Author's Note: Whew, this finally got written. So sorry it took so long, thank you for being so patient with me. I haven't written the next chapter yet, but boy, I can't wait to! This chapter sets up a whole mess of conflicts and resolving them will be challenging but fun. Okay, so, I hope you enjoy, please take note that I use the F word once, but it's very appropriate. Please review!

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Getting drunk was a wonderful activity. Really, no wonder people did it so often, it was glorious. He couldn't even feel anything anymore. The pain? Gone. The deceit? Gone. All gone...

"Logan? Logan? Hey, Logan, hey!" a voice called out to him from the distance. He turned, seeing a shape that vaguely resembled a girl he knew. "Kris?"

"Yeah, hey, listen, don't you think you've had enough?" the girl asked him.

He scoffed. "Nope," he replied, taking another shot of whiskey. "And if I was you, I'd be doing the same thing I'm doing right now," Logan added, wondering to himself momentarily if he was making any sense. Whatever, he didn't care.

"Logan, I know you're upset, but look, getting drunk over the whole thing isn't going to help. C'mon, lemme take you home," Kris said, gently tugging at Logan's arm. She never saw him so disheveled, so out of control. It scared her.

Logan frowned. "You would be the only one to understand, huh? How the hell are you dealing with this so good? Huh? I mean, every time I think about him touching her, when I thought I was the only one touching her, it makes me sick!" Logan said, pounding the bar table with his shot glass.

Kris was confused. "What? What are you talking about?" Kris asked.

Logan perked his head up to look at her again. He started laughing uncontrollably. "Oh God, he didn't even tell you, did he? I can't believe he didn't even have the balls to tell you," Logan said disdainfully. "Then again, I'm not surprised. He was always a user, guess some things never change. Guess some things aren't worth changing for," he added, feeling a bit of the hurt creep up underneath his drunken stupor.

Kris looked at him, worried. He thought Alec was having an affair with Max? How could he get that impression? Granted Max and Alec had spent a lot of time together while they were stocking up T.C., but that was no reason to suspect Max was cheating on Logan. Anyone could see how completely devoted Max was to Logan. It was that look in her eyes, that look that was clearly reflected in Logan's eyes, even now.

"Alec and Max aren't having an affair," Kris replied sternly.

Logan started laughing again. "Not according to Max. No, see, she says they have so much in common, it just makes more sense, yup, sense, it's just better that way. X-5's stick with X'5's and us regular humans stick with our own kind," he said, as though he was explaining all of this to a six-year-old.

Kris blinked numerous times, trying to concentrate. Max said she and Alec were having an affair? No way, Alec loved her, Max loved Logan. But why would Max say something like that? So Logan wouldn't love her anymore? Kris was so confused.

"But why would they do that? Logan, Max loves you so much," Kris replied adamantly.

Logan shrugged, "Apparently not enough. I guess I just didn't satisfy her. Sorry, Kris, but you know that that also holds true for you. If there wasn't something wrong, then they wouldn't have strayed, right?"

Kris knew she shouldn't be offended by a drunk man's accusations, but her limited experience prior to being with Alec was something that made her self-conscious initially. But Alec insisted that it didn't show, or he didn't care, but either way, it didn't matter. However, now Logan's implications made her think twice. In hindsight, it was rather foolish for Kris to think that she would be enough to satisfy Alec, a guy who had been used to getting any girl he wanted at any time.

But Alec loved her. But that shouldn't have been an excuse for her lack of skill in bed. But that would be a stupid reason for Alec to stray. They could have easily talked about that. But perhaps that meant that Alec never loved her to begin with. Perhaps this whole thing was an elaborate game to snag her, play with her for a while, and then ditch her for someone sexier, like Max. No, she just talked with Alec, he could have told her then, but he reinforced his love for her instead.

"I don't think they're having an affair," Kris stated.

"Look, I know you want to believe that. I do too, but seriously, I think we'd both be kidding ourselves. Kris, just face it, you weren't enough for him," Logan said, taking another shot of whiskey.

She felt like she was a little girl defending the existence of Santa Clause to a jaded man. If Alec really wanted to be with Max, he should have just told her. She would have been upset, yeah, but she would have gotten over it because she would have known that he was happy with her. Now, she was just completely confused and paranoid.

