Alec's War

By Shikasta

Spoilers: Anything's fair game in my view although this is an AU

Disclaimer: The characters of Dark Angel are owned by Twentieth Century Fox Television and Cameron Eglee productions. In laymen's terms: Don't own them but by god I wish I did.

A/N my monitor decided to go to computer heaven, awfully inconsiderate of it but that's why I've been so slack in updating.

Italics = flashback

Chapter Sixteen – Mummy's Little Girls

Hope and Faith sat on the floor of the makeshift kitchen in command. Cross-legged and facing each other they gazed at the mirror image before them. As if still unsure as to whether or not the other was real they each extended a hand in unison and touched the others cheek then they rose up onto their knees and hugged the embrace saying everything they could not. They were once more whole the other part of them lost now found and all the hardship of their tender years washed away.

"Your hair's so long" Hope whispered as she touched one of the fine tendrils.

"And your's is short" Faith replied.

"Layla said it would be easier to manage."

"Whose Layla?"

"She looked after me while mummy was looking for you" Hope allowed a small tear to escape in respect of Layla.

Faith wiped her sister's tear away not understanding why it had escaped in the first place.

"What's Seattle like?"

"Dirty, noisy it's classified a war zone."

"Why do you live here then?"

"Cause daddy leads the transgenic nation."

"Why?"

"I don't really know, he just does."

"What does mummy do?"

"Look for you."

"Do you hate me for taking mummy away?" Faith questioned.

"No, she was looking for you."

"Do you play?'

"Yes, Mole gives me lizard rides if I'm good." Hope giggled then she leant in and whispered "What was it like with ordinaries?"

"Ordinaries?"

"Humans" Hope corrected.

"Boring."

"I've never been around them much."

"There's no ordinaries in Seattle?"

"Yes there are but no children just the strays as Uncle Mole calls them."

"Who's Toby?" Faith finally asked the question she really wanted an answer to.

"He's our brother." Hope stumbled not yet ready to talk about the little boy she loved dearly.

"We don't have a brother." Faith stated.

"Daddy was his sire."

"And he's dead."

"Yes, the ordinaries killed him."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Everything was so strange to the newest little resident of Seattle and nothing was how she had expected it to be. Another world had been discovered so different from the one she had left behind and a part of her secretly wanted to go back to the white house with the picket fence it somehow felt safer than this new place. Her mother had abandoned her once more to comfort a father she didn't know and anger was rising as the little girl thought 'what about me'.

"Where's mummy?"

"With daddy."

Faith stood up "shall we go."

"We can't leave command by ourselves we're only five" Hope exclaimed "and besides Uncle Mole won't let us."

"Won't let you what?" Mole questioned as he entered to check on the girls.

"Play cowboys and Indians" Faith retorted looking at Hope for support.

"You wanna recreate some ordinaries history?" Mole huffed chomping on his cigar "you've been on the outside too long Faith."

"Those will kill you" Faith said pointing at Mole's pacifier.

"Being transhuman has its perks." Mole chuckled "so what's cowboys and Indians?"

"Well the cowboys hunt the Indians, then catch them and tie them up" Faith answered.

"And this is fun" Mole stated dubiously.

"Yes"

"Why can't the two of you just spar like normal children" he sighed.

"You encourage fighting?" Faith asked quizzically.

Mole knelt down in front of the little girl softening his tone "of course its essential you know how to protect yourself" he paused "have you done any defence training Faith?"

"No, fighting was discouraged."

"I'll have to have a word with your parents about that." He thought out loud as he rose.

"Uncle Mole."

"Yes Hope."

"I want to play Faith's game."

"Go ahead, knock yourselves out."

"Play with us." Faith demanded.

"I prefer weapons training Faith."

"Please Uncle Mole." Hope begged.

"Do I get to be the cowboy?" Mole asked.

"You're the Indian." Faith corrected.

Mole chomped down hard on his cigar and then subtly looked at the door to make sure none of his fellow transgenics would witness what he was about to do. As much as he adored Hope and wanted to bond with Faith he still had his reputation to maintain. Somehow if he was discovered playing cowboys and Indians he didn't think he would ever live it down.

"We don't have any rope." Mole stated hoping that would end the game but Faith tottered over to her survival pack that she had brought with her and pulled out an awfully long piece of rope.

"Here we go." She declared.

"Okay so you hunt me." Mole clarified.

"Can we just skip to the tying up bit?" Faith asked and Hope jumped up and down excited "Yes, can we tie you up Uncle Mole."

"Humph" Mole grumbled "as long as you make it quick."

Faith pulled out a chair for Mole to sit in and he obliged sitting down allowing them to tie him up rather too tightly for his liking. Once their captive was firmly bound the two girls stood back to admire their handiwork.

"That should hold him for a while." Faith stated.

"Okay you can untie me now." Mole gruffed.

"Come on lets go."

"Where" both Mole and Hope asked in unison.

"To see mummy."

"Now just hold on a minute, you two untie me now, you're both staying right here" Mole yelled as the two girls ran out the door Faith pausing to give her new Uncle a little cheeky wave.

Mole stomped up and down in the chair trying to jimmy loose the binds that had him secure "the little minx" he huffed as he spat his cigar onto the floor he paused to consider his options then stood hunched over with the chair on his back and jumped to the door (the little girls had been thorough binding his feet also).

"Luke" he hollered as the entire population of command stifled laughs.

