Ok, Chapter 8, Mid-terms are coming so that means you it will be 4 days till next chapter. Thank you for the reviews.

Alex looked at Max's face; she thought he'd been taking advantage of Becca, which hurt. She always assumed the worse, but this was over the top, something in him clicked and he realized that he was mad, furious, and ready to fight.

"You take advantage of wounded girls, God Alec that is sick!!!! You are sick, I should never have let you out!!!" Max hissed.

"You have no idea what you're taking about!!!" Alec muttered, roughly trying to walk past her. He didn't want to involve Becca, but she was starting to sit up, and trying to figure out what was going on. "Alec, what's going on?" she asked confused,

"Nothing go back to sleep" Alec said, trying to move the argument to away from her to the living room. He just needed to calm Max down and explain to her, before she did or said something stupid. Too late.

"Don't talk to her, I mean Damn, Alec, her boyfriends been dead, what two days, you couldn't keep your hands off her?" Max's voice was starting to rise, like her anger.

Alec froze and looked first from Max then to Becca, Max was still ranting and raving but Becca face was changing, her eyes got dark and her hands were curled into fists. "Becca" he quickly said, "it ok" Before he could get an answer Max swung at his face, furious that he was ignoring her. He was so focused on Becca he almost got hit, moving his head just in time. "Max!" he said, his voice authoritive, "Stop!"

Suddenly there was a flurry of movement, but it wasn't Max hitting Alec, Becca hit Max! The wounded X5 was clearly healing quite well, she had Max down in one hit, and was straddled on her, both hands around Max's throat, her jaw clenched in anger. Alec moved in and put his hand around Beccas hands "Let her go, she was only trying to protect you, she thought I was taking advantage of you" he pulled her off Max, and restrained her hands in his, practically dragged her to the living room. The last look in Rebecca's eyes said that Max was lucky Alec was there.

Max watch the two X5 closely something was clicking in her head, they were keeping something from her, she didn't know what it was, but she was going to find out. She observed them, Alec talking quietly to the girl, every bit the commanding officer, he glanced over at Max, and then continued talking quietly. Rebecca was standing there in a pair of red plaid pajama pants and a black tank top, fading bruises visible on one shoulder, her pony tail had come a little loose. It was weird, Max had never noticed Rebecca was a lot like Alec, both had a fire in their eye, and when Rebecca jerked her hands out of Alecs it reminded her of Alec rejecting her touch at the bar. They were soldiers, perfect, beautiful, and dangerous; Max reached up and touched her neck, thinking. The two times in the last 2 days Rebecca had attacked it had been for the throat, she took no prisoners. Something wasn't right, had she attacked Max because Max hit Alec? Were they a couple? How long had that been going on? Max train of thought stopped when she saw Alec and Rebecca look at her and stop talking. "I am leaving. Going back to my place" Becca said. "Whatever" Max said, still angry and starting to feel a little resentful. Alec took of his hoodie, handing it to Becca who put it on with a struggle, "I will drive" he said giving Max a look, he sighed walked to the door. "Wait" Max said quietly she was still a moment then walked in the kitchen returning with a pill bottle, "Shankar said if you were in pain then to take two" She said tossing the bottle to the other girl, Rebecca's good hand caught it. "Thanks "Rebecca said crisply "you saved my butt." She walked around Alec and out the door. Alec stood there for a moment looking at Max, "Max" he said haltingly, "its not what you think"

"Why am I the bad guy Alec" she said harshly, "you sleep with your friends girl and I am the enemy? Just get out"

Alecs eyebrow went up and he turned to leave "Your wrong Max" he said to her, and walked out.

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4 days had passed and everyone was at work, Max and Alec were talking but there was still a lot of tension. They both were still angry and there were some unresolved issues that needed to be worked out. Max noticed that Rebecca and Alec talked, but was kind of hurt the girl wouldn't talk to her. Max had said hello Rebecca's first day back, and she politely returned the gesture but Max could tell Rebecca was putting a huge wall up.

Alec showed up, and went to his locker, Max was already there and they said hello, but nothing else. Rebecca showed up soon after, and made her way over. Alec looked at her then at Max who was standing with her back to them at her locker.

"You ok?" he asked Becca, she was pretty much healed except for the scar, but she looked drawn, and tired. He knew she was probably having trouble sleeping but he hadn't made his was over to her place. He hadn't even told her about beating up the three guys who killed Biggs. He knew it was important she try to work it out on her own, he was keeping his eye on her, and Max away from her.

"I am alright" Rebecca responded, but she wasn't. The new living quarters were hard to get use to, and she hadn't been sleeping well, at all. She had taken to hanging out at Crash till it closed and then hoping that there was enough Alcohol in her to put her out. There wasn't, her metabolism was too high for that. She was starting to feel the effects of getting no sleep, but she knew she had to find away around that. She missed her partner, and with him gone she was alone, but as a good soldier that wasn't a problem, it wasn't allowed to be. She slammed her locker shut, spun around and headed for Normal, like she had work to do; she didn't want Alec thinking she was weak.

