Chapter Fourteen: When One Door Closes...

Alec found Max in Headquarters, helping Maggie find a room in the heavily packed transgenic city. He smiled, watching Max laugh at some comment the blond had made. Simply watching Max's beautiful, thick brown hair dance as she threw her head back in giggles put Alec in a daze. Her grin was like a hidden treasure chest; although hard to find, it would brighten the lives of those who truly looked for it or those who luckily stumbled upon it. He was mesmerized by her angelic laughter...

A throat was cleared behind him, causing Alec to return from his trance and turn around. He was met with Zack's death stare, which screamed 'Go!' Alec nodded at the silent threat before walking into the room. He looked back at Max... well, where Max had been just a few moments ago. Scanning the room thoroughly, Alec spotted Max about to leave with Maggie in tow.

"Max! Max, wait!" Abruptly Max spun on her heel to face him. Alec rushed towards her, noting her growing impatience.

"Alec, can this wait? I have to show Maggie her room, organize a supply run, find a place for X6s to practice Escape and Evade, and there are a few more things I have to do before heading over to the sewers to meet one of Logan's many useless contacts." Max bit her lip and her forehead wrinkled as she looked up at Alec.

"Yeah, I guess..." One glance back at a menacing Zack changed his mind. "Actually, it's kind of important."

"Oh, okay. So... what's up?" Alec's eyes widened at her words; Max had just pushed back a whole list of important things back for him. That was yet another sign that now would be a good time for this discussion.

"Well, Max, I was thinking..." Alec stopped, noticing that all of headquarters had become their audience. "Err... can we go somewhere more.... private?"

"Sure." Max grasped for his hand, intertwining their fingers before she pulled him into his office. Before shutting the door, Max called, "Maggie, Mole will show you where your apartment is located. It's pretty close to Zack's, so you'll fit right in." After sending her friend a wink, Max closed the door and turned to face a smiling Alec.

"So..." Max began awkwardly.

"I was thinking, maybe...well...Max could you ever like me?" Max's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Alec looked down at her with deep, hope filled eyes.

"Sure Alec. You're already my friend. Why wouldn't I?"

Alec placed his hand over his shoulder, glancing everywhere before looking into Max's eyes. "That wasn't what I meant, actually."

"Then what did you mean, actually?" Max's head spun with ideas of what he could possibly be suggesting.

Alec paused at the simple question. What did he mean? Was he in love with her? "All I know is that I like you and have feelings for you. When I'm with you, everything seems to fit together."

Max stared. Her jaw dropped. She tried several times to speak, but words refused to form.

"Max, say something." Alec was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea or not.

"Oh. Well, okay."

"That's it?" Alec wasn't sure if he should be offended, disappointed or both.

"Alec..." Max eyes became weighted and heavy with regret. Her interest in the floor skyrocketed. Finally, she got the words out. "I can't."

"Why not?" Now Alec was even more confused. Apparently, Zack was wrong.

"Alec, you are handsome, funny, respectful, hot, sweet, caring, responsible and gorgeous. You are every girl's dream..."

"So why aren't I yours?"

The raw hurt and desperation in the sentence sent shivers up Max's spine, pinning her with even more guilt. "That's the thing. You are."

Alec's mind tried to comprehend the situation. Zack was right, but wrong. She wanted him, he was her dream guy – but she wouldn't go out with him? Now where was the sense in that?

"I am?"

Max nodded slowly. Shame clouded and swirled within her eyes.

"So why won't you go out with me?"

"Alec..." Max avoided his eyes like the plague.

"Come on, Max, just once?"

"I can't."

"Why? Afraid of really liking me?" He brought back part of their conversation from months ago. He did so without realizing it; his and Zack's conversation had sort of screwed with his brain. Max recognized the phrase but thought nothing of it - all of his words were hitting home.

