A/N- Yes she updated, don't faint in shock! Thanks to those that asked, i'm a bit better.
A/N2- 3 to go! To those that asked the last two parts of Moving Alongside took place within the last chapter of Moving Ahead. We are caught up now okay? Thanks to Itay and Kat.
Changing rating- hope that's not a problem!
TISSUE WARNING! As promised, this is the culmination of angst and as such possibly requires a box of Kleenex.
Watching you forgiving me.
All things considered she was doing just fine, Max thought as she slipped from rope to rope. Everything was just great.
She could go on missions and hang out with her family and there was no weirdness at all. None. No siree, not even a little. There was no Alec-shaped hole in her life.
Dammit.
She gritted her teeth and pushed herself higher on the ropes. She was still mad at him. Really, really mad, but it was fading fast… or had been until she had seen him whispering to Feen and watched her snap her head back in full throated laughter like the bitch…
She almost lost her grip on the rope but managed to grab it before she fell to the floor.
She wouldn't even be thinking of the insufferable jerk if it weren't for that damn dream last night.
Max slithered down the rope, her head hanging as she recalled the vivid images that had woken her up shaking.
Alec stalked into the room while Max leaned into the nearest rope and hung from the ceiling, lost in thought.
"Max!" He yelled, his strong voice resonating in the otherwise silent gym.
Max jumped, she hadn't been aware of his presence. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard him enter. She glared as she fought for purchase on the ropes.
"Piss off." She mumbled and tried to ignore the stinging in her hands at her new rope burns. Like it wasn't already hot enough in the damn gym, plus all of her exercise making her sweat, now she had sore hands. She glared harder- he was a jerk.
"No," he stated resolutely, "this has gone on long enough. Get your ass down here."
Not even dignifying him with an answer Max scaled higher into the rafters and swung idly from her rope, wiping sweat from her forehead casually, letting the salty drops fall to the ground far below.
"Don't make me come up there!" He called, watching as she hoisted herself higher. She was being impossible.
"Go away." Max said her first words to him in weeks- he could have hoped for better.
"Come on, Maxie!" He pleaded, reaching for the rope in front of him. "I hate the way things are between us, just come down and talk to me."
Max closed her eyes and dangled upside down by her feet, ignoring him.
"MAX!" Alec yelled irately and then, with a sharp breath he launched himself in the air catching the rope halfway up.
Using his feline grace and transgenic speed he scaled the rope.
Max opened an eye to see if he had left, only to see him climbing towards her at an alarming rate.
"Go away!" She bit out and dropped her feet to fall over her head. She pushed away from the rope and flew to another, further away.
"Not until you talk to me!"
"So hang around." Max smirked and slid half way down her rope and twisted out her feet, capturing the end of the rope that Alec was swinging from. She used her nimble toes to give it a quick twist and watched in undisguised glee as Alec was hurled back and forth by the swaying rope.
"Shit!" He cursed as he had to hold tighter to stop from being flung off. "That wasn't nice Max."
"Gee, and you are always a paragon of virtue!" Max replied with narrowed eyes. "Oh wait…you're really not!"
"Hey!" Alec replied, affronted. "I was always damn nice to you," he considered that, "mostly."
"Leave me alone." She snapped, bored by the conversation and soared higher towards the ceiling, the air denser higher up.
"Oh, no you don't." He hissed and flipped onto her rope, scaling it as fast as she was, making her sway.
"Cut it out!" She called.
"Oh, so it's okay for you but not for me, that's always the way with you Maxie; one rule for you, one for me."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Max's temper flared.
"Just that it's fine for you to go off on a mission and not tell me, just sneak out, but I can't do the same without you getting majorly pissed off."
"Is that what you think this is about?" Max sprang to another cord, avoiding his reaching hands as he tried to make her stay still.
"What else could it be?" He asked as he tried to stop her jumping the rope. "I've racked my brains for anything else I did."
"Your whole brain?" Max said scathingly, "I bet that took a whole minute."
"Dammit Max, I'm trying here."
"I'll say," she snapped back, pushing him away with her knees. "I'm pissed, go away."
"Stop being so damn unreasonable!" He yelled, finally angry. "I want to talk this out like adults, so get off your damn high horse and talk to me! It takes two to fight you know!"
Max stared at him, his eyes flashing in hurt and anger and his face flushed from chasing her this high in the air.
He saw her watching and lowered his voice to a softer pitch. "Please Maxie, I am so, so sorry for everything, whatever I did. I'm sorry." His hand reached out and touched her flushed cheeks, his fingers lingering on the heated skin. "Stop running away from me, I need you and I ...I…"
Max wrenched away from the intensity in his eyes and scaled the rope she was on, climbing high. She glanced over her shoulder at his sad face and sighed.
Max slid back a step and clenched her knees tight, falling back to hang by her legs, now at eye-level with Alec, albeit upside down. She folded her arms over her chest and pinned his sincere green eyes with a reluctant look.
"You what?"
"I… I… love you."
Max's jaw dropped- or would have had she not been hanging upside down, "Say what now?"
He swallowed and she could see his knuckles tighten on the rope, his nerves showing. "I love you, Max."
He loved her? What the hell was she was supposed to say to that? She almost lost her grip on the rope in her surprise but Alec was there to grab her shoulders.
"I got ya," he said with a smile.
The smile. The honest, open loving smile that he only ever gave to her.
Oh god, he's serious. Max trembled. He loves me.
"A-Alec, I-I don't know what to-"
"Just give me a chance, please? To make it up to you?" He stroked her face with his fingertips. "To love you?"