"Logan, let me take you home," she said again.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

"I can't."

"I guess that makes sense since he didn't tell you, but Max told me. She looked so ashamed. It's real, Kris, and if you want to ignore it, then fine, but you're only fooling yourself. We were stupid to think that love would last," Logan replied in a moment of clarity.

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He couldn't concentrate. No matter how hard he tried to focus on the blueprints in front of him, he couldn't. This was important, he had to find a safe route inside the warehouse to snatch the weapons for T.C. He looked out of his door to the other people rushing around doing work. But he couldn't concentrate. He had been taught to compartmentalize, put all the emotions he was feeling in a mental box and deal with it later, but he couldn't.

Kris had left T.C. fifty-two hours and four minutes ago, and he had thought about her for that entire time. They weren't really together anymore, but they weren't apart either. And that didn't stop him from thinking about her. He thought about her smile and her how her eyes sparkled when the moonlight seeped into their room. He thought about how intelligent and compassionate and sincere she was. He remembered how it was like to feel her body against his as they danced, as they hugged, as they kissed, as they made love. He couldn't kiss her when she had come to T.C. because he would have never stopped then - that would have been bad for them all. She had left with only a warm hug and a small smile, and all Alec wanted to do was run after her, run away with her to some secluded spot where no one knew about transgenetics. But this persecution would never end unless they made it stop. He would make it stop.

But he couldn't concentrate! All he could think about was Kris, how she felt in bed, how soft the skin of her stomach was when he kissed it, how her hands traced his body as they...this was so weird. It was like he was becoming possessed by these thoughts of her, these very sexual thoughts of her. His body was becoming really hot and there was that smell...

"Alec," a voice called to him. He saw Cece come into his room and close the door behind her.

Alec knew what it was. "Shit, Cece! Get the hell out of here! You're in heat," Alec said, choking on the words.

The smell of pheromones drenched the room, stifling his reasoning. That previously faint scent had been pheromones, which made him think those thoughts about Kris. But now he could sense his mind quickly becoming secondary to his animal instincts.

"Oh, yeah, um, that was stupid of me to come in here, huh? But your door was open and I was walking by and I thought, well, I guess you know what I was thinking since I'm sure you're thinking the same thing right now," Cece said wickedly, her eyes focusing on Alec's lean body as she advanced towards him in a cat-like manner.

She wanted him, badly. Being his first was nice, but she always wanted something more. And then she saw him again, attached to that regular human that wasn't worth the ground Alec walked on. But they were over, Cece saw Kris leave T.C., upset and trying her hardest not to cry. Alec deserved better, Alec deserved her, and she was going to make him realize how perfect they were together.

"No, I have Kris," Alec said, as Cece came painfully close to him. The scent of the pheromones completely dizzied Alec.

"Kris? She's gone, Alec. She's not the one for you, I am. We're perfect together, don't you see?" Cece whispered, her lips brushing again Alec's ear and her hands on his sides.

In a strange moment of clarity, Alec realized what Cece had done. She had planned all of this to trap him in a situation where he wouldn't be able to resist her. "Damn you, Cece," Alec said angrily, but it was too late.

Cece watched as Alec's eyes darkened, cutting off his anger and turning it into desire.

The animalistic part of Alec was now completely in control. He grabbed Cece's shoulders violently and brought her close to him, slamming their lips together, kissing her with an unnatural hunger and ferocity. Cece eagerly responded, knowing full well that her plan had worked. Alec pushed her onto the bed and quickly got on top of her, a wicked smile on his face, while his heart and mind, under the suffocating haze of the pheromones, cried no.

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Alec woke up with a start, looking at a grimy ceiling. He could still smell traces of pheromones in the room. He closed his eyes and sighed. What had he done?

"Was is as good for you as it was for me?" a cocky voice asked him from his right side.

He sat up abruptly and looked at the person, now fully dressed. "Fuck you, Cece," Alec said furiously.

Cece smirked. "You just did, Alec. My goodness, you have a terrible memory," she replied arrogantly.

