Summary: Max arranges quarters for Nina and Alec does a quick investigating.

Rating & Pairing: See previous chapters. Not changin' 'em.

Disclaimer: They all (except for a couple of orig. characters here) belong to Mr Double-T (Titanic and Terminator, that is), James Cameron and the Eglee dude. I ain't profittin' from a cancelled show.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I've got so many things goin' right now. Anywhoo, here's a new chapters. I kinda want it to give perspectives on the other inhabitants of TC. I actually planned on writing another scene in this chapter, but it just didn't fit. So yeah, it'll be in the next chapter.

Chapter 10: Cupcake, Magazines, and Trannies

Later that day, Max stops by the mess hall. She's checked with HQ and there is only one suitable place to quarter Nina.

"Gem?"

Gem looks up from the counter in the kitchen to face Max. It's past lunch time and she's cleaned up for the day. Now she's just waiting for Joshua to bring Liberty around. "Hey, Max, what's up?"

Max smiles and comes up to her. "Hey, Gem. Listen, I kinda need a big favour…"

"Oh-oh, will I like it?"

"I hope so. Here's the thing. Alec found a wounded X-5 this morning; girl, probably one or two years younger than you. She's from his old unit. Anyway, I was wondering if I could bunk her with you. I mean she can help out with Liberty if Joshua's not available…"

Gem nods, "Yeah, sure, Max. 'Got the extra room anyway. Just send her over anytime. I won't probably be there around dinner though." She explains with a smile, "Mess hall duty again. 'Guess you guys can't get enough of my Nachos and Guacamole…"

"Thanks, I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

"So what are you still doing here anyway?"

"Waiting for Joshua. He's bringing Liberty."

"So my big fella's been treating her right?"

Gem chuckles, "Yeah, Max. He's been the perfect gentleman: rocking her when she cries, burping her when she's full… I don't know how I can survive without him!"

They both smile quietly.

"Listen, Gem, I just want to thank you…"

"Max, I already told you, taking another transgenic's not going to be a problem."

"No, I mean about Joshua. You know how rough he's had it, what with Annie and all…" Max is sure that Gem knows about her; especially with the latter being so close to Joshua. "… Not to mention how I cooped him up in that house for a year… And now, well, I've never seen him happier than when he spends time with Liberty. So… thank you."

"Max, I don't think you should be thanking me…"

At that moment the lovable canine transgenic bounces through the door, Liberty on one hand and the cutest little cupcake on the other!

"Gem!"

"Hey, Joshua. How's my lil' Libby today? Did she give you any trouble?" Joshua puts Liberty in her arms and Gem starts to gush, "You've been a good girl to Uncle Joshy, haven't you, Libby?"

Max watches the scene with amusement. She's never been around babies much. She can handle little kids, but she doesn't know how she'll do with a baby. It's remarkable how a single defenceless baby can completely change the demeanor of an X5 though. Max can see no trace of Gem's Manticore past and military upbringing whenever the latter's around her daughter; she just has this glow of a proud mom. Max wonders if she'll get that privilege one day.

Joshua notices her, "Lil' fella! You're here! Good! It's a special day today."

"Hey, Joshua…" Max laughs as Joshua gives her a big hug.

"What's with the cake, Josh?" Gem asks, looking up from her baby. Max takes a seat on the counter.

"It's Liberty's birthday! She's three months old today. Father used to make cakes at birthdays. So I've made cake for Liberty. Here." He shoves the cupcake at Gem. It has pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles.

Max thinks that it's the sweetest thing she's ever seen and Gem is tearing up. "Oh, right, she's three months old today. I forgot…"

"Wait, there's more." Joshua pulls out a tiny candle from his pocket and sticks it to the cupcake. He rummages through the kitchen and finds some matches to light the candle.

"We should sing."

When both Gem (still teary-eyed) and Joshua look at her in confusion, Max explains, "Out here, humans have this song they sing at birthdays. It's kind of a tradition. It's easy, listen..." She starts to sing Happy Birthday and the other two transgenics soon join in.

After about four repeats and endless hip-hip-hoorays (naturally, Joshua can't stop 'hip-hipping'), Gem is ready to blow out her candle.

"Make a wish, Gem."

"Huh?"

"It's another tradition. Before you blow out a birthday candle, you've gotta make a wish."

"Okay." She seems to contemplate it for a moment – her face breaks into this unreadable expression – before finally blowing out the candle.

