A/N: And.. [;-)] .. this is dedicated to Infie, who was, as usual the one who made it better. Thank you all for reading. (if someone still is)

Tough Call

Questions

Max was sitting on a stool – the same one she had sat on yesterday morning, although it seemed like it had been ages ago – looking out the window at the first signs of dawn. The diffuse light coming through it only provided an even more eerie look to her profile. She was running her hands absently up and down her arms, as if that could somehow chase away the coldness that had claimed her ever since last night, ever since she'd seen those little scribbles appearing on her wrist.

Actually she had been in shock even before that. All the more reason to be annoyed at the stupid things!

'Cause that was how she felt. Annoyed. She was not afraid. Okay, so maybe she had been a little spooked at first. But she refused to let some odd symbols scare her. Whatever they were, she could deal with it.

A lot more of them had popped up after the initial ones. On her shoulders, her back... Alec had said they looked like some ancient language, which had reminded her of the book she'd seen at that creepy school. The symbols looked very similar to what was in the book. Neither one of them had liked the idea of her having anything to do with that cult.

She could still see Alec's intent face, his look of concentration, the way his eyes shifted as he thought; the complete stillness, followed by phases of furious pacing, until finally he had stopped and said he had to do something. He had asked her to go with him, saying she'd probably feel safer if she wasn't alone. And of course, she had said no, she was not afraid. He had been insistent, but she had remained adamant, until he had finally given up. He made her promise she wouldn't leave until he came back.

She cursed her own stubbornness now. She felt so completely useless sitting here doing nothing. She had slept for a while, but now she was wide awake. She couldn't prevent her mind from wandering back to those little symbols. She couldn't stop the other thoughts either.

The thoughts of him.


Alec drummed his fingers impatiently, waiting for the page to load.

He hated computers. He'd always been more of a man of action. Tension, adrenaline, strength... those he could deal with, actually loved dealing with. Or, mental activity. That was fine by him as well. His mind could follow several different paths and analyze separate possibilities at the same time. It was one of the reasons he hated computers so much. He had to wait for stuff. He couldn't just move on.

He glanced at the clock again. Still thirty minutes until he could wake Biggs up. Shit.

He pressed some more keys, looking at other screens. But what he really needed was, of course, in the page that wouldn't load. He cursed the hardware and its owner. So what if he was trying to access one of the largest – and oldest – databases in the world? It should work faster!

He had come here after paying a little visit to Logan. He smiled scornfully as he remembered Logan's face when he had been awakened in the middle of the night. It wasn't like he had done it on purpose, but he needed some information from Eyes Only. Alec shook his head at the amount of wasted time it had taken to convince Cale to get him the info. Logan finally told him that he couldn't get it, cause it was in his computer and Biggs had taken it with him. Alec had left in the middle of Logan's rant about the disregard for private property all transgenics had.

He had been really happy to hear the news about Biggs, though. He had known immediately where the other X5 would be, at the hacker's, the one Alec had informed him about. Since it had been Alec's next destination anyway, he'd gone there smiling. Biggs loved computers. One of those things Alec would never understand. They'd had the same lessons, they'd both excelled in the use of the darned devices, but Biggs had somehow developed this... unnatural connection with them. His friend had always denied it, but Alec was convinced there must have been some impossible to resist goddess teaching computers while he was 'away' for one of his stays at Psy-ops. It was the only logical explanation for what he considered a completely irrational behavior of his otherwise perfectly normal friend.

Everything had been okay at first. He'd had Biggs look for the information for him while he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. But Biggs needed his sleep. From what he had told Alec, he had been driving all night the night before.

Alec had considered many possibilities. Even the most absurd ones. He'd been completely thorough. He twisted his lips and shook his head at the ideas that had crossed his mind.

He'd even considered the baby. But one thing that was evident to him was that the timing was important. The runes had showed up all of a sudden and not gradually over a period of several days. And that would have implied she had to get pregnant at this specific time. And even if her heat could have been foreseen, there was no way to assure she would get pregnant. It was true what he'd told OC about X5s breeding rate. But she could have been with an X5 before this heat, when she had escaped. Or even when she'd been paired with him at Manticore. Or she could have spent her heat with a human – which made the pregnancy less likely – or, even more probably, she could have been with no one, as had been her intention. It had taken him leaving town, his friend coming to look for him, and Sketchy telling him to go to her place at exactly that very night to get her into this situation. Since he refused to believe in a cosmic conspiracy, the only other choice was what had likely happened. It had all been a sum of coincidences and bad timing. And he sincerely doubted the cult loonies – or whoever was behind this – would leave this much up to chance, he had discarded that possible cause. Along with many others.

