~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Alec's apartment

Alec tucks Dimple into his bed, making sure the blanket's extra-snug so that she doesn't get cold. God knows how long she was out in the rain. He gives one last glance, and moves back a bit so Max has room to get in there. ~Sweet dreams, Dimple...holy shit, she's my kid! Oh, man...~ She bends down, stroking their daughter's hair, and whispers a goodnight.~That's my daughter...oh, my god....~ They walk out of the room, both still stunned.

Alec shuts the door behind them, not wanting Dimple to hear any of the harsh words that might be said. After all, two stubborn, headstrong X5's who both just found out that they have a daughter together might have some nasty effects. He kicks the wall, letting out all of his anger and stress in a kick that rocks the room and leaves dry wall on the floor. But Max just sits there, staring into space, wanting nothing more than just to have someone give her a giant bear hug to ease away her worry.

Alec leads her to the kitchen counter, and proceeds to get her a nice, warm glass of milk to calm her down, not even bothering to ask her if she likes it- they are part cat, after all. He places it in front of her, and she takes a sip. "So, that's our kid." Max says, not quite able to get a grip on it yet.

"Yup." Alec says, fuming on the inside. ~I knew everyone at Manticore...the technicians, the guards..I should have caught wind of this.~

"She's a doll." Max says, her mouth twitching into a smile of sorts. "God, I can't imagine being that young and alone in the world. She's had it so hard." she trails off, tears filling her eyes as she thinks of her little girl out in the big, scary, mean world.

"How can this... this isn't...." unable to finish the sentence, Max just punches the kitchen counter, leaving a sizable dent. "Isn't fair. Not to us, not to her, not to anyone." she whispers, unable to find the strength to yell.

Alec quickly closes the gap between them, pulling her into a hug. "Shh... it's all right. She's safe now. I'm not going to let anyone get her... or you, for that matter." he tells her, stroking her hair softly, knowing that all X5's are comforted by touch. Max just pulls him tighter, burying her head in his chest.

"Why does the world suck so much?" Max's question is muffled by his shirt, and the lump in her throat. Alec sighs, taking her hand and leading her to the guest room, where there's an extra bed for nights when her shark DNA spurs her to come over.

"Because stupid people rule the world. Let's try to get some sleep- I hear four year olds are quite the handful." he says, and Max nods, casting a glance to Alec's bedroom door just as a tiny head leaps behind it.

~And now I'm seeing things....great, just great!~ "Maybe I should get some sleep." she mumbles, her eyes already closing as Alec places a blanket over them. ~We have a daughter...go figure, the guy I've had a teeny crush on- ok, a more than teeny crush on, and I have a daughter we never knew about.~ Max thinks as she succumbs to sleep.

"Shark DNA my ass." Alec mutters as Max's head hits his shoulder. ~I need to keep them safe. They're all I got.~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I think they like each other, Baby Lindsey" Dimple tells her doll, who' propped up by the headboard. She waits a moment, then contorts her face and sticks out her tongue. "I don't like boys either. They have cooties, and are mean, and are all grossish and icky."

Dimple holds on tight to the blanket that Alec tucked around her, not wanting to ruin how he tucked her in. She pulls Baby Lindsey to her side, at once letting her guard down and sticking out her bottom lip. A tear falls down her cheek, hitting Baby Lindsey on the head, but that doesn't really matter. Baby Lindsey is no stranger to Dimple's pain.

"I don't want to leave." Dimple whispers into her doll's ear. "Not ever." she thinks out loud, so caught up in her conversation with Baby Lindsey that her transgenic hearing doesn't catch the sound of someone outside her room.

Baby Lindsey responds with silence, so Dimple decides to change the subject. "Do you think all boys have cooties, or just the icky ones...ew, can you catch 'em? Yuck."

"Ooh, maybe they have medcine to keep you un-cootieish....that'd be good..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Alec's apartment.

Max listens to Dimple, promising herself that she will try to be the best mother she can. That her daughter will have a family...if Alec wants one. She glances back into the guest room, where Alec sleeps peacefully. He's sprawled out on the bed, his one arm where Max had recently lain.

~oh, god, the crap I'm gonna get from him for "sleeping together"~ she sighs, walking into the kitchen to find the box of pizza. She grabs a slice and takes a bite, freezing at the noise behind her. She turns, looking in front of her and sees no one there. But then she hears a giggle, and lowers her gaze. "Hi, Dimple. You want a slice?" she asks, and Dimple nods, climbing onto the counter.

"Mmm..I like pizza. It's supergood." Dimple announces, and Max smiles. "It's all cheesy and saucy and bready...." As if to prove her point, she takes a giant bite of the pizza, leaving her whole face full of pizza sauce. "Yum"

"It's one of my favorites, too. You have some sauce." Max tells her, and Dimple wipes her mouth, just making it messier. "Here," Max grabs a napkin and wipes off the sauce, remembering some mom on the street doing it to her kid. ~Have to start somewhere.~ she muses as Dimple takes another bite of pizza, ruining the clean face that was there a moment ago.

"Do you have trouble sleeping, too?" Max asks, coming up with no other conclusion for a four-year-old to be awake at 2 a.m. unless she has shark DNA. Dimple nods, her bottom lip jutting out in an adorable pout- one that can probably con anyone into doing anything to get this little girl to smile. ~That's gonna cause some trouble.~ Max groans inwardly, not looking forward to that day at all...well, unless it can get her out of trouble.

"Yupyup. Sleep doesn't like me. It shows me mean things." she tells Max, sniffing back tears at the mere mention of her dreams. Max pulls the little girl into a hug, not able to stand seeing her sad.

"I have nightmares, too." she says, trying to get the little girl happy. "If you want, we can go for a walk or watch tv, so you don't have to go to sleep." Dimple nods, taking Max's hand and leading her to the door.

"Let's leave a note- don't want Alec worrying like a mother hen." Max says, and Dimple, obviously not familiar with the phrase, scrunches up her face in thought as Max jots down a quick note to Alec and tapes it on the bedroom door, where he's sure to find it.

"You ready?" Max asks, and Dimple nods excitedly. "Here, where this- it's cold outside. We'll go shopping in the morning." she says, zipping Dimple into her leather coat.

"Can I have a piggyback ride?" she asks, and Max nods, squatting down as Dimple leaps on her back. The door shuts behind the pair, leaving Alec in a deep sleep as they head off to paint the town red...or rainbow, which is Dimple's favorite color.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: ok, how stupid do I feel? Wait, don't answer that- it's just degrading. 946, 946, 946- THAT's Dimple's designation. Sorry for the confusion, but at least ya got a good laugh out of it! Tell me whatcha think of this chapter- I'd love to hear anything but the mockery of my Jessica Simpson-esque fluke. Drop me a line!

DISCLAIMER: Not mine, and don't even bother suing me, 'cuz all you're gonna get is $9.47 and a bag of cheetos. On second thought, you won't even get the damn cheetos, because I'll eat 'em before you get here!!!!! mwahahahahahhahahahaha!!!!

Luv ya!

Molly Jeane :D