TITLE: Coming Decisions – Chapter 12

WRITTEN BY: Heather Ferguson (fergus80)

EMAIL: hmfergie@charter.net

WEBSITE:  webpages. charter. net /fergus80 (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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 "I didn't know why Little Fella wanted to come to dinner so early. She must have good intuition that you both would be here."

Alec and Max sighed, both knowing just how UNTRUE that statement was.

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The table was extremely quiet, well except for one person. Joshua was excitedly telling them about all kinds of things. A joke that Dalton had told him. Him helping out Gem with her new school. A painting that he was doing on the outside wall of Headquarters.

Alec gave Mole a small smile. He had to give Mole props for trying to listen and looking at least partially interested. Mole knew that Josh was a good kid, and he suspected that was why he put up with his childlike enthusiasm to life. But it was also more than that. Joshua was in a sense... family. They all were. A very strange family, but still family.

She sat there pushing stuff around her plate. Normally she loved listening to Joshua talk about his day. It always made her smile. How much enthusiasm he had about such simple things. But she was extremely uncomfortable sitting there. The two other people at the table made her anxious. She KNEW that Mole didn't like her. She knew that from the beginning. They just rubbed each other the wrong way, and held totally different views on almost everything. But the person setting next to her bugged her the most. She was still trying to figure out what she thought about what he had said before he left her apartment earlier. She had no clue what to think.

If she had to think of one word to describe what she felt about the person next to her, frustration would come to mind. Name the type, and it more than likely existed. Whenever they were together, or when she thought about him, she just wanted to... to... well. ARG.

She sighed and hazel eyes briefly looked at her, and then quickly turned back to Joshua. Then a voice startled her.

"Hate to do this buddy, but I gotta get back to work." Alec said standing quickly and grabbing his tray.

Mole stood quicker than an X5, "Me too."

Alec walked around the table and patted Joshua on the shoulder, "It was nice having dinner with you two." He said and walked away with Mole close behind him.

"Bye." Joshua called after them and turned back to Max with a large smile. But then he cocked his head to the side, "Upset they had to leave?"

Max thought about it for a second, "Actually. I'm not sure."
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The supply list starred back at him, but he couldn't focus on it, and actually he didn't want to. There were two reasons for that. The one was that he didn't want to, he shouldn't have to. He was a soldier. He shouldn't have to be stuck behind a desk, calling contacts to get supplies. But he had too because he was the best person there to do it. But it didn't mean that he had to like it.

Manticore had designed them to be the perfect soldier. And he was fighting his body's urge to go grab some heavy artillery, and take out the people holding him and his own hostage in Terminal City. Get the heck out of there, and regroup somewhere safe. And then let the familiars and the humans destroy each other. But the problem was that Manticore didn't make the perfect soldier. Because if they did... they wouldn't have let them think. Wouldn't have let them have emotions.

And that... that was the second thing that was bothering him. How much easier it would be if Manticore had gotten rid of those emotions. Oh they tried. And they damn well nearly succeeded.

Part of him wish they had.

*No.* He knew that he wouldn't have wanted to forget that. But this time... he wasn't so sure. This was completely different. Basically because this time he had no clue exactly how he felt at all. *One minute...* he sighed, *and then the next.* He wanted to scream. She was just so... so... "Frustrating," he finally said out loud.

Alec sat the list on the desk, stood up, grabbed his coat and phone and walked out of his office. He had to get out of the cage for a little bit before he went nuts.
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She walked through the dark parking garage and smiled as she got to her bike. She needed to get out, and feel the wind hit her face. It was the best way for her to think. Max got on, started the engine and speed out of Terminal City.

Hazel eyes watched her leave from a darkened corner, watched her leave Terminal City with a smile on her face. He knew why she was happy, and where she was going, or whom she was going to.

Alec slowly walked over to his bike, swung a leg over and sat there for a moment. Now not so sure if he wanted to leave. Really, what was there to think about? Even if he could figure out what he was feeling, it didn't really matter.

*Why even bother trying to figure it out? You can't even go there. So just forget it buddy.* Maybe that was why it bugged him so much. His own words coming back to haunt him. *I fall for the ones I can't have.* Was that the reason? He swallowed. The reason he had feelings for her? He shook his head and turned on the engine, revving it a few times. Boy was he messed up. And with that he zoomed out of Terminal City and into the night.
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He sat on the cold metal letting the wind hit his leather coated body. His arms crossed over his knees, his chin resting on them, as his eyes looked out of the city lights. Why did he come here? As she would say it was her spot not his. And did he really need a spot? *Damn it. She does NOT own the Space Needle. Seattle.... or me.*

He closed his eyes. In truth part of him had hoped that she would have been up here. Sure they would have argued. But at least... she would have been there, and not...

Alec shook his head, *Don't go there.* It was better on him not to even think about it, or the grotesque images that would follow from entering his brain.

"Okay," he said out loud. "Why? Why are you having trouble with this? Why would you even have feelings for Max?" he asked himself. Hoping that some inspiring answer would be brought forth from himself.

"It's not like you EVER had anything with her. It's not like she EVER showed you any interest. She hates your guts and tells you that she wants you to leave. Heck... she says it was a mistake to have saved your life."

He sighed again because even though he said that, this little voice in his head told him that those statements weren't true. "What the heck do you know? Huh? The only other girl you ever had feelings for you basically killed."

If only he could feel the same about her that she did for him. It would make his life so much easier. He laid back on the hard surface and looked up at the shooting stars. Finding one he closed his eyes and wished for just that.
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"Sit still."

