Chapter Eight: Double Meanings
"Where is Max? She's NEVER late for a morning meeting!" Alec wondered out loud. "Plus, she's got more flowers for her." He rolled his eyes at the idiot's – well, Logan's -- attempts to win fair lady's heart.
"Try her apartment. Last time I saw her she was in that apartment with.... err...." Dix noticed his mistake too late. "She's probably home by now."
"With? What apartment? DIX. TELL ME." Alec's stare was so heated it could give an ordinary a sunburn.
"I can't really say a whole lot. It was a surprise for her, so I headed down to 2D and..." Alec had already blurred out of the room.
***~***
Zack, who had woken just seconds ago, heard someone approaching the apartment. Figuring it was for Max, he silently got up and reached for the door. He opened it and standing before him was a familiar blond man. He must have been someone I knew before the farm. God, that sounds weird. "Do I know you?" The man looked like a copy of his brother Ben, but Manticore had shown him well that Ben wouldn't be returning. Ben was a nomaly.
"No, but your hands are quite familiar with my neck. Nice grip, by the way" the man responded cheekily with a smirk on his face. What a smart aleck! Wait...
"Alec?" The blond nodded. Alec prepared himself to guard his neck.
"Always glad to meet a fan. But no autographs, please." His cocky sense of humor was his first defense in case Zack still wanted revenge for his steelhead buddies.
"What do you want?"
"Max. Is she here?" Alec was aware of the double meaning of his answer but didn't bother to rephrase it. Both meanings were true for him.
"Yeah, but I'm not letting her go with you."
"Why the hell not?" The smart-ass comments disappeared along with his patience. Alec was pissed. He didn't have that kind of authority over whom she does and does not like.
"Because she's SLEEPING."
"Whoa. How'd that happen?" Alec was truly astonished.
"We had a party."
"Who's 'we'?" Alec played the part of the overprotective brother just as well as Zack and was even beating him to the punch. Then again, 'brother' was the role neither of them wanted to play with Max.
"Who are you, her CO?"
"No, but I care about her."
"How much?" Zack interrogated.
"A lot." Zack understood the hidden meaning this time. Partly from experience.
"Does she know?"
"I don't think so."
"What about the ordinary?" That was one of the most important factors of any relationship with Max.
"Not in the picture."
"Really?" Zack couldn't believe it. How was that possible? Their relationship-thing was like a classic TV drama in which things kept getting in the way but you just knew they would get together somehow, whether you liked it or not. Thank god they got new scriptwriters. "That bastard was one of the reasons she wouldn't leave Seattle."
"Yep."
"Well, does she reciprocate?"
Alec sighed. "Doubt it."
"Why?"
"She doesn't remember me. She remembers everyone and everything BUT me."
"You know that has nothing to do with it. She probably wanted to keep you safe and didn't want to compromise you."
"I guess."
"Hey, trust the guy with his own memory problems."
"But...I thought you liked Max. Why are you being so supportive?"
"I do. But I know her. I am one of the few people who can read her. I'm gonna tell you something, but you have to keep it on the down low. If she hears I said anything, she's gonna kick my ass."
"Okay." Alec knew that threat, but it hadn't been used in a while. He smirked at the memories the phrase arose.
"By the way, this is for her, not for you. As I said, I can read her..." Both of them sensed it. "We'll finish this later." Zack whispered conspiratorially.
"Hey Maxie," the blonds said simultaneously.
"Hey Zack, Alec," she grinned.
***~***
Max hadn't been sleeping for a while; she had woken up when Zack had closed the door behind him. After that, she daydreamed about a certain someone.
She was at Crash, at her usual table with her usual crew. Then something – well, someone -- unusual happened. The hottest guy alive walked into the bar and everything went silent. He didn't notice that everyone was staring; he only noticed her. They locked gazes as he moved towards her. No words were exchanged between them, but as an old pre-pulse song came on, they both wanted to dance. They moved perfectly together like two pieces of a puzzle. "You're perfect," she whispered into his ear.
"I know," he smirked back.
Max came out of her stupor when Krit turned on his side and started snoring. I hate sensitive hearing. Krit's two rooms away and he still wakes me up! Max began to wonder who was making those inaudible whispers coming from outside. She stepped out the apartment and was greeted by her two favorite transgenics. She greeted them back. Whoa. Zack is already getting along with Alec. I knew they would, but Zack can be overly cautious sometimes.
"What's up?" She asked, hoping for an answer like, 'Nothing,' so Alec could stay and meet her siblings.
"You weren't at the morning meeting and I got worried." Worried was one of those words the X's barely ever used. It showed weakness. Alec used worried and me in the same sentence? Maybe he really cares about...don't get your hopes up. What am I thinking? God I've changed. This whole memory deal has got me seriously rotated.
"Well, if you've got some time, you could come in and meet my family," Max suggested hopefully.
"I'd love to, but I've actually got some things to take care of. Have fun on your day off!" Alec turned to leave.
"Hold up, day off?!" Max stared at Alec incredulously.
***~***
After convincing Max to take a day off, (which is no small feat) Alec started preparing to take over Max's job, even for only a day. Okay, first off, get rid of anything that Logan has touched...
