah well, shark DNA or no I fell asleep, up the hay loft. Next thing I remember two people were standing over me, talking, staring."
Alec's eyes felt heavy. He thought he heard Max's voice. Actually, he did hear Max's voice, but for once she wasn't yelling at him. Everything was dark, and cold, so cold. It felt like the tank at Manticore. He forced himself to slowly open his eyes. He couldn't see clearly at first, but something smelled good, like vanilla. He felt something shift in front of him, something warm, something soft. He suddenly realized that he was staring into the back of Max's neck, her barcode. He considered saying something briefly, but decided against it. She sounded so distant, so reflective, and he was content to just lay where he was and just listen.
"I almost attacked them," Max continued. "But they were older, full of gray hair and kind eyes, and somehow, I just couldn't.."
/ They didn't look dangerous. They talked to me, asked me my name. I didn't answer, Zack always said we shouldn't talk.
The old man offered his hand to the young girl lying in his hay. She looked at it, but rose on her own, fixing him with a dead even stare. He shrugged. "Come on then, let's get you to the house." Max considered for a minute, considered just turning and running away, but she was tired of running. So she followed the old couple inside.
The house was older, warm and inviting. The woman led Max over to the table, offering her a chair. Max gazed up at her before making the decision to sit. She thunked down heavily in the chair, hands in her lap, staring straight ahead. The woman turned to the stove and came back with a plate full of food, biscuits, eggs and sausage. The smells prickled young Max's nose and her mouth watered. "Go ahead dear, eat up." It only took Max a little while to devour the entire plate. The woman smiled slightly and filled her plate again, wiping her hands on her apron when she was done./
"It was almost like the Pulse hadn't happened. Hell, it was almost like the last fifty years hadn't happened. They didn't even have a TV. They never asked anything more than that, never questioned the clothes, the barcode. They fed me, gave me some old clothes of their daughters. They took me in, some kid off the street and treated me better than anyone ever had. I started to relax, get comfortable. They showed me things, radio, music. Ned always took me out to see the animals. I liked the horses the best. I think I practically ate them out of house and home," she chuckled softly. "And they never asked me my name again. Ned and Eileen, those were there names, Ned and Eileen."
/Young Max stood outside the stall, watching the horse inside chew slowly on his hay. She picked at the clothes the older couple had given her. The jeans were a little long and the Green sweatshirt hung off her tiny frame. She stood on her tip toes, leaning her forearms on the top of the stall door. The big animal turned from its hay net and blew a breath out in her face. Startled, Max yanked back, falling into Ned as he passed down the aisle.
He laughed. "That's Samson. Don't worry, he wouldn't hurt a fly. Do you want to feed him an apple?" He removed the shiny piece of fruit from the pocket of his overalls. He held his palm out flat, the apple resting on top. "See, you feed it to him like this. He really likes apples. Do you want to try?" No answer. He was about to give up when he saw the little girl nod her head slowly. His smile widened. He handed her the apple. "Go ahead."
Max approached Samson warily. The big half draft had caught scent of the apple and stuck his head out over the stall, bobbing his head happily, his thick forelock falling down over his eyes. Max held up the apple and Samson leaned down, his big, soft lips brushing the palm of her hand. Max smiled, turning to Ned for approval. His eyes were shiny and she didn't know why. "Yep, just like that."
Slowly, days turned into a week. Max started helping with the barn chores, cleaning out Samson's stall and gathering the eggs from the chicken hutch. Then one day Ned came by as she was spreading fresh bedding for Samson. He had a big, dusty western saddle slung over one arm. "Hey kiddo," he leaned over the stall door. "Snow stopped. I thought we might give Samson a little exercise. Do you want to ride him?" Max grinned broadly, nodding quickly.
Ned showed her how to tack up the horse, tighten the cinch and put the bit in the big horse's mouth. They led him outside, his massive hooves kicking up clouds of snow as he walked. They led him into a tiny, fenced in paddock. Ned gave little Max a boost and she settled quickly into the saddle, gathering up her reins. They couldn't shorten the stirrups enough for them to fit, so she went without. "Just take him around a couple times at the walk," Ned told her. "If you feel alright then you can give him a little nudge and ask him to trot. Hold the horn if you need balance."