He leaned forward on his rope and softly caressed her full pouting mouth with his smooth lips. Gently nudging the top lip down until he could capture her bottom lip in his teeth, nipping it gently. Max breath caught as he trailed his mouth up toward her chin, nibbling her upturned jaw line to her neck, freed from its usual medley of curls as her hair hung down, powerless against gravity.
He licked her pulsating pulse point and one hand ran through her curls whilst the other snaked out to drag her rope closer to his own, swinging them wildly.
Max gasped as her swaying rope brought her closer to Alec's hard body, she was prepared for a head on collision when he grabbed the cord just below her head and grinned hard.
"Got cha."
"Again." She said softly.
"Always," he vowed and pulled the rope closer to catch her mouth again, snaking his tongue into her mouth to search out its honeyed taste.
His free hand reached up to the hem of her t-shirt.
"Aren't you hot, soldier?"
"You tell me," she teased around his silky lips and kept her eyes closed as he dragged the shirt down, over her head and let it flutter, unbidden to the floor so far below.
"Hell yeah," he groaned at the sight revealed to him by his actions. His fingers fluttered up her throat, toward her collarbone and journeyed further; tickling her sides with his gentle touch and stroked around the base of her breast, tracing its curving shape with trembling fingers.
"Perfect." He murmured.
"Thank my Petri dish." She said and grabbed onto her rope, flipping right side up and letting go of her hold as she fell, wrapping her legs around Alec's waist, holding tight to the cord above his head.
Their eyes were at the same level and their bodies pressed impossibly close with only a thick woven rope in their way of full body contact…well, that and clothes, but that was easily dealt with.
Alec grabbed the back of her head and fused their mouths together.
Max moaned as the kiss was even better the right way up.
His hands stroked up and down her back as she fumbled with his shirt, trying to get closer body contact. In her eagerness to feel his skin she ripped his shirt down the centre with her teeth and let it fall down to meet her own discarded garment. As his chest met her own she shivered in delight, the vibrations carrying down to where they met most intimately.
Alec gasped as the action thrust her harder into his pelvis.
"Oh God, you're going to kill me."
"I could stop."
"I'd kill you."
Max giggled against his lips and rotated her hips again. Alec's grip slipped and he slid down the rope, his hands grappling for hold on both Max and the rope.
"You know, this is dangerous." He indicated their precarious position.
"So is pissing me off." She purred and nipped his ear, swirling her tongue around the shell.
"Amen to that," he rasped and his hands seared with more rope burns as he slid down further, his lips finding the sensitive spots on her collar bone and neck, sucking gently in time to her rhythmic ministrations.
"Love you, Maxie." He murmured into her skin and Max paused.
Alec pulled back, pinning her with worried eyes. "Max?"
"I-I - think," Max swallowed, lowering her legs.
Could she say it? Was what she felt love? Trust, even after what he had pulled; desire, even after everything; friendship, even after her avoidance; need, want, comfort, home.
Alec.
"I t-t-think I-I l-l-love you, too."
His grin could have supplied the whole world with power enough to forget the pulse ever happened.
"I can work with that," he kissed her fiercely. "Later."
Max giggled as he purposely let go of the rope and tugged her closer to his body. As they fell through the air, Alec draped her legs around his waist again and captured the rope with one hand, swinging them lower like a genetically enhanced Tarzan, lowering his Jane gently to the floor. The two of them not even noticing their ragged clothes lying metres away as they got lost in the feel of each other.
STUPID DREAM! Max growled as she snapped out of her vision and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart as the conjured images taunted her.
Ok, so she really had to get her head around this. There was no way she was in love with Alec and there was no way in hell that he was in love with her.
Pushing aside the pain and disappointment that that thought brought about she cleared her mind and put forward her case to herself resolutely.
Alec's a jerk; he made me lose my brother.
Or he saved you from making your brother's life hell by bringing the wrath of Manticore down on him. The treacherous voice inside her head, that she was uncomfortably suspicious was her conscience and common sense, whispered insistently.
Alec can't be trusted; he followed me without telling me. She countered.
Or he told you as soon as he could because you did sneak off without telling him you were going.
Alec is Manticore, something that I've had despised since I was nine.
Or he's just as confused as you are about all this and don't you dare take the moral high ground, Miss .C.O. of Special Ops. You haven't exactly been trying to override the system.
Alec is…
Your best friend.
Yeah, but Alec…
Is hurting.
Ok, so I was a bit of a bitch but it wasn't like he didn't deserve it.
How the hell did he….
He pulled a gun on me.
She pushed away the sudden vision of his hurt green eyes and kissable lips trembling in pain, and envisioned Alec staring at her from the other end of the gun, his eyes hard, lips tight in anger and hate.
That shut up the arguing voices and with renewed determination and anger she vaulted up into the air again like a demon, determined to take her anger out on the ropes.
----
Crawling on top of the hill felt a little too much like when they were younger; edging closer to the top, hidden in the brush, hoping like hell that no one could see them. It was a little too familiar for Zack who had always hated the 'seek and destroy' missions of his youth, and it wasn't just the fact that Ben was better at them than he was.
He would never forget the look on the convicts face as they tore into him, scared beyond measure at seeing the manifestation of one of their most horrific nightmares. The man's ice cold eyes staring blankly up at the bloody soldiers still haunted him sometimes. It had been the first time that he had ever lost control. Truth be told, that was the night that Zack had first decided to leave.
He had gone back to his dorm after the dressing down by Lydecker and had stood in front in the mirror looking intently at the blood-streaked face that stared back at him.
-
He raised a hand to his face, shocked to see it shaking as he recalled with perfect clarity the horror on Lydecker's face.
"Whoo hoo that was such a rush!" Ben enthused as he stripped off his T-shirt.
