A/N- A long one for you today. Thanks to those that asked- I'm still feeling kinda crappy.
A/N2- This part takes place before Max goes on a mission with Tara and will be continued in Chapter 20 of which I am STILL trying to think up a title suggestions welcome!
Ooh I realised that- VERY REMISS of me, that I haven't thanked my beta's for all their hard work in my appalling punctuation and aiding plot points including glaring discrepancies. Thanks to Itay and Kat who is suffering from morning sickness as well as my bad grammar! Cheers.
Chapter 19- Propinquity and driftwood.
"You know, I'm sure that I said I wouldn't interfere as long as she was happy."
Alec swung around to see Zan standing there, leaning against the wall with a look of extreme nonchalance on his face.
Alec glared. "Go away, Zan, I'm not in the mood."
Zan shrugged a shoulder, "Is that supposed to bother me?"
"Just get lost." Alec turned his back on the blonde, unwilling to have this conversation right now.
"X5, fabulous sense of direction," Zan breezed as he walked in, ignoring Alec's glare. "So, what's with you and the moody Queen?"
"None of your damn business okay?"
Alec had had a hard few days, what with his initial anger at Max and then the constant barrage of inquiries from his teammates. His anger with Max had faded somewhat and now all he wanted to do was hash things out and get back to the way that they had been heading to before this whole mess with his twin. However, it seemed her anger with him was still fresh as a daisy and she could barely look at him, let alone talk to him. What was really hard was that he had no idea why she was so mad at him. He understood that he had made her lose her brother but she had seemed willing to let Ben go, at least at first, and she realised the importance of him leaving town. It wasn't like Max to hold a grudge for something that she herself thought was a good idea, which meant that it was something else.
Zan cleared his throat, knowing that Alec had gone off into dreamland and he shook himself.
"Seriously Alec, I'm interested. What happened between you and Maxie?"
"Hasn't she told you herself?" Alec said bitterly.
"She's been notoriously tight-lipped, at least since she got out of surgery-"
Alec's head snapped up. "What surgery?"
Zan shrugged, "The seizure surgery." At Alec's blank look Zan explained. "You know she had a Grand Mal seizure when she came back from that mission you two went on, right?"
"WHAT?" Alec exploded.
"Huh, I'll take that as a 'no' then shall I?"
Alec glared harder, "Dammit, Zan. She had a seizure?" He swallowed, "Was it bad?"
"Bad enough I guess. I wasn't there, Pix came back as white as a sheet; he was shaking, himself. Damn, I've never seen him look so scared. He said that Max practically fell to pieces in his arms. Her shakes were so bad he thought she'd give herself a concussion."
"Shit." Alec fell to the floor, his back against the wall and his head drooping. "What happened?"
"Steve managed to get some milk from the kitchen and Max regained consciousness enough to swallow some of her Tryptophan. Then Pix, Dek and Mets got her to agree to have that corrective surgery, even though Dek is not sure it'll take at this late stage."
"Why didn't one of them come and get me?" Alec asked tiredly, even though he was sure he knew the answer.
"Max asked them not to say a word to anyone, but you know what this place is like. No one can sneeze without three janitors asking how your cold is the next day."
Alec laughed humourlessly. "So she's okay now?"
"No," Zan said slowly, "haven't you been listening? She's moody, more so than normal. She won't talk to you and she looks miserable. So what gives?"
"I wish I knew." Alec replied.
Zan stared at him.
Alec stared back.
Neither blinked.
"What did you do?"
"I DON'T KNOW!" Alec yelled and Zan grinned at getting a reaction.
"I did tell you I was okay until she got hurt."
"Well I don't know what the hell her freaking problem is, okay?" Alec wrenched himself to his feet, pacing around the small room. "One second everything is fine, and then she creeps off for a mission by herself and finds my twin-"
Zan started at that, "Whoa, whoa- 493?"
"No, my other twin," Alec said sarcastically, "Yeah 493, the dentistry loving psycho. She was going to leave us and go with him. I told her not to."
"Thank Renfro!" Zan said his eyes wide.
"It's all kind of okay, although not really-" Zan nodded to show that he understood that random statement, "-and then she suddenly freaks out on me."
"Huh," Zan sat on Alec's bed. "Okay, that is odd."
"You're telling me!" Alec was pleased to have some fellow feeling, since Biggs had decided to take the common sense road this time.
"Are you sure you didn't say anything else?"
Alec wracked his brain. "No, it all happened so fast and to be honest I was a little thrown by the mass murderer with my face."
"I can see how that would throw you for a loop." Zan agreed, thinking hard.
Alec paused a moment, "Why aren't you more mad at me?"
Zan shrugged, "No idea. Guess I see your point of view as well as Max's. You guys are our C.O.s and after the last fight, we have learnt better than to take sides."
"And they said we couldn't learn." Alec mocked and Zan smirked.
"Yeah well, they also said that we couldn't love. And yet."
Alec lost the small amount of humour that he had gained from his unexpected talk with Zan.
"Yeah."
Zan looked at him pityingly. "Well, we need to get you out of this funk and back with Max."
"I thought you said you wouldn't help me, in fact, "Alec pointed out, "I believe your exact words were that you'd point and mock."
"You're reminding me of this fact," Zan said in annoyance, "one wonders at your intelligence!"
Alec couldn't help the choked laugh that escaped his lips at Zan's dry humour.
"Max means a lot to me, and in a totally different way so do you," Zan raised an eyebrow. "Besides, you want me to kick your ass?"
"No," Alec sighed. "But what can I do?"
Zan grinned, "You need to hang out with Pix more, mate. As it happens, I'm more than just great looks, I have a few ideas."
----
Skye stretched her arms above her head and eyed the Trainer at the front of the class. She really didn't care about human culture and literature today. It was possibly the most boring lesson that she had had in Cultural studies, which was usually her favourite subject. But Trainer Culkin blathering on about some innovative televised event called Big Brother, which- in her opinion, was the biggest load of crap ever to grace the planet. It wasn't as if it was even new, after all her life was on camera 24/7 and there were no commercial breaks.
