Title: anything and everything

Author: sue

Rating: PG13

Show: DA

Genre: Angst/Romance/Adventure

Type: WiP

Summary: under the chaos of a failed mission, somehow Logan had managed to do the impossible- infect Max with the deadly virus. Now, it's up to Alec to stop her from plunging into the bottomless crater of death. And he would do anything.. and everything to make sure of that.

***

A/N- okay, here's the continuation, yup the eighteen's chapter for this slow moving fic ;) To tell you the truth, I was seriously considering splitting this into two chapters (because I'm bad like that) but after some thoughts I decided, what the heck.. post it all. And also because I couldn't find a good enough place to stop and I didn't want to interrupt the flow. So here it is, the whole undivided chapter. The very wonderful Alexis (and I mean seriously, you have no idea how great she's been) is my beta this time so a great thanks go to her :D

Oh, one of you (sorry, I forgot which one of you guys was it. I have a serious case of short attention span; ask anyone, they'd say yes. Am I right Panda? hehehe) mentioned something in her review about Max not saying what was on her mind right away. And I would like to say that well, I just love to drag this sort of thing along. And also I just couldn't see her blurting out her feelings the moment she opened her eyes, near death experience or not. But I still love you guys for reading and *cough* reviewing. It really makes me want to write more.  

***

Chapter Eighteen- Out in the Open.

'Start talking pretty boy. What have you been up to while I'm not around to keep an eye on you?' Max said lightly, leaning back against her pillow. She put her hands on her lap and looked at him expectantly.

'Do you really want to hear this, Maxie?' he asked again, leaning one shoulder against the humming machine. 'As I said, it's a long and boring story.'

'I doubt it,' she shook her head at him. 'Nothing you do is ever boring, you know.'

'Well, I'll just take that as a compliment,' he grinned.

She shrugged but her eyes were twinkling. 'Take it any way you want to but start talking. ASAP.'

'Wow Max, are you sure the cure didn't fry your brain or something? You sound like you're almost interested in what I've been doing. And that is so unlike you.'

She blushed, crimson patches started to appear on her smooth cheeks and her fingers started to play unconsciously with her blanket. 'Um, I'm really sorry for the way I've been acting around you all these months. There's nothing much I can say except I'm really sorry,' she said quickly, the words almost tripping over each other in their haste to come out of her lips.

Alec frowned and he stared at her like she had grown a pair of horns in the last ten seconds. 'You're kidding right? Wait a second, is this one of those pre-pulse tv shows with the hidden cameras?' He started looking around him with narrowed eyes, 'Cause I'm getting this weird vibe that you're uh, apologizing and I don't think I've ever seen you do that before. To me that is... period.'

'Give me a break, Alec,' she muttered, the red stains turning brighter with each passing second. 'I'm not that bad, am I?'

'I'm not gonna comment on that particular statement,' he said blandly and Max whipped up her head, staring at him in disbelief at his tone.

Her dark eyes narrowed when she spied the tell tale twinkle in his hazel eyes and she grinned, despite herself. 'Hey, I'm the one laying in this crappy hospital bed, I need some pampering instead of the torture you've put me through for the last few minutes.'

'Torture, what torture?' he asked with a wink. 'Or you'd rather we sit at a small table, sipping tea while we discuss the weather? Nah, I don't think you'd go for that stuffy politeness. This is way more interesting... and fun.'

'You're skirting the issue here, Alec,' with a grin she reminded him. 'I wanna know what happened, and I want to know now!'

'Impatient, aren't we?' he asked, shaking his head at her. 'Okay, to make a long story short, I got the cure thanks to my lovely boob tube.'

'Your what?' She sat straighter, staring at him with wide eyes.

'The tv, Maxie.' He looked at her with amusement. 'I know I'm not wasting my time when I spent all those lovely, educational hours in front of the most amazing thing a human ever invented.'

'Really?' she asked skeptically. 'Don't tell me they ran a commercial for the cure for DNA-targeted retrovirus in one of your usual shows?'