"We sure showed that nomily." Seth agreed with a grin, dropping his pants to the floor and kicking them into the laundry pile.
"I hope this comes off," Syl said peering in distaste at the blood on her t-shirt. "Dried blood makes my clothes all stiff."
Zack swallowed, his heart pounding as he stared at his siblings in the glass reflection.
Ben's triumphant, gleaming eyes as he stripped and jumped into the shower followed by Seth and Ash who didn't seem to care about the lecture they had from Lydecker. Eva and Brin giggling as they splashed Krit.
"Hey, stop that!" Krit protested weakly, knowing that his two sisters would continue to torment him. "Come on Jondy help me out?"
But sweet, shy Jondy just ducked her head under the spray and ignored the games of her family.
Zack blinked and let his gaze drift to the window. As if against his will, his feet pattered over to the frame and he looked out over the woods that surrounded Manticore.
Behind him, he could hear his family laughing and joking and resentment flooded inside him. They seemed so oblivious to the fear that coursed through him- Lydecker had been afraid of them. What did that say about them?
As Zack focussed on the tracks that led through the woods, an idea started to take shape in his mind. What would it be like to be out there, instead of in here?
How would it feel to not have to get up every morning and do drills and endless formations, to not have to fire guns all the time and be punished for every little infraction? What would it be like to have no responsibilities and to know that those you loved wouldn't be taken away?
He had read some of those advanced books in the library that were used to train X3s for their missions on the outside. Human culture, customs and lives that seemed alien and yet so appealing to the boy that had had his first kill before he had begun to shave.
As the thought blossomed into a plan, Zack held his breath worried that the slightest hesitation would blow it away before it had time to form.
Escape. Freedom.
Beyond those woods where he had just killed that man, beyond the rifle range where Trainer McCarthy had whipped Jace, beyond the trees where Jack was buried, beyond the fence- what was out there?
Zack wanted to find out.
His fists clenched and his nails dug into his palms.
He was going to leave.
Deserter, rat, plague, betrayer, traitor.
The thoughts assaulted him but he pushed them away, if Manticore was so adamant that there was nothing out there for them; why were they so insistent that you had to stay? Surely being allowed out would make you see for yourself.
Well Zack planned to see for himself. He'd have to go at night, it was tactically advantageous and he could sneak a weapon from drills to defend himself should he need it. The best way would be through those trees towards the perimeter fence and he could follow the road that they peeked when they did Live Ordinance training in the fields. It was bound to lead somewhere. Maybe he could even hide under one of the truck compartments and sneak out that way all he had to do was-
"Zack?"
He turned to see a half-dressed pixie with a cap of black cropped hair and a concerned look on her face.
"Are you all right?"
Zack smiled softly and held out a hand.
Max slipped her small fingers into his and edged closer.
"You were thinking deeply," she said as she snuggled into his side.
"Heavy thoughts, Maxie." He confessed.
"Ben says we did good," she hesitated, "but if we did why was Colonel so angry?"
Zack stared down in surprise at his smart little sister and ran his hand over her soft shorn hair.
"I think we scared him."
Max's eyes flew open, "Really? But he's the Colonel."
Zack shrugged. "Maybe he's not perfect."
Max giggled, rolling her eyes. "Silly."
Her beaming smile as she gazed adoringly up at him filled Zack with a familiar sense of happiness and he tugged her closer, burying her head in his neck and smelling her scent.
Closing his eyes he inhaled deeply. "You smell good, Maxie."
"I smell like blood," she corrected, "I need a shower and so do you."
"Are you saying I smell?" He said in mock outrage, his plan expanding as he teased Max.
In his plans he hadn't thought about Max, but as he stood here with her tucked under his arm he knew that there was no way he could ever leave his baby sister here in the clutches of Colonel Lydecker and Trainer McCarthy. They'd hurt her too much and she was too special. He'd have to take her with him.
The splashes from behind him grew and he could hear Eva screech as Tinga got soap in her eyes. Zane laughed loudly and pushed Jace under the water.
He had to take them all.
"What would you say is beyond the trees?" He asked.
Max wrinkled her nose. "More trees?"
"Beyond those?" He held back his amusement.
"Probably bugs," Max said in distaste and then she smiled shyly. "Although I did read in one of the books in the library that they have buildings as tall as mountains that you were allowed to climb. Sky Scratchers or something like that."
"Would you like to see them?" Zack waited.
"Yes, and I will one day. Colonel Lydecker says that my aim is so good on the range that one day I might make a marksman or even assassin!"
Her smile grew. "Just imagine Zack!"
"Yes," Zack nodded. "But what if-"
"Hey, Maxie Max!"
Max turned in Zack's embrace to see Ben standing in the middle of the floor, dripping wet.
"You are messing up the floor!" Zack said, annoyed that Ben had intruded on his private talk with Max.
Ben rolled his eyes. "Come on you two. The water is warm for once and you both have to shower."
"So you can dunk me?" Max shook her head. "Not likely."
Ben pouted, "Come on Maxie, would I do that?"
"Her name is Max." Zack reminded.
"Maxie!" Ben taunted, knowing full well that it was annoying Zack.
"Ben!" Zane laughed, "Stop annoying Zack."
"Can if I want, Maxie, Maxie, Maxie."
Max giggled and pulled away from Zack. "Come on big brother. Let's drown him!"
Zack grinned. "Great idea, we'll make a Captain out of you yet."
As one they had turned and rushed Ben who had darted back into the shower with a yelp of glee.
-
Zack shook the memory off as he stared down at the base, so identical to the one he had plotted escape from. The woods he had just crawled through resurrecting memories that, he felt, were better left buried. He had made it, he had escaped and he had taken most of his family with him. Now he had to compete his task and get the last remaining and, to him, the most important member of his family out.