Skye rolled her eyes towards Flex, surprised to see him writing intently. She zoomed in and swallowed a laugh, he was playing "dictionary" by himself. It was odd to see the usually shallow Flex doing logic puzzles, but then again, he had made it into Special Ops which meant that hidden beneath that shallow exterior- and even more shallow interior- was a brain. She peered closer, the word he was using was "deinstitutionalised" and so far he had only twelve words out of it.
It was obvious that she wasn't the only one who was bored out of her brain.
"Psst, you missed station."
Flex grinned. "Can we get out of here soon?"
"1,952 seconds to go." Pix whispered from the seat in front.
"Too long, can't you do something?" Skye whined, "It looks like a gorgeous day outside and I'm so unbelievably bored!"
"Why me?" Pix raised an eyebrow.
"Please Pix? Please?" Chance whispered by his side.
Pix rolled his eyes, "Oh all right then. I'll need help."
B.J looked up interestedly as Pix said he could get them out of the lesson. He wasn't one for this Cultural studies rubbish. Give him a good old Glock and a rifle range any day. Or even a computer, he just wasn't interested in this stuff. Who really cared what some dead guys did way back when?
"What do you need?" He hissed to Pix who grinned.
"Distraction my friend."
"Got it." B.J. looked around to see Feen dozing in her chair by the door. While he watched she yawned heavily, her hand not quite covering her mouth.
B.J reached into his pocket and pulled out a small matchbox. He had caught a spider in his cell this morning and, for some reason, had wanted to take it outside instead of crushing it. He almost laughed at himself, that was something that Techie would have done, or even old B.J. He quashed the thought and with a quick glance slid open the lid and launched the hapless arachnid across the room to land on Feen's desk.
Feen felt something drop onto the desk in front of her and saw a small black hairy spider scuttle drunkenly across the desk.
B.J. waited for the high pitched squealing and was notably disappointed when, in true soldier fashion, Feen brought her large textbook down on the poor creature, squashing it flat.
He frowned despite Skye's muffled giggling by his side. Okay, so the girls weren't that easily scared or, at least, Feen wasn't. Maybe Cece.
B.J. watched Pix who smirked at him. "Hey, got one of those exploding caps?"
Pix grinned wider and fished into his pocket for a small piece of flat plastic. It looked harmless but once it was hurled towards the floor with any force, it erupted in an ear piercing bang. Another miracle of engineering and design by their resident maniacal genius.
Cece was lost on some other planet when something hit the ground between her legs and exploded. Startled out of her musings, she screamed.
Trainer Culkin jumped as the female leaped into the air, screeching.
The other transgenics, eager for any excitement turned to see Cece clutching her chest.
"202, what the hell?"
Taking in the disruption, Pix leaped up and flicked out a lighter from his pocket and held it up to the smoke detectors. As soon as he lit the fire, the sensitive alarm rang shrilly, piercing everyone's eardrums and drenching them all in a cloud of smothering vapour.
"Must be a faulty circuit. Out, everyone out!" Trainer Culkin called and the X's delightedly left the room in calm formation. "Class dismissed for the day but read chapter 32 on the use of Reality Television in the 21st century."
-
"Genius." Skye sighed contentedly as she stretched out on the grass.
"Thank you!" Pix grinned.
"Yeah great," Cece added sarcastically as she flopped down next to him. "Next time a warning ok?"
"Not as fun that way." B.J. laughed at her indignant look and reached over to poke her to make sure that she wasn't all that annoyed with him.
Cece laughed. "Jerk."
The sun was high as they sat on the lawn watching the other X's slave away.
"You know we could be spending this time productively," Drew said. "For example, on the ranges?"
"Yeah, I could do with extra practise." Dek said quickly. "Fancy a few rounds Drew?"
Drew looked up into her best friend's innocent face. The one that made it clear he was up to something. Things hadn't been strained around them like she thought they'd be after her declaration. In fact Dek had gone out of his way to make sure that things weren't difficult. His charming personality, so at odds with his bad boy image, left her confused. Was she glad that he didn't seem to care that she only wanted to be friends or was she disappointed?
It was ridiculous, she should be glad that he was willing to be her friend.
"Sure," she smiled up at him and took his proffered hand as he hauled her to her feet. He tugged a little too hard which ended up with her bumping into his lean hard body, his hand warm and soft but strong in her own. She ducked her head and stepped away quickly trying to ignore the heat rising in her face.
Dek stood to one side. "Come on, Drew. I think I can beat you at the range."
"In your dreams!" She scoffed and let him lead the way to the range.
"Don't they make a sweet couple?" Pix said and watched surreptitiously as Mets stiffened. Mets gave him a suspicious glance as Pix bit back a grin and focussed on the other side of the yard where Chance sat by herself.
"Excuse me, fans," he said and slipped to his feet walking over to the lone girl.
Skye watched him go with a disinterested glance before she flopped back on her back.
"Don't even think about it!" She warned and Flex huffed.
"Wasn't doing anything!" He protested, even as he dropped the piece of grass he had been about to use to tickle her with.
"You guys are so predictable." Anna chuckled.
"I prefer 'reliable'." B.J shared a look with Flex.
"I was actually talking about guys in general." She said archly.
B.J glowered at Anna. "So sorry to interrupt you, Princess. Carry on."
Anna rolled her eyes, "Dammit B.J, stop being so damn sensitive."
"Damn it 191, stop being so sensitive."
They both froze.
Skye and Flex looked between their still friends and then at each other in consternation.
"You know there's this river in Asia that they've found contains the poison flower Oleander," B.J said abruptly. "Why don't you go take a drink on me?"
He lurched to his feet and stalked away.
Anna bit her lip and stumbled to her feet after him.
Skye raised an eyebrow as she chased him.
"What the hell was that about?"
--
Anna grabbed for B.J's arm.
"Wait B.J. I'm so-"
"Get lost Anna, I don't want to hear It," he wrenched his arm out of her grip and carried on walking.
"B.J, I didn't mean to,"
"But you did," he rounded on her and spat, "you always do. It's too damn hard for you to attempt to be pleasant isn't it?"