'Nope, I got it from watching the news.' Seeing her unbelieving look, he rolled his eyes and snorted, 'What? You thought I only watch a certain particular channel? Tsk tsk Max, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.'

She laughed at his wounded expression. 'Okay, okay. We've established that you do watch the news, occasionally,' she added with a grin.

'Glad to see you've straightened that out,' he muttered. 'Right, after Carr told us about your uh, limited time frame, I started thinking.' He didn't mentioned his paralyzing fear, his numbness as he walked slowly across the chilly, mist covered night. 'And I remember seeing something on the news about a scientist that got himself a Nobel Prize and listen to this, his research was about gene-splicing and he focused on the virus's DNA. Sound pretty close?' he asked with a grin. 'He has this enzyme, his prize winning enzyme that's supposed to disintegrate the virus's DNA. It works on a number of diseases.'

'And it works with DNA-targeted viruses too?' she asked, looking up at him.

'Not at first,' he shook his head. 'The virus was much too strong, even for the enzyme. We had to make a few adjustments.'

'What did you do?'

'We thought that if we bind the enzyme with a much stronger... cell, it might work. But then, your immune system was down, so we had to do something about that too. Well, as of right now,' he ran his hand tiredly behind the back of his head and looking warily at her, 'some of my stem cells are running around in your blood stream. I hope you didn't mind.'

She was touched by his concern and her heart broke as he shuffled slightly. 'And why should I mind?'

'I know you really can't stand me so there's the possibility that you'll hate the thought of all those little Alec cells swimming in your blood,' he shrugged.

Max bit her lip. 'Did you really think I would feel like that?' she whispered. 'I... I... I'm really thankful you were here when I needed help the most.'

'I'm sorry, Max,' he said instantly, eyes downcast, 'I don't really know what I'm talking about right now. All those drugs are kinda... messing with my head a little bit. I'm sorry okay? But the important thing is, you're fine and the virus is cured. That's all that matters.'

'No, Alec. I'm the one who should be sorry,' she said sadly and in her preoccupation she completely missed parts of his speech, especially about the drugs messing with his head. She missed it completely. 'I'm not exactly Miss Manners around you, am I?'

'What are you trying to tell me?' he asked with a frown.

'I know I've been acting like an ass around you from the time you stepped into my cell, and I'm sorry for that.'

'I see,' he seemed to mull it over, 'No offense taken, so I don't see any problems there.'

'No, no, I have to explain.' She looked at him determinedly, it's now or never. 'At first, when I looked at you, I saw...'

'Ben?' he interrupted, his face blank and emotionless.

'No,' she looked up in surprise at his reaction. A split second later, understanding flooded over her mind. 'No Alec. I mean yes, when I first laid eyes on you, I thought you were him but the moment you opened your mouth, I knew you're both as different from each other as heaven and earth.' She smiled softly, reminiscing about the past. 'There hasn't been a single moment after that when I thought of you as him. What I'm trying to say is that at first you reminded me of Manticore. Yeah Alec, Manticore. You looked at Manticore as home and that's something I didn't understand.'

'Something I couldn't understand,' she added forcefully. 'I hated Manticore, I hate that place with everything I have, everything I am, and I just couldn't see how you could make Manticore a part of you like you obviously did. And as you know me, when I don't understand something, I don't bother to take the trouble to get acquainted.' She finished with a wry grin, looking hopefully into the green depth of his eyes. Seeing none of the contempt she imagined must've been floating over his beautiful eyes, she plunged ahead. 'And you didn't help one bit, the way you've been egging me on, getting on my nerves and everything.'

'Have anyone ever told you, Maxie, that friction is as important as chemistry in a relationship?' Noticing her red cheeks he added, 'literally speaking of course.'

'So, that's what you're trying to do?' she asked with interest before she heard the word, 'and did you say relationship?'

'What if I did?' Alec raised his brow as he looked at her.

Dammit, what's he trying to do? Give me a heart attack with all these second guessing? Okay, let's try blunt honesty.

'The question is, did you mean what you just said?' she said slowly, the harsh thudding of her frantic heart seemed so loud in her ears.