"It itches."

Cindy rolled her eyes, "Big Baby. This was YOUR idea," she said as she put in another hairpin.

Max looked back into the mirror, at least this time she was a red head. She really didn't like being a blonde. It just didn't go well with her skin tone. "It's the only way I can go out with my girl."

OC smiled back at her through the mirror. "Well we won't be going anywhere if you don't let me get this fastened to your head."

"Fine. I'll be good." She sat there, but then her foot started bobbing back and forth.

"Boo."

"Okay... I'm impatient. It's been ages since I've went out and had some fun." She looked down, and moved part of her shirt aside, checking for the millionth time that the thermal device to disguise her temperature was still affixed to her skin. She then looked back up, "Sketchy's going to be there too, right?"

Her friend nodded her head as she fastened the last pin. "Yep, and you my dear are all set. Nice, long, red, wavy locks. No one will recognize you. Heck... I barely do."

Max stood quickly, grabbing Cindy's arm. "Good... let's get out of here!" She ran out of the apartment with a laughing OC in tow.
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He parked the bike and looked up at the blinking pink and green lights. He sighed into his phone, "I don't know about this."

"Oh no, you are not backing out again," came the voice from his cell phone.

"I should be getting back."

"Forget it man. You owe me," echoed the voice in his ear.

"I OWE you?"

"Yeah. All those times I had to hand over my paycheck to you for those games of pool. Totally unfair man. Totally."

"Sketchy... my man..." he said as he stood up and started walking into the club. "Genetic engineering had nothing to do with me beating you."

"But..."

"Man... you just suck at pool." He walked around the corner, and then turned off his phone, pocketing it as he nodded at his friend in the line. He walked over to the bouncer, nodded again, and then pointed at Sketchy. The large man tiled his head, and another allowed Sketchy to follow Alec into the club. "Okay, now you're in. I can..."

"Oh no. You aren't leaving. Live a little." He motioned for two beers, "What happened to the party animal?"

Alec rolled his eyes, "All partied out."

Sketchy grabbed the beers from the bartender, leaving some money. He handed one to Alec, "Whatever." He thumbed over to the pool tables, "Another game? Just for old times?"

Alec smiled, took a swig of beer, and nodded, "Awhhh why not." The two guys headed over to the tables, each grabbing a pool stick. He motioned to his friend, "Better let you start. At least give you a chance." His cocky smile starting to come back to his face as he took another drink.

The other man walked around the table, getting ready for his shot. "Hey... you have missed before."

"I only miss when I want too."

Sketchy shook his head, "Yeah right. You lost to Loga..."

Alec gave him a look.

"You did! You lost money to him too."

He just took another drink of his beer.

Sketchy looked at him. "Why would you?" He shook his head. "Nah. You're just pulling my leg." He got another look. "Seriously?"

Alec just laughed.

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The green and pink florescent lights danced over her white halter and black, short, leather skirt as she walked up to the door with OC by her side. She turned to her friend, "You sure we shouldn't wait for Sketchy out here to make sure he gets in?"

"I'm not waiting for that fool. If he's got problems he can call. He's got ya' number."

Max smiled and nodded, and then started to move her head to the music that was coming from the club. The girls gave the guard big flirtatious smiles, and he nodded for them to enter.

If the music was loud outside it was deafening inside the building. The lights had a much easier time moving around the place than the massive wall of people on the dance floor or at the bar.

"Kamikaze shots?"

Max turned quickly to a girl with a tray of green and yellow liquid filled tubes. She gave her a few bills, took two, and handed one to Cindy. "Have to start it out right!"

"You got it girl!" Cindy yelled back over the loud music. She held up the shot, "To… the night my Boo got her groove back!"

Max laughed, and they both downed the drink. Max took Cindy's hand and raised it in the air, "Shall we?" she asked pointing to the dance floor.

"Oh… we shall." Cindy said and they navigated their way through gyrating bodies, trying to find a little bit of room to dance in.

They found a small space and each let their bodies be taken over by the music. Max's fake set of red waves bounced, as did the rest of her as she moved with everyone else on the dance floor.

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"Are you really sure you want THAT pocket?"

He nodded.

"Really… cause that's all the way over there." Sketchy said pointing, "And there are lots of other balls in front…"

Alec gave him a look, "You WANT me to take an easier shot?"

Sketchy sighed and leaned on the side of the table, "You just want to show off."

He smiled, pulled the pool stick back through his skilled fingers and then quickly brought it back through hitting the cue ball perfectly, spinning just at the right angle. The white hit black, and the black saw nothing but pocket.

He stood up straight. "Yeah, basically," he said answering his friend's statement. They handed over the pool sticks, grabbed their beers and headed over to the edge of the room overlooking the rest of the club. "So… now what?"

Sketchy just looked at him, "Man… if YOU have to ask ME that… you have gotten rusty." He looked over the crowd, "Now I'm sure you still have a little magic in there… why don't you go round us up some Honey's?"

"Us?" Alec asked.

"I'm still playing the 'you owe me' card until it runs out."

He got a laugh in response, "Or maybe otherwise we'll be here all night waiting for you to get anything."

"Hey… I'm not that bad." Off another look, "Well… not anymore." He gave a smile, "I learned a few things."

Alec laughed, "Okay Romeo. Who?" he asked indicating the crowd. Sketchy put a hand to his chin in thought as he looked over all the potential possibilities.

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Chapter 13 Coming Soon! – Please Review!!! – Or read more at NWP… nunswithpens over at hyperboards