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Alec walked in, watching the girl carefully, when she finally moved it was hesitantly, she took a step forward, and he put his hand out in warning. "Rebecca" he didn't use her nickname, he was serious. She stopped moving, clearly debating something in her mind.
"Is..Is this Manticore?" she half whispered, fear running across her features. Alec felt for her, the question was like a frightened child, he wanted to tell her she was safe, but he knew he had to take everything slowly, he needed to know exactly what was going on with her. "I am asking the questions" he said briskly. He placed two apples on the floor and a small box of juice. "How many civilians have you killed?" he asked, "I know about the two tonight".
A confused look crossed her face, "No, I only killed people who were enemies to Manticore!" her voice held a note of panic in it. "I just was proving I wasn't weak, I'm not a bad soldier!" Her voice calmed and she took a breath, regrouping "I killed three" she said looking at him, pulling her red hair behind her ears, "Manticore would have had them killed, they were liabilities." She sounded strong but her eyes gave her away, she hated what she did, was confused. Alec was silent then asked "Did you do this to please Manticore, to come back" he watched her face. Her expression told the truth, "yes" she said quietly, her eyes glistened with tears and she was sickened by her own response, he could see her pain. He wanted to reach out and consol her but he knew he had to stay distant.
She hated herself, she was weak, and she deserved to be punished. Who wants to go back to Manticore, they had blamed her for things she didn't do, she had always been loyal, but they punished her anyway. She tried to be even more loyal, more perfect, but then had failed. She was a failure. She needed punishment. She deserved to be terminated. She was torn out of her thoughts by the voice of 494. "481" he repeated, voice raised.
Alec could see her thinking, he wanted to help her but that would take time, and he didn't know how much he had. He watched as she gave up; standing there, head low, defeated. He remembered feeling that way; he had to get out of there. "I will be back, we will decide what to do then." He walked out the door, his last look showed her head still down red hair covering her face, and her arms crossed, hugging her self.
Alec walked down the hall, and out the door, lost in thought, as he stepped out of the building, into the night, he was shocked out of his thoughts by the sight of Max, sitting across the way, on the curb. He was tired, he didn't want to fight, but Max obviously knew about Becca, why else would she be there? He walked towards her, to tired to try to avoid her.
Max had been feeling good, she caught Alec red handed, the victory was hers, but she victory was over when she saw his face. This wasn't the cocky Alec, this Alec was tired, and in pain. Max stood up to meet him and when he got close she could see him fighting back tears, trying to look like everything was all right. Without another thought she wrapped her arms around him and held him. After a few seconds she felt his arms circle her waist and his forehead found the place where her neck and shoulder met. "Max" he mumbled, "I don't know what to do, she is so lost" "Its ok" Max said softly "You can help her, and I will be there for you, we will not let Manticore take anyone or anything else from us." He lifted his head, his hazel eyes looking into her brown, "Max, she has killed, three people," he watched her reaction. "Who were they?" she questioned still holding him, "protesters against transgenic" he replied, still watching her. "She hates herself for it" he rushed on holding nothing back, drawing strength from her comfort. "Part of her wants to go back to Manticore, When Biggs was there he gave her just enough Manticore to keep her steady, They trained, lived as a unit of 2, he was Manticore to her, minus the bad parts and a lot more freedom. She didn't sleep well; they shared a bed because she nightmares almost all the time, the fire was right after the break down Manticore puts you though when you 'mess up' so she probably still is having nightmares, I think the lack of sleep plus feeling like the world was spinning out of control is causing her to break mentally. I don't know what to do" he paused "But we can't kill her Max, or give her to White, this isn't her fault, she just got a bad lot, She can be helped. I just don't know how" he stopped as sobs threatened to pour out of him. He rested his head against Max again and just held on. "This could have been me," he whispered so quietly that only Max with her hearing could pick it up. She pulled his even closer.
Max held him, tightly, she understood. Alec related to Rebecca because at one time he was her, a stone cold killer, doing the right thing and getting punished, suffering so much pain you wanted to die. Seeing Alec these last two weeks had really changed her opinion of him, she was beginning to realize her feeling were changing. She wanted to help him, and Rebecca, "Alec" She said softly, moving so she could cup his face in her hands "Tell me what you need, I want to help you, I know this must be hard, bringing up feelings you don't want to feel." She stopped talking and looked at him, he looked so worn out, but his eyes betrayed his gratitude, she smiled and kissed his forehead, then his nose, his cheek, she just wanted to comfort him, make him feel better, she paused then kissed his lips, pressing herself against him. He responded holding her tighter, returning her kisses, desperatly, like he couldn't get enough. She pulled away slightly holding his hands "We can't do this here" she whispered, as his lips went for hers again. "I am sorry," he said quickly, embarrassed, "No" she quickly interjected, "We can do this on the street, is there someplace we can talk, close?" "I set up a room near Rebeccas, in case things went wrong." He said, she stepped off the curb, leading him toward the building, holding his hands in hers, and keeping her eyes locked with his hazel eyes.
They reached the room but he paused looking down the hall where Becca was locked. He looked so lost, she pulled him close, "We will not lose her," she whispered fiercely holding him tight. He looked down at her gratitude in his eyes, she kissed him again, and they went into the room, where she held and kissed him repeatedly and when he allowed himself to respond he realized that everything would be all right.