'About what if I do?' he asked, frowning a bit.

'God, Alec! You have a genetically engineered brain, can't you see what I'm trying to tell you?' she cried out, shooting him a wrathful glare, 'or do I have to spell out everything in capital letters?'

'Don't mind if you do.' He pulled out his hands from his pockets before wrapping them over his chest. 'I'm a man. Subtleties are often lost on us. I read that somewhere.' At her dumbfounded expression, he just shrugged his lean shoulders.

'Riiight.' Max threw out her hand, 'why didn't I think of that earlier?'

Alec just chuckled, the deep rumbling doing unimaginable stuff to her heartbeat. She plastered a pout on her face and continued, 'Relationship. Did you just say something about relationship? Did you mean it or are you just fooling around?'

'What if I did?' he asked again and this time she saw the glint in his eyes.

Is he doing this on purpose? Arrrgh!! Wait a second, she frowned, Oh my god, he is!!

Despite the wild urge to growl, she managed to appreciate the humorous part. I'll get even, but not now. But hey, maybe there is something I can do now. Two can play at this game, right?

'If you did, it'll be a whole lot easier.' Grinning widely, Max looked up at him and her face was glowing.

Alec, even though he was a genetically enhanced soldier, was still a man. and after seeing that look on Max's face, his instincts started to prick uncomfortably. She was up to something and he didn't know if it was good or bad. But still, he decided to play along. 'What are you gonna do now?' he asked with a grin.

As she opened her mouth to give another flippant answer, some dark feeling tumbled down and she hesitated. No, I can't keep this up, she thought tiredly to herself, let's get it over with.

'Alec, I want to tell you something and you don't have to do anything except listen,' she said seriously. 'As much as I love this bantering game we have going, I have to do this.' She looked at him and took a deep breath, 'You know that Logan and I are over right?' He nodded once and she continued, 'Well, I just realized that all this time, I knew it at the back of my head that there was nothing between us. That's why we never had anything going on even before the virus reared its ugly head.'

Her eyes were cast downwards dejectedly and she added, 'I was dancing out of his reach for over a year because I just couldn't see myself settling down with him. At the moment I thought I just wasn't ready to commit myself to any sort of responsibility but now I know, even back then, deep down I knew we're not compatible. But I clung to him because for me, he's this perfect model of everything normal and I wanted that desperately. To be a normal girl. God, I try so hard to be one but I never really could fit into the mold Logan had and that cuts deep.'

She paused for a few seconds, her eyes were lost in the memory of the past. 'Then you came along. But you, you're the complete opposite of Logan.' She smiled softly, lifting her eyes towards his. 'There's nothing ordinary or normal about you, not in a million years. You know it and you flaunt the fact, not caring what the others think of it and I envy you for that. Me, I was trying to hide, who... no, what I really am from everyone, but you just marched into that ring and hell with everyone else.'

'At first I hated you because of Manticore and later because you make me rethink of my choices in life. And I hate knowing that I made a mistake and surprise, surprise I blame you for that.' Her smile was light and the sadness in her eyes tugged at his heart. 'I kept on doing that, blaming you for everything because it was so damn easy and you make it easier by not doing anything to defend yourself.'

'You know, Alec,' she asked with a soft smile, 'people used to say that there was a very thin line between love and hate and I have no idea where or when I was pushed from one part to the other.'

'What are you saying Max?' he asked tightly.

Max lifted her head and looked at him, noticing the stiff way he was holding himself. 'What I'm trying to tell you is that uh, I... umm, I see you as more than a friend to me. It seems that I need the near death experience to open my eyes to the plain obvious,' she said softly.

'This has nothing to do with the fact that I just saved your life, right?' he asked skeptically. 'You're not doing this because you feel like you owe me or something like that?'

'No, of course not!' she answered indignantly. 'Why on earth would I do that? I mean, have I ever done that before?'

'Hey, you were never this close to being dead either.' He brought up his forefinger and thumb together as he looked at her. 'Maybe you're not feeling yourself right now.'

