A life less (extra)ordinary

Disclaimer: None of the series characters are mine... (the word obviously springs to mind for some reason)

Pairing/s: Not really a big factor in the story since it's not a romance, but there are some subtle hints and not so subtle hints so you'll know.

Rating: I hate doing this cause it limits reader scope but...R

A/n: This is the reworked version of 'The cat's out of the bag'. I found that it staggered a bit in places and since my writing experience has gone up I thought it might be fun to give this little puppy another go. (Been a DAf from start to finish and love all the characters.) Please review if you have a chance. Got nothing else to say except... enjoy!

"What do you think it all means?" Max asked, a cloud of vapour escaping past her inviting lips. The night air was a bitter kind of cold. The wind was still. The familiar, nightly sounds of sirens and disturbances were at a record low. There was a gracious peace about the night in particular. She looked out onto the sector and found herself appreciating the site more than she had in quite a while. She found herself slipping into deep thought more often and questioning aspects of her life that she had simply never assigned any importance to or ignored completely. There were so many other constants; her relationships with Logan, Alec, Cindy, Joshua. As complicated as her life was, would she really trade it?

--I don't know-- Logan answered, his voice coming across her earpiece.

She shook her head, for no reason in particular. "He's on the move." Max said suddenly. She looked over the side of the building and focused. Her vision became sharper and she magnified the darkened image of a figure running from an alleyway. "I'm in pursuit." She jumped from her position on an apartment building rooftop to a street lamp, using it like a parallel bar and swinging round before landing safely on the ground. Following in his path, she ran through the empty park; sticking to the shadows and using the trees and bushes for cover. She finally found herself at the street on the other side, with no sign of her target. "What the...?"

Max felt an intense pain cripple her back before flying forward and hitting the side of a blue Chevrolet parked across the street. --Max? Max, are you okay?--

"Peachy." she groaned. She shook the glass from her hair and turned to face her attacker. He stepped forward; the sound of his footsteps heavy against the asphalt. The figure was not amazingly tall, but his width seemed double his height. What Max would guess was three hundred pounds of pure muscle, now glared menacingly at her. His face had been covered to some extent, but she still caught the extreme chemical burns. "What do you want?" he asked, his speech slurred and hampered by the fact that the corner of his mouth had melted together.

"To stop you from hurting others... to help you." she answered, finding herself scared by him. "You killed three people in that accident, and the police are after you because of it, but who you really need to be afraid of, is Manticore. Trust me on this, your fifteen minutes come with a price, and if we don't get you out of here and somewhere safe, they're gonna take you back to somewhere that you don't want to be." She didn't know what series he was, or even if he was, all she knew was that there was no way he was 'just human' and in that sector, it almost always meant Manticore. "So let's go." Max said, standing and extending her hand. "What'd ya say?"

He began to laugh, a laugh so filled with baritone and littered with hate, it would scare the devil himself. "It was not an accident." In one, fluid action, he knocked her ten meters clear. "Stupid girl."

Max reacted quickly, twisting with cat-like familiarity and landing, crouched, on the street. "I never met an escapee I didn't like." she said to herself. "Well, if you don't count Alec." She jumped up as he ran for her, trying to flip over him but being caught midway and slammed to the ground. Her cry of pain rented the air, much to his satisfaction, before he picked her up by her neck and let her dangle in front of him. She grabbed onto his stump of an arm, swung her body, and delivered an impressive blow to his side. With that, she was free, and able to strike a second blow to his knee, bringing him down to a kneel. He lunged for her but she fluidly sidestepped and threw a punch at his Adams apple finally striking his nose upward. He collapsed into a heap, drawing his last breath.

--Max?--

"Still here." she sighed. "I don't get it, he had a chance to live free and he wasted it. I mean, it wasn't even for revenge against the people that did... what they did to him." Max didn't feel proud about what she'd done but it had also been her only option. It was at a time like this that she really thought the world a cruel and unfair pile of steaming shit.