Max didn't. After a dew minutes she nudged Samson with her heels, and the big horse obediently moved into the faster pace. She bounced along for a few strides, before instinct and her incredible athleticism kicked in and she settled herself in the tack. She went along happily until Ned called for her to stop. She rode over to him, grinning happily, her cheeks rosy from the cold. Ned nodded, "You look like you were born to that." She looked at him long and hard for a long time.
"Max," she said softly. "My name is Max."
Another week passed. She rode Samson almost every day. She talked a little too, at first only a few words. By the end of the second week she would have short conversations with Ned and Eileen, and when no one was around, she told Samson about her brothers and sisters./
Max shook her head. "I should have left the first time I got the chance, but I stayed. I shouldn't have let myself get so comfortable. It was my mistake, and Ned and Eileen had to pay for it."
/Max rarely slept, and when she did it was light and only for a couple hours. Still, that particular night when her eyes flew open, something just felt wrong. She rose from the bed Ned and Eileen had given her, quickly tugging on jeans and a T-shirt. She grabbed her jacket from the door handle and padded silently down the hall and down the stairs. She pulled on her boots and headed out into the night. She could smell something, like something was burning. She moved faster.
The barn was ablaze. High flames shot from the roof, licking at the black sky. Max's superior eyes let her see figures moving in from the woods to circle the house. Her heartbeat doubled. Manticore. And there in the lead, was the man Lydecker. She heard something collapse in the barn. Samson. She started running for the doors, but it was too late. The big horse screamed in terror, just before the roof caved in. None of the animals had a chance. Max stopped dead. Hands fisted by her side she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
She turned back for the house, but the gunfire from inside the building stopped her. Soldiers streamed out the front door and headed for her. SO Max did the only thing she could. She fled./
"I was always running after that. Always Manticore. Always Lydecker." The transgenics voice was quiet.
Alec shifted slightly. "Max?" He felt her stiffen beside him. She rolled away from him quickly, suddenly uncomfortable with the very intimate position they had been in. She tugged her shirt back on and crouched, facing Alec. The old, bad memories left again, and she grinned.
"Alec!" She cried, resisting the somewhat sudden urge she had to hug him. "How do you feel?"
"I'm freezing and my space heater just ditched me," he joked. He sat up, keeping the blanket over his shoulders. Max rolled her eyes and moved back, sitting beside him. She settled down near his shoulder, resting her head against him and was surprised at just how comfortable it felt.
"How are you really?"
Alec flexed carefully. He was stiff as hell and sore, but nothing seemed terribly damaged. He shrugged. "I'm all right I suppose. Considering I just got nailed by an avalanche that is." Max promptly punched his shoulder. "hey! What was that for?""
"You scared the crap out of me! Asshole!" She went to smack him again, but he caught her arm. She sighed. His hands were still half frozen. She took his hand in her own and began to rub. Alec was surprised at the gesture, but didn't comment. Instead he rested his chin on top of her head, breathing her scent in deeply.
"You were scared?" The thought for some reason pleased him to no end, and he was glad she couldn't see him smirking.
"Yes," she said simply. She brought his hand closer to her lips, blowing soft currents of warm air over the skin. Alec swallowed heavily. Her lips brushed the blistered skin of his fingertips. She looked up at him, barely realizing his face was mere inches from her own. "I don't want to lose you."
His heart jumped. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. He took his hand from hers and gently touched her cheek. "Say that again," he asked.
"I don't want to lose you," she said deeply. Max leaned in, her lips pressing into his, and suddenly the words didn't seem quite so important.
Chapter 6
Hope you liked it. Please review if you did. I'm new to this whole romance writing thing, so feedback is appreciated. Oh, and to the reviewer who asked, yes it is possible to get clipped by a horse and be okay. It hurts like hell and you wind up with an amazing bruise, but it is possible to walk away, trust me. Oh, and I hope no one minds this little detour I took with Max's life. I din't watch much of season 1, so I don't know. Thanks.
~*~
"Alec!" Max yelled hopelessly. He was gone, just gone. There was no sign of him at all in the newly turned snow. "Alec!" She screamed again. Everything remained quiet. Max ditched her pack by the entrance to the cave and trudged out into the mouth of the pass. The wind had kicked up again, though not nearly as strong as before, and the icy granules lashed at her face. The snow rose high and she sank down up to her knees in some places. In others she sank up past her waist. It pulled at her, holding her back, sucking down on her feet.
