Disclaimer: It's not mine. I wish, but it isn't.
Summary: Alec's interest on another girl drives Max crazy. Can she accept the reason for her jealousy?.
A/N: Sorry for the delay but I was on vacations at the beach and didn't have access to my computer. But now I'm back after some well deserved rest and ready to continue with the story. Thanks RG 07 and Rose for your encouragement. Ting, you are very close to the truth about what is going to happen, just not completely right. You'll have to read and see. Lakergirl, I also like the fact that Max has some competition. In the fics I read, Alec always is hopelessly in love with Max and suffering till she realizes her true feelings for him. I wanted to explore a more independent aspect of Alec's personality and life, an Alec without Max, before making them really connect. I think Danielle is a good way to go to accomplish this, so don't worry, there will be some A/D to the story. Secretly beautiful, I love your review. I'm grinning too because of it. I'm really happy that you like Danielle and really honored that you are addicted to my fic. Although, I'm a bit scared too. I don't know if the rest of the story can live up to your expectations. I will surely try my best. Thanks for your incredible review and kind words. Now, all of you enjoy.
CHAPTER 3: FIRST STRIKE
She was still going on and on about Alec and Biggs´ irresponsibility when she heard people fighting in the building at her right. She made her way towards it. ´This people just don't get it. They have to learn how to get along, we are all together in this. We have to present a unified front. I don't understand, Manticore was supposed to teach them team work. Don't tell me they never heard that there is no I in team. One knowledge we can actually use to survive out here and they forget all about it`. She was still feeling weird because of the conversation with Biggs earlier and this was as good an opportunity as any to work out that stress. She was going to show this people how to behave and have some fun while doing it. Getting some things off her mind for a while. However, when she opened the door, the image she walked into wasn't what she expected at all. She was stopped in her tracks by what felt like a punch to her stomach that left her completely breathless.
The building, now she realized, was the training place some Xs had put together some weeks ago to stay fit. They didn't want to loose their training considering the situation they were in with all the exposure and hate going around, not to mention White. Plus, it gave them something to do, a hobby you could call it. The place was pretty much destroyed, even more than usual, which meant there had been a rather strong fight going on before she entered the place. Some sparring that got out of control or two very competitive soldiers training together. It was the later. In the middle of the room, two bodies where intertwined in the floor. Max recognized them as Alec and Danielle. She was laying in the floor facing upward, with Alec above her mere inches from her. He had won, apparently. But the moment Max entered the place, Alec was leaning downwards and captured Danielle's lips in a passionate kiss. Something broke inside her. She didn't know why, but the moment she recovered enough to move, she felt the urge to run away. And she did. She ran and ran with no clear destination. She couldn't for the life of her form a coherent thought. All she could do was blur through the streets of Seattle feeling strange, like it wasn't her inside her body anymore. All she could feel was a deep pain in her chest and she didn't know why.
------------------------------------------------------------
She was breathing hard. The fight had been overwhelmingly exciting, like always. They knew every weakness and button they had to push to disable the other. They knew each other like no one else did. There is no way to know someone better than when his life is in your hands and yours in his. And they had been that close for so many years and missions that they knew each other even more than they knew themselves. The adrenalin always ran strong when they were sparring. Even back at Manticore when it was meant to be nothing more than training. But for them it had always been a game, a competition, in some way even a weird form of foreplay. The truth was that when they were sparring together they were good, better than good. And they enjoyed every second of it. They took everything they got, everything their DNA allowed them to be and they pushed it to the maximum. It was a beautiful thing to watch.
