A life less (extra)ordinary

A/n: I believe that there's a lot behind Max and Logan's relationship that many non shippers, shippers, and even the DA script writers fail to perceive. I suppose the biggest part of the whole virus thing is that, people need to touch and be touched, especially people who are in that kind of relationship, and it can be tough when you can't do that. For the most part, I've written Max and Logan's interactions as strained and clinical as she fights with her own feelings toward everything, and it's pretty obvious the way I handled Alec and Kay, and continue to handle them. Which brings me onto the major point of this note: Sexual scene in chapter! I'm not very good at writing that kind of thing but practice makes perfect, plus I need it to perpetuate the story at parts. I hope that people don't just take the interactions as some filler pieces and instead read into the contrasts between the couples. As always, please let me know what you think

"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."

Max was bumped violently by an overzealous dancer at Crash. The club had brought the band Reign of Chaos in from Canada and the joint had been more packed than ever before. At the time when she should've been letting go of all her worries and dancing 'til she dropped, she found herself pondering on recently passed events. With a new transgenic on the loose, in all likelihood the deadly assassin that had committed triple homicide, it was difficult to relax.

"Have you ever heard of fun?" She remembered Alec say. "You know, that thing you do when you're not too busy working, ordering me around or pining over Logan? That thing that most people find second nature but you seem to avoid every minute of the day? That thing that forces you to take that carrot out of your ass and stop taking everything so seriously."

As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. But it was so difficult to be stress free when every time she thought that she could relax, some new, life-threatening event would make sure she was back to being the irritating stiff of a person she'd swore she'd never become. "Fuck it, I've had enough. I'm gonna stop acting like morbid transgenic and start living the life I fought so hard for."

She slid off her chair and smiled before heading into the crowd.

Max Guevara was indeed perfectly engineered. Curves in all the right places and could perhaps be described as 'every man's fantasy'. The club's lights shone over her long auburn hair as she reached the center of the dance floor. Her body slid to the music, her hips carrying the beat with carefree assurity. Even without trying, she'd already called the attention of the guys around her. She swayed and rolled her body to the music with the fluidity of a snake and the sexual appeal of a goddess.

Her hair flew around her soft features, and her eyes seemed to be daring anyone to dance with her. She stalked toward a blonde that looked just about her age. He seemed to tense when she set her eyes on him and moved closer, her arms sliding around his neck. An almost menacing smile crossed her lips as she moved against him. She'd almost forgotten how good it felt to bring a guy to a sweat with just a simple look. Max turned around and teasingly rubbed against his noticeably rising manhood.

Unable to contain her laughter, she moved away from him and stopped in front of an equally attractive woman who had been watching her with more than intrigue. Max's eyes seemed to burn holes in her own and it was already clear who was leading the seductive dance. Her arms swayed with her, contributing to the almost intoxicating way in which she captivated her growing audience. She was more than enjoying her sudden burst of freedom. It wasn't long before she stepped off the floor and went back to the table.

"Who are you and what the hell have you done with my girl Max?" OC asked, having followed her from the crowd.

"What are you talking about?"

"Girl, that's the first sign of life you've shown for far too long and what a way to come back. You realize that everyone in the room was fixed on you, and I mean everyone, straight or otherwise." she laughed, sitting down next to Max. "You've even got me thinkin' impure thoughts."

Max smiled and sipped the glass of water she had left where she sat. "Well that's good to know; at least I haven't lost my touch."

"Whoa, Max, if I had known you could move like that..." Sketch said, sliding into a seat and seeming overly excited. The look she gave him suggested against finishing the sentence, "I would've known you could move like that." he finished stupidly, sure that he'd made no sense at all.

"Yo, Boo, you got yourself an admirer." OC pointed out, referring to the man sitting at the far end of the bar.

"Well, can't keep my fans waiting." She got up and felt Cindy catch her arm. "What?"

"What about Logan?"

She pulled her arm away and her smile quickly faded. "I'm not going to jump in bed with the guy just because he's giving me the eye. Logan and I are still in the cards OC, but that doesn't mean I've got to put my life on hold." Max walked over to the darkly handsome man and sat herself beside him, almost glaring back to her best friend. "Hi, I'm Max."

