Hello, it's been a long time. I am so sorry, SO VERY SORRY for making you wait. I am forever in your debt. I have a confession - I got hooked on another show, and Dark Angel took backseat. Plus I am pretty disappointed with the new season, except for "Some Assemble Required" ZACK IS BACK! YAY!!!!!!! I was jumping up and down when I saw the previews. Anyway, I am truly sorry...
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Chapter 16
Eve's POV
Max and I head down to the street in silence. This heat issue is hanging over our heads, and I am to busy trying to explain it to myself to make conversation. Max seems to be thinking a lot also, the way she is constantly tucking her hair behind her ears and wringing her hands. She is all the things Dad told me she was; beautiful, strong, confident, streetwise, etc. He never mentioned that she could get nervous. As a toddler, I remember thinking of her as an invincible superhero, who flew around the broken cities in America, beating up bad guys and saving widows, orphans and small animals. But now as I look over at her, it comes to me that she actually does exist, and is somewhat mortal.
She leads me to a broken parking garage, the top level caved in, with only half the bottom level still usable. Inside there is the usual grouping of the poor and homeless, giving us longing, confused looks at our upper class garb, so I keep my eyes straight ahead, reminding myself that anyone of them could be the enemy. Manticore dresses undercover agents as the ever-inconspicuous homeless bum all the time. Hell, even that very thin and frail little girl huddled in the corner watching us could be a more recent X-series. Who knows how they have been developed. We end up in another corner, and Max reaches under an especially large slab of fallen cement and pulls out her bike.
Ah, her baby. The Ninja 650, black and perfect. All I do is give her a quirk of a smile as she mounts it. The motorcycle fits her - sleek and dark, controlled yet dangerous. Dad told me that many times through childhood - that exact description. With the reminiscent thoughts still in my head, I haul myself on behind her, debating quickly with myself whether to wrap my arms around her waist or lean back casually. I compromise, fisting my hands into her leather jacket.
She flicks her wrist and pushes her heel down and the engine purrs to life. As we pull away onto the street, I spot a tall blonde man standing on the street corner, with a ripped shirt on. I can't explain why, but I have a sudden urge to just say to hell with it, jump off this bike and go meet him. I want to talk to him, I wonder how firm those muscles I see under his thin shirt are.
Jesus, I think that the heat is taking effect. Pretty damn fast, too. Before I let myself do anything or look for other males, I lean forward to Max's ear.
"Let's go, now." She nods without much reaction and punches the black beauty to life, the wheels jumping aggressively onto the pavement.
Leo's POV
Things have really calmed down now. The man named Logan is reading a book in the office, and X5-599 is cleaning a handgun. I can feel that the tension has lifted significantly, especially with Logan. He has no idea that his daughter, his innocent little girl is in heat. He can just sit back and relax, without a care, save for the highly advanced killing machine tied up in the next room. Zack is tenser. I know that he feels the protective impulses towards the Eve girl just as much as Logan does. But the difference is that Zack knows exactly what is going on.
Zack spent twelve years of his existence at Manticore, and also some short visits a few years later, I read his file. He knows all about the heat from the female members of his unit, his "sisters" as he so fondly refers to them. Also he would have knowledge of the male reaction to the female heat. One can guess just from watching cats or dogs in nature. A tomcat can sense a female cat in heat from a distance of one mile on a clear day. And those things are no more than two feet tall.
I can only assume that if Eve were still here we both would be breaking down these laughable glass walls to get to each other, and I'm not the cocky type. It's simple fact, it's chemical reactions, and it's instinct. It just... Feels like it's not. But it is.
Luckily for me Max took Eve to go visit some old friend with an odd name. The pheromones have had time to drift through the vents and outdoors. I smile to myself as I picture how worried Max will look when Eve tackles the first remotely attractive male she sees on the streets down into a lustful brawling on cement. Heat was always extremely entertaining back at Manticore, but we knew very little about it. None of the X8 class had gone through it, so all we could gather on it was collected by short observations in the sterile hallways.
I wiggle and roll my wrist in the right hand buckle, prying my hand out easily of the leather. I reach over and undo the opposite strap, regardless of the fact that Zack is sitting on a stool five feet from me at the foot of the bed. After freeing myself of the amateur restraints, I sit up and stretch my stiff arms, flexing each muscle in my arms to test for sores. Zack's back arches and he readies himself for an attack. I am threatening his authority directly, and he doesn't like it. The gun he was cleaning is dropped to the table next to him to free his hands, now making tight fists.
