Learning to Live
By Amanda Freed
Chapter Five:
It didn't take long to set up Logan's massive computer system inside Alec's apartment, but it was surprising to both of them that it fit.
"Ugh, we should have brought the desk while we were at it," Alec said in annoyance.
"Why not the TV?" Max asked sarcastically, turning to find Alec wincing. "Like Dale would have let THAT go."
"Oh, he would have believed anything you said," Alec turned to her with soulful eyes,"Can you help me?" he batted his eyelashes.
Max grinned, "Maybe.but the TV would have been pushing it."
Alec shrugged, "Fine.but it would have fenced for more money than we have."
Max stopped smiling, "How are we going to finance this?"
"Bad guys, Max. Bad guys like to finance Eyes Only." Alec brought up a valid point, which, while Logan may have been slightly uncomfortable with it, Max didn't really see the issue.
Alec plugged in the last couple wires.
"You ready for this?" he asked, turning on the system.
As dreaded, the first thing to show up was PASSWORD. Alec typed in a three letter word that didn't work and turned to Max with a look of surprise.
She smiled, "I knew it."
Alec's eyes narrowed and he typed a four letter word. It, too, was denied, and he grinned at her. "Good news, it's not Asha either."
She smacked him. "Maybe it is a random series of numbers."
"Or letters," he added. "Or maybe." he typed something in, "Nope, ilovemax is out."
She decided it was best to ignore him. "What time is it?" she asked.
"7:15, why?"
"I'll call Bling in an hour, he should be up by then. He might know the passwords."
"Why don't YOU know the passwords?" Alec asked, truly curious.
"I don't know.the computer was just always on when I came in, why would I ask?"
Alec shrugged and started trying words. "Hey, when did he get this computer? That's probably when he set up the password, unless he was paranoid enough to change it daily."
"I don't know, before we met," Max muttered. She tried not to think of the day they met, when she broke into his apartment as he recorded his broadcast.
"Max.?" Alec's voice pierced through the haze of her memories and she looked at him, the concern was evident in his eyes. "We don't have to do this right now, we can just wait and call Bling."
"No, Alec, we need to do this. It doesn't matter what I'm feeling, I would feel it anyway," she sighed, looking away. What kind of password would Logan use? "What about his parents' names? Birthday?"
"Max, you need a break, we're going out," he pulled her to her feet. "We'll call Bling at 8:00 on the nose, but you need to think about something else."
"I won't stop thinking about him just because we aren't trying to get his password."
Alec smiled, "You don't have to. You're supposed to think about him."
"Where are we going to go at 7:30?"
"How about.breakfast.?"
Max smiled slightly. "Ok, let's go."
They went to a small, family owned restaurant that had probably seen its better days before the pulse.
"I've never been here before," Max commented, looking around at the attempt at homey surroundings.
"You'll love it," Alec promised as a large woman bustled out from the back.
"Why, good morning, Alec, and who is your lovely lady friend?" the woman asked politely, smiling in Max's direction.
"Good morning, Claudia, this is my friend, Max. Max, this is Claudia, who happens to be the best cook I know."
Claudia blushed with pleasure at this flattery and Max eyed Alec with fascination. He was charming.who knew?
"Well, what can I do for you kids today?" She gave them both a warm, genuine smile that made Max relax immediately.
"Do you have a menu?" Max asked, looking around.
Claudia smiled, "You just tell me what you want, sweetie, and I will get it for you."
Max looked from Claudia to Alec, who raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"See, I told you you'd like this place."
"What are you going to have, Alec?" she asked, curious.
"I am going to have whatever Claudia thinks is the very best." He turned a smile on the older woman and watched as it did its magic.
Red faced, Claudia turned to Max, "And you, dear?"
"I think Alec has the right idea, I'll have the same."
Claudia smiled at them both and waddled back into the kitchen.
Now alone, Max turned to Alec in shock.
He laughed. "Max, POLITE is my middle name."
"But.you were so.nice." Max sputtered.
"People love me, Max."
"Yeah, Normal."
"You are actually the only one that doesn't," he gave her a cheesy, hurt look.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm the only one you don't feed over the top flattery."