Anna swallowed her temper, telling herself that she deserved this.
"Sorry," she said lamely.
"It's not good enough," he said, "Its never freaking good enough. Still I don't know what I expected. Not from you. As long as you're okay then it's to hell with everyone else right?"
Anna blinked back tears. "I said I was sorry about that."
"Forget it, it was years ago. I'm over it, but the question is why you aren't."
"I'm over it." She said uncertainly.
B.J laughed derisively. "Then why can't you seem to talk to me without insulting me?"
"You-you're different, I - don't know to deal with you anymore,"
His eyebrow rose. "Whose fault is that, Princess?"
"Don't call me that." Her temper was coming back in leaps and bounds.
Anna grabbed her dignity and stormed away, her head held high and B.J grabbed her arm.
"Let go!" She ordered and he glared at her.
"You don't order me around, Princess."
"Bite me!"
He grinned sarcastically. "Been there, done that."
Anna's eyes glinted and he realised that he had gone too far.
"Anna, I didn't mea-"
But she didn't listen and twisted herself into the crook of his arm and used his body weight to flip him over her shoulder. B.J landed on his back on the floor with his breath whooshed out of him.
"Asshole." She spat.
B.J got to his feet, a ferocious look on his face.
"Well the bitch came back quickly didn't she? Your apology was so heartfelt too."
She swallowed. This was always the way when she was with B.J. One second she'd remind herself that she should be nice to him and the next she was attacking him.
"Shit, B.J. I'm so-"
His laugh cut off her words and she wasn't surprised as the contemptuous sound still had the capacity to make her wince. It was a far cry from the tinkling laugh he used to have.
"Forget it," he turned to leave before pausing to look back over his shoulder.
"Hey 291, I hear Manticore is doing wonderful things with transplants, maybe you should ask for a heart," he eyed her, "but then you've always got on pretty well without one."
His parting remark made her freeze as he walked away.
It was a while before she could get her breath back.
Well that could have gone better.
----
"Hey, Chance. Got a second"
Chance turned to see Pix standing by the tree she was leaning against. He was looking endearingly unsure and shuffled from foot to foot, his hands deep in his pockets.
"Sure." She smiled softly and he sat down next to her.
"I just wanted to apologise for yesterday. I blew up and I didn't mean to take it out on you. I guess I was tired and cranky."
Chance nodded, "I got that much."
"Yeah."
He leaned his head back against the tree. "Are we okay?"
Chance thought about it.
"No."
Pix's head snapped back to pin her with an incredulous glance and she just stopped the laugh that bubbled up.
"You think I'm with you because of propinquity, convenience and gratitude. That doesn't make us okay."
Pix watched her carefully.
"Why are you with me if you think I don't want to be with you?" She asked seriously. "Why would you subject yourself to that?"
"To you?"
She nodded.
Pix sighed, his head falling back to lean against the tree again.
"Do you care about me?" Chance asked hesitantly, pushing her long silky hair away from her face and peering at him with unsure eyes.
"More than even I know at times," he said with a half grin. "I remember the first time I saw you."
"Flat on my back in the corridor." She said dryly and he chuckled.
"Staring up at me with big chocolate eyes, a pretty little pout just there."
Chance blushed and ducked her head.
"I love it when you do that." He confessed.
"I thought you said it made me all weak and meek-like?"
"Sweet," he looked at her, "innocent and adorable."
"Not words that a soldier wants to hear." She teased, inclining her head.
Pix shuffled closer and reached up to cup her face with his palm. "Beautiful, stunning… scary?"
Chance let her eyes flutter closed as his lips met hers softly.
She wasn't thinking about the fact that he hadn't answered her question. She wasn't thinking about the fact that they hadn't concluded their argument or sorted things out. She wasn't thinking about the fact that they shouldn't be doing this in the open like this. All she could think about was his lips on hers doing things that made her stomach tingle and her hands itch to pull him closer.
Which is why she was understandably annoyed when his lips were unceremoniously wrenched away.
Her eyes snapped open to see Biggs dragging Pix to his feet.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" He yelled furiously.
Pix wiped his mouth, smirking slightly. "I was giving her mouth to mouth."
Biggs eyes flashed and he pulled back a fist launching it at Pix's face. Pix dodged at the last moment, causing Biggs to stumble off balance.
Pix darted under Biggs' arm and spun around pushing him lightly away from him.
"Chill Biggs!" He cautioned.
"Chill? What gives the right to maul my sister in public?"
"Maul?" Pix looked down at Chance whose eyes were wide in surprise. A flush was making its way up her cheeks.
"It's called kissing, Biggs. People do it when they like each other."
"Don't you frigging dare-" Biggs kicked out at Pix who wasn't expecting it and was slammed in the lungs.
His breath whooshed out and he heard Chance yell.
"Biggs cut it out!"
Pix stood up, having had enough and gave Biggs a right hook.
Biggs staggered back, his face a mask of annoyance.
"Stop it!" Chance screamed, getting to her feet and standing between the two battling men.
Biggs ignored her. "Move it Chance. Casanova has it coming."
"No, Biggs stop this! It's crazy."
Biggs launched himself at Pix and rammed his shoulder into his stomach. Pix rammed his elbow down on Biggs back making him loosen his hold.
Biggs gasped as he fell to the floor, Pix flipped him over and held his hands in a loose hold rendering him motionless.
"There's a reason I'm Special Ops." Pix hissed and let go of Biggs arms.
Biggs growled, his legs sweeping out to knock Pix over.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Pix turned to see Alec and Max coming towards them from different directions.
"Well?" Max planted her hands on her hips, her eyes filled with fire.
"He started it," Pix laughed shortly.
"Real mature," Alec rolled his eyes and held his hand out to Biggs.
Max grabbed Pix and hauled him to his feet.
"What was this about?" She demanded shooting glances at a fuming Biggs, a sarcastic Pix and nervous Chance. "As if I can't guess."
Alec had obviously drawn the same conclusion and sighed heavily. "You have to cut this out."
