Chapter 4, Not My Brother A/N: Miss me? This is the PG-13 version of this story. The NC-17 can be found at Gumboot Mafia: or NWP: Max couldn't seem to get any closer to Ben, not while he was sleeping, anyway. She sighed, running her hands along the smooth skin of his chest. She needed to leave soon, before anyone woke up. Ben's arms tightened around her and she nuzzled her face against him. His body reacted to her movements and Max raised her eyes brows, lifting her eyes to find him awake. Power and excitement surged through her and she kissed him. They had plenty of time before anyone woke up. Ben's reaction was immediate and he pulled her into him hungrily. Max her mouth and his tongue plundered her, exploring the recesses of her mouth as she moaned against him, answering with her own passion. His hands moved over her body as they lay skin to skin. The need for closeness, as from the night before, was overpowering, but with it the panic of uncertainty. She'd have to leave soon and they'd be seperated. Who knew how long it would be until the next time? Ben muttered her name and Max smiled. It wouldn't matter. They'd have another chance. Whatever this was, it would work. Wouldn't it? He frowned and his arms tightened around her. She could feel his body reacting to her presence and whatever it was in his dream. They could stay here another few minutes, surely. Just a few more minutes. *** Ben stood at attention, focusing forward and clenching his lips tightly. Think of psy-ops, something horrible, he told himself. Anything but that morning with Max. His lips started to curve into a smile but pushed them back into the hard line Lydecker expected to see. The thought of them asking what was wrong with him, why he was...happy, of all things, scared the hell out of him. They had training today, like every day and he was a jumpy mess. Just the sound of her voice, stating her designation had sent his brain spiraling. Her voice drew his thoughts to her mouth, her mouth...to the experimentation of that morning. Ben closed his eyes desperately, trying to think of something, anything, to cool his body and mind. To give him a reason not to jump out of line and claim her against the wall. "X5-493!" Lydecker called sharply. Eyes snapping open and body instantly cooling, Ben immediately stood at attention. As, thankfully, other parts of his body did not. *** Max licked her lips as Ben was called from the line. Lydecker always put people on the spot to spar immediately after roll call. It was an elimination round, of sorts. Whoever was left standing. Zack always won. If he was the first to start, the last...it didn't matter.

No one knew what would happen if Zack lost because it had never happened before. Yet for some bizarre reason, Max wanted to see it happen today, but not by herself. She wanted Ben to kick his ass. But they weren't fighting yet. It was coming, though, she could feel it in the way he moved. Syl went down immediately and Zane followed, his shock obvious. Max held back her smirk at the look on his face as Ben pinned Jondy to the ground. He whispered something in her ear and Max frowned, irritated. Keeping her pinned so close to him was clearly unnecessary and she could think of no good reason to be whispering. "What's the secret?" she snapped. Every eye turned to her and she cleared her throat nervously, kicking herself. They didn't TALK during this. Ever. There was no specific rule against it, it just didn't happen. "Wanna come find out, 452?" Ben raised his eyebrows, springing to his feet and allowing Jondy to roll away. Max glared at him and he smiled, his eyes flicking over her quickly, but thoroughly. Heat poured through her body and she swallowed, looking away to find Zack staring at her strangely. *** Ben followed her gaze. Biting back a snarl, he looked away, composing himself. "599," Lydecker instructed, indicating it was Zack's turn. There was nothing Ben wanted more. Every fight they'd had in the past, Ben had lost. But this time, he wanted it. The thought of losing to Zack in front of Max after they'd... He shook himself of the horrifying thought. It wasn't going to happen. He struck hard and fast, taking Zack by surprise. Ben's advantage was in his agility and speed, the way he could avoid the hard punches and slip in where someone least expected. *** Max felt an odd surge of delight as Ben's fist slammed into Zack's face immediately. Zack's face radiated shock and she smirked slightly. She'd known things could change today and she watched his movements as he fought, his body blurring in the passion of his anger. She could feel it as she felt all his emotion. He was charged with it and used it to his advantage, destroying Zack's defenses in moves that left the rest of them gaping. He fought with the same passion he had when he was with her, his entire being focused on his goal. Fire smoldered inside her and her breathing sped rapidly. She could feel the fight ending and desire overwhelmed her. Every eye widened in surprise as Zack fell. Slowly, Max's eyes climbed her lover's body, finally reaching his eyes that promised so much. She wanted to stomp her foot in frustration that he couldn't take her here, on the mat, so everyone would know he was hers. "Max," Lydecker's voice interrupted her thoughts and her eyes sprang to his. His meaning suddenly hit her and she stepped onto the mat, facing Ben with a small smile. She was the last one up. *** The thrill of victory vanished as Max