But he still couldn't shake the image of the convict's ice cold eyes.
-
Ben grinned as if sensing his brother's thoughts and felt a rush that his previous actions had never afforded him. This was better than chasing some useless convict to test his faith in The Lady. Going up against the perpetrator of his most heinous actions and his more terrible nightmares sharpened his senses and made him feel alive in a way he had only realised he lacked after he had met Max again.
Max.
Even the name was enough to send a rush through his veins. She was alive! She was also the only one who could ever have understood what he was doing and why. She hadn't chastised him or made him feel inadequate about his less than stellar approach to his self-hatred and doubt; instead she had told him that she believed in him and, not only that, she had given him a purpose.
Max was his purpose now and, as he gently crawled through the brush to the top of the hill where the compound lay, he knew that it would be his own defining moment.
-
The eight of them had taken up positions around the perimeter and further a field just in case something did go sideways with this simple recon. After all this was Manticore they were going up against, not some dinky military base. They had comms and radio's and had decided that Ben and Zack would scout from the east while Zane took the west, Ash and Krit would go north, Tinga and Jace would be south and Syl back up.
They had also decided to go in full daylight; that way there were less likely to be guards at the perimeter and they could mingle in crowds if they were caught.
Not that it was likely. Zack hadn't drilled into them the necessity of staying hidden for ten years for nothing. And drill them he had, over and over:
"Maintain a low profile."
"You must not be caught."
"No contact."
"Keep your head down."
"Don't attract attention."
"Keep moving."
And yet, all of that was forgotten with Ben's revelation. Escape and evade had turned to seek and destroy.
Still as exhilarating as it was for them to be here, they didn't want to let on that they had missed this from their childhood and wished to see the facility. It would have been a slap in the face for everything they had been through since running away. A betrayal to the memories of those who had fallen in the struggle, like Eva, Jack, Brin and Seth.
So each of them held their breath as they caught sight of the compound for the first time; it was just like the one back in Wyoming; high buildings with iron gates and armed guards, turreted walls and bustling with activity. There were Trainers teaching everything from martial arts to obstacle courses to transgenics from young adults to toddlers. The camouflage fatigues added uniformity to the place in a hue of grey and white, and the bark from Trainers and Professors blended into a low hum magnifying the feel of military precision.
It was like a hive of activity and suddenly they felt a pang of homesickness.
Ben watched as the soldiers below fought each other and struck drill poses in perfect unison and he caught his own breath at the poetry and just…rightness of it all.
Unconsciously he began to echo the drills under his breath.
"One, two, huh, hi, huh. Three."
He heard it echoed down the radio as Zane too watched from his position.
"Enough." Zack snapped, creeped out at his brother's' behaviour. "Unless you want to join them, shut the hell up."
Ben fought the urge to tell him that that was exactly what he wanted to do, when he suddenly sighted something down that caught his attention.
"Zack, down there!"
"What?"
Ben swallowed.
"Max."
----
Special Ops was all together for a change, they had been recalled from the field and were taking the opportunity to go through some drills together. They had finished their rotation and knew that their precision was as impeccable as it had always been. They really were the best that Manticore had ever made.
"Ok guys, it's been a while since we had a free fight," Trainer Green said with a grin. "So how about we get 810 and 521 to go for it."
Sunny smiled at Flex and the memory of the first time that they had fought, back on her first day at Seattle.
As before, they were evenly matched and both were trying not to grin as they hit each other.
"Enough!" Trainer Green called out and they bowed low and went back to their positions.
He grinned. "Ok, so if we are following tradition I guess that means 452 and 494 go next."
Silence fell as heavy as a brick as all eyes went from Alec to Max.
"Uh Sir, maybe that's not the best-" Pix started only to be cut off by Alec's
"Shut up."
"Shutting up." He stepped back and waited, like the others, with bated breath for Max and Alec to enter the ring.
Special Ops glanced fearfully at one another and even the Trainer picked up on the vibes as the two transgenics watched each other.
"Well Maxie, it looks like you finally can't avoid me." Alec said perkily as he stepped onto the mat.
Her eyes narrowed with anger. "Don't push me."
"Oh she speaks!" He said sarcastically, hoping to goad her into retaliation. At least that way she would be actually acknowledging him.
They circled each other on the mat, not losing eye contact as they waited for the other to make the first move.
"Don't wait for me Max, I've been making the first move for the past few weeks, it's your turn."
Max glared at him, not believing that he was about to air their affairs in front of the Trainer.
"Shut up."
-
"Where?" Zack grabbed the binoculars from Ben and scanned the training grounds but he couldn't distinguish one group from another.
"Down there."
"Ben, there are about a hundred freaking transgenics down there. How am I supposed to-" his breath caught as his frustration mounted.
"A group doing hand to hand on the mats down in C yard," Ben gestured. "She's just stepped onto the mat."
It was then that Zack caught the first sight of his sister since that fateful night in '09. Her hair was down past her shoulders, curling in waves, and she walked with a confidence that he didn't recall. Other than that it was definitely her, from her gesturing mannerisms to the sweeping her hair off her forehead- when it wasn't shorn.
It was Max.
Zack's breath whooshed out of him as he stared down at her. For so long having believed that she was dead, it was like a physical punch to the stomach to see her alive and well.
He hadn't believed Ben when he proclaimed that she was alive but now, he thanked the stars, the Blue Lady and Ben himself for leading him back here.
