A/N: Hey all! Sorry about the wait, I've had some RL problems, and my muse
is going to be horribly murdered if he doesn't start being more useful.
Anywho, the next chapter, for your delights!
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~
Chapter 6: Morning After
The first thing he was aware of was warmth. He was warm. And there was something soft surrounding him. Soft and warm. He snuggled deeper into it, hiding his face from the light visible through his eyelids.
"Alec." The voice was soft and warm, just like whatever he was enshrouded in. He hummed a little in response, wanting to sleep some more.
"Alec, we have to get up now." A slight giggle followed as his soft warm object tried to move away. He held it tighter, snuggling some more.
More laughter, then something cold was on his face. He sat bolt upright, wiping the trickles of water from his face. Rubbing his eyes, he looked blearily around for the source of his discomfort. A smiling, beautiful face greeted his search.
"Morning sleepy-head." Rachel smiled at him.
His sleepiness gone, Alec scrambled backwards off the bed. Then the events of the previous day hit him like a ton of bricks and he collapsed to his knees.
Rachel's smile disappeared and she rushed to his side, hugging his shoulders as he stared at her in shock.
"Now, Alec," she chided gently, "haven't we been through this? I'm fine, I don't blame you, and I know you love me too. Please relax."
Her soothing voice calmed him as the rush of emotions faded. "Sorry." He mumbled.
"Nothing to apologize for. Like I said yesterday, it wasn't your fault. Never was."
Taking another look around, Alec realized where they were. He climbed to his feet.
"Your father-"
"-is waiting for us downstairs. We'd best not keep him."
Alec knew he should run, or fight, get away from the danger, it's what he'd been taught all his life, to take care of the threat, but Rachel was looking at him with those chocolate eyes. She knew, and she knew that he knew she knew. And he couldn't bring himself to disappoint her.
For the first time, he felt like he belonged. At Manticore, it had been a sense of forced belonging, after the '09 escape he'd distanced himself from the others, all of the twins had. None of them had wanted to risk being sent back to Psy-ops, and so a barrier was there.
And at Jam Pony, after Manticore, the war, he'd always felt different. He couldn't explain it; perhaps it was that his closest friend in the whole world didn't really like him. He was a transgenic, but he, like most of the others, automatically fell back into Manticore habits.
Even on the mission that had ended so badly, he had still held back from Rachel, knowing it would never work. But now, he was free. He could love her, and miracle of miracles, she loved him. Now came the next step.
He had to meet her father.
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~
"How you doing?" Logan's voice cut through Max's musings. They had broken their rule last night and taken one of the temporary cures. Not for sex, they just both needed a night of connection, skin to skin, to help them deal with the cards life had dealt them. It wasn't a good hand, not by anyone's standards, but it was something.
"I'm doing okay." Her voice was as soft as his, a gentle vibration in their little world. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around his waist, laying his head on her shoulder. They had another hour, and they planned to use it well.
"We should tell him."
"He might have remembered."
"And if he didn't?"
"Logan, please. Don't. Not now."
"Alright. But he should know."
"It's none of his business!" Max pulled herself from Logan's grasp, stalking away from him into the kitchen.
"Max, how can you say that? You – you-"
"-fucked his brains out. What's your point?"
Logan was silent, unable to comprehend Max's behaviour. "Max..."
She felt his distress, but couldn't bring herself to approach him. She'd hurt him badly. She'd done a similar thing before, but that had been during heat, and this was completely different. Especially since that time, she hadn't come back to her husband and thrown in his face all the little insecurities about their relationship, his insecurities about her and him, especially him, she'd already pretended once. To drive him away. And this wasn't even pretend.
"I can't tell him, not now, not after yesterday."
"What happened yesterday?" Logan slowly moved towards her, trying to get closer without her realizing.
"It was..." Max took a deep breath. "Rachel. She's not dead. She came for Alec. And stop that, I know what you're doing."
Logan froze, and he wasn't sure if it was for Max or the mind-boggling news he'd just been given.
"How? She's not a transgenic? Did Manticore...?"
Max shook her head. "No. Her father had that article printed and the funeral arranged to fool Alec, or so I gathered. Makes sense. He knew that Alec was around, and Alec definitely knew where they lived, so he protected his daughter. Only logical conclusion. My only real question is when she woke up and how much she knows. She knows he's transgenic, but other than that? I'm not sure."
"Where are they?"
Max shrugged. "Dunno. But now see why I don't want to tell him?"
"Yeah. But still."
"I will, if he doesn't remember on his own. Just not yet. Okay?"
"Yeah."
An awkward silence fell as Max drank a glass of milk and Logan tried to figure out how to get her closer without her realizing it. His efforts turned out to be pointless though, when he saw Max put her glass in the sink and come up close to him. She slowly wound her arms around him, holding him close. They held each other for what seemed like hours before Max pulled away, mumbling about work and being late yet again.
Logan sighed as she left him, wondering if she would ever forgive herself.