"Oh, Claudia really is the best, I wasn't kidding."
"We'll see soon enough."
"So what really bothers you is that I don't give you over the top flattery, is that it? It's ok, you can say it."
Max wondered how long it would take to beat that incorrigible grin off his face. It was certainly an experiment well worth her time. "I'm just the only person you don't have to lie to."
"I could try it out, if you want," Alec suggested helpfully.
"Yeah, we could really use some more dishonesty in our relationship," she rolled her eyes and her words played themselves back, "Friendship," she corrected hastily.
"MmmHmm," Alec's eyes laughed at her.
"Shut up, Alec," Max threw her napkin at him.
Despite Alec's easy and teasing manner, he was on edge. He could give her a 45 minute break from the pain of her life and he didn't want to wreck it. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and make her remember why they were here. So far, it was working, and he was amazed. Sure, she had been amazed, annoyed and no doubt imagining his early demise inside her mind, but he had yet to see her eyes well up with tears and that distant, haunted look was nowhere to be seen. He glanced up at the clock on the wall, not wanting her to see him look at his watch. He didn't want to remind her, not in the twenty precious minutes they had left.
Claudia came back from the kitchen, carrying heaping platters of omelets, toast, hash browns and pancakes smothered in fruit. One look at the plate before her and Max's chin dropped into her lap.
Alec grinned and turned to Claudia, "You've outdone yourself again, I don't think I'll be able to drag Max out of here."
Claudia smiled. "If you kids need anything else, just yell."
"I don't think we'll need anything else in the next year or two, Claudia." Alec said with a smile, taking a bite and closing his eyes in delight.
Claudia smiled happily and bounced back into the kitchen.
Alec looked at Max, who was inhaling everything in front of her. He tried to smother his laugh.
Max looked up, fork in her mouth and realized how she must look. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, you were right!" she said when she finished chewing. "Now, shut up, I'm eating!"
Alec chuckled slightly, but took her example and cleaned his plate.
By the time Claudia came back to check on them, both transgenics were leaning back in their seats, content. She raised her eyebrows when she saw they had managed to consume everything.
"I.I've never seen anyone eat that much, so fast.in my life!" Claudia was amazed.
"Hear that, Maxie? We're record holders."
"You should see how high we can jump," Max commented dryly.
Alec grinned, "I can't jump anywhere right now. Claudia, what do we owe you for that amazing feast?"
"For you and the lovely lady, it's on the house," Claudia offered grandly.
"All this?" Max asked incredulously.
Claudia smiled, "I've been telling Alec to find a special girl, I'm just glad to see he's doing as I told him."
Max couldn't help giving Alec a gloating grin. "None of the other girls he's brought here have been special?" she asked Claudia.
Claudia raised her eyebrows. "He's never brought a girl here before. How did you two meet?"
Max looked at Alec in surprise, he'd NEVER brought a girl here before?
Alec answered Claudia's question, "Well, we went to the same school, back before the pulse, but we never met."
Claudia's eyes sparkled, "I believe I asked how you met."
"Oh, blind date." Alec said with a smile, looking at Max for confirmation of his slight fabrication. Set up as breeding partners, that was a blind date.Manticore style.
"Love at first sight, then?" Claudia asked expectantly.
Max and Alec couldn't help laughing.
"No, we started off fighting, actually. She didn't like me for some reason," he shrugged self-consciously.
"You didn't like Alec?" Claudia asked, clearly astounded.
"Oh, don't worry, Claudia, everything worked out once she got to know me," he grinned.
"Once I kicked his ass a few times," Max added.
"Well, it was great to meet you, Max, I hope you come back!" Claudia smiled.
"Oh, you can count on it," Max assured her, rising from her seat and noticing the clock for the first time. Her face fell and Alec noticed. He was afraid to turn his head, but he did. It was 7:58, he turned to meet Max's eyes and smiled reassuringly.
"Claudia, we have to be going, but thank you so much for breakfast."
"Oh, you're welcome, Alec, take care of this lovely girl."
Alec smiled, "I'll do my best, Claudia."
"Good boy, you kids run along now."
As they exited the building, their smiles dropped from their faces and Alec handed Max his cell phone. It was 8:00.