But after half an hour non stop, full force, there was finally a winner. They were both exhausted. It took too much of them whenever they faced each other. They were currently functioning completely out of adrenalin. After a hard kick that managed to send Alec flying across the room, Danielle blurred to his side to try and keep him on the floor. Alec was faster and had her pinned beneath him in the blink of an eye. She was trapped, he had expertly blocked with his body every escape route and there was nothing she could do now. His eyes locked with hers and his winning smirk disappeared from his face. He was driven to her, his mind foggy, his instincts taking over. They had been close to this moment so many times in the past, but for some reason today he couldn't control himself enough and he closed the distance between their lips. One second they were sparring, the next they were sharing a passionate kiss. A kiss that showed need and wanting and belonging. A kiss that they had secretly wanted to share so many times and never did. Out of fear of what Manticore could do to them or out of fear of their own feeling, they didn't know. Being so close to a person and taking a step towards being even closer could destroy them, consume them. But for some reason beyond their comprehension they did kiss and it was extraordinary. Until they broke it off..
"What was all this about?. What the hell are we doing?". She spoke while getting away from him with some difficult considering he was too shocked to move.
"I.. I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened".
She finally managed to disentangle herself and sat on the floor close to him at his right. Her features lost her initial harshness when she heard the desperation in his voice and looked into his pleading eyes. He didn't want to loose her, her friendship or whatever it was they had was too important to him.
Her tone was caring when she spoke again. "It's not your fault, I kissed you too, remember. It's nothing. It was the fight, the rush, nothing more. Don't worry, we can forget all about it. You were probably vulnerable because of the Rachel conversation. I understand. Besides, we are talking about an impressive Manticore specimen, no one can blame you for wanting me". She chuckled.
"Oh come on, to me it looked like you were the one who had trouble staying away from me". He laughed at that. He loved that about her, the ability to make him laugh no matter the harshness of the situation or the awkwardness. But still, he had to accept to himself that he had enjoyed that kiss too much for his liking. He couldn't forget all about it, sooner or later he would have to face the fact that there was more to his friendship with her. The problem was he didn't know if he was ready to do it yet. And for some reason there was also the image of Max bothering him. Why?. Another thing he didn't know. Definitely not the most comfortable position for someone so used to being in control. He did what any red blooded, or blue, or green blooded Manticore transgenic would have done, he ran from the frightening thought. He sent the episode to the back of his head and accepted the truss she was offering him.
"You looked pretty needy to me too", she through back.
"What can I say, a man got needs and ok, I accept it, you are kind of pretty".
That earned him an elbow on his ribs and a laugh from her. She was glad he took the deal she was offering. She definitely wasn't ready to face something so huge like their feelings for each other. She had spent too much time running and hiding from them to let all her work go to waste now.
They shared a look that closed the deal. He helped her stand up and they both headed for the mess hall to have some well deserved breakfast.
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After almost an hour of running she found herself at the top of the space needle. She had gone to Logan's place but decided against it at the last moment. She had effectively pushed him away with her lie, she wasn't ready to put him in danger again. Even more if you considered that it was more a matter of getting even with Alec than of needing Logan. That thought was what finally convinced her of leaving Foogle Towers. If she wanted Logan's company to get even with Alec for kissing another girl, then there was something wrong with her feelings towards them both. But the question that was hunting her was when did all this happen?. When did her feelings change so much and how could she face it's meaning now?. I mean, Logan had became something still in her life, something solid, something she could trust to be always there no matter how messed up everything else got in her life. Even when she returned to Manticore, she used his image to stay focused cause she knew he would still be there when she got out. But was that love?. He was the symbol of normalcy in her life and a rock because of his love for her, but did she love him?. Did she ever love him, and if so, did she love him still?. Definitely a question she needed answers for.