His little Maxie was okay, she was still trapped, but he'd get her out and things could be the way they had been planned all those years ago. Zack and Max ducking and diving Lydecker. The two of them running from place to place, keeping each other company, and evading Manticore together.
"Uh Ben?" Ash's voice crackled with static down the radio "Not to be the one destined for Psy-Ops, but that guy down there looks like you."
"Yeah he was with Maxie in Seattle; I think he might be my clone or twin or something," Ben said dismissively and saw Zack's head turn to gape at him at the edge of his vision.
"What?"
"You didn't think to mention that you had a twin down there?"
Ben shrugged, actually he hadn't. His life was strange. Why broadcast the point?
"So that's Maxie huh?" Zack heard Zane whistle down the radio. "Damn baby sister grew up fine."
Zack frowned at him but was forced to agree as her lithe body stretched on the training mat in preparation for a fight.
"Tight waist!" Ben grinned.
"As fabulous as this drool fest is, can we please remember that some of us do consider her as a sister?" Krit asked dryly.
"Please," Jondy added, "Incest has its place and that is not here."
Zack ignored them and stared down as the dark haired girl circled the man she was on the mat with.
"I hope he doesn't hurt her," he murmured, "I'd hate to have to kill a clone of my bro."
"He could kick your ass," Ben glowered indignantly. "But I think Max can take him. They seemed to be friends."
"Shit! I feel like I'm on Jerry Springer," Jondy sassed, "I'm here to break out my baby sister from a secret government facility for the genetically empowered, who isn't actually dead as we all thought but best friends with my brother's clone."
"Won't work unless you are sleeping with one of them," Krit joined in, his tone obviously joking. "Try Ben, he's easy."
"Am not!" Ben said affronted.
"Did we all skip the lesson on radio silence?" Tinga's voice came down the line amused.
"Be quiet," Zack agreed, "Baby sis is about to fight."
----
Max had waited long enough to take her frustrations out on Alec and with a half grin of glee aimed a punch at his chest. He danced backwards and taunted her.
"Sloppy Maxie. Haven't we been paying attention in class?"
She kicked at his legs only to have him jump.
"Probably coming up with more ways to avoid me," he continued.
She ignored him and swept her foot out and caught him a blow on the shin, he stumbled, his legs buckling with her snap kick. He grunted in discomfort.
"Get your head in the game, boy." She shot back icily.
"You call this a game?" He asked angrily as he punched her in the shoulder, spinning her around.
Max shrugged, slamming her fists into his solar plexus with all her might.
Alec fought for breath as he dodged her next blow.
Max had been waiting for that and she backhanded him as he came up from his bend, sending him off balance. She pressed her advantage and smacked him in the jaw, feeling satisfied as she felt a crack under her small fists.
She followed her assault by two more punches into his chest and, as he swung by her, one in his kidneys. Alec fell back gasping and hissed.
He dropped to the ground, snaking his feet out to trip her and slammed his elbow into her back. Max flipped to her feet and leaped, jumping over him to land behind. Alec had spun and was ready as she landed, executing a fast punch to the jaw that sent her reeling.
"Come on Max, hit me properly." He taunted and grinned when it became apparent that she was losing her temper with his taunts.
"Can't you shut up for five minutes dumbass?"
"I would but you suffer from too much silence as it is, Ice Princess," he jabbed at her ribs. "I talk because you don't, is that a problem, Maxie?"
"Don't call me that." She growled as she feigned to move left and slammed her foot towards his calf. Alec skipped to the side, a sarcastic smile on his face as he threw a punch at her ribs. Max ducked under his arm and drove her elbow into his lower back.
He grunted at the force and only just managed to stop himself buckling and spun, dropping to one knee, trying to sweep her feet out from under her. But she jumped, executing a perfect back flip to manoeuvre around him and land behind him, lashing out at his legs, knocking him to the floor. Her face split in a smirk as he glowered from his position on the mat.
He did a back spring and was on his feet before she could totally regain the advantage. He snapped a foot out catching her in the chest and sending her reeling backwards. Max shot her foot out as she fell and booted his calf dropping him like a sack of potatoes.
They both were on their feet and circling again and were so fixed on each other and their dance that they didn't even see that all activity in the whole place stopped as they were watched by the entire compound.
----
"Wow." Zack said, as his baby sister blurred around the guy like she was born to do this…which she probably was. The man landed a few good hits but she gave as good as she got, her movements sure and strong. He felt pride sweep him as she landed the man on his back again.
----
"Are we done with the silent treatment yet?" Alec asked for the fifth time as he smacked her onto the mat.
"Shut up, Alec." She hissed as she drew blood with a well-aimed head kick.
Alec had enough as he brought the back of his hand to touch the blood running down his face.
"Well, come on then." He abruptly stopped fighting and held his hands wide open. "Work your frustrations out on me Max, I'm giving you a free shot. Hit me, kick my ass, come on!"
"Fight, already." She spat.
"No, hit me! Or better yet, talk to me!"
"God, can't you let it go!" She shrieked at him, her fists in balls at her side.
"No!" He yelled back. "Come on!"
"Fine!" She booted him in the ribs, not hearing a crack in her fury. "That was for your initial greeting, to welcome the 09er."
"Hey that was…." He began to defend himself only to have her smack his jaw shut with an audible crunch as he bit his tongue.
"That was for the whole smart ass comments thing the next day- my family didn't purposely leave me behind!"
"That wasn't my inte-"
She cut him off with an upper cut and a jab.
Alec wondered if she was going to list every single one of his screw-ups, and if he was going to be allowed to regain consciousness in between sessions.
"That was for following me."
Ok now that really wasn't his fault and he wouldn't have had to if she'd told him where she was going.
"Orders," he clipped out and punched back at her.