By Amanda Freed
Chapter Five:
It didn't take long to set up Logan's massive computer system inside Alec's apartment, but it was surprising to both of them that it fit.
"Ugh, we should have brought the desk while we were at it," Alec said in annoyance.
"Why not the TV?" Max asked sarcastically, turning to find Alec wincing. "Like Dale would have let THAT go."
"Oh, he would have believed anything you said," Alec turned to her with soulful eyes,"Can you help me?" he batted his eyelashes.
Max grinned, "Maybe.but the TV would have been pushing it."
Alec shrugged, "Fine.but it would have fenced for more money than we have."
Max stopped smiling, "How are we going to finance this?"
"Bad guys, Max. Bad guys like to finance Eyes Only." Alec brought up a valid point, which, while Logan may have been slightly uncomfortable with it, Max didn't really see the issue.
Alec plugged in the last couple wires.
"You ready for this?" he asked, turning on the system.
As dreaded, the first thing to show up was PASSWORD. Alec typed in a three letter word that didn't work and turned to Max with a look of surprise.
She smiled, "I knew it."
Alec's eyes narrowed and he typed a four letter word. It, too, was denied, and he grinned at her. "Good news, it's not Asha either."
She smacked him. "Maybe it is a random series of numbers."
"Or letters," he added. "Or maybe." he typed something in, "Nope, ilovemax is out."
She decided it was best to ignore him. "What time is it?" she asked.
"7:15, why?"
"I'll call Bling in an hour, he should be up by then. He might know the passwords."
"Why don't YOU know the passwords?" Alec asked, truly curious.
"I don't know.the computer was just always on when I came in, why would I ask?"
Alec shrugged and started trying words. "Hey, when did he get this computer? That's probably when he set up the password, unless he was paranoid enough to change it daily."
"I don't know, before we met," Max muttered. She tried not to think of the day they met, when she broke into his apartment as he recorded his broadcast.
"Max.?" Alec's voice pierced through the haze of her memories and she looked at him, the concern was evident in his eyes. "We don't have to do this right now, we can just wait and call Bling."
"No, Alec, we need to do this. It doesn't matter what I'm feeling, I would feel it anyway," she sighed, looking away. What kind of password would Logan use? "What about his parents' names? Birthday?"
"Max, you need a break, we're going out," he pulled her to her feet. "We'll call Bling at 8:00 on the nose, but you need to think about something else."
"I won't stop thinking about him just because we aren't trying to get his password."
Alec smiled, "You don't have to. You're supposed to think about him."
"Where are we going to go at 7:30?"
"How about.breakfast.?"
Max smiled slightly. "Ok, let's go."
They went to a small, family owned restaurant that had probably seen its better days before the pulse.
"I've never been here before," Max commented, looking around at the attempt at homey surroundings.
"You'll love it," Alec promised as a large woman bustled out from the back.
"Why, good morning, Alec, and who is your lovely lady friend?" the woman asked politely, smiling in Max's direction.
"Good morning, Claudia, this is my friend, Max. Max, this is Claudia, who happens to be the best cook I know."
Claudia blushed with pleasure at this flattery and Max eyed Alec with fascination. He was charming.who knew?
"Well, what can I do for you kids today?" She gave them both a warm, genuine smile that made Max relax immediately.
"Do you have a menu?" Max asked, looking around.
Claudia smiled, "You just tell me what you want, sweetie, and I will get it for you."
Max looked from Claudia to Alec, who raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"See, I told you you'd like this place."
"What are you going to have, Alec?" she asked, curious.
"I am going to have whatever Claudia thinks is the very best." He turned a smile on the older woman and watched as it did its magic.
Red faced, Claudia turned to Max, "And you, dear?"
"I think Alec has the right idea, I'll have the same."
Claudia smiled at them both and waddled back into the kitchen.
Now alone, Max turned to Alec in shock.
He laughed. "Max, POLITE is my middle name."
"But.you were so.nice." Max sputtered.
"People love me, Max."
"Yeah, Normal."
"You are actually the only one that doesn't," he gave her a cheesy, hurt look.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm the only one you don't feed over the top flattery."
