Dsiclaimer

Part 16

"Hey Alec. What are you doing here? I thought you were with Max," Jondy asked as she fell in step with him, he was heading towards the infirmary, a glazed and impenetrable look in his eye. His limp was gone but Jondy knew from experience that his leg was still painful and the stubborn idiot was masking his hurt along with everything else.

"I was. She's taking a shower and I figured she'd need to change her bandages when she came out. I was going to ask Creek for some," he explained in monotone, his voice distant as if he was deep in thought.

'Not a bad excuse for making it up on the spot' Jondy mused 'What has that girl done now?'

"I'll go and help her. You go find Creek so he can check that leg of yours, it seems your bandages need changing too," Alec looked down to see his denim covered thigh stained with blood. When he looked back at Jondy she was gone leaving him to scratch his head on where she might have disappeared to.

**********

By the time Max came out of the shower Alec was gone. In his place was a certain blue-eyed X5 she knew well that was staring at her with an annoyed expression upon her brow and a slight frown to her lips as she waited expectantly for an explanation. For a second Jondy let the thought that perhaps Alec hadn't lied flutter through her mind but she dismissed the thoughts focusing instead on her sister.

The blue robe she had on felt soft against her skin, smooth and soothing. Her hair was pinned up, still wet from the shower. Her bandages had soaked during it and the two sisters' eyes met in silent understanding of this, "C'mon let's change those."

Max shed the robe without question and stood straight lifting her arms to allow Jondy to unwind the gauze. Neither X5 had any problem with her nudity and their conversation continued unaffected apart from one or two hisses escaped from Max.

"Wanna tell me why you strive so hard to be unhappy?" began Jondy, not one to beat around the bush. Max clenched her teeth as her sister softly padded the skin around her wound to dry it. The bullet wound in her side was healing quickly, the skin had clotted and closed rapidly even for an X-series. The swelling on her shoulder was almost completely gone and her collarbone wasn't as sore but she knew she'd have to take it easier for at least a few days.

Her eyes shifted, unable to keep with the solid gaze that Jondy held on her, "I don't. It just happens, born talent," she ground out and Jondy didn't miss the self-loathing in her voice.

Tightening the bandage around her middle, maybe a bit too harshly, she began wrapping it around her sister's midsection, "I didn't care what rank you were at Manticore and I very well don't care what alpha rating you hold now. You listen to me and you listen good cause somebody needs to straighten you out once and for all."

Passing Max her robe Jondy pushed her down firmly but gently until she was sitting down at the foot of the bed, "You are so caught up in your own drama that you can't see a good thing when it comes and bites you in the friggin' ass!" she fumed pointing an accusing finger in Max's face, "You're 20 years old Maxie! It's nearly been 4 years you need to let it go!"

Max's eyes swirled with anger and pain and turning stormy they met the other girl with fury that was matched as they stared each other down into submission, "You can't possibly tell me to let it go because you don't know how I feel!" she bit back face to face, brown against blue.

"He loved you! He loved all of us! You didn't lose out all by yourself you know," she spat out, "We all lost him!" she pleaded with her sister to understand, trying to shake her into realization of what not even Jondy was sure.

"You don't think that eats at me?! You don't think I blame myself even more for that?! It was all my fault Jondy. Sure it wasn't me who bet him, bruised him, and broke every bone in his body. I DIDN'T CUT INTO HIM PERSONALLY OR TORTURED HIM TO DEATH!!!" she yelled her voice rising with every word until she was basically screaming, "But it all happened because of me Jon! I was the reason they hurt him," Max's voice broke and came out as a whimpered sob, "You lost him because of me. And you know what they did after I got out of Psy-ops 4 months later? After I lost control? They put salt in the freaking wound!"

The sound of rolling thunder interrupted and a flash of light lit both their eyes revealing deeper emotion.

"You shoved it up their ass Maxie! They wanted to make you failure, an example of a weak soldier but you fucking shoved it up their ass. You cannot eat their bullshit about clearing your record because of Sandeman! Manticore kept you cause you were one of the best and you know it," the paler X5 argued back holding her sister by the top of her arms careful of the one that had been immobilized to keep her broken bone still.