"That was for making me lose my brother. Twice."
Twice? Alec frowned and then recalled that she blamed herself for telling Lydecker about Ben's dentistry habits. She'd said that she'd lost her brother through her betrayal. He was so caught up in trying to figure out a way to convince her that that wasn't the case that he didn't see her attack.
She knocked him back into the ring of transgenics, sending Techie to the floor in a heap of limbs. Alec leaped to his feet and he came back swinging.
"It was that or Psy-Ops baby." He kicked her in the jaw, making her fall back, she swept her legs around in scissors and he joined her.
----
"Um, I thought you said they were friends." Jace's uncertain voice came down the radio as the male Max was fighting hit the floor again- hard.
"I thought they were." Ben frowned as she kicked the man in the stomach as he lay on the floor.
"Remind me not to be friends with Maxie." Krit winced.
----
"And that was for whatever stupid thing you do next."
"Might as well," he waved his future transgressions away and backhanded her. "Got it all out yet, Maxie?"
"Stop calling me that!" She shouted. "We are not friends, we are not pals and you are not my family so stop it!"
"Why Max, what did I do?" He dropped his hands and stood across from her panting heavily, hurt etched in every corner of his face. "I said I was sorry for everything. What did I do?"
How could he not know?
"Shut up, Alec."
"What did I DO?" He yelled
"You pulled a gun on me!" She screamed back and silence fell all around as heavy as thunder. "Dammit Alec, I trusted you, with everything, and you pulled a gun on me!"
She suddenly felt a wave of relief pass through her as it finally came out.
He gaped and understanding passed.
"Maxie."
Overcome by a wave of anger at herself and him she did the only thing she could think of, she pulled back her leg and kicked.
Four hundred males hissed and bent in sympathy as Alec dropped to his knees cradling his groin, tears in his eyes.
----
"I don't want to be friends with Max either." Zane hissed and even Zack squirmed in pity.
----
Max stared as Alec struggled for breath, her own chest heaving.
Abruptly she spun on her heel and walked away, the crowds that had been watching the fight between her and Alec parting like she was Moses and they were the Red Sea.
Alec only just managed to keep on his feet by strength of will and immediately he was surrounded by several of Special Ops who tried to help him stand. He pushed them away and stood, shakily, tears still clinging to his eyes and went after Max. It was painful but he had seen that she was open and this might be his only shot.
She had covered half of the training ground before her anger had even begun to ebb away.
Anger at herself, how could she lose control like that? In front of everyone no less.
And Alec, he had just taken it. He should have been furious with her but he just kept pushing and pushing and she had…
"Max?" She felt a touch on her arm and turned around to see a wincing Alec stop her.
----
"Uh I'm thinking history," Jondy said as they watched the hobbling transgenic hurry across the yard to catch up with Max. He was obviously in great pain and standing was excruciating but there he was trying to catch up with her.
"He must have balls of steel," Ash commented. "Mine have retreated just watching that."
"Yes that's exactly what I wanted to hear," Tinga said, "like I want to know about your soldiers."
"I was just saying." He shot back defensively.
"I wish I could lip read," Zack said as he watched Max turn back to the hunched man.
----
She didn't say a word, just stared at him.
"Max?" He tried again, thankful that they were far enough away so that this couldn't be overheard by everyone else.
"I trusted you. With everything. I told you all about Bulli and Zack and Ben and everything and you pulled a gun on me," she said, her voice shaking with strained emotion. "You turned on me."
"No, no, not at you Maxie." He pleaded.
She nodded. "At me, I felt it."
His eyes half closed. "I know, I'm sorry."
"Sorry!" She clenched her fists. "Sorry doesn't cut it."
He ducked his head bracing against the onslaught.
"I lost a brother. Again. Because of you." She pushed back wanting him to feel as bad as she did. Not knowing that he already did.
"I didn't want you to lose Ben, Max; you know that I don't want you to be unhappy," he said earnestly knowing full well that this might be his last and only chance to get through to her…but he wouldn't lie. "But I won't apologise for that. If I had to do it again, I would."
Her jaw dropped.
"Even if you hate me, even if you never speak to me again. It was worth it to have you here. Have you safe, not hunted, not afraid for your life. To be near you, even if you won't talk to me; it was all worth it." He poured out his heart.
Max's bottom lip trembled and her eyes filled with hot tears.
He carried on.
"I won't apologise for trying to save your life Max, you mean too much to me for that and I won't lie to you by saying that I'm sorry you stayed here with us either," he spread his hands wide. "So go ahead, hate me. But I won't lie anymore."
"So what, that's it?" She croaked.
Alec's face dropped in exasperation "What am I supposed to say Max? I've apologised until I'm blue in the face. I've let you hit me. I don't know what else to do… to tell you. What do you want from me? How can we get back what we had? What do you need me to do? Do you want me to tell you how bad I feel? I do. Do you need me to say that it hurts every time I see you and you won't even acknowledge me? Do you want me to say how much I miss you, how scared I am every time you leave the facility and you won't tell me where you've gone? You betrayed me too Max!"
"What?" Her tone was incredulous.
"You were just gonna leave, like we mean nothing to you. We're your family Max, more so than some kids you knew at 9! God, after everything we've been through you were just going to walk away."
"It hurt," she began but he cut her off.
"Yeah, ME! You don't think it hurt to know that you could just up and go without giving me a second thought? My partner, my fellow C.O., my family, my mate, my best friend. YOU Max. You would have ignored everything and gone with him."
"He needed me!" She insisted, their audience forgotten in her anger.
"I need you Max. I need you in my life and you…you…you're killing me." He choked out and a tear dripped down her cheek as she stood stunned at his outburst.