"Why?" Biggs looked fiercely at Alec.
"Because if you don't the Trainers will make you," Max said calmly. "Just take a chill pill and cool off Biggs, okay?"
Alec stood by Max, giving her a curious yet hopeful glance out of the corner of his eyes. She ignored him.
"Touch her again and we'll have words!" Biggs snarled at Pix.
"Shut the hell up, Biggs!" Pix said back, annoyed beyond words at the presumptuousness of Biggs.
Biggs' eyes flew open wide and he launched himself at Pix again, this time tackling him to the ground.
Chance tried to get into the middle of them to stop them fighting and earned a smack in the face from a stray elbow for her trouble. Seeing that Chance was hurt, Pix swung back at Biggs.
Max shot Alec a glance and they both hauled Biggs off Pix, kicking and yelling.
"Just what is going on?"
They all froze as Renfro's voice rang out loud and clear in the grounds.
Max's eyes widened and she dropped Biggs. Alec did the same, standing to attention as fast as he could. Pix snapped to his feet and they all watched Biggs do the same.
Chance was slower, her body obviously aching from being hit by the boys.
"I will not repeat myself," Renfro snapped.
"Sparring," Max lied quickly, "we were having match, ma'am."
"I see," Renfro's eyes narrowed, "does that usually include holding each other back?" Her piercing eyes fell on Chance.
"511, perhaps you can tell me why you are dishevelled?"
"Sparring, Ma'am." She said calmly, despite the panic in her eyes.
"All three of you at once?"
They refrained from looking at her.
"Very well, two hours punishment for both 510 and 418 for sparring without Trainer supervision. 511 spends tonight in Solitary for obvious and blatant lying to the Director. Understood?"
Chance's face fell even as she tried not to whimper at the thought of being alone in the dark again.
"Yes, Ma'am!" They chorused.
"Now, 452. I need you to find X5- 624 for me. I have an assignment for her."
"Yes, Ma'am," Max said and Renfro nodded eyeing the shame faced transgenics before stalking away.
"Thanks Biggs!" Chance hissed furiously. "God, why can't you see I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't need protection!"
"Fine!" Biggs snapped and stalked away.
Pix rubbed his split lip and looked up at Chance. "Come on, I'll walk you to med bay for some ice."
Chance touched his lip, "You too."
Max smiled at them before turning.
"Max?"
For a moment there Max and Alec had been fighting on the same side and had come together in the way that C.Os should do. It gave Alec hope, which was dashed as she continued walking down the hill without even pausing.
----
Dek waited until Drew pulled back the target to assess her skill before he made his move. He came closer and gazed at her sheet of paper. Twenty perfect holes in the centre of the paper.
"Not bad." He murmured and she gave a start.
"Not bad?" She looked at her results and back at him. "This is damn near perfect."
"No, you are damn near perfect, but that is just not bad," he continued before she could do more than jump at the compliment, "maybe it's the gun, if I recall you handle the stronger ones better than the assault. You need a hand gun."
Drew chose to ignore his 'near perfect' comment for now. "Yeah, but we're not allowed our own weaponry."
"Crap," Dek said succinctly, "Max has her own contraband, so does Pix and practically everyone that has been out on a mission. If they can have it, so can you."
Drew bit her lip as she thought this over. It was true; the others did have their own contraband. "I guess I could do with a gun."
"Like this?" Dek handed her a small brown paper bag tied with string.
"What's this?" She asked curiously.
"It's something I picked up on my last mission, I was saving it for you." He explained.
Drew's delighted smile grew as she unwrapped the package to reveal a shiny gun.
"Ooh!"
Dek grinned at her obvious glee, "It's a double action PSS. 7.62 millimetre with a special purpose noiseless cartridge. It's light and was developed for the Soviet KGB in 1983 as a Special Operations firearm."
"It's gorgeous." She said as she ran her fingers over the black barrel.
"It was built around the special noiseless cartridge SP-4. It doesn't need a silencer as they built this baby around an "internal gas lock."
Dek moved behind her placing his arms around her and lowering his voice as he pulled her arms up to take aim.
"Carries six rounds with an effective range of 20 metres."
"Recoil operated?" She asked, not noticing that her own voice was much lower as his heat enveloped her back.
"Uh huh," he murmured, "the trigger is the same as a Makarov 9mm and has the DA style safety and decocker."
Drew half shuddered as he gently squeezed the trigger exploding the bullets into the target. She turned her head to gaze into his heated green eyes, her breath catching.
Dek smiled, a slow lazy grin and backed away.
"Happy birthday."
"It's not my birthday." She said softly watching him as he scratched the back of his head in a boyish gesture.
"Whatever," he gestured, "I have to get to comp class. Trainer Banns wants me to try debugging his server again."
"Okay."
He'd got halfway across the range when he heard her voice call him.
"Dek?"
He turned, "Yeah?"
"Thank you," she held up the gun, "I love it."
"Good. It looks good on you."
At her obvious bemusement he turned and walked out; a satisfied grin gracing his features
###
Carrot bit down on his lip, darting from foot to foot, as he watched Max march across the courtyard.
"Max?"
Max spun on her heel to see the red-haired man stare nervously at her.
"Hey Carrot, what's up?"
"Can we talk?"
Max hesitated, "Can it wait? I have to find Coco for Renfro."
"Um, sure." He gave her a hesitant smile. "It's no big deal."
Max frowned, seeing that he was anxious about something, "You okay?"
"Worried about Tara."
Max waved his worry away with a soothing smile. "I'm sure she's fine. Tara has been going out on missions longer than any of us. She's a true blue soldier who'll get the job done and come home. She'll be back before we know it."
She patted him on the back and stalked away.
"That's what I'm afraid of." He whispered.
###
"We need to talk." Feen's voice made Anna jump.
"Whoa, Feen make some noise okay?" Anna snapped out, her mind still on the fight that she had just had with B.J.
"Sorry, look we have to do something."
"About?"
Feen rolled her eyes. "Max and Alec."
Anna scoffed, "I think they can screw things up themselves, without us helping."
Coco walked over, fire in her eyes.