The runes could be a result of that snake ceremony she'd been forced to participate in. She had been exposed to that poison or whatever, and there was no doubt that it was related to the cult. But that had been weeks ago. Why appear now? And as far as he knew, the Familiars didn't have any scribbles. At least, he had not seen any on White. On the other hand, the guy was always in suits, which made it hard to tell. But the guys at the museum hadn't had any either. It could be that it was a reaction to Max's DNA and that was why the others didn't have it. But he was not convinced. Again, the timing was a problem. And there were too many coincidences.

The only other possibility he had been able to come up with that remotely made sense was that it was a message encoded in all that 'junk DNA' that was not junk at all. In this case, the time of their appearance could have easily been encoded as well, leaving nothing to chance. And that would mean it was a message from Dr. Sandeman. The medallion he'd given Joshua matched Max's scar, which linked the good doctor with the snake-blood loving loonies. The question that remained, however, was still: Was Dr. Sandeman one of the good guys?

Okay… there were more questions. Why had the runes appeared now? What was the message? That was what Alec was working on right now. Or at least trying to, if only the stupid page would ever load.

He needed to keep his mind busy. Otherwise it would go back to the other thoughts he had been trying to keep at bay all night by wrestling with the reason behind the creepy apparitions: His unfinished conversation with Max.


"I saw what you did with that kid yesterday." Nicole said as she approached Mole.

"So?" He looked up from the gun he had been cleaning and scowled at her. "She was just embarrassed because Elizabeth was Renfro's first name."

"I know." She answered. "And it was very well done on your part. You'll make a very good second. Winning the troops is always important."

"If you knew about the name, why didn't you say something? Wouldn't it be more important that you won their confidence? You are the leader after all."

"Not for long." She said and turned towards the main hall again. "See you at the meeting." With that she left, leaving a very puzzled Mole staring at her back.


Had he been on the brink of telling her what she thought he was? Could he have been about to say he...loved her? It had definitely been something important. His entire body had told her as much. But...that? It sure had looked that way. She could still feel the tightening of the muscles in her stomach and chest every time she remembered that moment. In fact, when ever she remembered any bit of that conversation. What else could he have wanted to say?

She shook her head forcefully. She was not going to do it again. She would not put words in his mouth. She was not going to let herself imagine there was more to the words he had said.

He loved the baby. That much was real. He had said it. She had not imagined that part.

But her? That was just her restless imagination.

True, he had said he couldn't handle the thought of her and Biggs together. But that didn't imply he loved her. It meant he was jealous, she didn't doubt that. He had even raised his voice at her. Alec never raised his voice, not while talking. He always seemed detached, like he didn't care enough to shout. But he had. She wasn't sure which had surprised her more, that he had yelled or what he had said.

She was getting off track again. She needed to think this through. She didn't want to jump into conclusions. Not again.

Okay, so he had been jealous. Fine. But that didn't necessarily mean he loved her. You could be jealous when you wanted someone. Right?

This thinking things through wasn't helping, either. Her last line of logic implied he wanted her. Badly. And that he had felt that way for some time. She groaned out loud. No, not helping at all.

She took a deep breath. Next subject, any other subject. Lies! What about his lying? Okay, maybe more hiding the truth than lying, but anyway. Except, now she could see why he had. Even though she didn't forgive him, she could understand.

She couldn't forget the expression on his face as he was talking to her. She could still see how hard it had been for him to talk about it. She could relate to his reluctance to speak. Damn him.

She stood and started pacing up and down the room. In the end it all came back down to the words he hadn't said.

She stopped to glare at her wrists! Stupid things.


He ran a hand through his hair. It had not been easy. He had had to use all his resolve to talk to her, to try to explain things to her. Then, they were interrupted.