--Maybe he meant to take revenge on those people, on the everyday people who don't see your kind as equals, but animals.-- Logan tried to explain as she walked away from the scene, leaving Manticore to clean up the mess they had made over a decade ago. --Whatever his reasons, you need to remember that there will always be good and bad, and not everyone can be who you want them to be.--

"I know, I know." she whispered. "You can't save 'em all."

"Come on people, move it! Go, go, go!" Normal shouted to the staff of Jam Pony. Bodies moved hurriedly here and there, donning packages and envelopes. Despite the rather grey setting of the whole place, it was still one of the best places to work in the sector, or at least it could be if the blonde haired drill sergeant behind the counter hadn't made every morning as lousy as possible. "I should have you working on commission; see how much you earn by the time you get your pay cheque!"

"Alec." Original Cindy called as she caught sight of him at the lockers. Her thick brown locks bounced as she made her way over to him. OC had her own sense of mismatched style, donning a few well kept vintage accessories with new fashions and keeping her wild afro as tamed as it could be. Her originality was surpassed only by her attitude, and she had lots of it. "Alec, how's your mood today?"

"Pretty shitty." he smiled sarcastically. It wasn't as if he was lying. Hanging around with the outspoken woman, he knew exactly when she wanted something and how she tried her best to be as sweet as possible when she did. He zipped up his pack and slammed his locker shut. "Don't pull the puppy dog face OC, it really doesn't suit you."

Alec pushed passed her and made his way to Normal, picking up the stack of packages beside him. "Hey, you don't even know what I'm going to ask." she argued, grabbing the next set of packages in the same manner he had. "You know what, forget it. I don't know what came over me when I thought you might just help me out on this one."

Alec sighed as the two stopped at the bike racks. "What am I gonna have to do to get rid of this 'Heartless Bastard' label that you and Max have so graciously bestowed upon me." he spat, slightly irritated at the fact that everyone else had the right to refuse except for him, because if he did, he was just the same uncaring Alec that Max had freed from Manticore. It wasn't wholly untrue, and he didn't mind it a lot of the time, but lately it was starting to work on his nerves.

"I got a date tomorrow night and she is H-O triple T if you know what I'm sayin'. Only problem is, she won't go out with me until she's sure that her friend's been taken care of." Alec raised a brow, waiting for her to continue. She sighed, preparing to receive an onslaught of refusal. "She wants me to hook her girl Drew up with a man."

"You gotta be kiddin' me. You want me to go on a blind date?" he half shouted.

OC quieted him down, pulled her bike out of the rack and looked at him again. "Listen, I've seen her myself and she's a good looking girl, alright? She just doesn't talk too much... or have a lot of confidence... which is why she can't get a guy." She waited for a response from him and smiled when she saw his look of uneasy acceptance. "Tonight, eight-thirty at Club X-tasi. She'll be waiting for you at the bar."

"How will I know what she looks like?"

"Don't worry about it, she'll stick out like a sore thumb." That said, OC adjusted her backpack and climbed onto her bike. "Thanks for this Alec, I owe ya one." He shook his head as he watched her go, realizing that she'd already made plans because she knew he'd crumble. With one last look at the oppressive sky above him, he mounted his bike and rode off.

Alec jogged across the street and stopped before the doors of Club X-tasi. The music could be heard well outside the club and the strobe lights flooded out of the high windows of the factory turned night club. He'd been to the club a couple of times, not particularly a place for meet and greet but great for hours of non-stop dance. He forced himself to think again about exactly what he was doing. A possible night of torture with a mousy, retentive girl, versus a night of bar hoping and possible hustling, depending on the mood, and almost guaranteed good times. It was his guess that she would probably run screaming out of the club if he so much as lay a hand on her thigh. He sighed, making up his mind and going in with a nod to each of the two bouncers.