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~
Another A/N: That was a tad short, sorry about that, I will try to get the next chappie up soon. Don't forget to R&R, I love the feedback, flames or no. Seeya soon!
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~
Chapter 6: Morning After
The first thing he was aware of was warmth. He was warm. And there was something soft surrounding him. Soft and warm. He snuggled deeper into it, hiding his face from the light visible through his eyelids.
"Alec." The voice was soft and warm, just like whatever he was enshrouded in. He hummed a little in response, wanting to sleep some more.
"Alec, we have to get up now." A slight giggle followed as his soft warm object tried to move away. He held it tighter, snuggling some more.
More laughter, then something cold was on his face. He sat bolt upright, wiping the trickles of water from his face. Rubbing his eyes, he looked blearily around for the source of his discomfort. A smiling, beautiful face greeted his search.
"Morning sleepy-head." Rachel smiled at him.
His sleepiness gone, Alec scrambled backwards off the bed. Then the events of the previous day hit him like a ton of bricks and he collapsed to his knees.
Rachel's smile disappeared and she rushed to his side, hugging his shoulders as he stared at her in shock.
"Now, Alec," she chided gently, "haven't we been through this? I'm fine, I don't blame you, and I know you love me too. Please relax."
Her soothing voice calmed him as the rush of emotions faded. "Sorry." He mumbled.
"Nothing to apologize for. Like I said yesterday, it wasn't your fault. Never was."
Taking another look around, Alec realized where they were. He climbed to his feet.
"Your father-"
"-is waiting for us downstairs. We'd best not keep him."
Alec knew he should run, or fight, get away from the danger, it's what he'd been taught all his life, to take care of the threat, but Rachel was looking at him with those chocolate eyes. She knew, and she knew that he knew she knew. And he couldn't bring himself to disappoint her.
For the first time, he felt like he belonged. At Manticore, it had been a sense of forced belonging, after the '09 escape he'd distanced himself from the others, all of the twins had. None of them had wanted to risk being sent back to Psy-ops, and so a barrier was there.
And at Jam Pony, after Manticore, the war, he'd always felt different. He couldn't explain it; perhaps it was that his closest friend in the whole world didn't really like him. He was a transgenic, but he, like most of the others, automatically fell back into Manticore habits.
Even on the mission that had ended so badly, he had still held back from Rachel, knowing it would never work. But now, he was free. He could love her, and miracle of miracles, she loved him. Now came the next step.
He had to meet her father.
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~
"How you doing?" Logan's voice cut through Max's musings. They had broken their rule last night and taken one of the temporary cures. Not for sex, they just both needed a night of connection, skin to skin, to help them deal with the cards life had dealt them. It wasn't a good hand, not by anyone's standards, but it was something.
"I'm doing okay." Her voice was as soft as his, a gentle vibration in their little world. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around his waist, laying his head on her shoulder. They had another hour, and they planned to use it well.
"We should tell him."
"He might have remembered."
"And if he didn't?"
"Logan, please. Don't. Not now."
"Alright. But he should know."
"It's none of his business!" Max pulled herself from Logan's grasp, stalking away from him into the kitchen.
"Max, how can you say that? You – you-"
"-fucked his brains out. What's your point?"
Logan was silent, unable to comprehend Max's behaviour. "Max..."
She felt his distress, but couldn't bring herself to approach him. She'd hurt him badly. She'd done a similar thing before, but that had been during heat, and this was completely different. Especially since that time, she hadn't come back to her husband and thrown in his face all the little insecurities about their relationship, his insecurities about her and him, especially him, she'd already pretended once. To drive him away. And this wasn't even pretend.
"I can't tell him, not now, not after yesterday."
"What happened yesterday?" Logan slowly moved towards her, trying to get closer without her realizing.
"It was..." Max took a deep breath. "Rachel. She's not dead. She came for Alec. And stop that, I know what you're doing."
Logan froze, and he wasn't sure if it was for Max or the mind-boggling news he'd just been given.
"How? She's not a transgenic? Did Manticore...?"
Max shook her head. "No. Her father had that article printed and the funeral arranged to fool Alec, or so I gathered. Makes sense. He knew that Alec was around, and Alec definitely knew where they lived, so he protected his daughter. Only logical conclusion. My only real question is when she woke up and how much she knows. She knows he's transgenic, but other than that? I'm not sure."
"Where are they?"
Max shrugged. "Dunno. But now see why I don't want to tell him?"
"Yeah. But still."
"I will, if he doesn't remember on his own. Just not yet. Okay?"
"Yeah."
An awkward silence fell as Max drank a glass of milk and Logan tried to figure out how to get her closer without her realizing it. His efforts turned out to be pointless though, when he saw Max put her glass in the sink and come up close to him. She slowly wound her arms around him, holding him close. They held each other for what seemed like hours before Max pulled away, mumbling about work and being late yet again.
Logan sighed as she left him, wondering if she would ever forgive herself.
~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~
Another A/N: That was a tad short, sorry about that, I will try to get the next chappie up soon. Don't forget to R&R, I love the feedback, flames or no. Seeya soon!