He hoped Max had understood what he had been trying to tell her. He knew she had believed him. He just wasn't sure if he had been clear enough. He had not planned on telling her it all. At least, not at first. But then, he just knew he had to. She deserved his honesty, and he had needed to tell her. Everything.

But those stupid things had come to interrupt him in the middle of it. He was sure Max would find a way to rationalize things and just interpret it all in some twisted way.

Stupid runes! He kicked an empty CD case that was lying on the floor, which made a barely audible clank as it hit the edge of the desk. The noise was, however, loud enough to cause Biggs to jump out of his chair, his eyes alert, his gun already cocked and in his hand. Alec remained still, knowing his friend wouldn't shoot him.

After a quick glance around, Biggs lowered his gun and glared at him.

Alec gave him an apologetic glance and murmured a "Sorry, buddy."

"Yeah, right!" Biggs answered. "So... Did you have a good time all alone with this beauty?" He asked, raising a sardonic eyebrow.

It was Alec's turn to glare. "Stupid thing has been refusing to load."

"That is cause you don't treat her with love, my friend." He made a dismissive movement with his hand to make him get up, and then ceremoniously sat himself down in front of the screen and started hitting keys.

Alec rolled his eyes at him. "Did you find anything on Logan's comp?"

"He has a bunch of stuff on Manticore. And I mean a lot. I'll go through it more carefully. And about the other stuff, yes, I think I might have."

"Good. Think you can take care of it?"

Biggs just nodded. "No problem. I'll get on it as soon as I finish this."

"Great." Alec started pacing again. Biggs continued to work on the computer in silence for a while, until Alec's voice interrupted him again. To his credit, he didn't even flinch this time. He was used to Alec's sudden ideas. "You should take Ralph with you."

Okay, maybe he had been a little out of touch with his friend lately. "What?"

"She might make it easier for you." Alec shrugged, "And that way you can keep an eye on her."

"Still don't trust her?"

"Not so much that I don't trust her, but until I can talk to her and get some more answers, I'd rather you keep an eye on her." He looked at Biggs. "Besides, wouldn't that make you feel better too?"

Biggs had to smile. Alec did know him. "Yes," he said with mock defiance. "You got a problem with that?"

Alec smiled back and shook his head. "No. Actually, I feel the same way." He turned serious again. "I have to go to work today. Missed a lot of days so far. But I'll tell Normal you were settling in or whatever." He looked at the computers. "I really need to work on this." He shoved his hands on his pockets, frustrated.

Biggs eyed him over his shoulder. "I'll get someone to watch over Max."

Alec stopped biting his lip and turned to look at him.

His nod told Biggs that was exactly what had been on Alec's mind like no words could have. He turned back to the computer and gave it a loving, "Come on, sweetheart, you know you want to load". The screen suddenly came up and he shot Alec a cocky grin.

Alec just growled and left.


"So, is everything understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Very well, you may all go to your posts." Nicole looked around at the group of X6s "You, stay." The kids looked at her apprehensively. "I trust what happened last night will not happen again."

"No, ma'am." Joe –331- said.

Nicole nodded. "Do you see how this is organized? Everyone has their assignments. I know you didn't do very much except training at Manticore, but you will have to learn to cooperate here." The kids nodded vigorously.

Mole had to smile at their eager expressions. Poor kids!

"Uh, sir! Er.. ma'am!" Dix said, looking at the screens that were placed on a balcony above the main room. Nicole glanced up, and then nodded to Mole, who immediately left, followed by Lyon and another guy whose face very much resembled that of a rat. She walked up the stairs motioning for the kids to follow her.

"Come learn. Dix just spotted someone coming in through one of the passages. There are cameras installed in the most obvious entrances." She didn't turn to see if they were paying attention. She knew they were. "As you can see, the person coming in is an X5." Noting Dix's curious expression, and knowing the kids would have similar ones on their faces, she clarified: "Notice how he looks around, he's assessing his surroundings. And look at his hands. Did you notice how they were loose at his sides? He had them ready to reach for the gun behind his back at first. But he knows he's being watched. So now his palms are slightly turned up, to show he does not mean to use it. But, they are not raised to show surrender. He is definitely X5." The others watched the screen, fascinated. "He already identified everyone's position. He's waiting for Mole to come up."

They watched Mole point his weapon at the guy's face and the X5's initial surprise at the lizard-face and then his smile.