I just give him a look that I believe successfully translates into "Don't be an idiot" and he glares back at me, obviously accepting the fact that I can escape at any moment I pick and choose. He watches closely as I reach down to undo my ankles and waist from the bed. Once my entire body was freed, I stood straight up and reached towards the ceiling, very content with the freedom to stretch and stand.
"I'm starving." I meet his gaze straight on just for the annoyance. "You of all people should know that a growing genetically enhanced boy needs his meals." Zack doesn't move, just keeps glaring at me silently. I shrug nonchalantly and stride out of the guestroom. As I pass Logan, he drops his book and rushes after me into the kitchen.
"Hey." He says forcefully as I open the surprisingly large fridge. I grab up some deli meat, bread and condiments and shut the door with my foot. After putting everything down safely on the counter, I turn sharply towards him and glare, imitating Zack as best I can. At first Logan looks shocked, but his wall of naive confidence quickly rises up again, trying to show some dominance in his own territory. I can't help but roll my eyes at that, turning back to my much-desired sandwich.
I can feel his eyes on my back as I quickly assemble the snack, also feeling it when Zack enters through the threshold. I do not feel intimidated, despite being out numbered. My back is to them, but my senses know their duty. I turn around with my finished treat, taking a huge, sloppy, mocking bite of the creation right in Logan's face. He grimaces at my cockiness, my audacity. He better learn to live with it. I leave all the ingredients out for them to take care of as I saunter into the living room, looking out the window. After a moment of rustling from the kitchen both men join me.
I smile at down at Seattle. "Nice view you got here."
Eve's POV
I knock three times on the old splintered door, waiting patiently for an answer. I feel nervous and unsure in my belly, but I'm not the one who hasn't seen Original Cindy in sixteen years. I must be afraid of the reaction Max will get. I hope Cindy won't be mad, or try and put a "smack down" on her ass. I smile lightly at the thought.
"Who's knocking at my spread?" I hear her muffled slang easily through the door. I glance over at Max, noticing her small nostalgic smile, and the contrasting nervousness in her brown eyes. I motion for her to stand off to the side of the door. I don't want this to be sudden; I should at least prepare Cindy for this reunion.
"It is I, Baby Boo." Max quirks a look at me, and I shrug it off. There will be time to explain later.
"Well then, come on in then." She says opening the door. "Lickety-chick Angel is off at the market for now, let's talk female." I quickly take a step inside, making sure to keep the door slightly ajar for Max.
"Um, Cindy," I bite my lip, trying to decide what to say. "Sit down for a second." She obediently flops down onto her soft green couch, her eyes not leaving mine.
"Everything aiight in life, Babe?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Well, not... I mean, we'll get to that." I take a deep breath and begin pacing the room, hands clasped formally behind my back. "Aiight now. In the past week a lot of things have happened in the Cale residence. Strange things. You see, Zack came back into town, with some information on... my mother." Cindy leaps up from her position. "Just, just calm down, and sit down, please." Thankfully she listens to me. "Well, she's been on the lamb for awhile apparently, with a few young Manticore assassins on her ass. I need to show you something." I close my eyes to prepare myself for this. "Brace yourself, boo."
I open the door wide, revealing Max on the other side. She is sort of half smiling, biting her lip and wringing her fingers. "I sort of dropped in." Max quips nervously.
For a moment, Cindy is motionless, her eyes wide, her mouth open. Then she closes it, with a serious expression on her face, glances at me. All I can really do is give her a small nod, my eyes pitifully on the floor. Cindy stands carefully, as if testing her balance. She takes a deep, calming breath before walking the short distance over to Max. She stops a foot away, watching the other woman's face. After a beat or two, Max lifts her eyes to meet her old best friends.
I watch as a small smile is exchanged between the two, and as they hug fiercely, old emotions rekindled. Cindy's eye's squeezed tightly shut, then reopened, wet and dripping. Her shoulders heaved lightly with quiet sobs. Max rubbed her back reassuringly, the two rocking back and forth.
Cindy sighed and sniffed, pulling away. She took one of Max's hands, looking at it intently.
"Would you look at these nails? It sure does show that you haven't had a decent manicure in sixteen years." Max smiled, then glanced at me.
"Price a mother pays."
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Okay peeps, I know that this chapter was mostly rambling. I just felt sooo very guilty about being a late poster that I had to get something out there for you guys. But I'm working on self-discipline so I hope to have another chapter out in a more timely manner.