Alec stretched in front of his locker, arching his back and rolling his neck. He'd been dreading work since the minute he had woken up and was more than happy to be walking out of the doors of Jam Pony with a fat wallet and walking through the doors of Crash. All he needed was some serious down time, probably get around to seeing Joshua at some point. Whatever he did, the important thing was, it was totally up to him.

He closed his locker door and jumped slightly at the sight of Sketchy. "Hey Sketch, you up for drinks at Crash?" Alec asked, patting Sketchy's back as he began walking with him.

"Not exactly bro. Listen, I kinda need to ask you for a favour." Sketchy already knew that he wasn't going to like the idea, but having asked everyone he could think of that might owe him a favour of two, which was about one person, he would have to try his luck with Alec. "Seriously man, I wouldn't be asking you this if it wasn't important."

"Come on man, it's Friday night." he protested. "There's gotta be someone else you can ask." Sketchy nodded slightly and backed away, the look on his face beyond disappointment. "Alright, alright. Jesus, someone hand me a Kleenex and cue the violins."

"Thanks man, I owe you big time." His face lit up as he shoved the package into Alec's hands and bounded off. "You are the man Alec, you know that? You are the man!" Sketch shouted, finally disappearing around the corner.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the man." Alec repeated to himself, turning the package over to find the address. He chuckled quietly, not being one to believe in coincidences. "As much as I hate to admit it, I don't think you planned this one Sketch." Shoving it into his backpack, he waved goodbye to the few couriers left and headed for his bike. "Last drop off Alec, last drop off." he convinced himself. A couple of steps out the door and just on his way, it began to rain, hard. "Fucking A." he mumbled, stopping and putting on his hood.

He couldn't catch a cold, he knew he couldn't, but it was damn uncomfortable having to make his way through the heavy rain and even heavier traffic. Somehow, whenever the weather went sour, people started driving like idiots. He rode through the rain, past the traffic and the outskirts of the sector and on to the open land, Kay's estate well in sight, even in the dismal downpour. Pressing on the handle brakes, Alec searched for the call button on the wall panel and spoke into the small microphone.

"Messenger from Jam Pony!" he shouted, trying to make himself heard over the noise. Had this all been planned? To send him out on the shittiest of shitty nights, all the way across town and a good way outside of it? One thing was for sure; he'd be calling in Sketch's debt some time soon and it wasn't going to be pretty. The large black gates opened slowly as Alec cycled in, following a familiar route. The rain pounded and the gravel crunched beneath his tire; finally he wheeled to a stop and parked the bike in the small alcove at the front door. He had to wait a while before the sounds of lock after lock being undone, came from inside. "Well well well, she opens her own doors now."

Kay ignored the comment and took the clipboard from him. His eyes drifted over her, the fact that she was wearing another of her revealing negligees not lost on him. After signing, she gestured for the package and then took both through the foyer and placed them on the oak table near the palatial staircase. "It's started to hale incase you didn't notice." she called back, moving into the den. "Now you can stand there until it dies down, or come inside, either way, you're not going anywhere now." came her voice.

He shook himself off as best he could, wiped his shoes on the doormat, then stepped inside. He hated the feeling; everything was wet through and through, and he was cold. He didn't need to give the invitation a second thought, especially since the warm gold glow of a fire had cast shadows onto the marble floor of the foyer. Alec followed her way into the room and made the fire his first stop. He rubbed his hands together and hopped a bit, trying to loose the bite. Kay watched him from her seat on the lavish sofa in front of the fireplace. She had a glass of red wine in hand and a folder which she had kept to one side. "Working?"

"You call it working, I call it living." she said. "My work is my life, it's as simple as that." The hail pounded the windows and the wind shook the branches against them. "It sounds like hell outside." She set her glass down and stood. "I think we should prepare for your staying the night, if it's necessary. Follow me." They ascended one side of the crescent shaped stair case to the second level. The corridors upstairs seemed endless, lined with room after room. "Guest quarters on the east wing, living quarters on the west." They walked a little way to the first guest room.

Alec shook his head; the extent of the grandeur did not cease to amaze him. The room was larger than his apartment, without a doubt. She turned on the lights and dimmed them, used the control that lay on the large four-poster and kindled the fire with a push of a button. "Here's the bathroom." Kay said as she crossed over to his right and switched on the light. "And here's a robe." She threw a towel robe his way. "You'll have to dry your clothing by the fire, because I wouldn't know where to find the laundry room in this place... if there is one. Whether you stay the night is up to you." That said, she bade him 'goodnight' and left.

