A/N: Infie: there are no words.. You rock, hon!
A/N2: Thank you all for your reviews. They make my day. And yes, less than a week! I am shocked too, but don't expect this to happen very often ;)
Tough Call
Positioning
"So this is where the Xs stay?" Nicole asked as she entered a three-storied building.
"Yep." Was all the answer she got from Mole. He didn't think she would mind. She was not much of a talker herself.
After a quick look around she crossed the threshold, but stopped when she realized he wasn't following her. "You coming?" He shook his head. "Why not?"
"We don't get along too well. Us freaks and the rest of them."
She nodded. "That is going to have to change." She said matter-of-factly. "Come with me."
Only after a couple of steps did he realize he had followed an order and he shook his head.
She was good.
"So, lil'fella will be staying here?"
"That's what it looks like, Josh." Max gave him a faint smile. "At least for the time being."
"This house perfect for lil'fella and Alec and littlest fella." He nodded seriously. "Father's house."
Max squirmed under his intense gaze. "Yeah, we'll see."
She sat down on the couch that would be her bed. Alec had said she could use his room, but she had refused. She didn't want to owe him anything. Besides, the thought of another night having to smell him every time she moved was painful. It was not something she wanted to experience again any time in the near future.
As she entered the room, its three occupants were instantly awake. When they saw the tall woman in gray they scrambled to their feet and stood at attention in front of her. She just nodded. They knew she could have killed them all, had she wanted to. But she didn't need to say a thing. She didn't ask them to stand down, either.
"X6-331, ma'am!" The boy said.
"X6-129!"
"X6-809!" Nicole looked at the last of the girls who spoke, a small brunette. She addressed them all, though. "Very well, what are your names?" When they remained silent, she added, "You have been taught how to blend in."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"So, what did you go by once outside of Manticore?"
The kids looked nervously at each other. Her lack of expression was making them uneasy.
"I once told some guy in a store my name was Joe."
"And I said I was Elizabeth." 129 said, lowering her eyes, a blush covering her cheeks. "It was the only name I could remember, most of our instructors were male."
Nicole just nodded and turned to look at 809.
"I provided a new identity for myself yesterday, ma'am. From an old lady. I was thinking we could all use ID's."
"Were you?"
"Yes, ma'am. I am now Regina Winthorp."
"Did you all escape together?"
129 shook her head. "Only 331 and me."
"I escaped with a group of X6s and an X8." 809 clarified.
"Where are they now?"
"They all died, ma'am." A strand of short brown hair fell across her eye. "We were ambushed by some men and... they killed them. I barely managed to escape." She finished defensively.
"Are you sure they were all dead?"
"They were all shot, ma'am. I don't think any of them could have survived."
"Very well." Nicole turned to face the three of them again. "I am Nicole. And this," she said, walking to the door, "is Mole."
She watched their startled and fearful expressions, and she thought she even detected a little disgust on one of the faces. But, they did their best to hide it. They were, after all, still at attention in front of a superior. She continued. "You will follow either my or Mole's instructions."
"But he's a.. He's a.." 129 attempted.
"A... what? A freak? No more than any of us." Nicole cut her off. "And he's not the one I found sleeping without at least a sentry to keep watch." The three kids looked straight ahead, their cheeks a little livelier than they'd been before. "So, since he's obviously more capable than anyone else I've seen so far, you'll answer to him. Is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am." The three voices said in unison.
"Now go back to sleep and be at the building on the corner three hundred meters to the South-South-East at 0600 tomorrow." She and Mole turned to leave, but as she was about to cross the threshold she stopped and turned back to look at 129. "Three hour watches. You start." With that she left.
Mole turned to look at the kids. Nicole had been right to reprimand them, of course, they had been lazy and it had been a serious breach of security on their part. And he felt very good that an X5 had put him above other Xs. Not that he thought he didn't deserve it, but he was happy for the recognition. Now he actually felt sorry for them, though.
He thought of a small way to make at least one of them feel a little better, without undermining Nicole's authority.
He knew he would regret this, but he approached 129 again. "You know what, kid?" He said. "We can call you Liz, or Beth. You know, so it will sound different. I really can't imagine that old bitch using a nickname. Can you?" He asked conspiratorially. He saw the light in the girl's eyes. As the girl suddenly jumped and hugged him, he growled, disgusted with himself, but didn't push her away. He waited until she let go, and then muttered something unintelligible under his breath and moved to follow Nicole.
Alec watched them from the door. Somehow his perfectly thought out plan didn't seem so good any more. Yes, he had concentrated on accomplishing the first step. And he had succeeded. She was there. But it wasn't as appealing as he had thought it would be. She was obviously not happy about this.
Well, he hadn't really expected her to be, right?