The laser lights from the jam packed dance floor skipped across him as the music drowned out every other sound. The thumping beat excited the crowd and seemed to determine the pattern of the spectacular light show. He snaked his way down the staircase, being careful not to bump the many couples who were feeling each other up, among other things. For someone with no confidence, this is a hell of a place to meet.he thought to himself as he pushed through the crowd shoulder first. Alec found the small archway into the bar and straightened his jacket before walking in.

The atmosphere was far more quiet, though music still played over the large speakers. He surveyed the room, finding less than a handful of women who sat alone. One woman in particular caught his eye; sitting alone at the bar and preoccupied with her drink. She didn't seem to fit with the scene; apprehensive and, and this he gathered from his own sixth sense, turning just slightly to look about her; not many would have noticed it if they weren't paying attention. She was wrapped in a fur coat, one which must've been insanely hot under the conditions; her ears were adorned with diamond earrings, and long, jet black hair was done into a high style. She sure as hell stuck out.

As he made his way over to her, a burly man took the seat at her side and grinned reptiliously. She made no sign of acknowledgement and continued on as she had been. His grin grew wider and he tried his best to lean back in a suave and lusting manner. Still, she took no notice. Finally, he leant forward and pushed her drink a bit to one side. "I couldn't help but..."

"No." she said sternly. She didn't appear to have any lack of confidence as far as Alec could see.

"But you haven't even..."

"No." she said again, looking straight ahead to the mirrored shelves behind the bar counter.

"Listen woman, I..."

"She said no." Alec came from behind her. "Why don't you try and get your kicks somewhere else?" The man sighed, and shot a look of hatred at her before moving off. The bartender offered the woman another margarita before Alec stole the seat next to her and ordered a beer. She lifted her head slightly as she watched her drink being poured and cast a sideward glance his way.

"I didn't need you to do that, but thank you none the less." she said, her voice soft and deliberately so. The tone had changed considerably, no longer as commanding as it had been but smooth and alluring. "Is there any particular reason you came to my rescue, or do you enjoy playing the hero every now and again?"

She might as well have asked him whether he wanted to get into her pants or just collect a drink and leave her alone. "I'm Alec and unless I just made a big mistake, you must be my date." he said softly, flashing the playboy smile which had worked like a charm many times before.

"Call it what you like." the woman said, greeting his hazel eyes with her own of the same colour. "I must admit, you aren't what I expected." she half smiled, taking another sip from her glass. Her chocolate brown skin glowed in the soft lights of the bar and the sequins on her elegant black dress glittered in turn; she was letting the coat slip from her shoulder.

"Now is that good, or bad?" he asked.

"I guess I'll have to find out." she answered.

"You're not what I expected either." His mood started to lighten. There might be some fun in tonight after all."And I'll be honest, that's good."

She took a deep breath and moved her glass aside. "You'll forgive my rushing this, but I'm afraid I have other matters to attend to." She removed something from her slim handbag and then moved in close to him, her soft, rouge lips hovering at his ear. "Please, secrecy is of the utmost importance." Her hand moved slowly inside his jacket, finally resting on a pocket and slipping something small but fairly heavy inside. Her musky perfume drifted to him as she held herself just there. "Find them." she whispered. Quickly she moved back and took her handbag, slipping back through the crowd.

He looked after her, finally coming out of his daze long enough to reach into his jacket pocket. His eyes widened and a hundred thoughts ran through his head at that moment. The only thing he seemed capable of doing without thinking was following after her. "Looks like I made a big mistake, a really, really big mistake." he said to himself, loosing her path and only assuming she left through the back. "Hey!" Alec called, making her figure in the brightly lit back corridor as her stiletto heels clicked against the broken tiles. He made his way to the door to late, and caught her sliding into a black limousine.

"Hey Sketch." Max greeted as she passed him on the way out. Tired from the night before, she had managed to drag herself to work about a half hour late. If only they knew what she did after hours... well, either they'd sing her praises or scream her bloody murder. She shook the thought. Since it hadn't been her first time punching in late, far from it, she was anticipating the scheduled scolding in "Three, two, one... "

"Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence." Normal said sarcastically as Max strolled passed him. Even so, she was given a rare privilege, and he left his sanctuary. "You sure that there's nothing I can get you Max? A cup of coffee maybe, or how about a bagel? Just say the word and I'll make sure you have all you'll need to push through the day 'your majesty.'" he called, angered by her nonchalant attitude.