She headed for the spot where Alec had disappeared, or where she thought Alec had disappeared. Her eyes were wide and wild, flicking frantically back and forth over the snow. Her heart pounded against her chest and her hands were sweating in her gloves despite the cold. Never in her life had she been this close to pure, absolute panic. "No, no, no, no, no." She said anxiously. She grunted as she heaved a leg out of the snow. "Not like this. Damn it Alec."
She searched randomly for a few moments, digging sporadically in the powder. After three or four minutes of fruitless searching Max stopped herself. 'Wait,' she scolded herself silently. 'Think, slow down.' She took a deep breath. The avalanche wouldn't have buried him where he fell. It was like a tidal wave, sucking him along in its current. She turned and started down the hill, eyes roaming carefully over the hillside.
Fifteen feet or so down the slope she stopped again. She squinted. The wind was making it difficult to see, but there, ahead of her was something dark protruding upward. She trudged toward it, using her hands to pull herself along. Max stripped her gloves, casting them aside, bare fingers wiping off the object. It was Alec's pack, more than half buried, but it was his. It even smelled like him, like leather. She started to dig.
Her fingers numbed so fast it burned, but she ignored it and plunged her hands deeper. She ignored the wind, the snow, her fear, focusing all her energy into digging. More time passed. Five minutes, ten, she wasn't really sure. Max knew people could survive underneath an avalanche, but for how long? Then her fingertips brushed something. She tried not to let herself become too excited. All the same she dug just a little faster. A boot, Alec's boot. She followed it down, until she dug out his leg and torso too.
Grabbing the front of Alec's jacket she heaved upward, falling back ontop of the snow pack and bringing Alec's still form with her. She rolled him over onto his pack, wiping the ice and snow away from his face. His eyes were closed and his face was pale. His lips were tinged a frigid blue and the skin cracked, blood freezing over the splits. He wasn't breathing. She pressed her fingers into the side of his neck. His pulse was weak, but it was there.
Max wasted no more time. Manticore had been careful to instill in all their kids a basic knowledge of First Aid and field medicine, including CPR. She crouched over Alec, not too hard considering she sank every time she moved. She cupped his chin, tilting his head back. She leaned over, her hair draping them both and made a seal of her mouth over his. She breathed for him, feeling his chest rise beneath her hand. She pulled away after a moment, hoping that he would just suddenly sit up and make some wise ass comment about the whole situation, but he just lay there.
Max bit the inside of her lip. "Come on you stubborn ass. Breathe." She leaned in again. Nothing. Tears pricked her eyes. She leaned in one more time and sat back. His chest rose, slowly at first, then with ever increasing regularity. Max let out her breath with a whoosh. He was still unconscious, but at least he was breathing.
The storm was getting worse. She couldn't see their cave at all, only her innate sense of direction told her where it was. She gripped Alec firmly, half carrying, half dragging Alec back in the direction of the cave. By the time the cave came into sight, the sun had begun to set over the craggy peaks. She was sweating, her teeth gritted. Alec was like a giant anchor. It wasn't until she reached the mouth of the cave and saw her own bag that she realized she had forgotten Alec's pack. She shook her head. She'd go back for it in the morning.
Max pulled Alec carefully into the cave. She shook her head and snow flew from it like dust. She shrugged off her jacket and turned to her friend. His lips were still blue and his face was icy cold. She started fiddling with his jacket, unzipping it and peeling it off him. The soaked garment was doing more harm than good to him now. She threw the coat into one corner of the cave and went for his long sleeved shirt, pulling it off over his head and setting that aside as well. She went for his boots next, then his socks and pants, until he wore nothing more than his boxers and a black wife beater.
The fact that his body was still so cold disturbed her. Max took the bed roll from her pack and laid it out on the floor of the cave. She moved Alec until he was lying on top of it on his side, then covered him with a thin space blanket. Max stripped her sweatshirt and shirt and removed the top layer of her pants, a waterproof shell. She lay down on the bedroll next to him, pressing her back to his chest and draped his arm over her. Hopefully her own body heat could help warm him. She took great comfort in his breath washing over her neck, his heart beating steadily against her back.
She lay there for a few minutes, until the silence began to get to her. She sighed, settling her head on his forearm like a pillow. The story came slowly at first, then with ever increasing ease. "So you wanted to know when I learned to ride a horse? Well fine, I'll tell you. not like you can hear me anyway. It wasn't long after I escaped Manticore the first time."
