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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"Well?" Max asked impatiently, "I'm waiting for your words of wisdom."
"Honestly… I'm just as confused as you are."
Max threw her hand up in the air, "Oh great. Just perfect!"
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Hazel eyes closed as hands came up to cover his chiseled face. His elbows resting on his knees as he stopped looking out over the now dark city. He had been sitting there, trying to come up with answers, but it just led to more and more questions.
She broke up with him. They weren't together. This whole time. *This whole fuckin' time!* His eyes tightened even further shut, his jaw clenching.
How many times did he flirt with her and then feel horrible about it? How many times did he want to, and almost did try to make a move on her but had stopped? How many times had he acted like an idiot in front of her because he thought he had went to far and had to take a step back? A step that he shouldn't have had to take, a step he shouldn't have had to worry about, feel bad about.
He wanted to scream. Why hadn't she told him? Was it her way to keep him away? Maybe she knew that he wouldn't make a play for her if there was that between them. But why would she try to keep him away? If she didn't want him, all she would have to do is say no. Or maybe she just didn't want to have to tell him.
Alec sighed. Then again, maybe she thought he knew. That's what Mole had said. That everyone thought that he knew. But everyone didn't find out until days later. Why didn't she tell him before? Why didn't she tell him when she moved back to Terminal City? His fists clenched as he remembered that night at the club. When he had asked her about Logan. When she had already broken up with him by that time. She had avoided the question, she had dodged it. She could have told him then, but she had decided not to.
He shook his head and looked back out over the city. They had been fighting at that time. They were not exactly on the best of terms with each other. But lately… lately they had been under surprisingly good terms. Why didn't she say something then? Part of his brain started to play her advocate. Maybe by that time she thought you already knew. The other side tried to contradict the other. But shouldn't she have at least talked to you about it? The other responded. Maybe she didn't know how to bring it up, what to say. She isn't too perceptive with her emotions.
He laughed to himself at that one. Neither of them were. And communicating emotions was even more of a problem. How were you supposed to tell someone else what you felt, when you yourself had no clue?
But he did have a clue. At least about his. And that was what was so maddening. Because before, he could just keep trying to push it away. But now… now there was a glimmer of hope.
He sighed, angry with himself. If there was hope, then why were there all these questions? He closed his eyes again, still trying to figure it out.
"Okay. Just try and think logically." He almost wanted to laugh at that. Logic and Max never seemed to go together. But nothing else seemed to explain things. Might as well try.
"Just set it out in a timeline." He told himself and then laid back on the hard surface, looking back at the stars.
"I accidentally told Logan that Max and I were never together." He rolled his eyes at his own statement as he continued to talk to himself. "She got mad, I got mad, and then informed her I wouldn't be taking any of her crap." He sighed, *Yeah. And you have this glimmer of hope? Why?*
He shook the thought away and went on. "Things get… tense… and I give her the cure and get her to… leave." He sighed again, not liking where this was going. "She's pissed at me… big shock… and moves out." He opened his eyes looking up at the streaking white lights across the sky. "She goes to Logan. They… sleep together."
Alec managed to suppress the shudder and anger at that statement, "Then she breaks up with him." He shook his head. It made no sense. "Unless…" He almost wanted to laugh. "Unless the sex was THAT bad." He rolled his eyes again at himself, *Geez… YOU really can't take anything seriously can you?* But then his brain replayed her in the dance club. She was trying to have guys hit on her, and she was very angry when he had basically told the whole room that they were together.
"Okay… so what? She realized 'Mr Perfect,' wasn't perfect in every way." But that didn't explain everything else, especially her change in attitude towards him. Was it because she realized that no one could be perfect that she had lowered her standards now? That her standards were so low now she could actually be nice to him? Nice enough to him to… He closed his eyes again. She didn't think THAT low of him did she? Sure he would talk… but she wasn't… she couldn't be trying to get him for that… could she?
Those comments and the look in her eyes when she had been 'taking care
of him.' She had managed to get him out of his clothes. He shook his head
at the line of thought. "Max is NOT like that. She wouldn't do that." But
part of his brain questioned, *Would she?*
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"He still up there?"
Mole moved from the telescope and sat back on the couch. He reached for the next gun to clean, then looked over at Luke. "Yep."
"What is he doing?"
He sighed, as he emptied the barrel. "Just sitting there."
"What happened now?"
Mole smirked, "He didn't know."
"Know what?"
"About her and the ordinary."
Luke's eyes got bigger. "But everyone…" Mole nodded. "He seemed to know when ever we…" He nodded again. "Then where is Max?"
"Intel has her at Cindy's."
Luke turned back to his desk and picked up his phone.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling Alec, he needs to know…"
"No. Don't"
Luke turned back to him with a questioning look, "Why?"
"He left to be alone. To think. If he wanted to know where she was, he wouldn't just be sitting there."