She yawned and stretched while going to the lockers, showing him just how easy it was for her to ignore his voice. "I told you Boo, you've been pushin' yourself too hard lately. White may be doggin' your tail but you're gonna need some rest if you're planning on putting all that training to good use." Cindy told her, peering from behind her locker door.

"Yes mom." Max joked, dropping onto the bench and staring at her locker. "Tell me you've had a better week than I have." She said stretching again and searching her backpack. "That way at least one of us will have had fun." Seeing her friend's expression, she rubbed the spot on the bench beside her, motioning for her to take a seat.

OC flopped down next to her and shook her head. "Well, I would've hit you with the news that I had a date tonight but that was all riding on whether Alec agreed to do me just one favour and take her best bud on a date and guess what, he didn't pull through."

Max placed her hand on Cindy's forehead. "Not only did you ask Alec for a favor, but that favor was a blind date? You've gotta be coming down with something."

"Yeah, a bad case of Desperate Cindyosis." They both laughed; Cindy still a little depressed at the fact that she was going to be spending a night at Crash instead of in the arms of one of the most beautiful women she'd ever met. "Maybe I can still patch things up, see if I can't convince Sketchy instead."

"Well I'm going to be taking a trip out of the sector for the weekend; if things don't work out, how about you join me?" Max offered, slamming her locker. "Who knows, you might even find a girl to take your troubles away." She and OC walked to the parcel counter together, taking their clipboards along with their deliveries.

"Max, I gotta talk to you." Alec said, pulling her away. "I..." Without time to say word one, Cindy's hand had already connected with his face. He rubbed his cheek, finding that she was a lot stronger than she looked. "Damnit, what was that for?"

She folded her arms and glared at him. "I knew trusting you was a bad idea but somehow I managed to get it into my head that you wouldn't let me down." He looked between the two of them, seeing that they'd already played judge, jury and executioner. "You'd better have been hit by a bus or something equally as painful."

"Don't worry, I've got an explanation for ditching the date." The two of them waited impatiently for him to continue. "I was with another woman." He asked for the second one, or rather ones. "OC I understand, but why did you slap me?" he spat, rubbing both cheeks now.

"Because it was fun." she smiled, lifting her shoulders. "Now, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

He stopped rubbing his cheeks and took a deep breath. "Yesterday at the club, I met a woman who I thought was my date since she stood out from everyone else at the bar. Great description by the way." he said sarcastically, turning to OC. "Turns out she was waiting for someone else and she handed me cash thinking I was that someone else and then she bailed so I followed her. When I tried to catch up with her she bolted and drove off in a limo."

Max turned to her best friend, before both of them looked back to him. "How much money?" they asked in unison.

They had made their way to Logan's after work, deciding that if any brain storming were to be done, it would be best to do it with him. Alec felt that it worked out best in the end for him anyway; Max and Logan would usually do their thing and completely forget that he was there until of course Max turned on him and threw out the usual accusation of his not doing anything, to which he would reply 'With you to brooding away, who can get a word in edgewise.' "I knew it was just too good to be true. A weekend without having to duck and dive around corners in case I get my head blown off. A weekend without any trouble from the familiars or White. A weekend of peace and quiet. But no, Alec has to find his way into another situation and pull me into it." Max vented, stopping and patting Alec's shoulder. "Thanks buddy." she said, her lips pursed.

Logan glanced at them then to the envelope on his desk. "The question is, who's rich enough to dish out fifteen grand?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else. The mystery had been eating away at him; everything seemed a little off about the whole thing, but he just couldn't place his finger on it. "Alec, what did you say she looked like again?"