'Dammit Alec, I've never been this clear headed,' she said quickly as her temper started to flare. 'Why are you making this so hard?'

'Listen Max, I've been around you for some time now and forgive me for saying but your usual behavior is somewhat... predictable. Why do you think I love riling you up so much?' A grin accompanied the statement. 'And this, my dear, is not your usual behavior. I think maybe you're feeling some sort of weird side effect from the cure.' He said this with amusement but underneath that layer of understanding, he was a mass of churning emotions.

Is she saying what I think she's saying? No, no, no, I can't face it if she changed her mind tomorrow, and the possibility of that happening is quite high. Oh crap, what a tangle of emotional mess. I'm not made to be in this sort of angst situation. Give me action any day.

This time Max did growl in frustration and her eyes were alive in anger. 'For the last time, Alec, I'm not saying this under any influence of drugs or something. YES, I have feelings for you. Is that blunt enough for ya?'

Alec gulped; his eyes were wide as he stared her way. Damn, she's serious.

'Uh, what about Logan? I mean he was a part of your life before.'

'What do I always say when you ask me about the two of us. Me and Logan I mean,' she said, one brow was raised as she waited for his answer.

'We're not like that,' he mimicked her overused statement perfectly.

'There's your answer.' A grin appeared on her face. 'We're not like that. I have no idea just how right that sentence is.'

'Forgive me for asking but what brought this sudden turn around?' Even as the question wriggled its way out of his lips, he managed to suppress the urge to cringe. He knew he should've taken Max's words at face value but he knew he had to know. He just had to.

Max sighed and leaned back against the pillow and her dark eyes started to have that faraway look. 'I just had the weirdest experience. The last few hours, it seems like I'd been locked in an invisible prison. I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything but then so many things were happening around me. I don't know if they were real or just figments of my overworked imagination.' She looked at him as she said this and his stomach clenched as he saw the unspoken question in her eyes.

'Then, I felt this incredible, mounting pain,' she shuddered at the memory and Alec took a step closer, an unconscious urge to sooth her agony, 'and after that I found myself seeing my sisters Tinga, Brin and Eva.' She smiled sadly at him, 'and Ben. They were all there and the details are somewhat blurry.. but one thing that stuck in my head is the question Tinga asked.'

She stared into the waiting green orbs and sighed, 'She said to me; Max, what if I say that Alec is dead? That was a very simple question but you can't possibly imagine what my reaction was. I felt so numb it was beyond scary.' The silence continued when she recalled her feelings, staring into the wall behind his back. 'I was so scared Alec, I have never felt that before, not even when Renfro was showing me what they did to Zack. I was furious at the time, furious at Manticore for doing that to him; but the naked fear I felt,' she shuddered, 'it made me feel like I was better off dead along with you so that I didn't have to feel anything like that again.'

'Don't say that,' he interrupted sharply, 'don't ever ever do that to yourself, Max. I'm not worth it.'

'Oh Alec, have you been listening?' she implored forlornly before she heaved a desolate sigh. 'Tinga's question made me think and that's when I knew what I have been trying to shove and hide all this time was true. Somewhere along the way, you have become someone very important to me.'

As Max continued to pour out her heart, Alec frowned at first as if he couldn't seem to believe what she was trying to tell him. As moments passed, his eyes softened, a warm twinkle lit up his green eyes and his heart was thrashing wildly against his battered ribcage. Something he didn't dare to do after he had laid his eyes on her happened, a tiny seed of hope was planted deep in his wounded heart and slowly, gently, the seed grew. Embracing his bleeding heart with its warm glow and Alec looked at her hopefully, something he had refused to let himself do.

Now, he started to let the glow of her love wrap itself around his haggard body.

And dammit, that sure felt good.

That tiny ball of hope started to spread like bushfire, fast and without mercy all over his exhausted body. He chewed on his lower lips, dare I take this chance? If this sudden revived hope was somehow dashed, the pain he would have to endure wouldn't be bearable. But Max was still speaking and Alec tried to listen over the optimistic beating of his heart.