"Oh, Claudia really is the best, I wasn't kidding."
"We'll see soon enough."
"So what really bothers you is that I don't give you over the top flattery, is that it? It's ok, you can say it."
Max wondered how long it would take to beat that incorrigible grin off his face. It was certainly an experiment well worth her time. "I'm just the only person you don't have to lie to."
"I could try it out, if you want," Alec suggested helpfully.
"Yeah, we could really use some more dishonesty in our relationship," she rolled her eyes and her words played themselves back, "Friendship," she corrected hastily.
"MmmHmm," Alec's eyes laughed at her.
"Shut up, Alec," Max threw her napkin at him.
Despite Alec's easy and teasing manner, he was on edge. He could give her a 45 minute break from the pain of her life and he didn't want to wreck it. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and make her remember why they were here. So far, it was working, and he was amazed. Sure, she had been amazed, annoyed and no doubt imagining his early demise inside her mind, but he had yet to see her eyes well up with tears and that distant, haunted look was nowhere to be seen. He glanced up at the clock on the wall, not wanting her to see him look at his watch. He didn't want to remind her, not in the twenty precious minutes they had left.
Claudia came back from the kitchen, carrying heaping platters of omelets, toast, hash browns and pancakes smothered in fruit. One look at the plate before her and Max's chin dropped into her lap.
Alec grinned and turned to Claudia, "You've outdone yourself again, I don't think I'll be able to drag Max out of here."
Claudia smiled. "If you kids need anything else, just yell."
"I don't think we'll need anything else in the next year or two, Claudia." Alec said with a smile, taking a bite and closing his eyes in delight.
Claudia smiled happily and bounced back into the kitchen.
Alec looked at Max, who was inhaling everything in front of her. He tried to smother his laugh.
Max looked up, fork in her mouth and realized how she must look. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, you were right!" she said when she finished chewing. "Now, shut up, I'm eating!"
Alec chuckled slightly, but took her example and cleaned his plate.
By the time Claudia came back to check on them, both transgenics were leaning back in their seats, content. She raised her eyebrows when she saw they had managed to consume everything.
"I.I've never seen anyone eat that much, so fast.in my life!" Claudia was amazed.
"Hear that, Maxie? We're record holders."
"You should see how high we can jump," Max commented dryly.
Alec grinned, "I can't jump anywhere right now. Claudia, what do we owe you for that amazing feast?"
"For you and the lovely lady, it's on the house," Claudia offered grandly.
"All this?" Max asked incredulously.
Claudia smiled, "I've been telling Alec to find a special girl, I'm just glad to see he's doing as I told him."
Max couldn't help giving Alec a gloating grin. "None of the other girls he's brought here have been special?" she asked Claudia.
Claudia raised her eyebrows. "He's never brought a girl here before. How did you two meet?"
Max looked at Alec in surprise, he'd NEVER brought a girl here before?
Alec answered Claudia's question, "Well, we went to the same school, back before the pulse, but we never met."
Claudia's eyes sparkled, "I believe I asked how you met."
"Oh, blind date." Alec said with a smile, looking at Max for confirmation of his slight fabrication. Set up as breeding partners, that was a blind date.Manticore style.
"Love at first sight, then?" Claudia asked expectantly.
Max and Alec couldn't help laughing.
"No, we started off fighting, actually. She didn't like me for some reason," he shrugged self-consciously.
"You didn't like Alec?" Claudia asked, clearly astounded.
"Oh, don't worry, Claudia, everything worked out once she got to know me," he grinned.
"Once I kicked his ass a few times," Max added.
"Well, it was great to meet you, Max, I hope you come back!" Claudia smiled.
"Oh, you can count on it," Max assured her, rising from her seat and noticing the clock for the first time. Her face fell and Alec noticed. He was afraid to turn his head, but he did. It was 7:58, he turned to meet Max's eyes and smiled reassuringly.
"Claudia, we have to be going, but thank you so much for breakfast."
"Oh, you're welcome, Alec, take care of this lovely girl."
Alec smiled, "I'll do my best, Claudia."
"Good boy, you kids run along now."
As they exited the building, their smiles dropped from their faces and Alec handed Max his cell phone. It was 8:00.