Title: A Different Agenda

Author: sue

Rating: PG13

Show: DA

Genre: Angst/Romance

Type: WiP

Summary: What if Ben didn't managed to escape with the others in '09? And what happened if 493 that was sent on the Berrisford Mission instead of 494? And somehow after Manticore was burnt down, he had gotten together with Max. Both of them were working as messengers at Jam Pony when Ben's dark past started to haunt them, threatening to disrupt the budding relationship. And then, tragedy strikes..

And Max finds herself being haunted by the ghost of Ben,.. in the body of another. Will she trusts herself to fall in love again, or will she be too scared to let herself be hurt all over again?

A/N: Sorry for the late upadate but the second chapter will be up soon. That's a promise. As for Lakergirl08, yes I've finished Anything and Everything. Kinda ;) I'm still trying to psyche myself to start working on the sequel lol Anyway, thanks to all that reviews. You all are great :)

Thanks to the lovely Maia for her help with the betaing part. Thanks sweetie :)

Chapter 1- Lost and Found Part 2

Ben had started his aimless wandering after he had felt the sudden urge to roam. He was too restless to sit at Crash and he knew he had to get out. So he did, and now, he couldn't say he was feeling any better. As his feet continued to trudge over the dark pavement, his mind started wandering, the chilly night wind sweeping around him.

He was desperate now, "Come with me. Please Rachel, just come with me."

"No! Tell me what's happening," despite her sweet disposition, she still could drag her heels in when she wanted too. And this was one of those of times.

Ben knew this and nodded, "Okay," he took a big breath, "I was sent here to kill your father." He ignored her frightened grasp and tried to forget how her eyes darkened with hate, "It was my job. You were my job.'

He had never been as frightened for someone as he had been for her at that very moment. He had rushed outside, frantic to save her from the dangers that awaited, "Rachel!"

Ben reached the doorway just in time to see the car burst up in a hot flaming burst of fire. "RACHEL!" he had shouted, pain throbbing from his voice before the team stormed in and grabbed him away.

"Rach.. NO!!"

His painful screams as they kept abusing his battered body.

He gritted his teeth as he recalled everything back.

How the red-hot lasers had felt.

The pain, oh the continuous and never ending pain.

The shrill ring of his cell phone broke his trance and he shook his head, pushing the sticky remains of his memory away. He flipped it opened and after a little while he said hesitatingly, "Yeah."

His face changed after he heard the familiar tune. Instantly, he spun and hurled his phone away, watching it shatter against the hard wall. He groaned and ran his hands over his face, misery and pain were etched on every line of his body. Ben straightened and his face hardened to a frightful mask.

It's time to end all of this.

His hazel eyes sharpened with determination as he turned and started towards the Berrisford Mansion.

Swiftly, cautiously he leapt over the tall gate into the sprawling mansion. He looked around him carefully but it seemed that he was the only one around. Slowly he pushed the obtrusive bush away and lifted his eyes towards the balcony. A few seconds later his blood freeze as an unmistakably female figure walked in front of a flimsy curtain.

A girl with flowing long hair.

Heart beating frantically against his throat, Ben zoomed his vision in, trying desperately to see whether it was her.

Rachel.

But the girl moved away and disappeared from view, and Ben had to fight the sudden burst of agony.

Is that her? Is that Rachel? Does that mean she's still alive?

He chewed his lower lips and pain continued to wash over him. After he had made his mind up, he pushed the small bush away. He stood and continued on his earlier plan.

While he was making his way slowly over the huge mansion, bittersweet memories started their assault and he looked around him with heavy heart and bloodshot eyes. There, that was the place he and Rachel always had their lessons. His gaze strayed to the big airy room and he sighed heavily. Pushing the depression away, he continued walking towards her room.

The room he had seen that glimpse of her only moments ago.

He pushed the door with shaking hands and stepped cautiously in as her favourite piece pulsated around him. "Rachel?" he whispered as he looked quickly around the room.

A stranger turned towards him and Ben gaped in surprise.

And his world turned dark as pain burst from the back of his head.

Under the faint lighting of the dim street lamps, Max was pacing the length of the street. She was chewing the insides of her cheeks while she ran a trembling hand over her hair. Seeing that she was at a dead end, she turned on her heels and started pacing again.

"Where is he?" she whispered worriedly, "Where the hell is Ben?"

She groaned while the sense of apprehension hit her, hard and she shivered with the force of it. Something is wrong, something is terribly wrong. Something is going to happen! And I can't stop it coz I have no idea where he is! Ben, where are you?!

She moaned in frustration and rubbed her face with her shaking hands. "Wait a second," she whispered, stopping dead on her tracks, "He started acting funny at that mansion. I bet the owner had something to do with him. He's there.. I know it, he's there."

She rushed to her bike and blasted towards the big house, wishing desperately that she was not too late.

The pain in his head intensified as he pried his eyes apart. Ben cringed as the harshly bright light streamed into his eyes, hurting him. He blinked hard and he could almost felt the coppery taste of his blood in his mouth. Moving his head slowly, he took his surrounding in. He was strapped to a chair, he realized without any hint of emotion and he was not alone.

"Mr. Berrisford," he acknowledged the older man with a slight nod, "This is not the circumstances I had in mind for our reunion but this is not too bad."

"So arrogant," Berrisford sneered, holding a gun towards him, "Who would've known that a cold blooded assassin would be so well mannered?"

"Where's Rachel?" he asked quickly, "She's not here, is she?"

"Don't you ever say her name again Lehane! You have no right," he screamed furiously as he slapped the side of his captive's face.

"Ben," he whispered sadly, blood running from the corner of his mouth, "My name is Ben."