'I really hate to admit this but I've been a little blind when it comes to you,' she admitted reluctantly.

'Well, I will defer from making a remark to that last sentence however how much I want to,' he said lightly with a small grin, his earlier conflicts completely hidden, 'because you'll just kick my ass or something and I really want to hear this.'

Max glared at him for a second before turning, biting her lips lightly as she put her thoughts in order. She tried to concentrate on what she was trying to say but she turned to take a peek at the suddenly silent Alec. She saw his patience and she swallowed, he was too good to her. Her mind started to wander and she smiled to herself, what if there will come a day when he will look at her and smile that gorgeous slow smile, the one that made her feel like melting into a wet puddle right at his feet?

The very same smile that made her go warm and tingly, made her feel so safe and secure.

Every single day of that.

She sighed, oh god, what would she do to actually make that happen.

Every day with him, basking in the warmth of his love. Her eyes grew warmer; those little touches, I miss those so damn much. The simple stuff in life, the ones people take for granted, the ones she only started to come to appreciate.

Simple touches, smiles, hugs, physical contact.

His skin against hers.

The things she was starving for.

'Maxie, I would love to spend the day staring at your gorgeous self but uh, my body is telling me otherwise. I really need to crash,' he interrupted and for the first time Max noticed his pale, wane face.

'Are you okay?' she asked, instantly worried.

'Nah, I just need to sleep it off,' he shrugged nonchalantly, ignoring the dull throbbing in his head. 'And don't change the subject. What are you trying to tell me?' he asked with a grin.

Max squirmed a little. No, I have to do this now. She straightened her shoulders and heaved a deep breath before she lifted her head and looked straight into his waiting eyes.

'As I said earlier, I have been blind when it comes to you. I can't tell how much I've regretted the way I've been acting around you. I know I've been a complete jerk and god,' her fingers twisted the edge of her blanket around, 'I'm so sorry for that. And one more thing, I'm also sorry that I burnt down the only home you ever knew. It wasn't right for me to just force all of you into the world and I apologize for that.'

While Max was speaking, Alec listened without saying a word, his face blank and without emotion.

Inscrutable.

Unreadable.

'I mean, just because I hated the hell out of Manticore, I can't expect all of you to do so either. Without realizing it, I forced my opinion on you guys and I always hated it when people tried to do that to me.'

She paused for a second, and he interrupted, 'You know. Max, even though I love you and all I just don't understand you sometimes. Why do you have to take the blame of the world on yourself?'

He put up a hand as she opened her mouth to disagree. 'I mean, some things aren't ours to control. Is it your fault that it doesn't rain in the deserts, people are starving everywhere or why White and his merry band of Familiars hate the mere sight of us?'

'No, of course not, those are completely different things' she argued.

'Yes, different but still the same, Max. If you peel those fancy layers off, it boils down to the same thing. But hey, if you keep on insisting that it is your fault, maybe I'll blame you for the... dinosaurs' extinction for one. Maybe you do have something to do with it and now, I didn't have the chance to see those uh, frisky creatures.' He smiled with amusement. 'You need to change your way of thinking Max, or one of these days you'll just collapse under the pressure you pile on yourself. The world does not revolve around you, Maxie, however much you want it to.'

He stared at her squarely and Max bristled. She opened her mouth to say yes, just for the heck of it but she saw the glinting eyes, now more green than hazel and she chewed the insides of her cheeks. She shifted awkwardly on her bed and winced, her hand holding the small wound on her chest.

Alec saw her discomfort and quickly asked, 'Are you okay?'

She closed her eyes but she nodded, mumbling, 'Yeah, I'm fine.' Max took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart and she took the opportunity to sneak a peek his way. After a few seconds, she found herself really looking at him. She saw the rigid way he was holding himself. He shuffled slightly under her scrutiny and his hospital gown, so like hers, slipped a bit, baring the hint of the multiple bandages on his chest. Her eyes widened and she nearly slapped herself in wonder.

And I didn't even realize he was wearing a hospital gown.      