Alec walked in, watching the girl carefully, when she finally moved it was hesitantly, she took a step forward, and he put his hand out in warning. "Rebecca" he didn't use her nickname, he was serious. She stopped moving, clearly debating something in her mind.
"Is..Is this Manticore?" she half whispered, fear running across her features. Alec felt for her, the question was like a frightened child, he wanted to tell her she was safe, but he knew he had to take everything slowly, he needed to know exactly what was going on with her. "I am asking the questions" he said briskly. He placed two apples on the floor and a small box of juice. "How many civilians have you killed?" he asked, "I know about the two tonight".
A confused look crossed her face, "No, I only killed people who were enemies to Manticore!" her voice held a note of panic in it. "I just was proving I wasn't weak, I'm not a bad soldier!" Her voice calmed and she took a breath, regrouping "I killed three" she said looking at him, pulling her red hair behind her ears, "Manticore would have had them killed, they were liabilities." She sounded strong but her eyes gave her away, she hated what she did, was confused. Alec was silent then asked "Did you do this to please Manticore, to come back" he watched her face. Her expression told the truth, "yes" she said quietly, her eyes glistened with tears and she was sickened by her own response, he could see her pain. He wanted to reach out and consol her but he knew he had to stay distant.
She hated herself, she was weak, and she deserved to be punished. Who wants to go back to Manticore, they had blamed her for things she didn't do, she had always been loyal, but they punished her anyway. She tried to be even more loyal, more perfect, but then had failed. She was a failure. She needed punishment. She deserved to be terminated. She was torn out of her thoughts by the voice of 494. "481" he repeated, voice raised.
Alec could see her thinking, he wanted to help her but that would take time, and he didn't know how much he had. He watched as she gave up; standing there, head low, defeated. He remembered feeling that way; he had to get out of there. "I will be back, we will decide what to do then." He walked out the door, his last look showed her head still down red hair covering her face, and her arms crossed, hugging her self.
Alec walked down the hall, and out the door, lost in thought, as he stepped out of the building, into the night, he was shocked out of his thoughts by the sight of Max, sitting across the way, on the curb. He was tired, he didn't want to fight, but Max obviously knew about Becca, why else would she be there? He walked towards her, to tired to try to avoid her.
Max had been feeling good, she caught Alec red handed, the victory was hers, but she victory was over when she saw his face. This wasn't the cocky Alec, this Alec was tired, and in pain. Max stood up to meet him and when he got close she could see him fighting back tears, trying to look like everything was all right. Without another thought she wrapped her arms around him and held him. After a few seconds she felt his arms circle her waist and his forehead found the place where her neck and shoulder met. "Max" he mumbled, "I don't know what to do, she is so lost" "Its ok" Max said softly "You can help her, and I will be there for you, we will not let Manticore take anyone or anything else from us." He lifted his head, his hazel eyes looking into her brown, "Max, she has killed, three people," he watched her reaction. "Who were they?" she questioned still holding him, "protesters against transgenic" he replied, still watching her. "She hates herself for it" he rushed on holding nothing back, drawing strength from her comfort. "Part of her wants to go back to Manticore, When Biggs was there he gave her just enough Manticore to keep her steady, They trained, lived as a unit of 2, he was Manticore to her, minus the bad parts and a lot more freedom. She didn't sleep well; they shared a bed because she nightmares almost all the time, the fire was right after the break down Manticore puts you though when you 'mess up' so she probably still is having nightmares, I think the lack of sleep plus feeling like the world was spinning out of control is causing her to break mentally. I don't know what to do" he paused "But we can't kill her Max, or give her to White, this isn't her fault, she just got a bad lot, She can be helped. I just don't know how" he stopped as sobs threatened to pour out of him. He rested his head against Max again and just held on. "This could have been me," he whispered so quietly that only Max with her hearing could pick it up. She pulled his even closer.
Max held him, tightly, she understood. Alec related to Rebecca because at one time he was her, a stone cold killer, doing the right thing and getting punished, suffering so much pain you wanted to die. Seeing Alec these last two weeks had really changed her opinion of him, she was beginning to realize her feeling were changing. She wanted to help him, and Rebecca, "Alec" She said softly, moving so she could cup his face in her hands "Tell me what you need, I want to help you, I know this must be hard, bringing up feelings you don't want to feel." She stopped talking and looked at him, he looked so worn out, but his eyes betrayed his gratitude, she smiled and kissed his forehead, then his nose, his cheek, she just wanted to comfort him, make him feel better, she paused then kissed his lips, pressing herself against him. He responded holding her tighter, returning her kisses, desperatly, like he couldn't get enough. She pulled away slightly holding his hands "We can't do this here" she whispered, as his lips went for hers again. "I am sorry," he said quickly, embarrassed, "No" she quickly interjected, "We can do this on the street, is there someplace we can talk, close?" "I set up a room near Rebeccas, in case things went wrong." He said, she stepped off the curb, leading him toward the building, holding his hands in hers, and keeping her eyes locked with his hazel eyes.
They reached the room but he paused looking down the hall where Becca was locked. He looked so lost, she pulled him close, "We will not lose her," she whispered fiercely holding him tight. He looked down at her gratitude in his eyes, she kissed him again, and they went into the room, where she held and kissed him repeatedly and when he allowed himself to respond he realized that everything would be all right.