Joshua claps his hands excitedly. "Now you eat cake, Gem. Joshua spent all morning making it…"

Gem smiles at him and slowly takes a bite. Max can see Gem making a shocked expression before quickly replacing it with a smile (though her face is turning quite green). "Hmm, it's good, Josh." She stifles a cough.

Max respects Gem more for that. Max very well knows her big fella's cooking skills. While he's excellent at making mac & cheese, the half-canine's not really sensitive to the 'natural' human tastes. For all she knows, that cupcake can very well taste like raw sheep entrails. Still, Gem manages to put on such a 'convincing' performance that Joshua beams like a kid getting his first A+.

"Anyway, I gotta blaze." Max jumps off the counter and strides toward the baby. "Happy Birthday, Liberty." Max puts one finger on Liberty's cheeks and is given a giggle in return. She looks up at Gem. "I'll bring the girl over to your place later on tonight. Thanks again, Gem. See you later, big fella."

"Bye lil' fella."

"Bye Max."

Max is almost out the door when Gem calls out, "Oh Max, I almost forgot, what's her name?"

 "It's Nina."

***

"Hey Tab, can I talk to you for a sec?" Alec comes up behind X5-535 who, at that moment, is on sentry duty at the east quadrant. 535 had been in his unit, though Alec doesn't know him well because the guy was transferred from another group later on in the program.

"Yeah sure, Alec. What's up?"

"Do you remember an X5 in our unit, designation's 913?"

Tab mentally searches his comprehensive memory bank, "913… Nah, can't say I do. Why?"

"Came across her this morning. Nasty hole in the stomach, courtesy of our buddy, Ames. Anyway, she remembers me but I'm coming out blank on her."

Tab shrugs, "Beats me, dude. She was probably way before my time. How'd she look like anyway? Hot?"

"Yeah, coz the gunshot wound look really works for her…" Alec answers sarcastically. But he reconsiders the mental image of Nina: brunette, huge almond-shaped green eyes, creamy skin... Yeah she's not half bad… "I don't know, I guess… cute?"

"Yeah? Well I ain't saying no to a set up. Between you and me, I haven't gotten laid in weeks, dude!"

Alec replies, more to himself, "You're not the only one." Tab doesn't seem to catch that. Alec rubs his hands together and grins at Tab, "Yeah, well, thanks anyway. Ok, take care, pal."

He is about to turn and leave when Tab calls out to him, "Hey, Alec, 'think you can swipe me some magazines? It gets pretty boring and, uh, lonely here after a while."

He chuckles, "I'll see what I can do."

***

Alec spends the rest of his day going around and asking a couple more trannies about Nina:

274 or Dash – who he has to spar with before she gives her answer – does not remember Alec, let alone Nina.

          "Hey, do you remember X5-913? Girl, kinda young, she was supposed to be in our unit?"

            "OUR unit? I don't think so, pretty boy. 'Think I would remember you."

Later on, he remembers that Dash went in and out of psy-ops so many times he's surprised her brain hasn't turned into jello (Aah, jello, one of the wonders of the outside world – how DO they keep on wiggling?). She was an awesome fighter... she just had this teensy tiny little problem with authority.

Cruncher (yeah, Max named him 'cause of his ability to crunch probabilities) – who often served as logistics for his unit back in the days – says that his objective was the stats, not the soldiers.

          "Sorry, Alec. I got strict directives not to fraternize with the X5s. You were all just numbers to me... But, if it makes you any better, I predict – 70% certainty – that you won't get yelled at by Max tonight."

            "That's always nice to know."

He even goes ahead and asks if Tux the bartender might have heard anything.

          "Nope, nothin' on 913. But if you're interested, some X6s got a wager goin' on the shape of Mole's tongue. So far, blue AND split's up by fifty."

            "Kids... always entertainin' themselves. I'll put five on blue and split."

By the end of the day, Alec is even more curious about Nina.

"How come no one remembers you?"

He decides to go to HQ and asks Dix to hack into her Manticore files. That'll give some answers.

A/N: Ok well, not much happenin' there. But I swear, these scenes have a purpose, which I'm not gonna reveal just yet. Anyway, I wrote about Liberty's birthday to give some warm fuzzy feeling and basically to let Max think about the first trannie baby born in the outside world. Anyway, tell me your thoughts, ok? What do you think should happen (or is happening)?