"Uh... well... " he sighed, looking off into the distance as he thought. "Brown hair, hazel eyes, she was about... I dunno, six foot maybe. She had a beauty spot on her left cheek bone and a silver necklace with a tiger's head and two diamonds were the eyes should be." They both looked at him, Max cocking a brow in amazement.

"Wow, you paid an awful lot of attention in the few minutes you had with her." She walked passed him and stood behind Logan, waiting as the blocks at the bottom of the screen lit up one by one as the search began. "Do you think you can find her on what Alec's told you?"

He nodded his head. "Well there aren't many people who can give away money like that and the limo says she's got lots of it. This search won't even take an hour." The computer's fan was the only sound present in the room as Alec sank into the couch and Max paced anxiously.

"That things not going to work any faster with you grinding a ditch into the floor Max. Sit down, take a load off." He picked up the remote control and flicked between channels. "There she is." he said, leaning forward and upping the volume on the set. "That's the woman I met yesterday."

McIntyre Technologies has confirmed the rumors of a merger with Albertson Tomorrow, resulting in one of the largest tech mergers in almost two decades. Since her parents mysterious disappearance five years ago, the heir to the McIntyre powerhouse, Kayna McIntyre has proven that she has what it takes to drive her company into the future. Though many still believe her success to be a wave of luck, she has fought the critics and taken no prisoners.

For New York News, I'm Elizabeth Arnolds.

"Well, that answers one question." Alec said.

"But poses a whole lot more, like what one of the richest women in the country is doing paying off strangers in a backwater club." Logan began, stopping the search and turning his chair to face Max and Alec.

"That's all very interesting but if you'll excuse me..." Alec was already nearing the door before they both called for him to 'Hold it!' "Hey, there's nothing more we can do. The guy she was supposed to meet will probably call her up and tell her that she didn't show and when he does they'll set up another meeting."

Max shook her head. "Yeah, but then she'll know that you weren't the guy she was supposed to meet and she'll have someone or a whole lot of someone's get her money back for her." She looked knowingly at him, going back to the desktop with her eyes and then back to him; she'd noticed the missing envelope. "Face it Alec, you can't keep it."

"Oh come on, you know that I could easily handle whoever she gets to come after me. Besides, are we forgetting that she's a millionaire? She's not going to miss fifteen grand."

"Max's right. You have to give the money back." Logan said. "I'll pull up an address and maybe you can talk to her while you're at it, see what her story is." Alec could tell that he wasn't going to win this one, as was usually the case. Finally, he yielded and asked for the address. Logan typed her name into his computer and wrote it down. With a cold 'thank you', he left.

"So... " Logan said at length; he and Max being left alone. "Listen, you should still go on your weekend retreat. I can safely sat that us guys can handle this for the next two or three days." She looked unsure. "Seriously, it's nothing big. When you get back, we'd hopefully have answers waiting for you and we can play it by ear after that. I want you to go... you need a break from all this."

"And what about you?" she asked. "You work just as hard as I do, obviously in a different way."

He shrugged. "Until we've got more control over what happens in our lives, we're gonna have to take turns with vacation time. Maybe one day, we'll take time off together."

"I'd like that." she smiled. She leaned close to him and stopped before his lips. He brought his hand to her cheek and held it just high enough to feel the warmth of her skin. They pushed their limits of intimacy closer each time, having reached the point of danger with a single twitch or slip of the hand. She brought her gloved hand over his mouth and kissed it. "Bye."

"May I ask who is calling?" - "Excuse me sir, but may I ask who is calling?" The butler asked again, with a hint of a Scottish accent. Grey haired, and formally attired, he certainly seemed to fit the scene. Alec had brought himself as far as the large stone steps at the front door and now he was torn between walking inside, and walking away. He looked around at the well maintained garden, the old walls, the high security system, the well groomed and mannered butler. Everything in him was telling him to walk away and just pocket the cash; Logan and Max wouldn't know the difference.