"I have just been sent on an assignment to Nowheresville Texas!" She fumed.
Anna patted her back, "Sorry."
"Stupid damn Renfro," Coco muttered mutinously. "How the hell am I supposed to concentrate on my mission with this hanging over?" She gestured to where Alec was moodily staring over the courtyard. "He's like a puppy without his master and she," Coco didn't need to explain who 'she' was, "is like a frigging time bomb. She pulled rank on Skye, for Manticore's sake!"
"Yeah I heard about that!" Feen marvelled. "I'm surprised Skye didn't freak."
"Flex may have had something to do with that." Anna added amusedly.
"But Coco is right." Feen said. "How are we supposed to be okay going on missions and stuff if we aren't sure both our C.Os will be alive and well when we get back?"
"What do you suggest?" Anna asked seriously. Feen had a point. If they were so worried about their C.Os, which they were, it would be harder to concentrate on their missions.
Max and Alec were more their guardians than Renfro and Lydecker and the idea of them fighting and not being able to take care of each other was almost scary.
"Three of us talk it out with Max. She likes being confrontational. So we confront." Feen decided.
"Have to do it without me, I'm afraid." Coco sighed. "I'm bound for the desert."
"Okay." Anna nodded, "I'm in. Hopefully by the time Coco gets back we'll have Max and Alec back to making googly eyes at each other."
"Or lip lock." Feen grinned.
"I'd be content with them looking at each other without wincing." Coco remarked.
"So Project Max starts today."
###
Pix had promised to walk Chance to Solitary that night and as he watched her slight form trembling he was glad that he had.
Her face got paler as they neared the punishment block and she started to ramble in incoherent sentences.
When she started to outline the basic properties of water for the third time he interrupted her with a calming hand on her arm.
"-but turning from ice to water and vapour but freezing vapour isn't-"
"Chance?"
"Uh huh," she turned towards him, her eyes wide as if she wasn't actually seeing him at all.
"Are you going to have a heart attack?" He asked, half seriously.
She laughed loudly, her guffaws turning into hysterics.
"Whoa, Chance?" Pix cupped her face, searching her eyes intently. "What is it?"
"I don't like the dark." She confessed, tears edging into her eyes.
Pix frowned. It was unheard of for soldiers to be afraid of the dark. After all most of their sensory deprivation training had included some form of containment in darkness and she had seemed fine with it before.
"I can do it when someone is with me. But alone?" she shuddered and cast her eyes around in a panic.
"Why?" He asked confused.
Chance pulled at the ends of her long dark hair and started to run her fingers through the ends in a nervous gesture. Pix stilled her fingers.
"Chance?"
"Do you remember what you were doing that night in 09?"
The sudden jump in conversation only wrong-footed him for a moment.
Of course he remembered what he was doing the night the 09ers escaped.
"I was in bed," he said, "I'd had a trying day on the course and was lying in bed thinking up some way to get back at Trainer McCarthy when there was this sound of breaking glass and screams. I shot up in bed along with half my unit and we all stared towards the windows where the searchlights had come on. Dogs were barking so loud and suddenly the doors slammed shut, our barracks went into lockdown and we all sat in the dorm not having a clue what was going on. One of our Unit went to the window to see if he could see anything and we all rushed to look." He stared in the distance as if lost in the memory. "All we could see was ice everywhere and footprints in the snow outside. Then Lydecker and men in dark military clothes on snow skis and with semi automatics roared by the window shaking the pane we were all pressed against. When Lydecker looked up we all scrambled back into bed and it was so damn quiet in our dorm, as we listened to the fuss outside. Dogs, screams, gun shots," he shuddered, "we were so scared and one of the girls burst into tears and our squad leader snapped at her. Then there was an armed guard outside the room and we stayed in lock down the whole day." He finished. "It wasn't until later we were told why."
Chance bit her lip and nodded. "Lydecker must have called here in case of similar infraction." She took a deep breath. "I was walking about. I couldn't sleep because of my DNA and I was just walking down the corridors when the sirens went off here. They were so loud, piercing and I remember just standing there in the middle of the corridor."
The tiny form of 511 paused in the middle of the dark hall, her heart beating wildly as the siren klaxons wailed. She slammed her hands over her delicate ears as the bells screamed out a warning.
Her six-year-old body shook as she wondered if the alarms were for her. Had they realised that she was out of bed and were coming to put her in punishment? Or Psy Ops? She had to get back to bed, now!
Door bolts slammed across and 511 panicked as she grabbed the nearest door and tugged hard. It wouldn't budge and her breath started to come harder and faster as she pulled harder.
Footsteps sounded down the hall, a loud crunching of boots and 511 fled back into the shadows, shoving her hands in her mouth as she grew more afraid of being caught out of bed.
511 watched as several military soldiers stormed past heavily armed and yelling into radios. They were tugging one of those basement people along behind them in chains. The basement people had terrifying faces that had petrified her until 494 had said that they were failed experiments and not to be scared of them. It flicked its long tongue out at her letting her know that, even in the darkness it had seen her.
She shrank back into the shadows and tried not to whimper as they all passed.
It was moments before she could move again and she struggled out into the corridor intent on getting back to her dorm.
"What the hell are you doing?"
511 spun to see a soldier staring at her as he hurried up the hall.
"Why are you out of bed?"
"C-couldn't s-s-s-leep, sir!" She stammered.
"The facility's in lockdown! You shouldn't be out here." He yelled and she cringed.
"D-d-d, I d-didn't k-know."
The radio crackled and he listened intently.
"Shit!" He swore, and her eyes grew wide at hearing the forbidden word.
"I haven't got time for this dammit," he searched around frantically and wrenched the door to the nearest room. It wouldn't budge, like 511 had discovered. The soldier grabbed her arm and tugged her down the hall trying doors. They came to one that was darker than all of the other, not a room as much as a cupboard.
It came open in his hands and he pushed her into it.
"Stay there."
The door slammed shut and 511 heard a key turn in the lock and then heavy footsteps as he stomped away.