And Max turned tail and ran out the door, down the stairs and barefoot into the streets of Terminal City not even knowing herself to where she was heading. Jondy closed her eyes releasing a tired sigh, "You never ran before Max. Why are you doing it now?" she asked the empty room.

*********

OC had listened, without interrupting, to Asha's story; to everything she felt and had revealed and now the blonde had cried every single tear out of herself so much that she didn't even have the strength to sniffle anymore.

"Gurl listen to OC cause she understands how you feel but lemme break it down for ya. When our boy came back he went straight for your place, that says somethin', Original Cindy's almost jealous boo," this drew a soft smile from the blonde before it vanished as quickly as it had come, "But seeing you wrapped in someone else's arms cut him deep you can't lie to yourself bout that. Alec isn't gonna care you sent that boy packin' now, he isn't gonna forget and forgive cause you betrayed him in a sense. Don't get OC wrong you haven't lost him as a friend . . . but anything more than that has flown away . . . well even if you'd become that and none of this had happened between ya'all Original Cindy still thinks it wouldnta lasted."

Asha took a deep breath calming herself down and scrubbed at her sticky tear tracked cheeks again as she listened to Cindy, "He's with his own for the first time in more than a decade. You saw how he was round Cyd and them, he was the happiest you ever seen. There's a difference 'tween his unit and the others though. He doesn't see Max as family, he sees her like a boy sees a girl but Original Cindy don't think even he is clued in on dat."

******

It had been a short battle with himself on whether he was gonna go and get re-bandaged or not and NOT had won. He wanted to be alone and the last thing he needed was to be around anyone that knew about Max, much less someone from her unit.

Not even a step in the opposite direction he found his way blocked by an X6 he'd seen before. The boy was grinning as a soft breeze tufted his curly blonde hair into different directions. Alec stared at him wearily, unconvinced at the innocence of that smile, having worn it countless times himself, Alec sidestepped biting his tongue not to flinch at the pain that gripped his leg.

Before he could move forward and continue on his path a girl popped in front of him blocking his path. Another X6 wearing the same impish smile and Alec was beginning to not like what was happening. He didn't even have to move again before another moved in front of him out of nowhere.

Face after face appeared in front of him until he was fully surrounded by grinning, curious trangsenics. And annoying if you asked him. But no one did ask they merely began walking towards the infirmary building and he was forced to walk in the same direction.

Alec wasn't an idiot, no doubt they'd noticed his bleeding leg but he also knew there were other reasons for this . . . escort. Always the stubborn one he refused to limp, gasp or flinch in the slightest as he strode. He caught the girls watching him impressed and admiringly, forcing him to bury a grin as the boys puffed out their chest almost challengingly in jealousy.

The unanimous sound of feet on the linoleum resembled marching and Alec purposely quickly fell out of time. Creek watched him from the other side of the room and with a knowing sad smile his gaze met the other man, understanding at his actions.

"I guess there's no difference between '09 escapees and the ones who stayed behind. We're all stubborn sons of bitches," the dark haired man told him nodding to the leg stained in red. Alec matched his smirk but he didn't move from his position as he appraised the other X5. Noting he was taller Alec quickly banished the thought as far too petty. Creek had done nothing to him, there was no need to be hostile.

His shoulders rolled as he stretched them and though he stayed upright and stiff Creek noticed him relax and calm himself, "Any reason why you sent your little hush puppies to fetch me?"

Creek's burst of laughter raised Alec's eyebrow as the two men ignored the bristled X6's, "Hey they're not my 'hush puppies'," the darker X5 defended, "They're Max's little evil doers. But I did send them to fetch you cause you've torn the stitching to your leg."

Mole's rasp turned everyone's head towards him, "Well what do you expect he's an '09."

Meeting in unvoiced animosity the two transgenics stared the other down. Alec didn't back down from the challenge; boring holes in the other's head with no sign of stopping. Creek shook his head annoyed at the transhuman but as he opened his mouth to speak something he'd never thought would happen in a million years happened. Mole looked away.

Placing his rifle down the lizard man took a puff out of his cigar as he sat down in a chair. Alec didn't grin or taunt merely shifted his eyes to the other X5, Creek suddenly understanding the reason for Mole backing down. The fire within those eyes was frightening and it could challenge Max's stare any day.

