WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)
EMAIL: hmfergie@charter.net
WEBSITE: (Jensen)
RATING: PG-13 (NC-17 where applicable will be separate)
SUMMARY: Set after Freak Nation. A miss understanding turns into some truth telling and decision making for our transgenic pair.
SPOILERS: Everything!
DISCLAIMER: All Dark Angel characters belong to James Cameron, FOX, etc. etc. etc.
FEEDBACK: Always makes me smile! :)
DEDICATION: To all the Nuns at the Church of Jensen, the Blue Lady, and of course Jensen!
RANT: Okay… I did the stupid thing and watched Freak Nation with the commentary. Can I actually say I'm HAPPY that DA was canceled? Seriously what Cameron and/or what the writers wanted to do…. UGH! So, with that annoyance in my head, I just had to correct a few things, or I couldn't live with myself, whatever this will be (obviously, writing this, before I write my fic) is the result of this huge annoyance. SO… let's see how it goes. ;)
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He took one of the devices, and shook his head at her. "Hey don't worry about it. Either way it's good right?" She gave him a strange look as he started to walk for the door. "If it works, then we know it works. If it doesn't," he said as he got to the door, and turned back to her. "Then you'll get your wish… and you will finally be rid of me."
The sound of the door closing echoed in her head, "That's what I'm
worried about."
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He hissed as he took off his battered leather coat, now containing one more hole, and sat it on the counter next to the sink. He raised his arm carefully and pulled off his sweater. He used it to wipe away the blood from the back of his shoulder, and then threw it in the trashcan. He sighed, *And that was one of my favorites.*
He turned his back towards the mirror, a grimace on his face as he looked
over his shoulder. How was he going to explain this? It wasn't like she
would really believe him anyway. She would of course accuse him of screwing
up and doing something stupid once again. He sighed just as there was a
knock on his door.
Alec walked over to it slowly, and peered out the peek hole, visibly
relaxing as he opened the door. He motioned them in quickly and shut the
door. "Thanks buddy," he said as he ruffled the boy's hair at seeing the
supplies he carried.
Dalton looked at him with wide eyes, "The SAME shoulder?"
Alec smiled, "One and the same, but it's in the back not the side."
The boy shook his head and walked over to the sink with Alec right behind him. "What is it with you?" He asked as he sat down the supplies and started taking things out of the packages.
Alec hopped up on the counter with his back to Dalton, but watched the kid through the mirror. "What can I say... I screw up a lot." The disbelieving look almost made him laugh. "Well, let me ask you. If you were going to get shot, which shoulder would you rather take it in?"
"Left."
"Why?"
"I use my right."
"Exactly. Even though we were built and designed to ambidextrous, we were still trained to blend into society, and by mostly right-handed instructors."
Dalton nodded in his logic, but then thought of something. "Actually, now that I think about it. I'd choose right." Alec gave him a weird look and then hissed as the kid pulled the bullet from his shoulder. He dropped it in the sink, and sat down the tweezers. "The heart is in the left."
Alec stopped in thought for a second about that, realizing the kid was right, and he had never even thought about it. He then laughed, "Guess I just figured one of these days I'd get lucky and someone would pierce it for me." The shocked look he got back turned the smile into a genuine one. "Don't worry kid, I'm just kidding. I'm not going anywhere. No matter how much some people would like to see me go."
Dalton shook his head. "No she doesn't." He stated flatly as he applied the antiseptic to the wound.
"Damn!" he shouted as the sting ran through him. He then caught sight of the needle and thread, "Now... make it pretty. I don't want any ugly scars." Dalton rolled his eyes at him as the words registered in his brain, "Wait... what? What do you mean... SHE doesn't?"
He tried not to smile in response. "Max."
"Max? Why the hell do you think I'd be talking about her?" He just gave Alec a look. "Okay. See… there's my point. It's obvious to EVERYONE that she doesn't want me around."
Dalton shook his head as he finished up and tied off the string, and then started to apply the bandage and gauze. "No. It's obvious to everyone how much more bitchy she has become since the two of you have stopped talking. And her and… what's his name… 'hooked' back up." Alec almost laughed at the gesture he used when he said hooked.
"Trust me kid, that's nothing new." He moved his shoulder and winced slightly after the gauze was taped off. He then hopped off the counter and went to get his black t-shirt. He slowly pulled it over his chest and turned back to Dalton who was putting everything in the old, rusted medicine cabinet.
Alec went and sat down on the battered couch and clicked on the television. He looked at the clock, it was late… early actually. "Now… Max would say you should be in bed." He rolled his eyes, "Want'a watch some old shows with me?" Dalton smiled broadly and took a seat next to Alec, both putting their feet up on the scratched coffee table.
"So…" Dalton started off, "How DID it happen?"
Alec laughed. "Would you believe a bar fight broke out and I got in the crossfire saving my contact from a stray bullet?"
Dalton shook his head. "Wrong time, wrong place, and nothing to do with
your contact or being a transgenic?" Alec nodded. The kid laughed, "Yep…
Max will never believe that one."
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His feet hit the floor and he immediately woke up, his eyes going wide, "What the f…" Then his eyes caught hers.
"We ARE trying to have a meeting here."
He groaned and put his feet back up on the table and curled in closer to the couch, trying not to wince as his shoulder moved against the cushion. "Just give me the list after you guys DISCUSS what you want. I'm tired."
Max rolled her eyes, "Not from testing the device."
Hazel eyes opened, "What? I tested it! I got back late."
"Yeah, whatever. You were up till almost dawn watching old TV shows!"
His eyes got wide, "That little… rat!"
Max shook her head, "Dalton didn't tell me." Alec gave her a questioning look. "I overheard Gem yelling at him for falling asleep in class. He said there was a 'Wonder Woman' marathon on last night." She gave him a look, "I put two and two together."