"Don't… you don't get to do that. You don't get to hurt me like that and…" She stammered and turned her back intending to walk away with her pride intact, her heart shattered but her pride intact.
Alec groaned as she turned away from him, his last chance blown and his heart breaking. The motion caused him to shake and then he hissed in pain, doubling over as his ribs hurt and his crotch stung like a bitch.
Max spun back as she heard him moan in pain.
"Alec?" Concern was etched in her face and he gave a pained smile.
"See you do still care."
She gazed into his deep green, pain filled eyes. The same as the ones in her dreams, the same as those that had stood there in front of the altar and begged her to leave with him…to stay with him. Alec needed her as much as Ben.
Something about his intent look finally pierced the hurt that she held around her like a suit of armour. His words penetrated. Oh God, did he think that she had betrayed him? The most difficult and heart wrenching decision of her life had been to leave with Ben. Did he think that it was easy? Had she really turned her back on him?
"I need you Max."
She wasn't the only one suffering here. Now that she looked she could see the dark circles under his eyes and the expression that revealed more of his tortured psyche than he would admit. Seeing that she held the power to take away that pain cracked her fragile hold on her anger and it drifted away, cut loose like the driftwood it should have been weeks ago.
Slowly she walked over to him and he straightened gently holding his ribs and keeping his knees bent to cradle his sore…soldiers.
She stood close and kept her eyes locked with his, admitting to them both what she had only just realised.
"I need you too." She whispered, tears falling gently as she put her arms around him in a gentle embrace.
Alec wrapped his arms around her back and sniffed her hair relishing the feel of her in his arms again. He closed his eyes in relief.
He had her back.
There was the sound of loud applause behind them and they turned to see half of Manticore with their hands clapping for their favourite transgenic C.O.s.
"Eyes Front!" They yelled simultaneously and the applause stopped as people tried to make it appear that they hadn't been watching the tender moment.
Max looked up into his warm eyes and chuckled, she pulled away and he winced.
She kept her hand on his back supporting him and grimaced.
"You okay?"
"I'll be fine." He flinched. "But I may need some help getting to med bay to ice the jewels."
"Ew." She said as she tucked her shoulder under his arm to help him along. "T.M.I, thanks."
"You pack one hell of a kick, kid."
At his pain she felt a rush of remorse.
"Yeah, well. Sorry."
He gazed fondly at her, glad that she was talking to him again. "Worth it."
She was surprised at that. "You have issues."
He laughed even as she rolled her eyes.
"Serious issues."
----
Zack stiffened as Max went into the arms of the man she had all but maimed.
"Lovers spat?" Zane asked down the radio.
"I'll kill him." Zack promised and Ben choked on a laugh.
"Get in line," Krit said, "me and Max shared a test tube, I get first dibs at beating the boyfriend."
"As cute as this overprotective guy thing is, can you please drag your Neanderthallic eyes away from our baby sister's ass and love life to get the recon info we can actually use?" Jondy asked amused down the mike.
Zack shook himself. Now was not the time to think about the creep with Ben's face. Now was the time to find a way to get her out of there.
"You know, they seem quite popular," Ben offered as they watched the whole of Manticore applaud their reconciliation. "Makes you wonder exactly what Max's been through here."
Zack nodded.
That it did.
----
They sat in med bay while Alec held a huge pillow of ice on his lap.
"Am I steaming?" He joked and she bit her lip.
"It's okay Max; we're okay…aren't we?"
She blinked.
"Max?" His voice took on an edge when she didn't answer him straight away.
"We have to talk, have stuff to get through but we'll be okay." She refused to lie and pretend that this would be easy and slowly he nodded. Acknowledging that she was right. As much as he'd love to go back to where they had left off, this would have consequences for them both and their friendship, not least of all would be the trust lost and suspicion gained. But get through it they would, he had faith…and tenacity like you wouldn't believe.
"That we do." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him resting his forehead against hers. "But we will get through this Maxie. I won't lose you."
Her face split into a smile
"No you won't."
He swallowed, not wanting to bring it up but having to know. "About the gun thing."
She pulled away and wrapped her hands around herself. He felt the loss of her warmth keenly and cursed himself for bringing it up. All he had wanted was for Max to be in his arms and warm and happy for little while but he had to go and screw that up. Now she wore that haunted look that he had come to hate, because it meant that there was something else about her life that was horrible that she hadn't told him about.
"When we tried to escape it was because of my seizures, did I ever tell you that?"
"I think so."
He said nothing about the one that Zan had told him about. There would be time for that later.
"Well the guards came in to take me away and my brothers and sisters fought for me. Eva managed to get hold of a gun; it scared away the guards but not Lydecker. He shot her."
Alec's mouth dropped in shock.
"Then during the escape…he shot me too. I was nine." She shook her head and pulled her arms further around herself. "I hate guns Alec. I learned how to shoot and be a damn good shot but I never, ever want to see someone I trust look down at me from the end of one. Reminds me of Eva, of the sister who died to protect me."
It was the tip of the iceberg but it was enough for now.
Now he knew.
"God Max, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"I know but it doesn't stop it from hurting." She moved closer to him and his warmth and he put an arm over her shoulder tugging her close again minding his bandaged rib cage.
The bell sounded for dinner and she grabbed at his arm.
"Come on, I'm starving!"
Alec winced as he slid off the metal table and let the ice pack down; he took her hand smiling at the shocked look on her face as she took in their linked fingers.
"Me too."
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Okay, I was told that this chapter would get 70 reviews or I'll receive a flamethrower from Chaosti. Now the flames thrower would be useful but I know that 90 people have me on author alert so AT least that many read the story. A teeny review even- "good job" or "Crap" would be appreciated. PLUS i'd really like 1,000 reviews for this story by the end. Flutters eylashes unconvincingly.