So she sat at the top of the space needle looking back to the last couple of years. Her past life without Logan, her life with him and her new life with Alec. It took her all night but she finally got to the two main questions that would clear her thoughts. Could she live without Logan?. Could she live without Alec?. And then everything fell into place. The answer to the first question was yes. She had escaped from everything she had known for the first years of her life and was forced to leave everyone behind and adapt to her new life, to the real world, the ´normal world`. With time it became an obsession, to be like everyone else, to forget about everything and everyone from her past. It hurt too much to remember what they had done to her and the people she loved so much and would never see again. So she just run away from everything. Not only Manticore but everything. Including her training, including her siblings, including her own DNA. She found herself in Seattle with a job, friends and a possible boyfriend. She had a life that was completely different from her past one, exactly what she was looking for. And when her past life came to hunt her she became afraid, afraid of getting attached again, of getting back to the pain she had suffered earlier. That's the reason she did and said everything she did to Zack. That's the reason she reached even harder for Logan's support and normalcy. She was afraid of being lonely again, of loosing everything again. And when finally everything came crushing down and she lost so many things, Zack, Ben, Brin and Tinga, she looked even harder for Logan's protection. His protection from her past and her pain. But the truth was it was his normalcy, the fact he had nothing to do with transgenics, Manticore or his family, that appealed to her. Not Logan but what he represented. But now, now that she has finally stop running from what she is, she doesn't need him any more. It was never love that drove her to him, it was fear and need. And now that they are both gone from her mind, there is nothing left between them. The irony of her life. Returning to Manticore did destroyed her relationship, but not because of the virus, it was because of the transgenics she met. The people that made her realize who she was and that she should be proud of being her.
The answer to the second question however, was the hardest to make peace with. In the past she would have probably said yes, she could most definitely live without Alec. In fact, it would probably be a blessing. But Danielle had changed her mind. The possibility of loosing Alec to her, of being degraded to not being one of the most important people in his life, not having his attention or his constant yapping to keep her distracted from her problems, it was something that opened her eyes. It was something she couldn't handle, she couldn't cope with. She needed him and she couldn't live without him. Without his adorable and sexy smirk, without his gorgeous hazel eyes, without his laugh and jokes. Without Alec. She didn't know how, she didn't know when, but he had made of her heart his home and he was there to stay. She loved him and she couldn't run from it. She had done that for too long and nothing good had come from it. She had to face the truth. The problem now was Danielle. Now that she had realized her true feelings, there was one more thing to do.. Fight for him.
Summary: Alec's interest on another girl drives Max crazy. Can she accept the reason for her jealousy?.
A/N: Sorry for the delay but I was on vacations at the beach and didn't have access to my computer. But now I'm back after some well deserved rest and ready to continue with the story. Thanks RG 07 and Rose for your encouragement. Ting, you are very close to the truth about what is going to happen, just not completely right. You'll have to read and see. Lakergirl, I also like the fact that Max has some competition. In the fics I read, Alec always is hopelessly in love with Max and suffering till she realizes her true feelings for him. I wanted to explore a more independent aspect of Alec's personality and life, an Alec without Max, before making them really connect. I think Danielle is a good way to go to accomplish this, so don't worry, there will be some A/D to the story. Secretly beautiful, I love your review. I'm grinning too because of it. I'm really happy that you like Danielle and really honored that you are addicted to my fic. Although, I'm a bit scared too. I don't know if the rest of the story can live up to your expectations. I will surely try my best. Thanks for your incredible review and kind words. Now, all of you enjoy.
CHAPTER 3: FIRST STRIKE
She was still going on and on about Alec and Biggs´ irresponsibility when she heard people fighting in the building at her right. She made her way towards it. ´This people just don't get it. They have to learn how to get along, we are all together in this. We have to present a unified front. I don't understand, Manticore was supposed to teach them team work. Don't tell me they never heard that there is no I in team. One knowledge we can actually use to survive out here and they forget all about it`. She was still feeling weird because of the conversation with Biggs earlier and this was as good an opportunity as any to work out that stress. She was going to show this people how to behave and have some fun while doing it. Getting some things off her mind for a while. However, when she opened the door, the image she walked into wasn't what she expected at all. She was stopped in her tracks by what felt like a punch to her stomach that left her completely breathless.
