Disclaimer

Part 20

Her feet were still wobbly, the flashing memories and vomiting had left her nauseous and Max didn't trust her legs to keep her upright. Even as she told herself those reasons, her mind knew that wasn't the complete truth to why she had asked his help. Her plead for him went beyond a shower.

Max needed him; to keep her grounded, keep her in reality but even more than that. Holding his gaze she could see the trepidation in his eyes, the frightened swallow of his words and the croaked okay were a vast difference to the passion he'd kissed her with. She could still feel the warmth of his taste on her lips, the frantic sensual movement of his mouth trying to convince her without words.

Her hands gripped his forearms for balance and he swallowed thickly as he looked into her eyes looking for confirmation. Only a long t-shirt he'd given her kept the dark angel's beauty from him. He breathed in slowly and let it out again as he saw her nod, his hands going to the hem of the shirt.

Max held her breath, the soft noise of her gasp sending the hairs on the back of Alec's neck into frenzy as they stood on end. His fingers brushed soft firm flesh inadvertently as he pulled the fabric higher staring in her eyes too afraid to look anywhere else. She trusted him and there was no way Alec was going to betray that trust and think with his little soldier.

Max lifted her arms in the air to let Alec slide the shirt up and over her head. The almost imperceptible swoosh as it hit the floor prompted both of them to release the breath they'd been holding. Hands reaching out to steady her Alec's eyes filled with barely masked desire, restraint to kiss her deep and sensually the way he craved despite berating himself the whole time.

She was his sister's clone and that by default should make her his sister too but no matter how logical that seemed it also seemed completely irrational and untrue. She was so different from Sam and yet so alike in certain ways. Max held the fire that had extinguished in his sister.

So caught up in his inner turmoil against his yearning he missed the same emotions glint within Max's chocolate irises.

"Max," his voiced rumbled through her, low and rough with nervousness, jolting her, "What do you need me for?"

A million reasons sped through her mind, a million answers to his question but she wasn't ready to voice them, wasn't ready for the consequences they would bring.

"Stay. Don't leave me," she replied quietly like the frightened child she felt and his words calmed her worried heart, "I'm right here."

Taking her smaller hand in his he curled her fingers onto a handle so that she could keep her own balance for a few moments and taking his own shirt into his hands he lifted it over his head and soon it joined her already discarded one. Always keeping his eyes anywhere except the curves of her voluptuous body, Alec rid himself of his pants as well leaving him in boxers.

A small frown at his scarred leg upon her lips brought his eyes to his own injury, "Ahh it's nothing compared to what you had. I've had worse anyway," his nonchalant smirk brought a smile to her lips, it felt so right for him to do that, as if he'd always been supposed to smirk like that.

Eyes trailing upward he saw pure golden flesh and supple curves broken only by a black upside down triangle. A low blush, more a flush of excitement then embarrassment and he looked away, awaiting the slap. Chuckling furrowed his brow and he dared to look her in the face.

"Alec I'm not going to hit you if you look at me. Otherwise I wouldn't have asked you to help me shower," her words relaxed him and a mischievous smile set into his features as he realized what she'd said, "So I get to help too?"

It was her cheeks' turn to redden and she stuttered for something to say as visuals of what that could mean flashed past her eyes, "Shut up."

********

Jondy's feet lay comfortable upon the table in front of her. The old leather chair she sat in croaked and groaned in protest but stubbornly refused to collapse. Terminal City was growing more and more by the day and it had barely been a month since the burning of Manticore. The X5 was certain that it was going to grow a whole lot more as transgenic word spread of the growing community that Max had created in this wasteland.

They'd hit White's headquarters before he'd had half a chance to attack them and so far there was no word on him or even whether he'd made it out alive. The ordinaries were still seemingly ignorant of their existence and it seemed like all their bases were covered.

Jondy wasn't stupid though. This was going to get a whole lot worse before it got better but Maxie was at the front of it all. She was alive and still kicking and it would take more than the Sector cops or even the National Guard to take them down. Transgenics were not called enhanced for no apparent reason.

She had no doubt they'd be able to hold their own end if it came down to it, but in all honest to god truth, there were a whole lot more humans than them and now it seemed they faced a greater threat with what appeared to be a breeding cult as old as human evolution.

They were free though and she knew each one of them would fight till the end to stay that way, she thought watching the mismatched group of people in headquarters through Max's open office door. For now they were free of torture, pain and control. Freedom was never free but they'd take what they could get and do their living where they could.

A quick knock startled her and she turned to the head of dark hair that stepped into the room. He was dark with broad shoulders and a laughing glint was in his eyes paired with a small twirl of his lips.

By his age Jondy knew he was an X5 but she'd never seen him before despite his face seeming familiar, "Hey, can I help you?"

The male X5 straightened his shoulders before shrugging, "Don't know. I'm looking for Max. They say she's in charge around here."

Hiding her disappointment she smiled charmingly, "And what do you want from Max?"

Grinning he sat down on the side of the desk, his eyes never wavering from her gaze, burning into her with passion and life, amusement swirling in their chocolate depths.

"As rumor goes she doesn't hate the class of '09 and that in fact she's dating one of 'em. I was hoping to find her boyfriend, he's an old friend of mine," he spoke voice deep and rhythmic.