"Where is Max? She's NEVER late for a morning meeting!" Alec wondered out loud. "Plus, she's got more flowers for her." He rolled his eyes at the idiot's – well, Logan's -- attempts to win fair lady's heart.
"Try her apartment. Last time I saw her she was in that apartment with.... err...." Dix noticed his mistake too late. "She's probably home by now."
"With? What apartment? DIX. TELL ME." Alec's stare was so heated it could give an ordinary a sunburn.
"I can't really say a whole lot. It was a surprise for her, so I headed down to 2D and..." Alec had already blurred out of the room.
***~***
Zack, who had woken just seconds ago, heard someone approaching the apartment. Figuring it was for Max, he silently got up and reached for the door. He opened it and standing before him was a familiar blond man. He must have been someone I knew before the farm. God, that sounds weird. "Do I know you?" The man looked like a copy of his brother Ben, but Manticore had shown him well that Ben wouldn't be returning. Ben was a nomaly.
"No, but your hands are quite familiar with my neck. Nice grip, by the way" the man responded cheekily with a smirk on his face. What a smart aleck! Wait...
"Alec?" The blond nodded. Alec prepared himself to guard his neck.
"Always glad to meet a fan. But no autographs, please." His cocky sense of humor was his first defense in case Zack still wanted revenge for his steelhead buddies.
"What do you want?"
"Max. Is she here?" Alec was aware of the double meaning of his answer but didn't bother to rephrase it. Both meanings were true for him.
"Yeah, but I'm not letting her go with you."
"Why the hell not?" The smart-ass comments disappeared along with his patience. Alec was pissed. He didn't have that kind of authority over whom she does and does not like.
"Because she's SLEEPING."
"Whoa. How'd that happen?" Alec was truly astonished.
"We had a party."
"Who's 'we'?" Alec played the part of the overprotective brother just as well as Zack and was even beating him to the punch. Then again, 'brother' was the role neither of them wanted to play with Max.
"Who are you, her CO?"
"No, but I care about her."
"How much?" Zack interrogated.
"A lot." Zack understood the hidden meaning this time. Partly from experience.
"Does she know?"
"I don't think so."
"What about the ordinary?" That was one of the most important factors of any relationship with Max.
"Not in the picture."
"Really?" Zack couldn't believe it. How was that possible? Their relationship-thing was like a classic TV drama in which things kept getting in the way but you just knew they would get together somehow, whether you liked it or not. Thank god they got new scriptwriters. "That bastard was one of the reasons she wouldn't leave Seattle."
"Yep."
"Well, does she reciprocate?"
Alec sighed. "Doubt it."
"Why?"
"She doesn't remember me. She remembers everyone and everything BUT me."
"You know that has nothing to do with it. She probably wanted to keep you safe and didn't want to compromise you."
"I guess."
"Hey, trust the guy with his own memory problems."
"But...I thought you liked Max. Why are you being so supportive?"
"I do. But I know her. I am one of the few people who can read her. I'm gonna tell you something, but you have to keep it on the down low. If she hears I said anything, she's gonna kick my ass."
"Okay." Alec knew that threat, but it hadn't been used in a while. He smirked at the memories the phrase arose.
"By the way, this is for her, not for you. As I said, I can read her..." Both of them sensed it. "We'll finish this later." Zack whispered conspiratorially.
"Hey Maxie," the blonds said simultaneously.
"Hey Zack, Alec," she grinned.
***~***
Max hadn't been sleeping for a while; she had woken up when Zack had closed the door behind him. After that, she daydreamed about a certain someone.
She was at Crash, at her usual table with her usual crew. Then something – well, someone -- unusual happened. The hottest guy alive walked into the bar and everything went silent. He didn't notice that everyone was staring; he only noticed her. They locked gazes as he moved towards her. No words were exchanged between them, but as an old pre-pulse song came on, they both wanted to dance. They moved perfectly together like two pieces of a puzzle. "You're perfect," she whispered into his ear.
"I know," he smirked back.
Max came out of her stupor when Krit turned on his side and started snoring. I hate sensitive hearing. Krit's two rooms away and he still wakes me up! Max began to wonder who was making those inaudible whispers coming from outside. She stepped out the apartment and was greeted by her two favorite transgenics. She greeted them back. Whoa. Zack is already getting along with Alec. I knew they would, but Zack can be overly cautious sometimes.
"What's up?" She asked, hoping for an answer like, 'Nothing,' so Alec could stay and meet her siblings.
"You weren't at the morning meeting and I got worried." Worried was one of those words the X's barely ever used. It showed weakness. Alec used worried and me in the same sentence? Maybe he really cares about...don't get your hopes up. What am I thinking? God I've changed. This whole memory deal has got me seriously rotated.
"Well, if you've got some time, you could come in and meet my family," Max suggested hopefully.
"I'd love to, but I've actually got some things to take care of. Have fun on your day off!" Alec turned to leave.
"Hold up, day off?!" Max stared at Alec incredulously.
***~***
After convincing Max to take a day off, (which is no small feat) Alec started preparing to take over Max's job, even for only a day. Okay, first off, get rid of anything that Logan has touched...