Max couldn't sleep. She was used to it. But this particular night her mind was racing with worries. Alec. Lucy. Terminal City. White. Pesky Agent Ames White. He was always on her mind. She was constantly attempting to anticipate his next move, but she never did predict it correctly, no matter how hard she tried. Just like the entire ordeal with Alec's supplier turning rogue. Max finally slipped out of bed, sick of tossing and turning, to pull on some clothes. She needed to get out of the apartment.
Alec rolled over in his sleep, face contorted in pain. He kept breathing steadily, but it was obvious it was hard for him to breath. Max crept inside the make-shift infirmary and stood over Alec's bed. Riles stirred from the chair and her eyes popped open as she sensed someone else's presence inside the room. "Max!" she gasped.
"Didn't mean to spook you. I couldn't sleep."
"So you came to check up on Pretty Boy?"
"No. Of course not. I was just wandering around..."
Riles raised an eyebrow and her blue eyes flashed skepticism. Max trailed off, realizing she wasn't fooling her.
"Oh, shut up." Max bit out.
Riles chuckled melodically. "I won't tell anyone you actually like him."
Max began to protest, but stopped to ask seriously, "Is he really okay?"
Riles grabbed the small piece of metal on the table next to her. "Souvinir. Transgenics are typically immune to infections and the bullet didn't hit anything major. It's gonna give him some pain for several days, but nothing else. I'd expect some complaining, though."
Max nodded slowly. She dropped into a chair next to Riles and propped her feet up, eyes unwaveringly on Alec's now still form.
Lucy pulled the covers around her tightly. She was having her reoccuring nightmare slash memory. She'd had it almost every night since she was six. She wimpered as she twisted into a painfully ackward position , trying to hide herself from the shadow trying to overcome her.
*A child-size Lucy was sprinting down a long hallway, her foot getting caught on the oriental rug. She yelped as she scraped her knees across the carpet before stumbling onto her feet to continue on down the hall. The doors seemed gigantic on either side of her, but even larger was the man stomping behind her. She briefly recalled the story Jack and the Bean Stalk and imagined herself running from an evil giant. And if she remembered correctly, the giant died. She was almost to her room, a semi-safe haven. She could lock the door and hide under the bed until her Daddy passed out. He was too drunk to pick the lock. Suddenly, her arm was jerked back, nearly pulling it out of the socket.
"No, Daddy, please. I'm so sorry. I was a very bad girl. I won't ever- NOOOOOO!!!!"*
Adult Lucy burst into a terrified scream, the shrill noise resounding through the small apartment. She bolted from the couch, landing halfway across the room with a leap some transgenics would envy. She was trembling, legs unsteady. Biggs was in the living room instantly, less than five seconds from when he had heard the scream. He had no idea what had caused Lucy to scream, but a zillion different explanations ran through his head; her being attacked on the top of the list.
"Lucy? Are you okay?"
She cowered at the sound of his voice.
"No. Please...don't come any closer. I'm so sorry. I won't do it again. I swear."
Biggs stopped his movement in a moment, studing her carefully. Her skin was as pale as a vampire's would be, her blond hair in strings around her face. Her ocean blue eyes were filled with water and she looked like she would burst into tears any minute. He began to approach her as if he was coming to a wounded animal.
"I think you had a nightmare." He said in soft tones. "I'm not going to hurt you, Lucy, or let anything else hurt you."
Lucy had wrapped her arms around herself like a shield. She didn't like what she was doing, but it was like she had no control over it. She was fully back in the reality at present and she knew Biggs wasn't going to attack her. All the same, he frightened her like most males did. Biggs was beside her then and a gentle hand reached out and touched her cheek. She realized he was wiping away tears she hadn't even known had fallen. He was murmuring in a soothing language, possibly French.
"You speak French?" She asked, trying to get her mind off of the horrible nightmare.
"We also have a penchant for languages. It can be useful sometimes."
Lucy shot him a half-hearted smile and allowed Biggs to pull her into his arms. She remained stiff and unmoving, but she didn't pull away.