There wasn't even a pinprick of light so her feline enhanced sight couldn't work and she was left groping in darkness for clues as to where she was. 511 placed her hands against the door and felt the iron door. It was solid. She trailed her fingers over the walls trying to work out her surroundings.
It was tiny room, not even big enough to lie down in and she could feel broken wood and grit on the floor. From the smell it seemed like an old wood room, where they stored the timber that they used in the X4's woodwork lessons. They made those rooms especially tight so that the mice couldn't get in and gnaw the wood.
The sound of the siren scared her and she wrapped her arms around her pretending that it was 494, her Squad Commander, who was comforting her.
511 pushed at the door futilely and then gave up in dismay, curling up in a ball to wait for the soldier to let her out.
511 yawned and opened her eyes, for a second panicking as it was no different as when she had opened them. It took several seconds for her to readjust and remember where she was. Her internal clock told her that she had slept for about twelve hours. She sat up hopefully waiting for the door to open.
16 hours. Was anyone coming for her?
26.5 hours. Did her brother and squad leader know where she was? Were they worried?
32 hours. Her stomach was growling and it had begun to hurt. It was so dark in here, what if no one ever came for her? No one except that soldier knew where she was. What if he died in combat? Panic began to set in.
38 hours. 511 curled up into a ball and began to cry.
49 hours. 511 rocked backwards and forwards, begging for her brother to come find her. Her stomach hurt and she was dizzy with all of the crying.
58 hours. She could hear footsteps outside and the sounds of the facility coming to life. But still no one came.
68 hours. No one was coming for her.
73 hours. It sounded like the facility was back to normal; she could hear people talking as they walked past the door. 511 bit her nails as she wondered how long she'd be in here if no one came for her. 510 was always telling them ghost stories about the basement people and how they'd be left to die alone. Would that happen to her? Would she be left here to die?
Would they open the door one day to find her desiccated corpse…oh that was it!
511 rubbed the grime away from her tear stained face and scrambled to her feet.
"Help?" She banged on the door quietly. Nothing.
"Hello?" She knocked a bit louder.
"Hello?"
Nothing and the tears started to roll down her face again.
"Can I come out yet? Please?"
The silence began to unnerve her and she pounded on the door with her small fists.
"Please? I'll be good, let me out. Someone, anyone."
The sobs caught in her throat.
"Let me out! LET ME OUT!" She screamed. "OUT!"
The door swung open and she blinked up through the light to the figure that stood in front of her.
The tech stared down at the small girl whose dirt-streaked face was smudged by tear stains.
"What were you doing in there?"
"A s-soldier placed me in there when the sirens went off." She sniffed, not caring about the punishment that she would receive for her weakness as long as they didn't put her back in that dark, empty cupboard.
The tech frowned, "That was days ago."
"C-can I go back to dorms now?" she swiped her face and the sleeve of her small cotton gown.
He looked her over. "I think you better head over to med bay first to be checked out okay?"
"Y-yes, Sir." She saluted and trudged down the hall.
Chance trembled. "When I got back to dorms Biggs was frantic, Alec had been taken away and no one knew why and lots of the Units were in shambles as various ones were taken for random testing. He'd thought I was one of them and was going out of his mind with worry." She smiled sadly at the door to the Solitary room where she would have to spend the night. "I spent three days alone in the dark, not knowing what was happening, not able to get out and not knowing if anyone would ever come for me."
The look Pix gave her was equal parts disquiet and understanding.
"Anyway, that's why I don't like the dark, or being in Solitary." She turned to walk into the box room.
Pix grabbed her arm and pulled her up tight against his body, swooping down to kiss her fiercely. His mouth ravaging her as the pure volatile emotion that her story roused in him overcame them both. His hands tangled in her hair as he tried to convey without words what he was feeling. She moaned into his mouth as his hands crushed her tighter to him. Chance was drowning in his touch, more powerful and insistent than he had ever touched her before; her heart beat a pulsating rhythm in her chest as she tried to get ever closer to his heat.
Chance gasped for breath as he pulled away and leaned his head against hers.
"I will always come for you," he vowed. "Always. I promise."
And with that he dragged himself away his feet pounding furiously on the concrete.
Chance touched her tingling lips as she watched him marching down the hallway her mind awhirl with sensation.
###
Her left fist connected with a satisfying crunch and a gleam of triumph entered her features as she followed up with a right kick, her whole body pushed into the attack imagining groans of pain as sweet as a choir singing as a testimony to her assault.
"Max?"
Max gave one last punch to the overweight bag, causing it to swing wildly in response and turned, one hand pushing her sweat soaked hair out of her eyes to see Anna standing there by her side. Aiden, who was holding the bag steady for her, looked askance at Max.
"What's up Anna?"
"We have to talk." She said strongly and Max frowned at the cocksure girl.
Max liked Anna, in moderation. The girl was too hot tempered to be of use in a heated situation and often reacted without thinking, a trait that Max herself shared but was trying to work on. Really.
"What about?" She tried patiently, having some idea what this was about.
All of the others had been shooting her concerned looks when they thought she wasn't looking and she knew that they talked about her when she left the room. It wasn't like last time though, she could sense the worry and pain under the confusion and she had come to see that the family had grown together and this time they were all standing by her…and him.
It had been a sobering realisation and Max was trying her hardest to keep things the same whilst still protecting her heart.
"You and Alec."
Aiden flicked a glance between them both. "Uh Anna, maybe this isn't the best-"
Anna glared at him. "This is a private talk, Aiden."
"I'm going nowhere." He said and stood solidly by Max.
Anna rolled her eyes, "I just want to talk to Max about Alec."
The oriental looking girl glanced over her shoulder and Max could see Feen chatting away amiably to the green eyed C.O. she threw back her head and laughed and Max could see Anna giving her a satisfied smirk from the corner of her eye. So they wanted Max to be jealous for some reason?
Max shrugged. "What about him?"
Anna jumped, obviously not expecting that answer. "Well you and him, obviously."
"Obviously what, Anna?"
Anna took a deep breath and frowned. "Look Max, I understand that something went wrong but honestly I think he's suffered enough. Not forgiving him at this point is just pettiness on your part."