Alec relaxed, realizing that the rest of the nights activities hadn't been revealed. He looked over at Mole, "I wanted to show the kid what a real woman superhero was. Can you blame me?" Max gave him an evil look. "Yep, she was cool. Caught bad guys and everything Max. And you know what?"
"What Alec?"
"She wasn't a bitch all the time… AND she'd let a guy get some sleep!"
"Well you can get your sleep after the meeting, and after you report how last night went."
He sighed, "Fine." He then sat up, gave a mock salute. "Should I stand? Or can I stay seated." She rolled her eyes. "Okay then." He cleared his throat. "At 2100 hours I took the device in question and attached it as instructed to my person. I then exited the boundaries of Terminal City at 2105 hours and proceeded into the city to the Golden Lotus to meet my contact for supplies as previously discussed."
Max sat back in her chair, her fingers tapping on the armrest. Showing just how annoyed she was with his telling.
The tapping of her fingers made it difficult for him not to smile, as he continued on with his story. "I met with my contact. Arranged the supply meeting. Left the bar. Passed through checkpoints without incident. Then returned to base at 0137 hours…. In conclusion… the device works as specified and the supplies are arranged for transport." With that he gave another salute, leaned back on the couch, and returned his feet to the table. "Happy now?" He asked as he yawned.
She felt the urge to rip her hair out. "Yes." Was all she said. Then she turned to the others. "Okay, give your lists to Alec, since he so graciously said he would take care of them. And this meeting is over." Everyone quickly put their pieces of paper on the coffee table at his feet and moved out of the area as if they knew a bomb was going to go off.
Alec sat up slowly, gathered the papers, stood up and walked to the stairs. "Why the hell did…" she started as her hand landed hard on his shoulder spinning him around, and a look of pain crossed his face before he could mask it. She stopped instantly at seeing it. "What was that?" She asked quickly.
"What was what?" He asked trying to play dumb.
"What did you do now? What happened that you didn't say?"
"I didn't do anything Max."
"Alec…"
"The device worked. Our supplies are coming. I came back. What else is there?"
"Whatever else that caused you severe pain when I grabbed your shoulder. And don't lie to me and say there wasn't and don't tell me it was from the Jam Pony incident all those weeks back."
"Guess you don't know your own strength Maxie. I think you might have left a bruise."
"Don't give me that bull shit. Not after the whole wall pinning… I'm not taking your ass kicking anymore speech."
He sighed. "Whatever you think happened, or whatever you want to think happened… happened. Okay? It will just save us all a lot of time and energy." With that he turned around and walked down the steps.
She almost let him go, but then was following him down on his heels, and into his office, shutting the door behind her. He shook his head even before she started talking. "No, it's not okay. None of this is okay!"
He turned to her, "None of what is okay?"
"THIS!" she said moving her arms between the two of them.
He repeated the gesture… "English Max."
"Communication. Between us."
Alec nodded, "Yes… that is what I am trying to get from you. You must explain what you are talking about. Because mind reader was not mixed into my cocktail."
She wanted to scream at him. "Talk to me!"
"I am talking to you."
"No you aren't!"
He gave her a look like she was crazy. "My lips are moving… sound is coming out… the sound is forming words. This is talking."
She then did scream, "AHHHH! Why do you have to be such a pain?"
He threw his arms up in the air and walked around his desk. "What the hell do you want from me?" He leaned his hands on the desk and looked over at her. "Really Max? Huh? I don't understand this. You tell me all the time to shut up. I shut up, and now you want me to talk. I talk, and now you say I'm not talking. Really… an understanding of what you want exactly would be helpful."
She shook her head slightly and closed her eyes, her jaw clenched, teeth grinding. She was losing… totally losing the battle because she didn't truly even understand what the war was about. That was the problem. "Alec…" She started slowly, carefully… just trying to ask the question as calmly as possible. "just tell me… what happened."
"I got shot. Happy?"
"No."
"Big surprise there." He sighed and sat in his chair.
Max clenched her fists, not giving in to herself, wanting to yell and comment on his reply. "How?"
He leaned his head back looking at the ceiling, "Does it really matter?"
"Yes."
"I screwed up, good enough?"
She could feel her temper rising, she tried to hold onto the reins. "No, I want an explanation."
"Well you know what. I don't want to give one." He stood up and walked towards the door. "You don't tell me everything in your life. I don't have to, or want to tell you everything in mine. We work together, because we have to. That's it." She turned around quickly looking at him in slight shock as he continued. "What happened doesn't affect work. And isn't of any importance to our goals. Therefore there is no requirement that I tell you anything." He opened the door to his office. "Now if you don't mind. I have a lot of work to do if I am going to get all those supplies requested at your God awful early morning meeting."
Max stood there for a second in complete shock. She…SHE… had been completely dismissed. She walked out in a haze, and jumped slightly when the door was slammed behind her.
She walked numbly towards her office, her mind asking over and over again, *What the hell just happened?*
Luke watched her, a slight worried look on his face as his eyes moved from her, to Alec's door and then back. He caught the beep of the transmitter turning on, and called out to her. "Hey Max…" She turned to look up at the balcony and him with a blank look. "Logan's coming on the…"
She waved at him, and shook her head as she walked to her office and opened the door. "Tell him… I'll talk to him tomorrow."
"Uhhh… Ohhh kay." He said as he watched her close the door behind her. He then turned towards Dix… "Did I hear her correctly?"
Dix nodded, disbelief in his eyes as well.
Luke turned towards the screen… "Uh, hey Logan. Ummm… Max is really,
really busy…"
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Two minutes later her office door flew open, "Someone…" she yelled as
she walked into the main room… "Find me Dalton. Now!"
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Chapter 5 Coming Soon! – Please
Review!!!