"I already do. But that's just it. I know I really like you, but that's all I can think of. I still don't remember you. To refresh your memory, I haven't exactly had the best relationships. I have to be kind of cautious. I've learned a lot about you these past few months. I vaguely remember knowing you. But I don't think I can do it. Not until I remember."

"I can tell you! But the past's not that important. Can't we just move on?" Alec said with a hint of nervousness snaking its way into his voice.

"No! Alec! Why don't you want me to remember?" Max's face was red with anger and hurt as she searched for some reason, any reason, for his behavior.

"I do...just, Max, I really..." Alec began to sweat bullets.

"Really what?" Max slipped into her hand-on-hip 'I'm-a-pissed-off-bad-ass' stance.

"We weren't this close."

"So?" What kind of reason is that?

"I'd rather you know Alec the good guy." Oblivious to their past situations, Max couldn't decode his secret meaning.

"God, Alec, you're being completely irrational!"

"Max, I just now got up the courage to tell you this. I just want you. Now." Don't make me wait.

"I want you, now, to shut up!" Max blurred out of the room, slamming the door.

"Fuck!" Alec yelled. Not knowing what else to do, he sat on his desk, sighing before going back to work.

Max froze, hand still on the doorknob in a death grip. Memories pummeled her like a punch in the gut.
"Come on, Maxie, just once? It'll only be an hour."
"No way, Alec! I am SO not going out with you, even if it is for a mission."
"Why not? Afraid of really liking me? Or do you just not want to admit your feelings?"
"Admit this. THAT is my feelings for you. I said NO!" Then she quickly
slammed the door to his office.

"We've been paired off. I'm your breeding partner."

"You know, this isn't exactly a plum assignment for me either. You
spent half your life out there in filth and degradation. I could catch
something."

"Alec. I can live with that.
"Good, 'cause my second choice was Dick."

"Okay, fine, but when he's dead can I go home?"

"Hey weird kid, want some hydrogenated imitation pork product? No? All
right, more for me."

"Well, when the going gets cute, the tough get going."

"Hey Max!"
"Alec, what the hell are you doing here?"
"Stealing a baseball, how 'bout you?"

"Guess we're going to have to get their attention, then."
"Please tell me you're going to get naked."

"Max will get over it, all right? You know why? Because underneath
that—that sadomasochistic leather and that—that tough-girl image,
she's nothing but a big softie."
"Joshua?"
"Okay, I gotta go."

"Monty Cora?"
"It's a...stage name."

"I always go for the ones I can't have."

"It's just because she's hot you know."
"What is?"
"Everything."

"I hate this. I've been stuck in here for over an hour to facilitate
you having sex! That's what I've been reduced to. I'm a pimp."

"I thought I'd just hang out 'cause it's so comfy. ...Ya know it's all
your fault I'm sitting in this monster saliva to begin with."

"As I all ready explained to the others, he's a... Tasmanian Ant-eating
Aardvark. An Ant-vark as we in the trade like to call it."

"Max, come on, fifty bucks and you get to humble your old buddy Alec."

"Last time you were caught by White and put your ass in a cage. So how
can you be stupid enough to get back in the ring?"
"Funny, I've been asking myself the same question."

"That's for the virus."
"That was NOT my fault."
"That's for trying to kill Joshua."
"I was just trying to protect my own."
"And that's for getting paint all over my research papers."
"Oh, yeah, that was my bad."
"That's for making Joshua deliver your packages."
"Max, cut it out!"
"That's for losing my baseball. And this...if for whatever stupid thing
you do next."
"Okay, that's it. It's my turn now, bitch."

"Uhh... thank you. That's enough."
"But the song's not over yet!"
"You're just so beautiful I can't take it anymore. Why don't you go
over and give my two buddies a dance?"
"THIS is how you save a mermaid?"

"What are you doing?"
"Fitting in."

"I'm thinking."
"You're talking."
"I can do both."
"I doubt that."
"Well you just lost your tip."

"So, the girl in the tank, she's just a friend, right?"