The jingling of a belt buckle broke the silence and Alec's pants fell pooling at his ankles leaving him in boxers quickly followed by the sound of soft padded feet as all the X6's, spare the first he'd seen, left the room.

Not wasting a second Creek crouched down taking a proper look at the wound. All the stitches had broken tearing it open. Blood trickled down his clenched thigh and past his knee to his calf, "I'm gonna have to cauterize it Alec. Think good thoughts."

Alec didn't budge, didn't even blink moving his gaze to the blonde X6 all of a sudden remembering who he was. He was the one that had burst into command; he'd been on the mission with Max. Apion.

Snapping out the blade Creek passed it over the lighter making it glow red-hot as Alec stared at Apion, the incandescent metal reflecting in a quick flash. There was no hatred in his eyes, no fear or pain, nothing but remembrance as he focused his attention on the boy to keep his mind from wandering and thinking about the oncoming sting.

Blade touched skin, thunder rumbling in the distance followed by a flash of lightning as the sizzling sound and bitter smell of burning flesh rose in the room. The only sign that Alec had felt the touch was the gasp his lungs made as he inhaled quickly holding his breath. No one dared break the silence that had enveloped the room leaving only dying hiss of hot against flesh and the tit tattering of rain as it began falling and hitting the windows.

Apion's eyes searched anything to focus on, anything but the naked stare of the man that had fallen into the web of Max, the web no man seemed to be able to escape. It was only then that Alec realized the younger boy's discomfort and he turned away as by mere coincidence Creek finished tending to his leg.

He pulled his pants back up and re tied the belt, "If the staring contests are done I'm leaving."

The sound of the door slamming shut brought a smile to Mole's scaly lips and nodding he muttered through his cigar, "Our Maxie's got herself a contender. He's alright by me."

Creek snorted, "What, he was man enough in the face of pain so he's alright by you to bang it with her?" Mole smiled, Creek almost sounded disturbed.

"Transgenic enough in the face of pain," Mole corrected, "And no, that isn't the only reason why. He's got enough balls to deal with her, emotionally and physically."

Creek shook his head with a chuckle, "I guess we'll see."

*******

Standing outside Alec breathed a sigh of relief, his leg was on fire, it felt like some higher power was wringing the life out of it, squeezing out every last drop. Only then did he become aware of the rain, felt it's soothing cold fingers wash over him and cool the heat of his leg, calmed his quickened pulse as he took a deep breath trying to purge Max from his thoughts.

Closing his eyes he breathed again trying everything to get her off his mind Pizza . . . Max and me having pizza . . . nope . . . mud . . . yeah mud's good; mud, mud, mud . . . Max and mud . . . oh god, back track Alec do NOT go there Snapping his eyes open to stop the flashing images he caught sight of a flicker of movement, the rain and quick sweeping nightfall blurring his vision.

And then he saw it again a flash of blue was running towards the perimeter. Zooming in he laughed to himself seeing that the runner was in fact wearing a blue robe, and nothing else by the looks of things. That almost looks like Max he mused before laughing at his own wishful thinking.

Alec saw the girl falter but he was too far away and his leg was in too bad a shape for him to do anything. She crashed to the ground hands flying forward and stopping her head from colliding with the asphalt not a moment too late. Her small body shuddered and he recognized the familiar shake of shoulders as her body was racked with sobs.

He allowed the limp as he jogged as fast as he could over to her still fallen form. When his careful fingers touched her shoulders he felt her tense. One second he was bending over her the rain cascading upon them and the second he was on his back with incredibly strong arms pinning him down.

Recognizing the face that hovered over his he stared in shock. Max's breath was ragged and uneven and she wore his same expression, her hold immediately loosening. Salted tears ran down her cheeks mixing with the sweet rain. The sound of water drowned out the chaos of the Seattle nightlife, nothing existed except their irregular breathing.

"Alec," she whimpered questioningly.

"Max," he whispered back just as unsure.

Her mouth opened and closed as she searched for something to say and his eyes were drawn to her lips. That's when he saw their blue tint and the almost unnoticeable chatter of her teeth, "I've got to get you out of the rain," he muttered getting to his feet and picking her up in his arms.