She gasped when she saw the white bandages on his flesh but Alec stopped the torrent of questions that were about to burst from her lips by remarking, 'Max, I think you've sidestepped the real topic long enough. You've had your say and I've had mine. Now what?'

Then he just looked at her, waiting for her answers.

Max stared back, her earlier worries shoved aside for now and without doubt she knew that if she really wanted him, it was up to her. She had pushed him away once too many times and now the ball was in her court. Gripping the edge of her bed, she swung her legs down slowly.

Alec saw that she was getting off the bed and his eyes widened in alarm. But he saw the determination that was gleaming in her dark brown eyes and he went stock still in anticipation. His heart picked up speed, thudding sorely against his ribs and he waited with bated breath as she took a few steps towards him.

Max fixed her eyes on his, unconsciously letting the warmth in his guide her trembling legs to him. She clenched her teeth firmly and closed the gap between them, step by step; her eyes were still locked with his.

Dark brown on greenish hazel.

She stopped when she was standing right in front of him, drowning in the depth of his emerald gaze and she hardly noticed that she was trembling. Suddenly, she saw that he was smiling; his beautiful full lips were quirked into a full smile and suddenly, tears started to gather in her eyes. Her lips were trembling and she lowered her lids a bit, trying hard to get herself under control and then she saw it.

He was holding out his hand towards her.

She sobbed, deep in her throat as a solitary tear slide leisurely down her smooth cheeks. Slowly she lifted her hand and with equal slowness she placed it over his warm palm, her heart beating like a mad thing as her skin touched his. Another tear flew down as he closed his long fingers over hers tightly, enveloping her chilly hand in his warmer one.

Max raised her teary eyes to his as she took another step. Another tear dropped slowly down her cheek when she saw the unwavering love that was shining in his eyes. God, I have been so blind. She nearly gasped when his other hand took hold of hers, gently playing with her fingers.

'Glad you're finally here,' he grinned down at her. 'It sure took you long enough.'

Despite her tears, Max laughed. Giving him her best aloof look she said with a raised brow, 'Since I know you practically can't live without me, I took pity on you. Thus, here I am.'

Alec chuckled as he looked at their intertwined fingers. He swung them lightly, running his fingers over the soft satiny texture of her skin; he just couldn't seem to stop touching her. She was that addictive.

'Are you sure it wasn't the other way around, sweetheart?' he asked with a smug grin, looking down expectantly at her.

Her heart skipped a few beats at the lovely sounding sweetheart. She couldn't keep herself from breaking into a silly grin and her dark eyes shone. 'Nope, absolutely.'

'I see,' he mumbled, lifting his hand up before he pushed her hair further away, exposing her face to his hungry gaze. 'In that case I'm very lucky then.'

'Damn right you are,' she whispered, leaning slightly into his hand. I had no idea this feels so good.

Alec still couldn't believe this was even happening. He ran a trembling finger over her soft cheek, biting his lips when she closed her eyes and smiled in return. Slowly, he framed her face with his hands while his thumbs lightly stroked her jaw. The contented look on her face whisked his breath away and he lowered his face slightly towards hers.

Max opened her eyes when she felt the way his warm breath was brushing enticingly against her skin. She saw the hungry look in his eyes and she felt the fast thudding in her chest in response. Smiling, she ran her hand over his chest, feeling his own racing heart and the smile grew wider. Her hands traveled gradually to his shoulder and she ran them lightly over his neck before stopping after she sprayed her fingers over the hard line of his jaw.

She looked straight into his sparkling green eyes and said frankly, 'You have no idea how much I love you, Alec.'

He swallowed hard at her honest admission and then slowly, gently, he lowered his lips to hers. The instant their lips met, a shot of electricity ran through their bodies and the two of them gasped at the feeling. Her hands that were tangled among his soft hair pulled him closer to her as his hands that were at her waist pulled her tighter against him.

Alec kissed her slowly, thoroughly, tasting every inch of her tantalizing lips like he had all the time in the world to do that. Max clung tighter to him when her head swam, and her lips parted under his tireless ministrations. He smiled and took the opportunity to explore before he winced, his hand clutching his bandaged chest.