"I was separated from my brothers and sisters, alone. I wandered for days, keeping low, always moving, just like Zack taught us. I know you don't really like him, but he's saved my life more than once. Anyway, three days after the escape I wandered upon this farm. It was in the middle of nowhere, a little house and a barn. I was so tired, and cold, scared even. I hadn't slept. I figured I could hide out in the barn and get a move on before anyone noticed I was ever there. Yeah well, shark DNA or no I fell asleep, up the hay loft. Next thing I remember two people were standing over me, talking, staring."
Alec's eyes felt heavy. He thought he heard Max's voice. Actually, he did hear Max's voice, but for once she wasn't yelling at him. Everything was dark, and cold, so cold. It felt like the tank at Manticore. He forced himself to slowly open his eyes. He couldn't see clearly at first, but something smelled good, like vanilla. He felt something shift in front of him, something warm, something soft. He suddenly realized that he was staring into the back of Max's neck, her barcode. He considered saying something briefly, but decided against it. She sounded so distant, so reflective, and he was content to just lay where he was and just listen.
"I almost attacked them," Max continued. "But they were older, full of gray hair and kind eyes, and somehow, I just couldn't.."
/ They didn't look dangerous. They talked to me, asked me my name. I didn't answer, Zack always said we shouldn't talk.
The old man offered his hand to the young girl lying in his hay. She looked at it, but rose on her own, fixing him with a dead even stare. He shrugged. "Come on then, let's get you to the house." Max considered for a minute, considered just turning and running away, but she was tired of running. So she followed the old couple inside.
The house was older, warm and inviting. The woman led Max over to the table, offering her a chair. Max gazed up at her before making the decision to sit. She thunked down heavily in the chair, hands in her lap, staring straight ahead. The woman turned to the stove and came back with a plate full of food, biscuits, eggs and sausage. The smells prickled young Max's nose and her mouth watered. "Go ahead dear, eat up." It only took Max a little while to devour the entire plate. The woman smiled slightly and filled her plate again, wiping her hands on her apron when she was done./
"It was almost like the Pulse hadn't happened. Hell, it was almost like the last fifty years hadn't happened. They didn't even have a TV. They never asked anything more than that, never questioned the clothes, the barcode. They fed me, gave me some old clothes of their daughters. They took me in, some kid off the street and treated me better than anyone ever had. I started to relax, get comfortable. They showed me things, radio, music. Ned always took me out to see the animals. I liked the horses the best. I think I practically ate them out of house and home," she chuckled softly. "And they never asked me my name again. Ned and Eileen, those were there names, Ned and Eileen."
/Young Max stood outside the stall, watching the horse inside chew slowly on his hay. She picked at the clothes the older couple had given her. The jeans were a little long and the Green sweatshirt hung off her tiny frame. She stood on her tip toes, leaning her forearms on the top of the stall door. The big animal turned from its hay net and blew a breath out in her face. Startled, Max yanked back, falling into Ned as he passed down the aisle.
He laughed. "That's Samson. Don't worry, he wouldn't hurt a fly. Do you want to feed him an apple?" He removed the shiny piece of fruit from the pocket of his overalls. He held his palm out flat, the apple resting on top. "See, you feed it to him like this. He really likes apples. Do you want to try?" No answer. He was about to give up when he saw the little girl nod her head slowly. His smile widened. He handed her the apple. "Go ahead."
Max approached Samson warily. The big half draft had caught scent of the apple and stuck his head out over the stall, bobbing his head happily, his thick forelock falling down over his eyes. Max held up the apple and Samson leaned down, his big, soft lips brushing the palm of her hand. Max smiled, turning to Ned for approval. His eyes were shiny and she didn't know why. "Yep, just like that."
Slowly, days turned into a week. Max started helping with the barn chores, cleaning out Samson's stall and gathering the eggs from the chicken hutch. Then one day Ned came by as she was spreading fresh bedding for Samson. He had a big, dusty western saddle slung over one arm. "Hey kiddo," he leaned over the stall door. "Snow stopped. I thought we might give Samson a little exercise. Do you want to ride him?" Max grinned broadly, nodding quickly.