"How does he know they won't kill him?" 129 asked.

"Why would they?" Nicole asked in return. "And besides, he knows they won't shoot, to avoid attracting too much attention, and he figures he can take them."

"He can?"

"He could. Maybe. Some X5s are really good on hand to hand. I don't know this one. So far." She said as she turned around to watch them all enter downstairs.


Biggs looked around the room and nodded approvingly. A little bit of untidiness, but they looked like they knew what they were doing. He could see a pretty good supply of weapons arranged on shelves on one of the corners, a table in the middle of the room, and a set of doors. One of them appeared to lead to a bathroom, and another to what he assumed would be an office. There were people hovering all around the room, but everybody appeared to have a specific chore. He wished he was looking at another X5. Sure, everyone looked efficient enough, but he really could not use any of them. Not for what he had in mind.

There was an iron stairway that led to a balcony. He could hear people moving on it. He walked into the center of the room and looked up. He saw another transhuman, three kids – X6s by the look of them – and a young woman looking down at him. He smiled at the woman with the gray hair and frowned when she didn't smile back. What the hell was the matter lately? He had been glared at by three – THREE – females in the past two days. Something was seriously wrong. He shook his head sadly, but moved right along. "511." He said by way of introduction. "Biggs."

"Nicole." The woman said. She looked at him for a moment and then back at the kids, signaling for them to go downstairs.

As they reached him, the kids immediately stood at attention. Nicole looked at them pointedly. They started speaking.

"X6-129!"

"X6-809!"

"X6-331!"

Biggs looked at the second girl. 809? Wasn't that ...? His train of thought was interrupted by Nicole's voice.

"Go get to what you have to do."

"Yes, ma'am."

As the kids left, she turned to look at him. "What can we do for you?"

Biggs reluctantly took his eyes from the girl that was leaving and looked at Nicole. "Is that... Did she come here recently? Did she mentioned anything happening to her on the way here?"

"I don't know when she got here, I already put Dix over there on the task of finding out. But yes. She said she was with three other X6s and an X8. That the rest of them died in some kind of ambush."

Biggs smiled. "Ralph is going to love hearing about this." He lowered his voice. "That's one of the kids that escaped with her. But don't tell her anything, okay? I want to surprise them both."

"I wasn't planning on telling her anything."

Biggs blinked and stopped smiling. "Right." Definitely NOT his day with the ladies. When he talked again, his voice was all business. "Are there any other X5s around here?"

"Not that I have seen so far."

"Fine. You'll have to do. I see you are the one running things here, is there anyone you can leave in charge?" When she nodded, he added, "Good, do it and then come with me." She stayed in place, looking at him, her expression blank. "Do you have a problem with that, soldier?"

"I need something more than that to leave my post. Keep talking."

Biggs relaxed. She was right. He had no authority over her. "I'm working with some other transgenics. There is a mission and you are the only one here that fits the profile." He paused. "It's all I can tell you right now. Your call."

She remained silent for a couple of minutes and then turned away. "Any equipment required?"

He smiled brightly. "Just standard parameters."

"I'll be outside in thirteen minutes."

He nodded and watched her approach the lizard guy that had greeted him, tell him something and then walk towards the office. After one last glance around the room, he went outside to wait for her.


Nicole took out her cell phone and, after checking that no one was around, dialed.

"Good morning, sir." She started. "Yes sir. I am in position ... No sir, no word on her yet. But I am getting things organized ... I know she is our priority, sir, but I understood we had agreed getting things organized was a very important step as well. ... Don't worry, sir. I am not forgetting that. I've already made contact with the X5 you spotted ... Yessir, I'm sure. He fits your description and he mentioned the girl. ... Yes, sir. Have a good day, sir."

Her eyes were a very cold gray when she ended the communication. Not that her expression had changed in any way. She always looked the same. She remained still for a few more seconds, staring at the phone in her hand.


"Yes." White said as he answered his cell phone. No one on the command center paid attention to the fact that he didn't use his usual curt 'White'. Or for that matter, that it was a different phone. They were all very busy.

"Fenos 'tol." He whispered, too soft for anyone else to hear.

He listened for a while and then hung up, a big, scary looking grin on his lips. He was sure this girl would prove to be very useful.