The building, now she realized, was the training place some Xs had put together some weeks ago to stay fit. They didn't want to loose their training considering the situation they were in with all the exposure and hate going around, not to mention White. Plus, it gave them something to do, a hobby you could call it. The place was pretty much destroyed, even more than usual, which meant there had been a rather strong fight going on before she entered the place. Some sparring that got out of control or two very competitive soldiers training together. It was the later. In the middle of the room, two bodies where intertwined in the floor. Max recognized them as Alec and Danielle. She was laying in the floor facing upward, with Alec above her mere inches from her. He had won, apparently. But the moment Max entered the place, Alec was leaning downwards and captured Danielle's lips in a passionate kiss. Something broke inside her. She didn't know why, but the moment she recovered enough to move, she felt the urge to run away. And she did. She ran and ran with no clear destination. She couldn't for the life of her form a coherent thought. All she could do was blur through the streets of Seattle feeling strange, like it wasn't her inside her body anymore. All she could feel was a deep pain in her chest and she didn't know why.
------------------------------------------------------------
She was breathing hard. The fight had been overwhelmingly exciting, like always. They knew every weakness and button they had to push to disable the other. They knew each other like no one else did. There is no way to know someone better than when his life is in your hands and yours in his. And they had been that close for so many years and missions that they knew each other even more than they knew themselves. The adrenalin always ran strong when they were sparring. Even back at Manticore when it was meant to be nothing more than training. But for them it had always been a game, a competition, in some way even a weird form of foreplay. The truth was that when they were sparring together they were good, better than good. And they enjoyed every second of it. They took everything they got, everything their DNA allowed them to be and they pushed it to the maximum. It was a beautiful thing to watch.
But after half an hour non stop, full force, there was finally a winner. They were both exhausted. It took too much of them whenever they faced each other. They were currently functioning completely out of adrenalin. After a hard kick that managed to send Alec flying across the room, Danielle blurred to his side to try and keep him on the floor. Alec was faster and had her pinned beneath him in the blink of an eye. She was trapped, he had expertly blocked with his body every escape route and there was nothing she could do now. His eyes locked with hers and his winning smirk disappeared from his face. He was driven to her, his mind foggy, his instincts taking over. They had been close to this moment so many times in the past, but for some reason today he couldn't control himself enough and he closed the distance between their lips. One second they were sparring, the next they were sharing a passionate kiss. A kiss that showed need and wanting and belonging. A kiss that they had secretly wanted to share so many times and never did. Out of fear of what Manticore could do to them or out of fear of their own feeling, they didn't know. Being so close to a person and taking a step towards being even closer could destroy them, consume them. But for some reason beyond their comprehension they did kiss and it was extraordinary. Until they broke it off..
"What was all this about?. What the hell are we doing?". She spoke while getting away from him with some difficult considering he was too shocked to move.
"I.. I don't know. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened".
She finally managed to disentangle herself and sat on the floor close to him at his right. Her features lost her initial harshness when she heard the desperation in his voice and looked into his pleading eyes. He didn't want to loose her, her friendship or whatever it was they had was too important to him.
Her tone was caring when she spoke again. "It's not your fault, I kissed you too, remember. It's nothing. It was the fight, the rush, nothing more. Don't worry, we can forget all about it. You were probably vulnerable because of the Rachel conversation. I understand. Besides, we are talking about an impressive Manticore specimen, no one can blame you for wanting me". She chuckled.
"Oh come on, to me it looked like you were the one who had trouble staying away from me". He laughed at that. He loved that about her, the ability to make him laugh no matter the harshness of the situation or the awkwardness. But still, he had to accept to himself that he had enjoyed that kiss too much for his liking. He couldn't forget all about it, sooner or later he would have to face the fact that there was more to his friendship with her. The problem was he didn't know if he was ready to do it yet. And for some reason there was also the image of Max bothering him. Why?. Another thing he didn't know. Definitely not the most comfortable position for someone so used to being in control. He did what any red blooded, or blue, or green blooded Manticore transgenic would have done, he ran from the frightening thought. He sent the episode to the back of his head and accepted the truss she was offering him.