Alec watched her leave, and wondered how all right she really was, if it gets bad I will be able to tell, then blocking out the rest of the thought he turned to Max, only to find her brown eyes already on him.

"Alec, what is her problem, she looks like crap and her attitude has sucked," She asked him mildly. She knew that he knew what was going on, unless they weren't bed buddies any more.

"I don't know" he started, "It's more a Manticore thing, you had to be there to know" he didn't mean to sound harsh "You had to be in certain situations, to understand" he softened looking away from her, trying not to remember himself. The reindoctrination, the torture, the feeling you experienced when they broke you, God, 481 had to get through that, no wonder she struggles, I'd struggle, I still do, Suddenly Max was in front of him "hey" she said quietly, "you ok?"

He started to respond I'm always ok, but stopped, "I am ok, Becca might not be." That's all he meant to say. Max waited for an explanation; until it was clear one wasn't coming. "If she needs help, why doesn't she ask, instead of being rude?" Max asked.

"She isn't easy Max" Alec said softly "she never has been. She hasn't had your opportunity to forge an identity outside of Manticore, we all struggle with that." With that Alec left Max standing there.

That night at Crash Max watched Rebecca, the redhead had showed up about 10pm and had stopped at the bar to do about eight shots straight before heading to Max and Alecs table with a pitcher of beer and a glass of amber liquid. "Hey guys, brought you a treat, and for you Alec your favorite" she smiled and sat the table. The conversation kept flowing but Max watched Rebecca, she noticed how the girl cracked jokes, kept everybody going with Alec, they were so much alike, both cover pain with their charm. She watched as the girl kept bringing the pitchers back full, and taking shots alone at the bar. She was obviously struggling with something, but was hiding it really well. Alec challenged her to a game of pool, but the game wasn't fair, both were excellent and when it was their turn to shoot, they took it home.

Suddenly everyone stopped as a news flash came on, it was a story on another mutant who was killed, it showed clips of the other mutants that had been killed, on of them Biggs. Alec glanced at Becca who watched the story then turned, as they all did, to the guy yelling how all tranies should die. Becca downed her beer then slammed the glass down. "See you all tomorrow" She said with a forced smile and without waiting a reply took off through the crowed.

Max waited to see if Alec would follow, but was surprised when he didn't, they must have broken up she figured, deciding to go after the X5. She grabbed her jacket and hurried off in the same direction as Rebecca. She went out the door, and found the redhead getting on her bike and getting ready to head out. She hurried over and caught the girls arm, "You ok?" she asked, concerned. "Max, of course, you know we heal fast." Rebecca replied with a small smile. "That's not what I meant" Max paused then rushed on " Listen If you need to talk or something, I am here" Rebecca paused looking at Max, then put on a big smile, "There is nothing to talk about, Later" and sped off. Max watched her go, there was something wrong, and that pause had said everything. She turned to walk back in, intent on finding Alec.

He was at the bar, glass in hand, she almost softened as she went to him, "You guys break up?" she asked him. "Shut up Max" he said, her eyebrows shot up. "Hey sorry, Just trying to show an interest."" She replied, confused. "Really" Alec slammed down his glass a little too hard. "Why don't you just realize there are things you don't know, you can't understand?" he hissed at her, obviously he had had a lot to drink, and just didn't care anymore. He continued "You didn't do a favor for everyone with the fire, Manticore sucked, but we understood it, there was a system, not everyone can make it out here. I am lucky, it most of the time just works for me out here." He paused and downed the just filled glass, beckoning the bartender again. "Biggs and Becca lived Manticore out here, that how they survived, do you know where Becca was during the fire" he paused looking at her, she silently shook her head no. "Psy-ops, they broke her and then the fire happened, and now she has to live with the images and the feelings. She didn't get the full cycle" his voice quieted and he seemed to be talking to himself "they break you then give you Manticore, make you focused on the place and that takes away some pain, believe it or not, but you wouldn't understand" He stopped talking and looked into his drink, thinking of the past, of Manticore.

Max listened, understanding their connection and recognizing she didn't really understand. They were hurting, Manticore had ruined them, emotionally, Ben, Alec, Rebecca, Biggs, bore the scars of Manticore. He reached her hand out then stopped, knowing he'd push her away. She watched as he tried to drown his pain, Becca must remind him of what he went through, that's why he understands her. She understood now, that what she thought was a simple relationship was not. These people were bounded together by something she would never understand. Alec's eyes were kind of glazed so she decided to help the one she could. She waited as he threw money down and walked out ignoring her, she followed him to the alley and watched silently as he vented some anger on some innocent trashcans. Finally went to him when he sat down defeated and put her arms around him, he didn't fight her as she held him close, he held on to her like she was saving him. After a few minutes she pulled him up and lead him to her bike, taking him home. She stood as he opened his door and when he asked with his eyes she went in. He lay down on the bed facing away from her, and she lay beside him. Letting him know she was there.

Alec just didn't care any more, he vented on Max, vented on garbage, and was tired of fighting. Knowing she was there was comforting; he drifted off thanking her silently.