"What happened to you" Luke inquired as he ran over to aide his friend.

"Don't ask, and get me untied."

Faith and Hope ran through the debris of Seattle towards Sandeman's house where Hope was sure mummy would be.

"We shouldn't be out in the open like this" she said to her sister.

"It's an adventure Hope."

"Mummy, Daddy and Mole will be so mad."

"Come on before Mole catches us" and the two blurred the rest of the way.

Max still held Alec in her arms, he had slept soundly for an hour and she knew that soon she would have to wake him. Decisions would have to be made and with reasonable haste, the ordinaries could not get away with what they did, retribution was needed. Max stroked her mate's hair her conversation with Thaddeus swarming around her head, she was now in new territory and had never given much thought to life after finding Faith, now she would have to. Her place and purpose once well defined now lay in tatters and needed to be rebuilt but she didn't know where to begin. She needed to talk with Alec about it but like other things that was going to have to wait. She closed her eyes deciding a nap wouldn't hurt.

Faith and Hope crept down the stairs into the basement of Sandeman's house where they saw mummy and daddy sleeping soundly.

Hope whispered to Faith "Lets not wake them."

"Okay" Faith whispered back as she walked to the edge of the mattress and knelt down to watch this intriguing sight. Hope joined her and the two sat in silence watching over their parents.

Both Max and Alec felt like they were being watched and woke with a start looking around prepared to strike. Then their eyes rested on the two little girls watching them with some amusement.

"How did you two get here" Max demanded.

"We ran" the girls responded.

"Where's Mole?" there mother questioned.

"We tied him up," Faith answered and Alec burst out laughing.

"You tied him up," Alec muttered amused.

"Alec this isn't funny" Max chided.

"It's bloody funny Max," Alec howled as he motioned for his two daughters to come closer for a hug.

"Don't encourage them."

Hope crawled up into her daddy's arms but Faith hung back and Max allowed her face to become softer.

"It's okay Faith this is your daddy."

Faith crawled up into her mother's side and clung to her then whispered, "He's a lot bigger than I imagined."

Max smiled warmly "how did you imagine him."

I don't know, just not like that."

"He won't bite Faith."

"I know" then she whispered so only Max could hear "what if he doesn't like me?"

"He loves you Faith."

Alec watched the interaction then slightly impatient leant over and grabbed Faith into a mammoth bear hug planting a tender kiss on her forehead.

"You had us so worried," He whispered "but then only a daughter of mine would think to contact us, I'm so proud of you."

Faith relaxed visibly and embraced her father back, this man whom she knew very little about felt safe and mummy had been right he didn't bite. Hope and Max joined in the hug they were now a family, Max hadn't been sure it would happen but it had and she smiled broadly unable to contain her excitement so what if she had no clue as to what happens now she knew it wouldn't be all that bad.

Mole came crashing down the stairs of Sandeman's house rushing in on the family laughing and giggling his anger at the girl's little game dissipating quickly. Alec rose to greet his friend.

"I hear they tied you up."

"I don't think we should allow you to breed anymore pretty boy" Mole huffed pointing his cigar at Alec " your kids are just too much hard work."

"Aww don't be like that, they're cute inherited my good looks." Alec responded slapping his friend on the back.

"They're as much trouble as their parents if you ask me." Hope ran up beside Alec and he picked her up in one fluid motion. Max stood up to stand by Alec's side picking up Faith and planting her on her hip.

"Faith apologise to Mole."

Faith bowed her head "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"Why did they have to come out so cute" Mole unable to resist the little girl's charm, pinching her cheek softly.

"How's everything up there." Max asked.

"Quiet, too quiet-"

"I know" Alec interrupted.

"We're still digging through the debris" Mole said cautiously.

"Any sign" Max asked.

"Not yet, transgenics are pretty cut up about it and there's an awful lot of talk about what we're going to do in retaliation."

"We should probably head to command" Alec said to his mate "I've hidden away for long enough, I should have listened to you before, maybe if I had Toby and Layla would still be hear." He touched Max's cheek gently.

"I don't think it would have made any difference. Just focus on what we're going to do now."

Both parents put the little girls down and then clasped their hands before trekking up the stairs followed by Mole. For Alec it was time to enter the world again, it was time to lead his people and with a heavy heart he knew the decisions he was going to have to make.


A little girl sat on the small cot in her glass cage staring out at the men and women in white coats. She was imagining a life beyond the glass that had her boxed in, she was only two years old but had an intelligence above her years. A woman in a military uniform would visit her occasionally the only human interaction she had apart from the scientists. She was told she was special and everyday she silently begged to be ordinary because then the tests would stop and maybe they would let her go.

A female scientist walked into the cage "Are you ready?"

"Yes" the little girl said standing up from her cot.

"Today we'll be testing your intellect."

"What is my purpose?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why am I here?"

"You belong here, you belong to us."

"Forever?"

"Yes, we have great plans for you and you will do great things."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Does a bird fly."

"I've never seen a bird."

"Patience, little one everything comes with time."

The female scientist was always amazed at how highly developed the little girl was and sometimes had to remind herself that her subject was only 2 years old. No-one could have imagined what this creation would become but after two years they were very happy with it so far. This little girl would be their crowning achievement and the rebirth of the project that crumbled into dust.

Her designation was 4523, the military woman called her Clementine and she was the last transgenic held in captivity.

TBC