"But shouldn't we…"
Mole shook his head. "They gotta work whatever it is they are going
to have or not have on their own."
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"AHHH!" she screamed in frustration and a second later the same pillow hit her in the head. An evil glare appeared when her eyes came back into view. "There goes your hourly fee."
OC opened her mouth, "I don't remember getting paid for our other 'couch' talks."
They laughed lightly, then Max sighed. "Seriously Cindy I just don't understand," She said sitting there trying to think of an answer as to why the man was acting so strangely.
Cindy shook her head, "I wish I could tell you. It doesn't help that I'm not around to see what he's doing or not doing for that matter. But what I did see of the way he acted around you at the club…"
"How did he act?"
"Oh come on Boo. He wanted you. It was obvious. Just as obvious as you wanting him. You were just both letting your tempers and stubbornness get in the way."
"Okay… fine. But if he wants me… then why is he pushing me away?" Then he eyes widened. Then… "Nah."
"What?" OC prompted.
She shook her head, "Couldn't be."
"WHAT?"
Max looked over at her friend. "When I was taking care of him. He mentioned Logan."
"He did?"
She nodded, "Yeah. I didn't think about it at the time."
"What did he ask?"
"He asked how he was. With the virus going around, and all you guys getting sick and stuff. How would I know?"
Cindy looked at her, "Maybe he still thinks you're friends."
"I guess."
OC waited… "Well?"
"Well what?"
"What was it that you thought of, but then dismissed?"
Max thought about it for a minute, and shook her head, "Well… he did ask how he was."
"Yeah…"
"You don't think…" Cindy rolled her hand in a gesture to make her keep going. "I mean… he does call him 'buddy' and 'pal'…"
"Sugar… if you are about to say what I think you are, I may just get sick."
Her eyes widened, "Oh GOD NO… not THAT." She shuddered at the mental image. "I don't know about Logan. But Alec… is definitely a straight arrow." They both giggled at that. "What I meant was… You don't think that they are actually… friends, do you?"
"Friends?"
"Yeah friends? I mean Alec makes comments all the time. Teasing him and such. But… their guys. They are weird like that."
"Just one of the millions of reasons I switched sides."
Max laughed and turned back to her friend. "But… could they be? I mean, I know how much Alec hated it when I lied to Logan about him and I being together. His whole 'I wouldn't steal another guy's gal' speech."
"What are you getting at Boo?"
"Maybe on some strange level he sees Logan as a friend, and then WON'T be with me because of some weird friend thing."
"Friend thing?"
"You know. How like some girl's won't date a guy that their best friend dated before. Or a guy won't date someone that his brother…" Her eyes widened again, "Oh God. You don't think he sees me as a sister do you?" She sat up quickly turning to OC. "I mean he's Ben's twin. Maybe he's around me and is taking care of me because he feels like it's some weird obligation to his twin…"
Cindy cut her off quickly. "Whoa girl. Stop." Max sat there, her head coming up with more and more questions. "One. I SERIOUSLY don't think that Alec sees 'roller boy' as that much of a friend. And he might have changed since then. But I do remember him dating two sisters at once, and two best friends at once. Which both him and Logan didn't seem to have a problem with."
Max nodded and sighed, remembering that dinner party. Cindy continued, "And as for the brotherly thing… He MIGHT have a feeling that he needs to protect you because you were his twin's 'sister.' BUT, I can guarantee you that he does NOT look at you like a sister. Only guys in Kentucky look at their sisters like that."
They both started laughing again, but then Max sighed, and looked over at OC again, "What am I supposed to do?"
"Well, I know this may sound completely crazy, but you could always TALK to the man."
Max's eyes widened, "Cindy? Are you out of your mind?"
She shook her head, "You want answers. He's the only one that has them."
"But… But I can't just… I can't just ASK him."
"Why not?"
"We aren't like that…"
Cindy cut her off immediately, "If you start that shit with this boy… I'M going to smack you upside the head."
Max stopped, leaned her head back against the couch. "Cindy…. I just can't."
"Why? You've said you have gotten closer."
"Yeah… but not THAT close. It hasn't been that long. And… and I don't want to ruin things."
"Ruin things? Sugar, you ran out of his apartment on basically an ultimatum. Which the boy probably has no clue what it is you asked from him."
Max turned to look at her, "What do you mean he has no clue?"
"Well none of this makes sense. You're confused as hell about what is going on. Maybe he's in the same boat. And all the two of you are doing is rowing around in circles. One of you is going to have to take the other oar and get to shore."
She sighed. "Okay… what IF you're right. Why do I have to be the one to ask?" Cindy just gave her a look. "I mean… I walked out angry. Isn't he supposed to come after me?"
"Girl… this is the REAL world. Not some smutty romance novel. Sometimes the
damsel has to kill her own dragons and drag her knight back to the castle."
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Chapter 24 Coming Soon! – Please
Review!!!