stepped onto the mat. How could he hit her now? Sure, the idea of pinning her to the ground had a certain appeal, but not the way he was supposed to. She smiled and he swallowed hard, remembering her last smile as she left him that morning, aglow from their all too rapid lovemaking. Her fist hit his chest and he gaped at her in shock and she smirked back at him. Ben's eyes narrowed, his eyes lighting as the idea of fighting her took on a new, more dangerous appeal. "Colonel Lydecker!" Renfro's voice interrupted training. Lydecker frowned as she joined them. "Take twenty on the machines," he motioned to them, turning to speak with the director above him. "452 and 493," he stopped them, "Tell me who wins." *** They watched the door in amazement, then back at each other. Were they really just left alone? A slow smile spread over Ben's face and Max leaped into his arms, tackling him to the ground. He laughed and the sound was strange his ears. "I win," she smirked, straddling him. Ben moaned as she rubbed against him, "Best way to lose," he groaned, pulling her hips tighter against him. He needed her, desired the warmth of her body with a passion he didn't even understand. Reaching for her shirt, he was surprised when she stopped him, leaning down to crush his mouth instead. "What's wrong?" he gasped when she pulled back. "We...can't...not with them...coming back," she explained between kisses. Ben growled in disappointment, knowing whatever they did in the next scant minutes could never be enough. Though, honestly, if they left them here a week, it still wouldn't be enough for him. He plundered her mouth desperately, sinking in the taste of her as she rubbed against him, the heat of her body sinking into him. But he needed more. *** Max sighed against him, the pleasure of her climax turning her to goo as she opened lazy eyes at him. Suddenly, she frowned. If they couldn't... Then he couldn't... "Are you okay?" he asked, pulling away immediately. Her mind worked feverishly, trying to figure out how...she knew. She'd heard Zane talk about it often enough, but wasn't precisely sure how to go about it. From her brother's description, it hadn't sound particularly fun, but they didn't have time to... "Max?" Ben asked uncertainly. Her heart thumped wildly in anticipation and nervousness. She licked her lips carefully and moved to undo his pants. "What? Max-" Ben reached for her and she pushed him playfully onto his back. *** Slowly, finally, he rolled his head to look at her, re-zipping his pants. "You...I," he opened his mouth, but shook his head, smiling ruefully. "I liked it too," she told him, laying her head on his shoulder. There were footsteps in the hall and they blurred to their feet, ready for commands. "Who won?" Lydecker asked, his eyes moving back and forth between them. "Ben," Max spoke up quickly as the rest of their siblings began to file into the room. Lydecker nodded and walked to the front of the room, while Ben eyed Max in confusion. "I thought-" "Just an impulse," she shrugged. *** The idea of telling Lydecker that Ben won...when he so very clearly hadn't, Max smiled truimphantly to herself, was a mystery to her. But somehow, those were the words on her lips. Max shrugged, falling into line with her siblings. Lydecker was looking at her strangely, making Max extremely nervous. She reminded herself he didn't know, that despite how she felt, everything she'd done wasn't written across her forehead. Wiping her mouth self- consciously, she looked away, encountering Zack's intense stare. Finally settling her eyes on her shoes, Max waited for orders. "Special Ops assignment from the top," Lydecker announced. "452, you leave tomorrow morning." *** Ben's eyes flew to Max and back at Lydecker. They left the room to discuss the mission and Ben felt himself going crazy. How long would she be gone? What was she doing? Was it dangerous? He didn't even stop to question the fact that somehow, Zack was still giving him orders. It happened every day and he didn't care, too involved in what might be happening to Max. "Ben?" Jondy hissed, "What's wrong?" He looked at her for a second. There wasn't anything wrong with expressing concern for Max, was there? Shrugging, he refocused on stretching. Jondy rolled her eyes and looked away. Eventually, Lydecker came back, but Max never did. No one asked where she was. This had happened before. *** Max stared up at her ceiling when Syl came in the room that night. "You didn't come back!" Syl told her. Shrugging, Max sat up on the bed. "I just needed to think." "That bad? Is it an assassination?" "Long term espionage," Max muttered. "Why you?" Syl asked. She shrugged, "Who knows?" "Who's the target?" "Some government agent. Ames White." "Why an agent?" Syl muttered aloud. "It's not about his job. But I'm supposed to get...really close to him," Max swallowed. Syl's face fell. "Oh." "Yeah," Max muttered, falling back against the sheets. What was she going to tell Ben? It was a mission. Details were confidential. "Hey Syl? Don't tell anyone else about all that, okay?" "No problem, Max," Syl smiled, climbing into her bed. Pushing aside the mission in front of her, Max closed her eyes and pictured Ben. The way she felt safe whenever she was with him, the way he needed her and fought for her. If she told him, could he stop this? An image of him restrained and screaming made her eyes snap open in horror. No. He couldn't. And if she asked him to try, they would hurt him.