He looked to the robe in his hand, the scene outside, and his wet clothing. "Why the hell not?" he asked himself. Alec threw his pack aside and got rid of his drowned shoes and socks. His pants were next and finally his shirt was the last to come off. As he'd been advised, he set his clothing in front of the fireplace and tied on the robe. He searched the room for a while. He wanted to explore the mansion, but at some point security would probably cuff him or send him straight back. There wasn't much else to do except sleep, although the thought of wasting the night in such a way hit hard. He turned off the light and was left with the comforting crackle of the fire. Alec got into bed and watched the flames to his left; sleep not taking him very quickly. The door in front of him opened, and a wistful figure stepped through, leaning on the door behind her as it closed softly.

Kay stalked over to him, pivoting on one of the posts before gracefully moving onto the bed. "Half way to my room, a thought struck me." She slid one leg over and saddled him. Leaning forward, she whispered, "There are other ways to keep warm." She undid the tie and opened his robe, taking in his defined stomach. There was a soft ringing from across the room, the tone belonging to Logan. Kay forced him back down as he tried to sit up. "No." The tip of her nail trailed down his stomach and her hand caught his rising manhood. Her tongue slipped passed his lips and met his own, caressing it and finding equal skill returned. The phone rang again, causing Alec to stop. She moved back and stared at him. After a short while she dismounted, becoming irritated by his indecision. He grabbed her arm, the wince she gave making him believe that he'd caught her too hard. He pulled her under him and moved the barely there robe over her shoulders and down past her hips, not bothering with the tie.

She slunk out of the silk prison and then returned the gesture, casting away the towel robe. Her legs wrapped around him and he slid inside her, causing a moan of recognition. He lifted her as he moved back, bringing her chest to his face. She grabbed onto his back as the first thrust came, her nails digging in and causing him to writhe for just a second. Again he thrust, hard and desperate. It was his turn to moan as the pleasure of the next thrust was coupled with the pain of her nails scrapping across his skin. He held on to her tightly, not even considering that he might snap her bones if his grip was too strong. His tongue circled her nipple and his mouth took in the soft tip of her breast. Her nails had gone deeper still, Alec unintentionally biting her as he clenched his teeth. She let out a cry and pulled him even closer, if it was at all possible. A thin film of sweat now plagued them both as thrust after thrust came harder and faster. Her soft hair fell around them as they locked eyes; there was something there, pleasurable, passionate, raw. No sweet words or heartfelt sentiments, no loving gaze or tender touch. This was pure, unadulterated, insatiable, Lust. Her shoulder was now held at the mercy of his teeth and as they both neared their peak, he bit, tightening second after heat filled second. She cried out again but didn't pull back. Finally, they climaxed, energy draining from them. He lay her back down and fell at her side; the two eventually passing out, their limbs intertwined, from exhaustion.

Alec's eyes opened groggily. Kay had rolled over to the edge of the bed. He watched the silhouette of her body and the curve of her back. The night had been interesting, but he had no idea of what the rest of the day held in store. As he moved, the first thing he noticed was the pain. He got up and found small droplets of blood on the sheets. "Man am I gonna be feeling this." he whispered, aware of his speedy healing factor but dreading it all the same. He went over to the fireplace and got dressed, halting suddenly at the sound of voices from the corridor. He fixed his jeans and walked over lightly to the door. As far as he could tell, it was the butler, and another man. If he opened the door, he would have had the same effect as a wagon full of fireworks. Instead he pressed in close and used his enhanced sense to hear through the heavy wood.

"She's your responsibility, Duncan and you've lost her!" a man shouted.

"She is a fully grown woman sir. There is no way that I would be able to keep track of her all the time. I realize that your intent was to see her this morning but I'm afraid that until she calls in or we find her, you'll have to postpone your meeting indefinitely." The old man's voice was stronger than it had been, less gentile. It seemed that no one in the manner was what they appeared to be. "This is a very big mansion, and while it is uncommon for her to wander into rooms that she does not usually enter, it is not unheard of. If she's here, we'll find her."

