Max & Alec + elevator + another locked room = ?

By Sinful Starlet

Disclaimer: given the way the second season ended, I seriously doubt that anybody connected to the show would have written this, but just for the record - not mine, never will be, blah blah woof woof!

Rating: Not too sure - probably PG-13, but maybe R in places

Summary: Sequel to "Max & Alec + locked room = ?" So Alec kissed Max - what now? And what do an elevator and another locked room have to do with it all?

Author's note: Right, here it is - for those people who requested the sequel (and thank you to you all for making me write again!) I'm not sure if it's as funny as the last one but I'm giving it a go, and *standing on her soapbox* this is M/A all the way!! No way you can get the wrong idea now.

Chapter two up - again, kinda short, but this is basically just the set up for the second part of the story, trust me good stuff is definitely on the way! *SS*

Two

Max almost turned round as soon as she got to Logan's building. She was just going to chain up her bike when she noticed one already there………Alec's bike. Someone up there was definitely having a laugh at her life right now. She did seriously contemplate just calling Logan and saying she couldn't make it, but that would have just meant too many questions. So, swallowing the mess of emotions flooding her at that moment, she chained her bike up next to Alec's and walked into the building, heading for the elevator.

She didn't bother knocking the door when she reached it, figuring it'd already be open, which it was. She hesitated for about thirty seconds mentally slapping herself until she could summon something like rational thought (and tap-dancing, balloon-carrying Normal had disappeared from her mind) and then opened the door, closing it behind her and walking towards the sounds of voices coming from the living room.

Figures, she thought with a slight smile on her lips. Alec couldn't have gotten there much before she did, and he and Logan were already arguing. Or rather Logan was arguing and Alec was just trying to wind Logan up, which he was getting fairly good at by now. He looked up, smiling, and said hi as she walked into the room, which immediately put Max on edge again. 'Hey Max' - what the hell was that supposed to mean? Did it mean 'Hey Max - weird night last night, huh?' or 'Hey Max - can you believe Logan actually needs our help again?' or 'Hey Max, you're looking particularly………..' - okay so she didn't need to go down that third road.

Logan looked up to, also smiling, though not as cheerfully as Alec - he was clearly losing patience with the male X5 but was equally determined not to let it show. Well, he was failing miserably at that, but she couldn't blame him. "What's up?", she asked, really needing a change of subject, anything to detract from the look Alec was still shooting in her direction.

Logan didn't reply right away, feeling Alec turn to look at him with a smirk on his face, "Remember Arthur Milton I was talking about yesterday?" "Yeah", Max said, gingerly not sure where this was going. She wanted to sit down, but the only seat not completely covered with Logan's papers or occupied was on the sofa next to Alec and that was so not happening right now! "Well it turns out the Herriott Bank wasn't the only one on his hitlist. Since he lost the plans for that place he's apparently gonna go after the Weatherly Trust instead".

"It's a private vault building", Logan went on, seeing the look on Max's face as she realised where this was going, "houses the personal valuables of most of Seattle's elite, but it's been in the press lately because they've just taken delivery of the NASPC charity funds, raised at the ball two nights ago". "So we've get another trip back to Milton's place to snatch some more blueprints - another fun-filled evening, huh Max?"

Max forced herself not to whip round when she heard Alec say that. It could be taken entirely innocently, but what were the odds that Alec had been thinking innocently? She got a distraction anyway when Logan rounded on Alec and started arguing again. Apparently this was what they had been in the middle of before. "Hold up, hold up!", Max said, cutting them both off as she stepped further into the room, "What were you trying to say Logan?" "Shut up Alec!", she added quickly, before the other X5 could say anything. 'Uh oh!', Alec thought - guessing she really was gonna kick his ass later!

"The 'prints aren't at Milton's house", Logan said, with a look of some satisfaction at Max shutting Alec up. "What?", Alec cut in, unable to stop himself cutting in. "That's what I was trying to say", Logan said, exasperation returning to his voice, "after last night, Milton's having his whole home security system updated - till then, everything's been kept in a temporary facility somewhere on the waterfront". "I've managed to track the place down and it doesn't look too bad - there's a numeric lock on the door, but I've got an informant who thinks he should be able to get his hands on the code".

"So you want us to go in and grab the blueprints for the Weatherly Trust place, right?", Max asked, sitting down next to Alec, in spite of her own better judgement, but taking care not to look at him. "Yeah", Logan said, a little apologetically, "I'm sorry to have to ask again Max, it's just tonight's the only---". "Wait a minute!", Max cut in, "you want this done tonight?" "The new system should be up by tomorrow", Logan said, sounding even more apologetic, "so it's tonight or not at all".

Max swore inwardly, she really didn't need to spend another night alone with Alec, least of all right now. It was only then that she chanced a look at him, giving herself a particularly harsh mental slap for the purr that threatened to rise in her throat. Damn but he looked good, his thin grey t-shirt clinging in all the right places to his muscular arms and…………damn it! "What do you think?", she said quickly, so quickly it almost came out as a snap, making Alec look a little uneasy.

"Erm……..", he started, hesitating a little while he tried to size up Max's behaviour at that moment, then giving up, "…well as much as I hate to say this, it looks like we're gonna have to go and save the day again Maxie!" Oops. The 'Maxie' was definitely pushing it. The look in Max's eyes instantly went from 'murderous' to 'flat-out fatal, complete with coffin and appropriately trimmed wreath'! "Max?", Logan asked, breaking the more than awkward silence in the room, "You ok?"

"What?", she said, rounding on him a little harshly, then managing a weak smile as an apology. "Sorry Logan, guess I'm a little frazzled this morning - of course we'll help". The 'we' caught Alec's ear if no one else's. "What time do you want us back here?", Max went on quickly. "About eight?", Logan said, relaxing a little as Max seemed to return to the job in hand, turning to knock off the mail notification on his computer, "As long as my guy comes through with the code I can't see it being too complicated".

"Good", Max said, standing up and unconsciously making the men follow suit, "well I better jet then - gotta show up at work sometime today - call me if there's anything else?" Logan nodded. Max did seem to be acting a little oddly, but he didn't want to ask what with Alec there. Alec reached down to pick up his jacket, not realising that Max was already making her way out the door. Noticing at last, he managed a quick parting shot at Logan and hurried after Max.

Right - not sure how the ff.net formatting will have worked, but basically that little insert scene I posted before now fits into the story right after this one as chapter three - hopefully it should make sense.*SS*