After what he'd said, there hadn't been much room for discussion. Ralph could only stay either with Max or with OC. And since OC – bless her – had said she would not live with any guys, the solution had been obvious. Besides, as Cindy had pointed out, taking her cue from him, Max couldn't get into heat now. So she would be safe, she had nothing to fear. That of course had made Max accept the deal right away. She would never let anyone be under the impression she was afraid.
Cindy had known that as well. That woman was something special, all right. The image of OC standing at her door after he had dropped Ralph at her place was still fresh in his memory.
"Good night, Cindy. And thanks... for everything."
"Not a problem, boo."
But as he had turned to leave, her words had stopped him.
"Just a minute, Alec." She had looked at him, completely serious. "I didn't do all this just for you. I did cause I can see how you feel about her. But mostly, cause I think you'll be good for her. But you damn well better make 'er happy, cause otherwise OC'll come down and make you pay, boy. Manticore super soldier or not, you don't wanna mess with me."
She had hugged him after he'd promised he would. But he knew she had meant every word.
The worst part was, he wasn't so sure any more if he would be able to keep that promise.
The old man tapped his fingers on the desk.
It was getting closer. The date. And they still weren't ready.
So much was hinging on what Nicole could find.
Why hadn't she called yet?
Max looked up at him the minute she sensed his eyes leaving her. She wasn't sure exactly when he'd come back, but at some point she had become aware of his presence. She had just not wanted to acknowledge it.
She watched him raise a hand to rub the back of his neck and shake his head from side to side. She had seen him wince a couple of times tonight, when he thought no one was looking at him. And she remembered Biggs' face that morning. That must have been some 'little argument' they'd had. X5s did not bruise that easily. But she refused to let herself care. Stupid male egos. They probably thought they had to fight over her. Like she had no say in the matter!
She knew she wasn't being fair. Men were men... they solved their things in their own ways. It was pointless to try and understand how their minds worked.
But what about her? Had any of them stopped to think about her? How she was feeling?
For a few hours she had thought there was something there. Something between her and Alec. And then, everything had gone down the drain. First, seeing Biggs there had been quite a shock. Then, she'd realized he was Alec's friend. And as if that hadn't been enough, the things they'd said had cut her to the quick. Maybe they had not meant every word, but thinking with a clear head, two things were undeniable. Alec had known her baby was Biggs', and he had known his friend was not going to come back. He'd probably decided he'd take care of her and his friend's baby. That was not a bad thing. She could understand it. She would have done the same thing had she been in his shoes. At least, she would have tried to, she'd always had a hard time committing herself to things, to people. But he had deceived her. He had shut her out. He had made his choice, yes, but he'd also made the choice for her. She had a right to know everything. She had a right to know who the father of her child was. She had a right to decide if she wanted to tell him or not. Why hadn't Alec let her?
"Max." His soft voice startled her. Joshua was nowhere to be seen. Alec was standing not four feet away from her, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket, his eyes intent on her. After a quick glance at him, she moved to the window and looked out at the rain, her arms crossed over her chest. "Max, will you please listen to me?"
His voice was so deep and compelling. She had to fight the urge to move closer to him, just to be caressed by that soft texture. She did what she knew best.
"Well, you made the necessary arrangements so I have no other choice, didn't you?" She asked without looking at him.
"You think I planned White tracing Logan and him moving into my apartment?"
"No, Alec, I know you didn't." She turned to face him. "But you sure as hell didn't waste any time planning around that."
Alec sighed. "If that was what you thought I did, why did you agree?" He asked, searching her face.
She answered honestly. "Cause I couldn't think of a better solution at the time, and frankly, I don't care." When Alec remained silent, just looking at her, she asked coldly, "Did you have something to say? Cause otherwise, I'd appreciate it if you left."
"No, er.. yes. I have something to tell you." He took a deep breath. "I know you are not too happy with me right now," he raised his hands at her disbelieving expression, "and you are completely entitled to feel that way."
"Gee, Alec, thanks for your permission!"
He cursed himself silently. "Look, Max, I want to tell you how things were. And I'm not doing this to justify myself or cause I think it'll make you change your mind. I just need you to know. There's been enough not said between us." He paused. "Especially on my part."
Damn him. Did he read minds?
He looked down, but continued. "When I got back from Salem I went to work and you weren't there. As I was leaving I ran into Biggs. He told me what had happened." He swallowed, still not looking at her. "Anyway… A couple of days later I went to see you. When I got there, I realized you were pregnant. The first thing I thought, of course, was that I had to tell Biggs. But he had seen the way I had taken what he told me and he had promised he would leave and not come back. So..-"
"How?" She interrupted.
"Huh?"
"You said Biggs saw how you had taken his words. How did you take it?"
"Er... not too well..."
"Why?" She watched him shift his feet uncomfortably and bite his lip. "I thought you wanted to be honest."
