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
Another GIANT shout out to the reviewers. You know, I write because I enjoy it but it's such a motivation when I read reviews on my story especially ones in which people speculate what's to come. I have a lot of this already mapped out in my head but when people make suggestions not only does it make me anxious to write more but sometimes it really helps me develop my ideas further and I find myself even happier with the outcome. So thanks again!!!
Chapter 7: the Trusting
How could I have lost him? She asked herself as she peered down the street in both directions. She had just gotten out of the shower when he had asked her if she needed anything from the market. After she heard the front door shut, she quickly threw on her clothes and went after him. With only a three minute head start on miles of dirt road with no turn offs in both directions, she should have been able to spot him no matter which way he went.
She was starting to wonder if he may have been on to her. When she followed him after her seizure, she stayed out of sight and didn't let him know she was at the pub. Ever since then he'd been acting kind of distant from her. Truth was she was growing attached to Alec and if he was playing her, she needed to know. She reasoned the only way she would know for sure was if she kept an eye on him without him knowing. The past few days she had declined going out with him only to follow him later to see what he was up to.
"Looking for me." A low voice said behind her. She jumped and spun around. He was leaning against the side of the house.
"Alec, I, ugh. I was just…"
"Gonna follow me."
"Of course not. Why would I follow you?"
"Because you don't trust me."
"I do trust you." She couldn't meet his eyes.
"Bullshit." He was in her face in the blink of an eye. She stepped back from the fury he was radiating.
"Alec, I do trust--"
"No you don't. If you trusted me, you wouldn't have been spying on me every time I was supposedly out of your sight.
"You knew I was doing that." She questioned weakly.
"You're not that good at tracking someone, especially someone like me."
"Which was kinda my motive for doing that in the first place!" She snapped back. Now that it was out in the open, dropping all pretense allowed her to stand more confidently before him.
"Meaning?"
"You say someone like you, but I don't really know you. I let you into my life, someone who's only known Manticore their entire existence.
"Yeah, and?"
"I just always found it a little suspicious. You were really quick to throw your old life away.
So? Didn't you do that too?"
"I was just a kid besides I also had an order from my C.O. and a bunch of other people with me doing the same thing. What can I say, peer pressure's a bitch. But you, one minute I'm here on a mission oops mission not accomplished guess I'll bail and turn my back on everything I've ever known. I just figured with all the brainwashing Manticore's famous for, you'd have a lot more loyalty issues. How was I to know you weren't just setting me up this whole time? Maybe not turning me in cause you're hoping I'll lead you to the others."
"You still think Manticore owns me."
"Convince me it doesn't." She challenged.
"I shouldn't have to. You know what that place was like." He growled.
"You're right I do. I also knew that when I was there I didn't think it was possible for me to exist apart from my unit or outside of Manticore. Even after I escaped, it took me months to stop thinking of myself as a soldier. Manticore had owned every inch of me and it took a hell of a lot more than a botched mission to rearrange my entire mind set." She threw back. They continued to glare at each other until Max's eyes softened when something occurred to her. "Unless this mission was the last straw. Have you messed up a lot in the past? Would they have done…something to you if you weren't successful?" She added, all anger gone from her voice.
Like it or not, she didn't want to believe that he was playing her. Nevertheless, she didn't make it this far by letting her judgment be clouded by kind words and sincere eyes so that's why she had been spying on him. And so far, she hadn't seen him do anything suspicious that would suggest he was planning on betraying her. So maybe the reason he had been quick to give up his life at Manticore was because his days there were numbered. But when her venture was greeted by laughter, her indignation hardened her eyes on him again.
"True, I wasn't the perfect soldier but I hadn't fucked up so royally that I was in danger of having my organs harvested if I messed up a mission." Max rolled her eyes and re-crossed her arms over her breasts. The bitch is back. He thought amazed at how quickly she could morph from Dr. Jekyll to Ms. Hyde. "But if you really must know, I stopped believing Manticore's hype long before I met you." He spat. "If you don't trust me fine, I've been on the outside long enough to see trust is not an acceptable form of currency anyway so as far as I'm concerned who needs it." He moved passed her. "If the inquisition is over, I'd really like to go get a drink now."
"Whatever."
He didn't turn around or break stride. She watched him get smaller and smaller as he headed down the road.
This time she didn't follow.
***
Alec walked purposefully towards "T and A Pub." His head down and his hands stuffed deep in his pocket, he tried unsuccessfully to stop thinking about issues the conversation with Max had brought up.
No he wasn't the perfect soldier back at Manticore. He'd slept through roll call a few times. He'd mouthed off to one or two of his superiors and got his butt thrown in isolation a few times too. He didn't always hit the target during weapons training. He didn't like hand to hand because frankly punches and kicks from genetically engineered super soldiers hurt…a lot. If faced with an unbeatable opponent or one who was overzealous he had no problems taking a dive after the first few seconds of the match. Granted sometimes he needed to vent and then woe to the unfortunate unit member who found themselves on the mat with him. But other than that, what did he have to prove and who the hell to? There were no rewards for doing well. No ranking that could ever completely exempt you from punishment. He knew all too well how true that was.