Max went as still as a statue. "Pettiness?"
"Oh shit." Aiden said succinctly and tensed.
Anna nodded ignoring him, "See we all hate to see you both on the outs. We want our two C.Os back together again. We need you strong."
"And somehow this is my fault?" Her eyebrow rose gently.
"Alec keeps trying to talk to you Max, we all see it. You are the one pushing him away."
"Anna, this is none of our business-" Aiden emphasized.
"No Aiden, its okay," Max cut him off, "I wanna hear what she's got to say."
"You need to get over it, whatever it is. Push it aside and move on. Alec is hurting."
Max glanced to where Alec was chuckling at something Feen was saying. "Looks fine to me."
"It's inside." Anna said flatly.
"Then when I see his insides, I'll feel better." Max replied sweetly, her eyes blazing with fury.
"God, you can be such a bitch." Anna spat.
"Anna, I'm telling you to back off." Aiden suddenly stood in front of Max. "You have no call to be throwing stones after what you did to B.J, so don't claim the high ground."
Anna hissed, "That's different."
"Bull. It's the same and you have no grounds here so back the hell off."
Aiden was usually as easy going as Pix and it took a lot for him to lose his temper. But he had been friends with B.J back in the previous facility and he had seen first hand what happened. Anna wasn't on his list of favourite people and now she was attacking one of his most admired friends? He wasn't going to stand back and let her hurt Max.
Anna's temper flared. "So she needs a buffer, maybe she is feeling a bit guilty after all."
"Thanks for the intervention Aiden. But I don't need it." Max piped up and Aiden reluctantly stepped back. "What did she do anyway?" Max inquired with great interest eyeing the seething woman in front of her.
"None of your business." Anna snapped quickly and Max scoffed.
"So you can walk into my life and order me around but I'm to keep out of your business? Strikes me as a double standard! Well Anna, You have NO idea what happened and it's none of your business. My advice is to get your nose out of my business before it gets broken."
"My business doesn't involve the whole squad!" Anna's nostrils flared as her temper spiked.
Max smirked. "Tell that to B.J."
"Bitch!" Anna hauled back her fist and snapped it into Max's jaw.
"Aw shit!" Aiden hopped back as Max's head whipped back around to pin a horrified Anna with a snarl.
Anna tried to retain her anger, even amidst her nerves at having hit her C.O.
"You h-had that coming."
"Without the stutter would have made it convincing."
Max was craving a good old-fashioned fistfight and she rounded on Anna with a roundhouse punch that knocked her backwards.
Anna responded with a gasp of pain and kicked out at Max. Max danced back, a feral smile on her face.
"Are you even trying?" Max mocked.
Anna growled and launched herself at Max.
"Oh dear!" Feen interrupted Alec with wide eyes. "That wasn't meant to happen!"
"What?" Alec turned in time to see Max side-kick Anna in the stomach and flick her long hair out of her face.
He swallowed, Max was so beautiful when she was mad and he hadn't seen her this mad for a while. She was glorious in her anger as she dodged Anna's blows and returned her own.
Feen's words registered. "What did you mean to happen?"
Feen laughed uneasily. "Nothing!"
Alec rolled his eyes.
Anna reached out with her open fist and slapped Max hard around the face.
Max felt her cheek sting and she dropped to the ground kicking Anna's feet out from under her.
Anna fell hard to the mat with a grunt, attracting the attention of the Trainers as she landed heavily. She snaked her legs out, entwining them with Max's and knocking the girl over.
Max reared her feet back and snapped them into Anna's chest with all her might. The oriental transgenic flew backwards almost as if she were on a string, pulled about by a puppeteer.
Max leaped to her feet and used her thumb to drag her hair away from her dark gleaming eyes as she advanced on Anna.
Anna rolled forwards using her arms to push her force into her roll and struck out with her feet, straight into Max's midsection. The breath whooshed out of Max and she dropped gasping to the carpet, Anna's grin of triumph making her furious.
Max looked up from the dark curtain of her hair straight into the brown eyes of her friend. Anna swallowed at the untamed look in Max's face as Max leaped, like the feline that made up the majority of her DNA, somersaulting over Anna to land behind her with a well placed kick in the back.
Anna was sent sprawling, undignified, to the exercise mat, as unaware as Max that they had an audience.
Anna back flipped to her feet and brought back her fist to slam into Max's face, feeling recklessly satisfied at the crack of bone beneath her fists.
Max reeled back, blood dripping from her split lip lending to her wild appearance.
"Cut it out!" one of the Trainers rushed into the middle of them both, not seeing the flying kick of the lightning fast transgenic as she spun at her unit mate. The Trainer dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, totally winded and with possible cracked ribs.
Max and Anna circled each other each looking for an opening. They were unevenly matched as Max was faster, more ferocious and powerful. But Anna, in her temper was lashing out and hitting hard in her anger.
Max and Anna traded blows, each punch and kick sounding like a gunshot in the now silent gymnasium.
A ring had formed around the two girls who were so intent on their fight that they hadn't even noticed.
Anna rushed Max, who grabbed her arm as she swung by and rammed her into the wall.
"Done yet?" she hissed and Anna wrenched her head back into Max's nose. Stars exploded in Max's vision as she finally lost her temper.
She back flipped, kicking Anna in the face and dropping to one knee, angling herself backwards as she caught the foot that Anna aimed at her. Anna was unceremoniously flipped backwards to land on the ground with a cry and Max grabbed her hair and slammed her head onto the blue mat.
"Uh should we do something?" Carrot asked.
"Be my guest." Sunny winced as Anna's head bounced off the floor.
Aiden shrugged, "She was provoked."
Carrot nodded, "Best leave it to the experts."
"Should I go get med bay ready?" Dek asked half seriously.
Anna whimpered her head spinning and vision blurring.
"We have to stop Max," Mets stepped one step only to be stopped by Drew who shook her head.
From the periphery of her vision she saw two men grab at Max's arms as she punched at Anna.
Two Trainers grabbed Max's arms as Pix opened his mouth.