"Get the hell out of here, just get out. I can't believe you did that," Alec said, gripping the sheets to prevent himself from beating her up.

"Oh, now you're going all honorable on me. Puh-leez. You know you wanted it, it's in your DNA to want it."

"You cornered me, you bitch. You cornered me and you knew I wouldn't be able to fight it."

"Aw, are you saying that you were violated or something? Alec, part of you responded to me because that's what you are supposed to do, it was how you were designed. You're not human, Alec, you don't have choice in the matter like humans do. Just accept it, savor it, and move on. You're my mate now. Besides, it's not like Kris is coming back for you anytime soon," Cece said to him.

At the mention of Kris his heart constricted to the size of a pea. How could he be this stupid? His chest literally ached. Though they weren't technically together, Alec had every intention of remaining loyal to her and he managed to break that a few days after they broke up! He was such an indescribable ass! How could he even look at her without feeling the utmost shame? What would she think?

"Leave now," Alec ordered, unable to look at Cece.

"You are such a sappy loser, you know that? I just gave you probably the best sex in your entire life and you're still strung out on that stupid human who's not worth..."

Cece couldn't finish her rant because Alec suddenly pinned her against the door. "Don't you dare talk about things you will never understand! One more mention of Kris and I will rip your heart out, do you hear me?" he said ruthlessly.

Cece smirked. "Now the boy gets some real balls..." she said cockily before Alec opened the door and shoved her out of his room.

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"Boo Numba Two, you alright?" O.C. asked as she sat next to Kris. O.C. watched Kris stare at the lockers in Jam Pony for about three minutes straight as she sat on one of the benches before O.C. decided to come over.

Kris snapped out of the daze she was in. "Yeah, fine," she replied.

"C'mon, Sugah, Original Cindy knows when her hunnies are hurtin'," O.C. said, nudging Kris to talk to her.

She had missed talking to people. Max hadn't quit Jam Pony like Alec had, but she had not come in for the past week. O.C. made up the excuse that she was out of town, which Normal didn't believe but accepted.

"Really, O.C., it's nothing. Just me being girly," Kris insisted.

"What's so wrong with bein' girly then?" O.C. asked.

Kris shook her head, "I'm not gonna be one of those girls who cries over her boyfriend leaving. And he didn't actually leave, he's just not here. God I can't explain it. It's like our relationship is in Limbo and I...I just miss him. I miss his cocky attitude and his hugs. Just stupid things like that. And then I've been getting these thoughts in my head about what he could be doing right now and whatever," Kris said.

"What do you mean by thoughts in my head?" O.C. asked.

"It's just that I talked with Logan a week ago, and he said that Max told him she was having an affair with Alec. But I can't believe that, I just can't. But then I start thinking, maybe they did. And then I scold myself for even entertaining the idea cuz Alec wouldn't hurt me like that, but I just can't stop thinking about it," Kris said, almost crying now.

"Oh, Kris, hunnie, you know Alec and Max wouldn't do something like that. I dunno why Max said that, but I'm sure she was lying, probably to make breaking up with Logan easier," O.C. said, hugging her friend.

Kris nodded. "I know you must be right, but..."

"I feel you, I feel you," O.C. said softly.

O.C. was disappointed in Max for saying something like that which affected Kris and Alec. But then again, when it came to Logan, Max would do anything for him, even if it meant hurting others to make him hate her. O.C. knew Max and Alec didn't have an affair, they couldn't have, because that would have undermined everything Max and Logan had strived for these past few years.

Kris pulled away from the embrace and gathered herself. She wiped her eyes and smiled at O.C. "Thanks, O.C. Can you cover for me for a bit? I hafta visit Niki in the hospital," Kris asked.

O.C. nodded, "Sure thing, Kris."

Kris smiled slightly and walked out.

The streets looked different without Alec's laughter or undeniable smirk by her side. It was like she was waiting for him to pop out of a side-street and surprise her, telling her the battle for equality for the transgenetics was over and they could be together without fear. But that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

The doctors had told her not to visit Niki until a week had passed because of her poor condition. She entered the hospital, asked for her room number, and stepped inside. Niki's appearance frightened her to the core. She laid there, still black and blue with a large bump on her head. The huge scraps were scabbing over on her arms. What frightened Kris the most though was the lack of emotion in Niki's eyes. It was like she was now a shell when before she was radiating life.