"I don't care what your name is. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me and you killed her," Berrisford hissed angrily, his gun never wavered from Ben's chest, "She wanted to save me and because of that she's dead! My little girl is dead!"

Ben swallowed the moan that rose and shook his head hard, "If it makes you feel better, kill me then. God knows I deserve it. What are you waiting for? Kill me!"

He stared at the crazed Berrisford with a swollen heart while he prayed desperately for the other man to stop his pain. "DO IT!"

The glazed look in Berrisford's eyes cleared and he lifted his hand while pointing the gleaming gun towards the silent Ben, straight at the heart.

Ben lifted his beaten eyes and whispered to himself, "I'm so sorry, Rachel. I didn't mean for all of this to happen. This is the only thing I could think off to make amends. My life for yours."

Berrisford clenched his teeth, his eyes were gleaming with a manic gleam while he took aim and somehow his hand steadied as he held the gun. Ben saw as if in slow motion the slight movement of Berrisford's finger as he pulled the trigger.

Somehow Ben was very calm even when he saw the way the bullet sped towards him. His wounded heart burst into a million bleeding pieces as he continued to watch with detachment. A split second later his vision was filled with the image of a smiling Max.

He smiled while his wounded heart whispered softly, "I'm so sorry Max.. I'm so sorry.. You have no idea how much I love you Maxie." Then, he felt his entire being burst apart as unbearable pain swallowed him whole. Slowly, the pain disappeared and he felt nothing now while gradually he slipped to the waiting warm light. He smiled, the last thing he saw were Max's laughing eyes before he succumbed to the seductive glow.

"BEN!" she shouted frantically when she saw the bullet that hurtled towards him, "Move!"

"No, no, no, NO!" she moaned while she blurred towards him, trying desperately to outrun a bullet. But even a transgenic can't win against time.. and fate.

Her horror struck gaze widened when she saw the way the bullet had torn mercilessly into his chest. "NO!" she screamed, trying hard to grab his limp body. "Ben, talk to me!' she cried while she pulled the straps away from him, "No, no," she moaned as she saw the gurgling wound. Agitatedly, she pushed her hand firmly into his wound, trying hard to stop the bleeding, but the blood kept streaming in gushes of red. Deep down she knew that it was hopeless, by the look of it, Ben was hit directly in the heart and there was nothing she could do, but she refused to believe what her brain was whispering to her. Her heart was screaming in denial even when she pulled his still body into her embrace.

"Ben, no! It wasn't supposed to end this way, you know it's not. Come on Ben, open your eyes please," she pleaded as tears raced down her cheeks. "I love you! Do you hear that? I love you! You can't just leave me alone." She continued to sob, burying her face into his still warm neck. "I love you, Ben.. how could you do this to me?"

So immersed in her pain she didn't hear the way the gun clattered as it fell from Berrisford's sweaty grip. The old man slumped to the floor, his eyes were vacant as he stared ahead, his face grey and pinched.

Max continued to plead and cry, holding his lifeless body in her blood streaked arms.

A few days later.

The wind continued to blast around her but she kept walking with a glazed look. Her Ben was dead. The real reason for her very existence was snatched violently away from her. So, what was left for her now? Everlasting pain and suffering? Did that mean she was cursed to continue living with this burden on her shoulders? Every single day for the rest of her life?

Max continued to walk, her mind kept circling around the same thing. Ben was dead and with that the reason for her to continue living. Was it worth it? To live every single day with this kind of pain?

Her mind drifted to Ben's funeral. It was a simple ceremony. Just a handful of people had been there but everyone had mourned deeply at the loss. Yet no one had been as shattered as Max. Her entire world was gone and she had no strength left to build everything from scratch again. Her wounded eyes continued to shine with unshed tears as her feet keep moving. She wrapped her hands tightly around her middle, a futile effort to keep the mounting pain at bay. Her hair hid her face when she lowered her head, framing it like a silk black curtain.

She continued to trudge dejectedly and completely missed the speeding car.

"Hey watch out!" some one cried out but she was too deep in her own turbulent thoughts to hear anything.

"Move!" the warning came again as someone slammed against her, pushing her away from the path of the speeding vehicle. Both of them tumbled to the ground and Max was forcefully aware of this same scene..

Ages ago.

Both of them had been so happy that day, she thought sadly as her eyes continued to be closed, he had been so worried, asking if she was okay..

"Oh god, are you okay?"

The man asked with a degree of worry and Max almost smiled as waves of déjà vu crashed onto her. Ben had asked the same thing and if she kept her eyes shut, she could imagine that Ben was the one talking to her. He had the same deep voice as Ben, she thought wistfully as the pain in her heart retreated for a while.

"Hey, you didn't faint or something, right?" he asked as he slapped her cheek lightly.

She opened her eyes hesitantly, unwilling to face the world again but something unexpected was waiting for her.

Her jaw dropped open as she stared with wide eyes at the man in front of her, "Ben?" she whispered hoarsely, her tone intertwined with surprise and happiness while she drank in the wonder of staring into his hazel eyes, "Ben?!"

Her smile was frozen in place as the man frowned and looked at her in bewilderment, "Ben? Who's Ben?"

Max continued to stare before the realization crashed in. This stranger with her lover's face was not the Ben she had lost. And her almost mended heart started bleeding profusely again as the comprehension that Ben was lost to her forever sank in.

She pushed his hands away before hurrying to her feet. Without looking back, she ran. She ran as fast as she possibly could, away from the familiar stranger as tears streamed down her face.

The man frowned as the girl just took off, his hazel green eyes narrowed in confusion. He shrugged before he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

To be continued..