"Alec, my name is Alec." he let out. The butler took a slight bow and showed him in, leaving him for a few moments in the front foyer. "I've got to get away from those two." he said allowed, referring to Max and Logan. "At this rate I'm going to end up a poor, crusty ol' good Samaritan." He looked up at the fresco ceiling, then down to the marble floor and equally textured pillars. "What's she going to do with just fifteen grand? Buy a vase?" He heard footsteps to his left and moved forward to observe the long, grand corridor, with its high ceilings and priceless paintings.

"Madame McIntyre will see you now. But I ask that you enter her office quietly." They made their way back down the corridor, giving Alec a chance to briefly inspect it. The carpets were a deep and rich red, breaking the pale white of the marbled walls The place seemed like a museum, exquisitely adorned with antiques and heirlooms, but somehow not lived in. Everything was for show, items that filled space and were chosen simply to fit a theme, neither of them chosen by the owner he would guess.

The butler left him and he entered the office. It was large, spacious, with wood finishes a leather couch and leather seats. He closed the door softly behind him, being ushered in by a gesture of her hand. There were hints of greenery, a plant in two corners, but other than that, the office was filled with bookshelves and ornaments, none of which seemed to suit her. "Sono informato dei rischi ma li assicuro che, questa fusione sarà a vantaggio di noi tutto. Avrò controllo completo sopra Albertson. Potete dimenticarsi che I per possedere le parti di controllo della mia azienda ed ora venti cinque per cento di Albertson, che mi rende il più grande supporto di parte tutto l'in tondo." He raised a brow. "Capisco la vostra preoccupazione. Alright. Arrivederci Louis."

"I'm impressed. Italian?" Alec asked.

"Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?" she smiled, a smile filled with distrust. "I must tell you that I'm surprised you sought me out and came here. I was expecting to have to come out and find you." She eyed him, that same distrust coupled with something else, all too familiar to him. "Who have you spoken to about last night?"

He pulled the money from his pocket and lobbed it onto her desk. "Here's your money back. And don't worry about last night, you're secret's safe, although I'm still not completely sure what that secret is." They were silent for a while, gauging each other. "I could help; I'm good at finding things, or people, that aren't easy to find... or don't want to be found."

She rose from her chair and stalked around the desk until she stood straight in front of him. It was then he caught full sight of her silk white robe. It clung to the curves of her body and was all too thin. He was then glad that she wore underwear, if the sliver of material around her hips could be classified as that. Her chest left little to nothing to the imagination. Alec was gifted in the art of seduction and he'd always believed that he'd given more than he received, although there was always a first. He knew she was about to play him like a cheap guitar, but at that point, he really didn't care. Still, he kept his composure and grinned cockily at her. She took the envelope from her desk and tapped it between her breasts. "How about you take the money, as a show of good will on my part? We can just forget that any of this happened."

"Hush money?" He wrestled with it, imagining running through the bills with his fingers. Then he immediately thought of Max, and Logan, and even Cindy, although she might've been with him on this one. If he came back with the cash, they wouldn't believe he'd returned it and they'd probably keep on him until he did. The whole lot of them were big on doing the right thing, unfortunately. "I'm afraid that won't work."

"Then what will?" she asked innocently, putting the envelope back.

Alec stood and moved up to her, pressing in close. He took in her scent again, moving slowly across the hollow of her neck. Her heart beat amplified in his ears and her breathing jumped just once, barely noticeable to normal ears. He moved his head back and his lips were now little more than an inch from her own. "Do you always use seduction to get you somewhere?"

She laughed, warm and rich, and he didn't doubt that she controlled even that. She seemed set on control, and there was far more to her than she allowed people to believe. He knew how to read people; and recognized himself. "My intuition tells me that you aren't so different. Do I always use seduction? No, but being intelligent, or witty, or savvy doesn't always get you far, so I use the tools at my disposal. Why should I be ashamed to enjoy what I've been given. I'm proud of all of my assets."

"I'm proud of your assets too." he grinned. He straightened himself, and left without looking back. As flustered as he may have felt, he was only slightly aware of the effect he'd had on the the woman he'd just left. It seemed Alec had met his match, and he wasn't complaining.

