What the hell is happening he thought as he watched Jade give her orders to the X's. He looked over at Blake but he was watching Jade, Max had a look of shock on her face but he didn't know whether that was just from seeing Jade again or from watching the transgenics. He heard her asking Conner if she looked old enough to me called ma'am and Conner's reply had been enough to snap him out of his stupor, a feeling of protectiveness running through him. She had turned around and looked at him, she looked slightly embarrassed he thought. He stared at her for a moment then told Max to continue with the meeting. He watched as Max visibly recollected her thoughts and watched Jade walk over to the side of room, leaning against the wall to listen. He looked again at Max but then realized that even though she was opening and closing her mouth, there was no sound coming out, so he decided to continue the meeting.

"Well people, we have Intel that tells us that the Familiars will be coming to attack us soon. We need to start up all our training again and we need to start training the younger kids," he had seen Max's eyes immediately fly to his at that sentence but waved her silent. He knew that she was going to argue with him but then Blake put his arm on her shoulder and whispered something. She immediately stiffened and remained quiet. He continued, "I don't want for them to fight but they are going to have to learn how to protect themselves in case something happens to us." He glanced over at Max and she nodded. "We are going to start the program today, Dix and Luke have compiled the lists of people with similar abilities and you will be training together. Some of you will have been assigned to watch the kids but that job is on a rotational basis so everyone can teach the kids what they know, that way they will have all the specialties down. Any questions?" There were none so he said, "OK, meeting is over, go to Luke and Dix, they have the lists ready."

He watched them wander over to see what groups they were in then turned to find Jade standing behind him.

"Hey," she said, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Hey," he replied. They just stood there for a while, each not knowing what to say to the other. He heard a cough behind him and saw Max and Blake standing there. Max looked at Jade and said, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"It's a free country," Jade replied.

"Alone?" Max said.

Jade looked at her for a second, contemplating whether she should draw this out for longer or to take pity on the girl. The second option won, "Yeah sure."

Alec and Blake watched as they walked off. "I really don't want to be Max now," Blake said.

"Neither would I," Alec said, running his hand through his hair. "Neither would I. So what did you say to Max before?"

"Oh I just told her that arguing with the CO in front of the others is like disobeying a direct order."

"Max has never had a problem with disobeying orders before."

Blake laughed, "Yeah, I kinda got that idea. She's starting to understand though, sort of."

"Yeah, sort of," Alec snorted. "So you wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?"

"Well, Jade kind of lied when she said that I was her CO."

"What do mean kind of lied?" Alec said suspiciously.

"Well, the thing is she's kinda well...she's my CO."

"She's what?!" Alec said in astonishment.

"She's my CO," Blake said, slowly and clearly just to piss Alec off.

Alec glared at him and he smiled. "So, you aren't the leader of the other compound, she is?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Why didn't she ever tell me?" he burst out.

"Well you never asked," Blake shrugged.

Alec looked at him, oh if looks could kill Blake thought to himself grinning. "Anyway," he continued, "you're in charge here so it doesn't really matter does it?"

"No, it does matter. I want to know why no one else bothered to tell me that you weren't CO."

"Because it was a direct order from my baby sister that no one tells."

"So they all knew that she was here?" he asked.

"No, they didn't. I gave the order."

"So what are you? Her second?" Alec said, looking at Blake.

"Yeah I am, just like Biggs is yours right?"

"Yeah, he is." Alec smiled, he remembered seeing the look on Bigg's face when Jade had walked in, oh it was hilarious.

. .

"So..are you going to say something or just look at me?" Jade asked, slightly amused.

Max opened her mouth but nothing came out. She tried again but the same thing happened. Jade looked at her, trying to keep the smile off her face. "I'm kinda sick of the name Stacy now so I think that I'll go back to Jade, what do you think?" she asked her innocently.

Max's mouth dropped open again and her breathing suddenly got very rapid when she saw the look in Jade's eyes. Jade looked at her, wondering why she was hyperventilating. Finally she couldn't take it take anymore and burst out laughing.

"Max, sweetie, do you remember how to breathe normally? It's simple, in and out, in and out," she said, in mock concern. Then started laughing again at the look of indignation of Max's face. Max opened her mouth to reply but Jade pinned her gaze again and she found that she couldn't stare back at her. She forced herself to look up again but then found that she couldn't draw her eyes away from Jade's. Jade finally released her gaze on Max and she found that she could breathe properly again. She just stood there looking at her.