He had been a good soldier when he was younger. Like the rest of them, growing up he thrived on the competitiveness and worked damn hard to be the best. There were many nights when he would go to bed smiling, the voice of one TAC leader or another in his head saying "Excellent job, 494." But none of that mattered when they came for him that night. His exceptional track record or his continually proven loyalty didn't spare him from spending six months in hell for something he had never considered doing in the first place. So as far as he was concerned, Manticore was just a place that provided him food and shelter. The assignments were his job. A fair exchange for the bed and board they gave him. After all, the world was a filthy and diseased place. Just because he didn't buy into the idea of blind obedience and loyalty to Manticore didn't mean he wanted to escape it and live out in the world by himself. That is until he met someone like him who had been successful at it. Within two days of being in the real world, free of Manticore, he knew he had made the right decision. There was no way he was going back now that he had such a long, sweet taste of freedom.
On that note, he could totally understand how reluctant Max was to let her guard down around him. He slowed his stride, glanced back to the direction he came and sighed. She'd been out for years. As unpleasant a thought the idea of returning to Manticore was for him, it was a million times worse for her. She had to protect herself…protect her freedom. Manticore had never stopped and would never stop looking for those who escaped back in 2009.
Alec stopped suddenly as the enormity of the situation he was in caught up to him. Manticore would never stop looking for him either. From now on he was constantly going to have to be looking over his shoulder. He'd have to be careful of everything he said and did. Back with Manticore, the missions he'd gone on before in the real world depended on his skills as both a soldier and a transgenic. And truth be told, he enjoyed that. He enjoyed being free from the oppressive walls of Manticore while also free to utilize his superior abilities. But now he was free of Manticore, but to keep from showing up on their radar, he was always going to have to keep a part of himself hidden, well except with Max.
He turned around. Except with Max, that thought hastening his journey back to her.
***
Max surveyed the items on the kitchen table: two cans of corn, a half a bag of rice, a jar of peanut butter, tomato paste, a can of lima beans, three cans of tuna, two cans of spam, and a box of pop tarts. She grabbed a can of corn, the rice, tomato paste, lima beans, and spam and put it on the counter next to the wood stove.
I'm not doing this for him. It's getting late and I'm just hungry. Big deal if he comes home and if he happens to be hungry there'll just happen to be a hot meal--a left over from MY dinner hot meal--here for him. Just a coincidence. I so don't feel guilty about spying on him. I had a right to! She reasoned with herself while she prepared her dinner.
She had been slicing and dicing pieces of spam when she heard someone approaching from outside. She immediately set down her knife and ran to the window.
"Shit!" She exclaimed when she saw Alec several yards down the road. Max blurred back into the kitchen and quickly finished with the spam. "Why is he back so soon?"
Wait why am I panicking? It's not like I wanted to surprise him. These thoughts did not succeed in slowing down her mad dash to clean up the kitchen, mix together her creation and turn up the heat for the food, however.
Alec had slowed his pace when he realized he didn't exactly know what to say to Max about what happened earlier. Several times he thought about turning back around and getting inebriated first, but he knew that'd be fruitless. With his metabolism, he'd be sober before he was halfway back.
A few feet closer to the house and his nostrils began to twitch from the aroma coming from within. Something was cooking and it smelled damn good. They had a stove and some of the food they picked up from the market probably would taste better hot, but they usually just ate it straight from the can without bothering to heat it first.
When he walked into the house, Max was in the kitchen bent over the stove. She straightened and their eyes met. They stared at each other way past the point of it being uncomfortable.
"I ugh…"
"I ugh…"
They said simultaneously before laughing nervously.
"Something smells good."
"You hungry?" They spoke at the same time again.
***
The tension was still thick as they dug into their meal, having come to a silent agreement to eat first and clear the air later. But eventually the pot was empty, Alec ran out of synonyms for tasty, and Max finished naming her list of concoctions she cooked during her years on the streets.
"About earlier today," He began. "Sorry I acted so immature. It was stupid of me to assume you'd trust me after only knowing me for a few weeks. I mean just because I trust you completely doesn't mean it has to be mutual. I realize that you've had to keep yourself guarded to protect yourself from Manticore finding--"
"Alec I do trust you. I'm the one that should be apologizing." She broke in. "I've had to rely on my instincts about people ever since I escaped and I always got the vibe from you that you were on the level. It was just…well after being alone for so long…I didn't think it was possible for me to click with someone so fast. Finding the kids I escaped with again has been a dream of mine since that night. To not be alone anymore and to have someone to connect with." The faraway tone her voice took made Alec's heart clench almost painfully. "But when I finally did meet someone who could understand me completely, you turned out to be fresh out of Manticore. I had to be sure. Because if I was wrong about you—"
"I understand Max. I know what would happen if they caught you. I wouldn't wish that on anybody."
Max nodded, once again thankful that certain things didn't need to be said when it came to the two of them.
"I know your use to being on your own, but I am glad that you've let me tag alone." Alec continued. "…because I kinda feel lucky that I don't have to do this whole running and hiding thing all by myself."
"I want to thank you too." He looked both startled and curious by her words so she rushed on. "…for being there for me that day when you found me seizing. Manticore sucked pretty hard, but I could always count on someone being there for me when I was like that. After I escaped I didn't have that anymore. It felt really good to have someone there and to be able to talk openly to someone who understands." She said shyly. They were quiet for a moment; their confusing thoughts and emotions un-jumbling in the comfortable silence. "So, we cool?"
"Yeah." Alec smiled. "S'all good."