Max parked her bike in the open space next to a run down diner. She'd finally gotten out of the city and was making her way as far as possible. Climbing off her bike, she tied her long, windblown, auburn hair. The country had never looked so good to her, the reason being she'd almost never been away from home for any other reason than Manticore. Even though the town could stand a bit of work; a fresh coat of paint and a clean up crew, she wouldn't have it any other way. It's true that one never appreciates what they have until it's gone, but in Max's case, she appreciated what she'd never known, far more than those who had.

"Hey sugar." the woman behind the bar called to Max as she made her way inside to the counter. There were only ten or so people in total, but she supposed she liked it that way. The less people, the less suspicious she felt of every eye that set upon her. "What can I do ya for?" the aged brunette asked. She was heavy set, although not fat. Her hair was neatly tied back and streaks of grey appeared here and there. Max could tell that she had been a pretty woman, but age, a hard life, and cigarettes and alcohol, had taken a toll on her features.

"A cup of... hot chocolate would be nice." Max smiled, deciding to go for something different for a change. She took up the bar stool in front of the waitress and watched as her beverage was prepared. "Thanks." The warm tendrils of steam touched her soft skin as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. This is nice. Not perfect, or amazing, just nice.she thought, wanting it just that way.

"Can't say I've ever seen you around here before. And believe me, I know almost everybody in this town, probably because this is the only diner." She seemed mildly excited by the appearance of a new face; it hadn't been one of the highlights of her day, but it was interesting enough. "The name's Isabella, full time mom and owner of this old dump. And you are?"

Max looked up at her and thought for a moment. "Just a girl... just a girl passing through town."

"Well, Just a girl, you'd better watch yourself. Traveling alone could get you into all sorts of trouble." Isabella excused herself and went to clear the cup and plate of another customer a few stools down from Max. She walked passed and stopped. "You sure you don't want me to whip something up for you, honey? You look like you could use a good meal."

"That bad huh?" She nodded and ordered from the small menu next to her. As she looked around she realized that the night life in the town probably got as exciting as a barn dance, or poker night for the men. But there was something comforting about being shut off from the rest of the world. "How long have you lived here?" she asked Isabella as her bacon and egg sandwich and blueberry muffin arrived.

The woman looked around her diner, and smiled to herself. "All my life, all my life." she said softly. "Let's just hope my kids don't make the same mistake." Isabella saw Max furrow her brow in confusion. "Don't get me wrong sweetie, I love this place with all my heart, but I wish I wouldn't have been afraid to see what was out there with my own two eyes. I have and I always will be, your average Joe, and there ain't nothing worse than that."

"Oh, I don't know," Max said before taking a sip of her hot chocolate. "I can think of worse things." She would've like nothing more than to be an average Joe, but that was something which could never happen. Tucked away in the small town, Isabella would never know how lucky she had it.

"It better not be a man taking that smile away from your pretty face." Isabella whispered, making Max snap out of her thought induced trance. "I've had my share of that life, and I am not going back. So what do you say, you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"It has to do with a man, but not the way you think. I broke it off with him, which gets me down every time I think about it, but it was for the best. We can't be together and I can't help that. But things are difficult, and I don't understand him, or me, for wanting what will never be, what we just can't have." she said, shaking her head.

"Now that's different. But you're gonna have to elaborate."

"He knows we can't be together but he doesn't except that, he doesn't want to accept that and... neither do I. I know that it can't work, he knows that it can't work but still, he keeps on convincing me otherwise." she sighed, breaking off a piece of her muffin and staring down at her empty plate as she chewed. "I don't know what to do anymore." Slowly sipping the cup of coffee which Isabella had offered on the house, half way through her story.

"The way I see it hon, there's nothing you can do. He's just as convinced that the two of you are meant to be, as you are convinced that you're not. Take it from me, 'Just a girl', he still believes in your love, even if you don't."

End Part One

A.n: Please do me the courtesy of reviewing if you have the time.