Ned showed her how to tack up the horse, tighten the cinch and put the bit in the big horse's mouth. They led him outside, his massive hooves kicking up clouds of snow as he walked. They led him into a tiny, fenced in paddock. Ned gave little Max a boost and she settled quickly into the saddle, gathering up her reins. They couldn't shorten the stirrups enough for them to fit, so she went without. "Just take him around a couple times at the walk," Ned told her. "If you feel alright then you can give him a little nudge and ask him to trot. Hold the horn if you need balance."
Max didn't. After a dew minutes she nudged Samson with her heels, and the big horse obediently moved into the faster pace. She bounced along for a few strides, before instinct and her incredible athleticism kicked in and she settled herself in the tack. She went along happily until Ned called for her to stop. She rode over to him, grinning happily, her cheeks rosy from the cold. Ned nodded, "You look like you were born to that." She looked at him long and hard for a long time.
"Max," she said softly. "My name is Max."
Another week passed. She rode Samson almost every day. She talked a little too, at first only a few words. By the end of the second week she would have short conversations with Ned and Eileen, and when no one was around, she told Samson about her brothers and sisters./
Max shook her head. "I should have left the first time I got the chance, but I stayed. I shouldn't have let myself get so comfortable. It was my mistake, and Ned and Eileen had to pay for it."
/Max rarely slept, and when she did it was light and only for a couple hours. Still, that particular night when her eyes flew open, something just felt wrong. She rose from the bed Ned and Eileen had given her, quickly tugging on jeans and a T-shirt. She grabbed her jacket from the door handle and padded silently down the hall and down the stairs. She pulled on her boots and headed out into the night. She could smell something, like something was burning. She moved faster.
The barn was ablaze. High flames shot from the roof, licking at the black sky. Max's superior eyes let her see figures moving in from the woods to circle the house. Her heartbeat doubled. Manticore. And there in the lead, was the man Lydecker. She heard something collapse in the barn. Samson. She started running for the doors, but it was too late. The big horse screamed in terror, just before the roof caved in. None of the animals had a chance. Max stopped dead. Hands fisted by her side she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
She turned back for the house, but the gunfire from inside the building stopped her. Soldiers streamed out the front door and headed for her. SO Max did the only thing she could. She fled./
"I was always running after that. Always Manticore. Always Lydecker." The transgenics voice was quiet.
Alec shifted slightly. "Max?" He felt her stiffen beside him. She rolled away from him quickly, suddenly uncomfortable with the very intimate position they had been in. She tugged her shirt back on and crouched, facing Alec. The old, bad memories left again, and she grinned.
"Alec!" She cried, resisting the somewhat sudden urge she had to hug him. "How do you feel?"
"I'm freezing and my space heater just ditched me," he joked. He sat up, keeping the blanket over his shoulders. Max rolled her eyes and moved back, sitting beside him. She settled down near his shoulder, resting her head against him and was surprised at just how comfortable it felt.
"How are you really?"
Alec flexed carefully. He was stiff as hell and sore, but nothing seemed terribly damaged. He shrugged. "I'm all right I suppose. Considering I just got nailed by an avalanche that is." Max promptly punched his shoulder. "hey! What was that for?""
"You scared the crap out of me! Asshole!" She went to smack him again, but he caught her arm. She sighed. His hands were still half frozen. She took his hand in her own and began to rub. Alec was surprised at the gesture, but didn't comment. Instead he rested his chin on top of her head, breathing her scent in deeply.
"You were scared?" The thought for some reason pleased him to no end, and he was glad she couldn't see him smirking.
"Yes," she said simply. She brought his hand closer to her lips, blowing soft currents of warm air over the skin. Alec swallowed heavily. Her lips brushed the blistered skin of his fingertips. She looked up at him, barely realizing his face was mere inches from her own. "I don't want to lose you."
His heart jumped. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. He took his hand from hers and gently touched her cheek. "Say that again," he asked.
"I don't want to lose you," she said deeply. Max leaned in, her lips pressing into his, and suddenly the words didn't seem quite so important.
Chapter 6
Hope you liked it. Please review if you did. I'm new to this whole romance writing thing, so feedback is appreciated. Oh, and to the reviewer who asked, yes it is possible to get clipped by a horse and be okay. It hurts like hell and you wind up with an amazing bruise, but it is possible to walk away, trust me. Oh, and I hope no one minds this little detour I took with Max's life. I din't watch much of season 1, so I don't know. Thanks.