"You looked pretty needy to me too", she through back.
"What can I say, a man got needs and ok, I accept it, you are kind of pretty".
That earned him an elbow on his ribs and a laugh from her. She was glad he took the deal she was offering. She definitely wasn't ready to face something so huge like their feelings for each other. She had spent too much time running and hiding from them to let all her work go to waste now.
They shared a look that closed the deal. He helped her stand up and they both headed for the mess hall to have some well deserved breakfast.
-----------------------------------------------
After almost an hour of running she found herself at the top of the space needle. She had gone to Logan's place but decided against it at the last moment. She had effectively pushed him away with her lie, she wasn't ready to put him in danger again. Even more if you considered that it was more a matter of getting even with Alec than of needing Logan. That thought was what finally convinced her of leaving Foogle Towers. If she wanted Logan's company to get even with Alec for kissing another girl, then there was something wrong with her feelings towards them both. But the question that was hunting her was when did all this happen?. When did her feelings change so much and how could she face it's meaning now?. I mean, Logan had became something still in her life, something solid, something she could trust to be always there no matter how messed up everything else got in her life. Even when she returned to Manticore, she used his image to stay focused cause she knew he would still be there when she got out. But was that love?. He was the symbol of normalcy in her life and a rock because of his love for her, but did she love him?. Did she ever love him, and if so, did she love him still?. Definitely a question she needed answers for.
So she sat at the top of the space needle looking back to the last couple of years. Her past life without Logan, her life with him and her new life with Alec. It took her all night but she finally got to the two main questions that would clear her thoughts. Could she live without Logan?. Could she live without Alec?. And then everything fell into place. The answer to the first question was yes. She had escaped from everything she had known for the first years of her life and was forced to leave everyone behind and adapt to her new life, to the real world, the ´normal world`. With time it became an obsession, to be like everyone else, to forget about everything and everyone from her past. It hurt too much to remember what they had done to her and the people she loved so much and would never see again. So she just run away from everything. Not only Manticore but everything. Including her training, including her siblings, including her own DNA. She found herself in Seattle with a job, friends and a possible boyfriend. She had a life that was completely different from her past one, exactly what she was looking for. And when her past life came to hunt her she became afraid, afraid of getting attached again, of getting back to the pain she had suffered earlier. That's the reason she did and said everything she did to Zack. That's the reason she reached even harder for Logan's support and normalcy. She was afraid of being lonely again, of loosing everything again. And when finally everything came crushing down and she lost so many things, Zack, Ben, Brin and Tinga, she looked even harder for Logan's protection. His protection from her past and her pain. But the truth was it was his normalcy, the fact he had nothing to do with transgenics, Manticore or his family, that appealed to her. Not Logan but what he represented. But now, now that she has finally stop running from what she is, she doesn't need him any more. It was never love that drove her to him, it was fear and need. And now that they are both gone from her mind, there is nothing left between them. The irony of her life. Returning to Manticore did destroyed her relationship, but not because of the virus, it was because of the transgenics she met. The people that made her realize who she was and that she should be proud of being her.
The answer to the second question however, was the hardest to make peace with. In the past she would have probably said yes, she could most definitely live without Alec. In fact, it would probably be a blessing. But Danielle had changed her mind. The possibility of loosing Alec to her, of being degraded to not being one of the most important people in his life, not having his attention or his constant yapping to keep her distracted from her problems, it was something that opened her eyes. It was something she couldn't handle, she couldn't cope with. She needed him and she couldn't live without him. Without his adorable and sexy smirk, without his gorgeous hazel eyes, without his laugh and jokes. Without Alec. She didn't know how, she didn't know when, but he had made of her heart his home and he was there to stay. She loved him and she couldn't run from it. She had done that for too long and nothing good had come from it. She had to face the truth. The problem now was Danielle. Now that she had realized her true feelings, there was one more thing to do.. Fight for him.