BTW- feeling kinda loopy and in pain so if the reviews are scatty- my fault...
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Chaosti- 70 reviews right? I'll count.
Jade- K- No more angst… for a while anyway- actually I think I'm angsted out! Yeah okay Dek and Drew I have a plan!
Bluie Twilight Star- Ooh you'll have to wait and see. Thanks pet, I'm glad you like the stories!
Geminangel- was that sarcasm?
Black Rose 9- You know for a moment I thought you meant Dek- I'm way too obsessed with that guy. I'll try to get Deck back in for ya.
Restive nature- LOL, was that enough of a knock upsides the head? Yeah Max wasn't that clueless… she had to know it was Eyes Only. Sibs ahoy!
Lynn- Thanks for the offer sweets. I always want to hug Alec but hey?! Unfortunately I need Logan in the next few chapters but feel free to suggest ways to off the guy.
X5-220- I know this was a while in coming but enjoy anyway.
Poo- Sex Ed? Where do you people come up with these crazy ideas? glances around suspiciously as she hoards her papers Damn spies!
Eden-I was obviously an evil mastermind in a past life but I hope that this makes up for it! Are you a med student or something? Because in Coming to Terms (yeah I am planning on finishing the damn thing one day) I'm having issues with certain med terms.
Care189- Someone else has an evil plan! Ooh evil plan club! LOL. Are we going to get nookie? On "let me censor you" ff.net? are you kidding? WAIT! I get Alec on top…. Rules are made to be broken!
Talichernin- Hehe, can't read my mind, I have a special helmet!
Lynsey Moffit- That she does.
SGOU- me too! Oh she would so not fall for Logan, she has taste after all. No I cant kill Logan just yet, I need the guy! I'm almost done with angst, I want to lighten things up for a while now! see I'm not totally evil!
Sigma1- I know Moving Alongside is taking over at the moment, damn it's a major story!
Acb-I noticed the Sam thing too, hello did we run out of names or did James Cameron just owe someone called Sam a lot of money?
Feenian-It's not boring at all. I love it. as for the sex thing- hey trust me! EG
Sassycanuck- it's great that someone is patient! glances around back to Normal soon!
Jynx- Yay! I made a Max fan! I get shirtless… wait how come you get nekkid Alec how is that fair?
Raven- I wouldn't say I'm up to par but thanks anyway. Yes the angst is almost at an…well the middle anyway, but Max and Alec are friends again so that's good right?
Allison lightning- Don't let anticipation kill you! Take antacids- no wait that's indigestion. Sorry I'm feeling random today.
Fangedangel- end of angst did I promise that? JOKING of course it'll be…drastically cut down. I think the class on seduction was in a fic, JC wouldn't allow that on his show!
Anna Kristina- M/A- Yeah but think that Max has been hurt many times by people that she loves and she does have that protective thing. B/S- check out Moving Alongside! Lip-lock, F/T- That he did! You want another girl talk? T/C- we'll see! Renfro- Sex Ed? Whatever gave you that idea? C/P- Hehe, again see MAL. 09er- here they are to save the day…no wait that was mighty mouse…
Alaize- feeling better-ish. Yeah Alec was thrown a bone here. Poor guy!
Claire- Hey, thank you for the praise pet. Hope you enjoy my ideas of the '09ers to come.
Dagda- Yeah, the poor guy has suffered enough- and so have I! The last chapter of Moving Alongside (20 and 21) will have the different POV of this fight and what's going on in Max's head)
Nora- I don't know who could hold Alec's interest for that long. Max is his girl.
m/a fan- less moping, more kick ass- that's our Alec! Gee Max and Alec paired for Sex Ed- where would the fun be in that?
Nat452- more ? Yeah okay like this. This is good right? How do we kill the Log?
Moonlite star- he he I did say that I had a plan! It's a good plan, I like my plan. runs off to find more tablets
Arwen amy- or make more problems, you know whatever works evil grin
Kim- itty bitty break and now we're back but hopefully the angst is almost over. Sex Ed is a fun way to do things!
Natasgi- things are heating up now ready to get to the crescendo! It's all good!
Ganko- That's pet, I get the feeling woozy part and I ramble too. More soon, honest.
Lozz452- hey. Well done you, that must have taken some time! Did you read Moving Alongside too?
Mrs ackles- work sucks, I'd much rather be writing!
Givenalias- Renfro has her won agenda- bitch that she is! Is she gonna die? Um. Pass.
Sanna- Evil Queen Renfro- that's her exactly! I hate bastardisation of characters if actually they aren't evil so yeah even the Log has layers…doesn't mean I can't kill him horribly later! Many times. Mwah hah hah. Yay the more reviews the happier I am right now.
Messymissy- Aw my clueless little transgenics! Ain't they sweet! As for your last comment- stop reading my mind! I swear I'm going to make a tin foil hat! Was this scene anything like what you imagined?
Elfie- rationality goes out of the window when someone you love is hurt. Not sure if I'll bring Kendra and Walter into it, we'll have to see. I promise, solemnly that angst is now kept to a minimum. I have 3 chapters left after this- it can't be that bad!
Kat461- the bashing of Logan is a prerequisite…for me anyway. Oh ain't Biggs cute!
Carebear369369- That's great to see, Renfro wants to add something to the curriculum! Her own spicy touch!
Aleclovemax- Hey girl, enjoy this too!
Sanna- Thanks pet, i too was feeling slightly crazy but hey at least you are enjoying it! weather sounds great...in summer anyway!