'What's wrong?' Max asked worriedly after she broke the kiss hurriedly, running her own hand over his tight fist. 'Come on, let me see.' She cringed as she saw the spots of blood that were staining the white cloth. 'Oh shit! What have I done? Dammit, I'm so sorry, Alec!'

'Nah, it's nothing,' he said with reassurance, pulling her back against him, intent on continuing what they had started.

'No, no,' she shook her head hard, 'you need to rest, so let's go.'

'Where, Maxie?' he asked as she continued to pull at his hand.

'Bed,' she answered simply.

'With you?' He looked at her, a small boy asking for a treat.

'Yeah, with me,' Max grinned, tugging slightly at his hand.

Instantly his face broke into an excited smile and he let himself to be pulled. Together, they climbed her bed and he just smiled as she lay down. Slowly, he lowered himself beside her, scooting nearer to her. Max turned and snuggled into his warm hard body, smiling contentedly into his chest. She inhaled deeply, the smell that was uniquely Alec swirled around her head and she rubbed her cheeks against the harsh fabric of his hospital gown, listening to the insistent thudding of his heart and she sighed.

'I love you Alec,' she whispered, feeling his arms tighten instantly around her body. 'God, I love you so much.'

'The feeling's mutual, sweetie,' he mumbled, his chin resting against her soft silky hair, 'I love you too.' He gathered her closer and she sighed in response.

'Rest,' Max said into the hard wall of his chest as her own eyelids fluttered close. 'We have so much to do later.'

He grinned and nuzzled against her sweet smelling locks, 'Yeah, babe. You got that right.' A second later he fell asleep, content to have Max securely in his arms.

***

Special Agent Ames White stopped, drew out his cell phone and punched in a series of numbers. He waited for the call to get through and he leaned slightly against his car, frowning into the star filled night. His eyes glanced upwards unappreciatively, dismissing the twinkling gems with a bored turn of his head. As a voice sounded on the other end of the line, instantly he snapped to attention; more focus, more attentive.

'Fe'nos tol,' he said into his cell phone. 'I require some help.'

He was silent for a few seconds before he drawled, 'I'm going to need some back up and I want the best of the best.'

'I don't think the Conclave would agree sending the Phalanx on your so-called mission.'

'They will thank you when I bring in 452,' he added without hesitation. 'Send me six, no four would be enough. I don't expect any resistance for this particular mission but we should be prepared. Four will be enough.'

'And what do you need them for?' came the unsatisfied answer.

'Did I mention 452?' he asked simply. 'Oh, add 494 to that too. I have a very impeccable source,' he smirked in satisfaction at the thought of the dying Eyes-Only, 'saying that now is their weakest moment. Send the Phalanx to Harbor Lights Hospital, I'll meet them there.'

'Are you sure about this, Ames? Your records are not, shall we say... perfect when it comes to these two transgenics.'

'Yes, of course I'm sure of what I'm doing,' he replied impatiently. 'Before dawn tomorrow, you have my word that we'll have the two of them. Then you can start poking and prodding to your heart's content, I don't have any problem with that.' Right after I get Ray's location out of 452.

'If you insist. But remember this; the outcome of this mission will rest solely on your shoulders. Success or failure, you will be answering to the Conclave yourself. Is that understood?'

'All right then, I understand perfectly. I'll meet them at the hospital in half an hour. Those dammed animals won't know what hit them. Fe'nos tol.' The satisfied look lingered as the Familiar glanced at the bright sky. He slipped into his car and drove quickly towards his destination.

Harbor Lights.  

***

Inside the dim hospital room, a pair of hazel green eyes snapped open and the owner went still as a statue as he tried to pin point the source of his slumber's disturbance. Alec tried to even out his breathing so he wouldn't disturb the still sleeping Max. As the dark feeling continued to tug at his instinct, one word stormed over his mind and he nearly shuddered.

White.

And for some reason unknown to him Alec knew without a doubt; he's coming here.

To be continued..