The light bulb switched on and Jondy smiled, "Max isn't in at the moment actually, I'm just trying out her chair. You're a niner huh? Should have figured as much," Jondy stood and circled the desk never breaking the stare, "It's the eyes that give it away, the attitude. I've met four… well five now of the elusive class of February '09. Apart from the ones that were left behind that is."

His eyebrow raised and his head tilted studying her, trying to gauge her intentions, "And which ones did you meet?"

A look of contemplation crossed her face and she smiled, "First there was Cyd, your CO, formerly known as 765. I know her clone she's in my unit, 766 Eva. Then I met Pix, they brought her in when she was in the late stages of progeria; weak and nearly dead so it didn't take long to break her. Hard assed bitch she became, such a colonel's pet."

The darker X5 stayed silent but she could see the barest hint of his emotions flitter through his face. All the rumors had been right; Alec's unit had been close, like family, like hers' was. The only difference remained in the fact they'd seen each other more as a pack than brothers and sisters. Jondy called Max sis but she knew there was no genetic link whatsoever.

"Jesse was the one with the kid. I saw her twice only, once when they brought her dead body back to Manticore, and a second time while Manticore burned down, they'd resuscitated her. And then there's you."

A spark of excitement and joy filled his eyes hearing of Jesse's survival. Curiousness filled his irises and he stepped closer looking down on Jondy, his breath tickling her lips and cheeks, "That's only four. You said five."

"The last is rumored to be dating Max, Alec," she whispered, "But I find you a whole lot more fascinating."

"And why is that?" he husked his lips brushing against her earlobe as he spoke, his cheek pressed against hers, "Because you're not head over heels for Max."

Pulling back he stared back into her eyes again and leaned against her other cheek nibbling her other lobe between his lips, "I'm Biggs."

Her hands wrapped behind his neck and she moaned pushing herself against him, "Jondy," she hushed crushing his lips to hers, her foot kicking out to close the door.

*****

Stepping into the spray Alec watched it begin to hit their bodies, the hot droplets felt like heaven as they beaded his skin. Pounding away the tension from his shoulders and aching limbs. It had been a couple of days since he'd been able to indulge in this and he sighed relaxing.

She clutched to him gently for support and gazed at the water cascade over his body. His eyes seeking hers sent flutters through her stomach and she clutched to him a little tighter. Alec's hands shook nervously as he picked up a soft cloth. The mango scent of OC's body wash flitted to their noses and Max gave a small smile in appreciation.

His body was screaming simply by looking at her, by the feel of her small fingertips holding onto his arms, and his mind searched in desperation for something on her face to show him what to do. The loud thumping inside his chest was deafening to his ears.

Never had Alec thought he'd take a shower with someone as beautiful as Max and not be able to act on his attraction. He thanked the blue lady for every ounce of control he had over his anatomy and thanked that he hadn't rose to the occasion… yet. Seeing her flesh dripping with water in all its glory in front of him was divine torture.

There was no way he was going to embarrass himself in front of her. She'd given no real indication that the few kisses they'd shared would be repeated in future and Alec didn't want to push his luck with the scrounge of friendship they'd built. A reciprocated understanding of each other.

As she clutched his arm for balance though he had to swallow past the lump in his throat. She trusted him, trusted in him.

Max's mind was spinning, not from the nausea as that had long since gone, but from the situation she now was in. Small flashes of the past flitted occasionally into her mind but she was too focused on the present to relive what had once been.

The water flowed down his body ruffling his hair in disarray and continuing it's downward journey. Across golden, taut skin covering sheer power of transgenic muscle. Velvet covered steel. Rivulets streamed further over nipples and creases of muscle and got caught in the hair that began round his navel. 

Transfixed in the sight in front of her, the sound of beating water drumming in her ears and the touch of steam, Max's instincts took over her mind. She craved his fingers upon her skin and his lips against her own. Max wanted the touch of her kin in that way again, she needed it.

Her hands released his arms and Alec watched in fascinated trepidation as they took his calloused ones and touched them to her skin. Max moved the open hand that held the cloth in large loose circles across her abdomen trying to ignore the flush of excitement and the nerves his touch ignited.

In that moment nothing existed except the slow rhythmical movement of his hand upon her flesh. Nothing except the deep stare of his eyes into hers.

Alec's eyes sparked, as her face got closer to his. The way she looked at him was full of desire and need. Almost a hunger and ache but he had to know, he had to make sure, "Is this really what you want? Am I what you want?"

Her soft puffs on his lips sent chills through his body as she spoke, Max could see the fear and joy in his eyes, hope growing shadowed by doubt, "I'm going on instinct Alec and it's never led me astray. All I know is that this feels right, being with you feels right."

Her words fluttered in his stomach raising the hairs on his neck and down his spine.

The contact of her bee-stung lips on his was exactly like he remembered, lightning to his senses and Alec realized this was something he wasn't going to forget any time soon, no matter what happened in the aftermath.

It was in that moment that Max's heart opened. In that instant she knew that this was everything she'd been missing, the chance she'd never been allowed to fulfil with Brendan, Zack. There, with Alec, consuming the heat, the ache, the need for each other, releasing who they were, what they were, with no fear of what might happen.