"So..what have you got planned for my units?" she asked.

"YOUR units?!" Max finally stammered.

"Yeah, my units," Jade repeated coldly.

"I ..well. I ..um," Max started,. "Jade, I just wanna explain first..."

"I know that it wasn't your fault Max, you can't control your heat. But that doesn't mean that I have to forgive you for what you did alright?" Jade said.

"Yeah, OK," Max said. "It was a stupid thing to do and .."

"I don't want to hear about it. I'm just saying now that if you do anything to hurt Blake you are gonna wish that you never met me. Understand?" she said, her eyes flashing.

Max gulped and nodded. She didn't understand it, why couldn't she even talk to Jade without freaking out. She knew that it had nothing to do with what had happened with Alec, it was pretty obvious that Jade had put it behind her but...she just couldn't argue with her. She shook her head, usually she could argue with anyone. Then Cece's words came into her head. "It's in our instincts Max, have you ever got the feeling that you were intimidated by some one even though you didn't know them, or you felt like you had to do something just because they told you to? Well that's your instincts coming into play." Omigod Max thought, that means that Jade is alpha to me. She moved uncomfortably, Cece had also told her that she was alpha female here, but now what was going to happen.

Jade watched Max as she seemed to go into her own world. "Hello, is anyone is there?" she asked, waving her hand in front of Max's eyes.

Max shook herself and found herself blushing at Jade's expression. "Well now we have that sorted how about we go train huh?" Jade said.

"Yeah ok," Max replied.

"Like I said before Max, you and Alec are in charge here so you do what you think is right ok? But if you put my units in unnecessary danger, you answer to me."

Max nodded, she wouldn't know what to do anyway, Alec usually organized the raids and stuff, she spotted Logan coming towards her and groaned quietly.

Jade looked over at her in surprise, Max looked back in desperation. Jade grinned and whispered, "I'll send Blake." Then walked off towards the guys.

"Hey Logan," Max said, tiredly.

"Hey Max, so what is happening here huh?" he said angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked, genuinely confused.

"Well for starters what is happening with you and that Blake guy. Secondly, why the hell is Alec telling them what to do? You are the one is charge here, not Alec. The runes on your body say that. Why is Alec saying that you have to start training again anyway, and why are the kids going to be trained. They don't need this, they just have to learn how to be normal."

"Logan!" Max cut in. "Alec is in charge here because they are used to taking orders form him. They won't listen to me because all I am to them is a rogue. I left them and they were punished for my actions. Don't say anything," she said when she saw that he was going to argue with her. "The runes on my body? The new ones don't say anything much, just that it is my blood that has something to do with the coming and they don't say anything about me being in charge. The kids are going to be trained because they aren't just kids Logan, they are soldiers and they will be treated like soldiers. They have to learn how to protect themselves. Weren't you listening to anything that Alec was saying?"

"Yeah but he is just such an idiot I didn't think that anyone else was going to listen either."

"He's not an idiot, you old bafoon," someone said behind them. They turned to face Jade and Blake. Max was trying to keep the smile off her face and Logan was sputtering in anger. "At least Alec is smart enough to know when he's not wanted," Jade continued, looking pointedly at Logan.

"I am wanted here," he said indignantly.

"Yeah uh huh," Jade said, the look on her face complementing the sarcasm in her voice.

"You do need me, you need me to do the hacking and my contacts," Logan said hotly, "tell them Max." he looked over at her.

Max looked at Logan, then back to Jade and Blake. She looked at Logan again and opened her mouth when Blake cut in. "Save it Max. We don't want to hear it." Max looked at him in shock, he just stared back, no emotion showing on his face. "Let's go Jade," he led her by the arm and they went off, leaving Max to look after them forlornly. Logan on the other hand was enjoying his victory, he leaned over to Max when she pulled away from him.

"Max!" he said.

"I have to go Logan," she said and ran off after them.

He stared after her angrily, she had never answered his question about Blake.

A/N: sorry guys, my computer crashed and it took my files with it. This was the last chapter that I could find so im gonna have to go write the other ones again. Sorry.