"Uh maybe that's not such a great id-"
CRACK.
"Never mind!" He waved as the two men landed at his feet.
Max's head whipped around to glare at those who had been stupid enough to get in her way.
Anna used Max's distraction to leap to her feet and kick Max in the solar plexus. Max saw it coming and ducked, slamming her elbow into Anna's face with a resounding crack. Blood gushed from Anna's nose and she cried out.
The sound seemed to snap Max out of her haze and she stared at the broken figure of Anna holding her nose.
Three Trainers stepped into the ring brandishing tazers as well as sporting brand new sets of black eyes courtesy of Max's fists.
Max held up her hands and stepped back.
"It's over!" She said, just noticing the surrounding ring of Unit mates.
She ducked her head, ashamed at having lost her temper and as she glance up her eyes briefly met Alec's.
Imagining taunting in their green depths she tossed her head, turned away and walked out of the gym, head held high.
Nat452- Everyone has issues but things will get resolved. Worry not.
Jynx- LOL, I think Max might survive being thrown off a bridge.
Talichernin- power to the nerds LOL.
Restive nature- thanks they are learning life's lessons even if the Trainers have been remiss in teaching them.
Moonlite star- I'm here! I'm ill but I'm here. I saw BJ! Whoo hoo.
Raven- HUG. There, can I angst now? J/K, I do have latent sadistic tendencies- its fun
Natasgi- Ooh nice word pictures thanks pet. Seriously the angst has reached its zenith. Good luck on exams.
Kim- Ahh my sweet little Dek! What happened to B.J- well you see…..
Ting-Hehe, anything they plan is a riot! What happened to BJ? Gee lemme think…
Ganko- my little junkie gets her fix. Yes you got your wish how'd ya like it? Techie is adorable and will come more out of his shell now. Pix will get more screen time. Everyone is on the sidelines with D/DM- except me but now I have a plan!
Bluejeans452- Hey! They spent the night together but they didn't have sex, they sat on his bunk making out and talking all night, maybe second base but no intercourse- I know I forgot about that part too!
GivenAlias- Don't hate Drew! She has issues- dammit they all have more issues than a playboy subscriber!
Sigma1- LOL, I think Drew should watch out!
GeminAngel- I was thinking maybe even Mets and Dek- KIDDING!!
Stormvind- yes you do. Say it anyway. As for the couples- yes, maybe, yes, yes, yes, yes, possibly, not really, and no. hope that helps! Here's Anna/ Max's fight and as for B.J….
Keekee- as long as you are still enjoying it!
Poo- yup, that it is and this is longer! Drew has more influence than she thinks. How is Max? hurting and trying to be the big bad C.O- poor girl.
Jade-K- thick plot- things start to heat up from here on out! All our couples will start to make appearances- since we only have a few chapters left anyway.
Messymissy- NY was great fun and I met one of my fans which was great. The head chef is still there and sweet to Steve. Yey Techie and B.J…. Sunny gets more time in the next chapter so watch for her.
Lynn- I want a Dek maid too! I love the guy! Yay as long as you are not hating Max then that is all I can ask for I hate fics where Max is evil and I was hoping that I was true to her character whilst still making her believable and not evil reincarnate. Pix and chance are a sweet couple- one of my faves too! Lol- my sis knows I'm crazy! You want their tricks? Hmm maybe Pix could lend you his little black book.
Fangedangel- I did originally add a border but FF.net changed my formatting- grr. In his defence Pix was having a rough day too! They did need to lighten up some too. We'll find out more soonas. Especially about B.J- you guys are so curious about that one! As for Max and Alec- you KNOW I have a plan and it's a good one- just sit back and enjoy!
Crimsonshadoe- he smirked, slightly OC but he knew Feen well enough to know that had she not wanted it he'd be in pain! Yeah Skye and Flex have great chemistry. Yup B.J was a pure sweetheart, totally docile and adorable and now…. Glad you picked up on the fact that he was scared to drink! Poor Steve! Aww bless ya, I love these stories but then I am biased and I know what its like to wait for a fic to be updated cough KRICKET cough
Ru- LOL, a Manticore therapist! Oh that would work! "So, tell me about your childhood, do you have feelings towards your mother?" EWWWW
Nora- Cheers pet, glad you approve chapter titles are hard!! Uh yeah actually we only have five or so chapters left!
Arwen-amy-it took courage but it paid out for the guy! Mets verses Dek? Ooh I have some idea- mwah haha ha
Lynsey Moffitt- No! the black book is safe and will make its own comeback! All hail the black book!
Sanna-That's okay- I read both and say thank you for them both too- as long as you are happy I'll write more. Enjoy.
Grannytrannie- Hey there, love the name! Thanks for the praise and as long as people like my stories I will keep writing.
Elfie- he's a model for Ralph Lauren tuxedos. Yeah I guess Steve was very like Max and Bill, never thought of that before. Yeah it was real tension to make the Trainers stand up and pay attention. They seem to have the same personality so Max and Drew work well together. Pix facing his mortality shook him up. Its great to think of the characters having their own mannerisms too isn't it? I am evil and am going to keep everyone in suspense over both Drew and Dek and B.J. mwah ha ha. You want more Cococ.
Eden- yeah transgenics can forge sieges and wage warfare but heating milk?
SGOU- Pix and Chance have more to say to each other soon, so don't worry about that. Techie will have a bit more confidence now that he knows that Feen needs him as much as he wants her. Sunny and Biggs will also have more screen time since I have been neglecting them! You want Mets? Uh I'll sell him if you want. Yes you have said that you love B.J and honest I will let you all in on what happened….soon.
Lyndsay- we needed to learn more about Steve. Biggs obviously feels something for Sunny but doesn't know it just yet. Plus im glad that Dek's chapter made everyone want him and Drew to get together. Mets isn't going to be the bad guy! It was raining here but it was also really hot so muggy and stifling!
Quinn- hey, wondered where you'd gone to. Sunny will come into her own soon enough- don't worry about our girl.
Kat461- Hey pet, hope you feeling better! I had to read to my sister the other day too!