Dark Angel Revised

Summary:  Max comes to Seattle in search of her brother Seth.  Alec has also just arrived in Seattle on the Berrisford mission.  They cross paths and stuff happens. M/A

Disclaimer:  I don't own or have anything to do with the creation of the show or its characters. 

Spoilers:  Anything is subject to altering from both seasons as well as Max Collins' book Before the Dawn

Chapter 3:  The Explaining

    They ordered the exact same thing: Two cheeseburgers with no onions, large fries, and chocolate milkshakes.  He seemed to be in deep thought as they waited for their food so she decided to keep silent and wait until he was ready to give an explanation.  He'd taken one bite of his second cheeseburger before putting it down and quickly explaining his mission parameters and why he was here while she continued to eat and listen.

    "No way I'm gonna find him now.  Oh well, Manticore's pretty smart.  They'll come up with another plan."  He stuffed a few more fries in his mouth.  "Thing is, this mission was gonna give me at least two weeks on the outside.  I was really looking forward to it when I first drew the assignment so I'm not too keen on the idea of going back." He brightened suddenly. "But just my luck I run into a rogue X5.  Who better than you to show me how to keep from going back permanently, right?" He winked before downing the rest of his drink.

    She was quiet.  No fidgeting or messing with her food. She was just leaning back in her chair completely still. He could tell that she was working something out in her head as she continued to stare at him from across the table. Finally he couldn't take it anymore.

    "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    "I just can't get over how nonchalant you are about all of this."

    "Yeah well, Manticore was a great gig, but the hours were kinda long and the pay sucked." He quipped. She rolled her eyes.

    "Seriously, you're not worried what they'll do to you for going AWOL?  You don't care about being punished by Manticore?"

    The sudden darkening of his eyes was answer enough to her question, however he also chose to verbally respond.

    "I don't like punishment.  So I don't plan on getting caught. You managed to avoid capture for all those years, I figure sticking with you for a while, learning your secrets and adding it to my own should keep me off their radar for good."

    A chance to learn his secrets was plenty reason to be happy that he was sticking with her, but that wasn't the only explanation for how light she suddenly felt to hear him say out loud that he planned on teaming up with her. 

She was no longer alone.  For a while anyway, she would have someone there with her and even better he was someone she wouldn't have to hide herself from because he was just like her.  She finally had someone on the outside she could connect with.  Instead of sharing the sudden elation she felt, she shrugged her shoulders.

    "Guess it's okay that you tag along for a little while."

    After it was settled, the two left the bar and made their way around back.

    "Ah, it all makes sense now."  494 broke the silence when he saw her headed towards the motorcycle.

    Max turned back towards him sharply with one eye brow raised.

    "The black pants, boots, leather jacket, and gloves were clues I wanted to ignore because I was really hoping it was the other thing I thought when I first saw you." When she still gave him the confused look he continued. "You ride a motorcycle."

    "Yeah…and?"

    "Well when I first saw you and the way you were walking, I just thought you had a busy night.  This being the business district, not to mention, a good number of motels in the area; a girl could make a lot of money in this neighborhood." 

    She still looked confused.  Why would the way I was walking after riding my motorcycle make me a lot of money?  Did he think I was giving rides to people? Her cheeks heated when she picked up on the pun she had unwittingly supplied and she screeched.

    "You thought I was a hooker!"

    "No." He stated calmly.  So much so that the tension in her shoulders immediately vanished in thinking that she had misinterpreted his original thought. "I was hoping you were one." Her eyes widened and flared as they flew back to his. "What? It's not a bad thing. Okay maybe hooker is not the right term.  Call girl?" 

    "You're such an asshole." She turned away and walked stiffly to her bike. 

    He smirked, clued in to the fact that she was purposefully walking with her legs as close together as possible. "Come on, I like when a girl has a few tricks up her sleeve."  He said as he caught up to her.

    "Funny, I don't remember Sarcasm 101 being part of Manticore's curriculum. How did you get away with being such a smart aleck?"  She paused, her eyes lighting up making him think she was about to strike.  He braced himself but instead she began talking again. "You know what, that's your name from now on.  Cause that's rule number one out in the real world.  Everybody has names."

    "Smart Aleck, that's an awfully—"

    "No, just Alec."  He took a few seconds to mull it over in his head before deciding he liked it.

    "Eh, works for me.  At least it's better than Simon."

    "Speaking of that, we better blaze, Seattle's way too hot now."

    "Good idea.  We should…ugh…blaze.  Oh but wait."

    "Yeah?"

    "What's your name?"  He asked still sounding as if names were the strangest concept in the world."

    "Max."

"Okay Max, where to?"

    "I'll know when we get there.  Hop on."  Alec couldn't help but smile as he climbed on behind Max.  Yesterday, every minute of his day had been planned out for the past eighteen years by a military command and now he was a fugitive and being led to God knows where with one of the infamous '09 rogues.  No doubt about it, his life was sure to be a lot more interesting from here on out.