Niki heard the door open and turned to it. "Hi, Kris," she said neutrally.

Kris didn't know what to do. Should she smile? No, not appropriate. "Hey," she replied. She moved a chair closer to the bed and sat down.

The silence that followed was probably the saddest Kris ever experienced. She just didn't know what to say...

"You know what pisses me off?" Niki asked, abruptly breaking the silence that had encompasses the two women.

"What?"

"He wasn't a bad guy. The news makes these transgenetics out to be this great evil and it's bullshit. He was amazing...and I watched them beat him to death. I couldn't save him, I couldn't even yell for help. I was completely useless and I let him die," Niki said angrily.

"Niki, you can't blame yourself, it's not your fault. People will lash out at the easiest thing to attack when they're scared. Don't do this to yourself," Kris said softly.

Niki swallowed hard and started to show signs of emotion. "It was only a few weeks and I think...I think I could have loved him. I can't tell though, now, everything's so wrong. I can't even begin to understand what happened to me, I can't talk about that at all or else...I just can't. But I know that I could have loved him. I think I did," Niki said, crying.

Kris got off of her chair and sat on Niki's bed, holding her gently as she cried. They stayed like that for an hour until Niki fell asleep. Kris sat back in the chair and watched her friend sleep.

As she slowly walked out of the hospital a few hours later, Kris ran into Cece.

"Hey," Cece said, a smug look on her face. It had been about a week since she seduced Alec, and she was still glowing. It didn't matter that Alec hated her with a passion, she was still victorious.

"Hey."

"What are you doing here?" Cece asked.

Kris looked at her curiously. Why was Cece making conversation with her? "Visited Niki."

Cece nodded sympathetically. "How is she?"

"How would you be?" Kris retorted.

"Good point."

"What are you doing here?" Kris asked.

"Snatching some medical supplies. Alec's orders," Cece said, watching Kris facial expression at the mention of her precious boyfriend.

Kris smirked. "Alec's ordering you around? Glad to hear it."

"He orders me around in more ways than one," Cece said evasively.

That couldn't have meant what Kris thought it meant. First Max and now Cece? This was getting too much. Kris decided to try something on Cece.

"Look, I know he's with Max now, so don't even try, okay?" Kris said, feigning annoyance and hurt.

"Max? Are you shitting me? Get real, he and Max are just partners working for a similar cause, blah blah blah."

"Then I'm not following you," Kris said, truly annoyed now.

"Let me make it as simple as possible. Alec's my mate now," Cece said arrogantly.

Kris scoffed. "Um, yeah, right, okay, well, you have a wonderful day," she said, treating Cece as though she were delusional. She began to walk away.

"I know it's hard to believe that your precious Alec strayed from you, but he did. And it wasn't with Max," Cece called after her.

"Look, whatever fantasy you wanna create for yourself, fine. Just spare others from having to listen to them," Kris snapped.

Cece paused for a second as she watched Kris walk away. "You know, you never imagine a guy like Alec to be ticklish. But he is, but it's only in two spots. It's on his barcode and behind his knees. The barcode is ticklish for all transgenetics, I think. But behind the knees, I think I've only seen that in Alec. And it's weird because he only squirms if you tickle him with your fingertips. If you kiss him there, it's not ticklish for him. Weird huh?" Cece said casually, watching for Kris reaction carefully.

Kris' insides froze and she stopped walking. How could Cece know that unless she and Alec had been very close to each other? Why would Alec let her get that close when he didn't like her? A billion questions raced through her mind, all leading to one undeniable fact: Alec had slept with Cece. Kris turned around to face Cece, an icy glare in her eyes that even Cece was surprised, though pleased, to see. Without another word, Kris walked away, refusing to let the challenger see that she was shattering inside.

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Author's note: OOOOOhhhhh, all these conflicts and NO resolution. No worries, there will be answers and explanations next chapter I promise. I think this story is coming close to a finish, probably 3 chapters left or so. Please review and let me know what you think!