"See, he's not gonna die for anybody. He's gonna swim away and meet a
nice flounder somewhere."

"Never a welcoming word with you, is there Max?"

"I mean, it's not like I intended to date them both as the same time.
Then when it turned out I was dating them both at the same time, it's
not like I didn't intend to tell both girls about the other one. You
know, eventually. But let's be real for a moment, shall we? I mean,
say that I did tell them. What would happen? Same thing. Big fight.
Lots of anger and resentment and recriminations and then who wins?
Nobody wins."
"Well, at least in this case, you won."
"Exactly. Well, no, seeing as now neither of them is speaking to me
right now, making any kind of sex a virtual impossibility. At least
for a couple of days."

"You mean this 'unique ketchup, unlike any other'?"

"Did you know he could play?"
"Who cares?"

"I'm always all right."

"He's not my boy."

"Call me crazy, but I got the feeling you're in some kind of jam."
"Okay, you're crazy."

"You know we don't always get along."
"Nicely understated."

"What's that?"
"It's a hole in my body made by a bullet."
"Been there, done that."

"I told Logan you and me were together."
"Yeah, so blame Alec, because he's just the type of jerk that'd steal
another guy's girl."

So that's what he didn't want me to remember. What a jerk. He's still irrational. I'm still stubborn. We hated each other. I don't know why that even changed. As she thought that, another wave of memories hit even harder than the first, trying to convey their message to the stubborn women who was about to ruin her life.

"Max, I'm sorry."

"Alec."
"To the rescue. Still want to kick my ass?"

"Listen, if you ever want to talk --"
"About what?"
"About anything."
"Now why would I want to do that?"
"Just consider the offer open."
"Listen. Thanks for saving my ass."
"You all right?"
"I'm always all right."

"I'm always ready."
"Funny, that's what Lola said."

"Ames White and his familiars. Sounds like a rock band."

"Max, we're getting you out of here."

But if I know him, why would I have another boyfriend?

"Hey Maxie, you okay?"

"I...called him...a... Geezer!"
"Yeah, you did. I was very proud."

Do I usually confide in Alec? If not, I should really start. He truly listens.

"Are you sure you don't want a massage on the very first break of your life?"
"Oh god yes!"

"You're perfect."
"I know."

"You weren't at the morning meeting and I got worried."

When I was sure he was asleep, I considered kissing him.

Our first kiss will be one Alec will defiantly remember.

"Ho.... hold me...Pl...please?"

His caretaker instincts kicked into gear. He pulled my stray locks
behind my ears and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I'm glad you're here, though. Everybody, especially you, needs a
reason to celebrate."

"How about November 29th? Sounds like someone important and brilliant
was born then."
"Yeah, you."

"I can show you what I do best."

"I can't believe you don't constantly drool over Zack."
"With all these gorgeous guys around, you become kind of immune to it.
Well, to most of them, anyways."
"Alec?"
"Maybe."

"I like you and have feelings for you."

"Afraid of really liking me?"
"I already do."

"I'd rather you know Alec the good guy."

"I do. I already do," Max sighed. Wait... did I seriously say no to him? Oh crap, I gotta do something.

Quickly, Max slipped back into Alec's office, desperately searching for a plan.

"Max?" Alec looked at her quizzically for her actions. He walked around the desk, as if it would answer his question.

Suddenly, Max stepped forward, placing herself about a foot away from her blond companion. Slowly reaching her hand up towards his face, in one swift motion ------------ She slapped him.

"What the hell was that for?" Alec said, indignant and confused.

"That was for taking so long and making me forget you. And this," Max pulled Alec's head down. "...Is for saving me and helping bring back my memory." She was about to brush her lips against his, as she had wanted to do for some time now, but...

"I gotta save you more often," Alec grinned, igniting an unusual fire in his hazel eyes.

"Alec?" Max said sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

"Yes?"

Max lost the innocent look, ditching it for a sexy, seductive, pissed- off glare.

"Shut up and kiss me."

The End