"I did. I do." He ran his hand through his hair. "I was not entirely sure myself why back then. But the thought of you and him... The thought of you two... I just couldn't... I can't handle it, all right?" He finished exasperated and then winced. "Sorry, didn't mean to shout at you."
She just nodded. He had managed to render her speechless.
He went to the small cabinet, poured himself a glass of scotch and took a sip before realizing what he'd done. He put the glass back down. "So... I'd like to say I immediately thought of taking care of you myself, but I didn't. First I thought of Logan. Then, I realized I wanted to look after your baby. I'm not going to say taking care of my friend's child didn't cross my mind. I'd be lying. But I also saw you, with a little tiny form in your arms and I just..." he shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe it was a sum of different things. But whatever the reasons, I feel that this baby is mine too. And no matter what you decide, I will always feel that way. It's a part of me now."
Max felt a knot at the pit of her stomach. His words were getting to her even when she tried to dismiss them. But she could not doubt the sincerity in his voice, in those serious hazel eyes looking at her. But she couldn't let him sway her. Okay, so he felt that way about their – HER – baby, so what? That didn't change the big issue here, did it?
Biggs looked at the man sitting on the chair. He looked completely lost and small, all alone there in the middle of the room. It was really depressing.
"So what do you have there?" He asked, looking at the disks and the computer. He was totally bored. Alec had left earlier, said he was going to a bar, where he would probably meet Max, so naturally Biggs decided to stay in. The last thing Alec needed was him around. But there was really only so much a guy could do alone in an apartment with this guy. He'd never been more bored in his entire life. Not even in Manticore. He'd done a training session, eaten two and a half of the three pizzas he'd ordered – he had left one for Logan, but the norm had only eaten half of it, so naturally Biggs had finished the rest. He had also watched some TV, but the 29'' one didn't suit him. He had made a mental note to score himself a larger one. This was not living!
Logan looked up at him and answered. "Some of my most important research. Sources, contacts... And all the info I had on Manticore."
"Really?" That sounded almost interesting. He had made fun of the guy earlier, but he was pretty good at his stuff... for an ordinary. "Mind if I take a look?" He said, grabbing the disks without waiting for Logan's permission.
"Er.. I guess not." Biggs hid his smile at the obvious disapproval in Logan's face. "But there isn't much you'll be able to see without the rest of the equipment."
"You don't say!" Biggs' faked shock only made Logan go back to his previous deep-in-thought pose. The X5 moved to the door, the disks and what was left of the computer still in his hands. He laughed at the human. "Be back in a bit, honey. Don't miss me!"
"Fenos 'tol" White said to the short haired woman standing in front of the window. It looked out onto the ocean.
"Fenos 'tol" She answered without looking at him. . "The destruction of the Eyes Only operation was very good," he was about to smirk smugly when she continued, "however, the committee is not very pleased with your work so far, Ames." He didn't answer, but a muscle started to twitch in his jaw. "You've shown no real progress."
He remained outwardly impassive. "I will. Soon."
"Oh?"
"Yes. I have something in the works."
"It better be good, Ames."
"It will be."
"Very well." The woman said, and before turning away: "Fenos 'tol"
He mumbled something similar in response.
After she left, he grabbed an ashtray from the nearby table and crushed it in his hand, shattering it into a thousand little pieces of glass. He didn't even see the blood, and he felt no pain. His eyes were focused on some point outside the window.
He'd get 452. And he'd make her pay.
Alec watched her reaction to his words. He could tell she believed him, that she believed he loved that child. Their child. He could not think of it any other way.
But he also saw her anger. He still owed her some explanations. And, he was going to give them to her. Even if it tore at him, even if it was against everything they had taught him, against everything he had taught himself.
"As to why I didn't tell you about Biggs... I'm not sure, myself. I guess I was still a little shocked and... he's really important to me. He was my only friend, and the thought of never seeing him again... it made it difficult for me to even think about him, cause every time I did, I felt this void inside me." Damn! This expressing his feelings thing was hard! He forced himself to continue. He stood even straighter, his hands laced at his back, unconsciously falling back into his debriefing demeanor and voice. It made things much easier for him. "And there was also the guilt."
"The guilt?" Max whispered, opening her mouth for the first time in a long while.
"Yes. Guilt. Because it was my fault he had gone away. And even more guilt because I .. I wanted him to stay away."
"Why?" She demanded, but so softly and shakily that it shook him out of his debrief mode.
He looked directly into her eyes, then decided to go all the way. "Because I couldn't bear the idea of seeing the two of you together. Because the mere thought that you would want to be with him made me ache." When she mouthed a silent 'why', he grabbed her hands. "Because I..." This was it. He had to tell her. "I..-" He looked down at their joined hands. Suddenly all thoughts were forgotten. His tone changed and so did his stance. His eyes darkened. "Max, what the hell is that?"
He raised her hand, palm up, to show her the little dark symbols that were appearing on the skin of her wrist.