"Make sure that she's prepped for her next mission when you find her, and then you call me." The sound of footsteps descending the staircase reached Alec's ears.

"Her next mission?" He questioned. He heard Duncan's steps fade away to the west wing. Still puzzled he went back and put on his shoes and socks; still damp but thankfully not soaking wet. Taking a moment, he searched to see if there was anything else that he'd forgotten. He went for his watch on the other side of the bed and again looked at her sleeping form. This time, he noticed something. Her hair had slipped back slightly and he caught sight of what looked like a barcode. He moved back a few locks of hair and was shocked. There as plain and clear as his own, was a barcode. She shifted at his touch and a portion of it blended to her skin, then disappeared completely. His sharp hearing allowed him to hear the sounds of car doors opening and slamming. Alec went over to the window and to his right, so far down it was almost out of sight, three cars stood in the drive way. His eyes widened as he recognized the face of the man who came out of the house, barked orders, then got into one of the black 4x4s. "Ah shit." He watched as they left, the gates closing menacingly behind them.

He grabbed his pack and made his way to the window. There was no sense in going out the front door. The place was probably covered in staff who were searching for Kay. He opened the rusty thing with some force and looked down. It was quite a drop, even by his standards, but since there were no drain pipes, he'd have to rough it. Alec braced himself and jumped out, rolling as he hit the ground. He looked back up to the window he'd just come from, and he stood there perhaps a second too long. One of the guards had stole up a way behind him, and now called loud enough to have the rest of the team on his tail. Alec made his way around the wall of the mansion and into the well kept but dense hedges. Safe that no one could see him, he increased his speed and finally pushed off from the ground, clearing the wall and landing with another roll on the other side. Security would be searching for him on the grounds for another hour he guessed, but still, he sped down the open road none the less.

And in headlines today, the merger between McIntyre Technologies and Albertson Tomorrow seems steeped in misfortune. Though reports are still hazy, this much is certain: Kayna McIntyre has been admitted to the San Francisco Memorial Hospital after sustaining serious injuries. We believe that she was attacked in her home in the early hours of the morning, by perhaps the same serial killer responsible for the deaths of Politician Wes Gallagher, Professor Henry Yamamoto and more recently Doctor Lewellyn Kirk. With their only and prime suspect now a victim herself, police now have no suspects. Spokespeople for McIntyre Technologies refused to offer any statements however we have a disk containing footage of the assailant's flight from the mansion.

Max hadn't slept, though she didn't feel all too tired. Her fatigue of late had come from too many complex situations, questions with no answers, nightmare's that didn't end. For now, she had the faint hope of the cure in her sights, and one of the three wasn't too bad at all. She didn't see it as a sure thing, but the way life had been going for her, if and maybe were the best things she had going for her. She parked her bike in the racks at Jam Pony and sauntered into the place that seemed rife with gossip and chatter. Normal hadn't shouted at her yet, this was odd. Instead he was checking and rechecking the clipboards on the counter, finally coming out and making his way over to Sketchy.

"Listen Sketchy, I know that this might require a significant amount more neurons than you actually have, but when you make a delivery and get the papers signed, if you manage that much, you're going to have to return those papers so I can get through the bureaucratic bullshit that hits me every day." he ranted. "So why don't you just hand the sheet over and make my minute."

"Uh... yeah sure, I just gotta look for it. But I'll bring it over to you." Sketch answered. Normal rolled his eyes and went back to his post. Sketch turned to Max, appearing rather desperate. "Uh, Max? I really need you to tell me where Alec is 'cause I sent him on my last run yesterday and he still hasn't pitched up for work."

"I don't know, I haven't seen him since I left work last night." she shrugged. He grudgingly thanked her and went back to his business. Max's ears perked suddenly. She slammed her locker and moved to the bathrooms at the back. Four policemen entered Jam Pony, immediately going over to Normal and having a few brief words with him. He pointed and they followed to the lockers, right next to Sketch.

"Excuse us sir but we'd like you to come to the precinct with us for questioning." a deep throated officer said.

He looked to each of them, terrified. "What... what for?"

"We have evidence that suggests you were at the house of Kayna McIntyre last night." another responded. "If you could please accompany us, we can get this all sorted out. " Their words seemed polite enough but they didn't seem all too delicate when they handled him; gripping his wrists and escorting him through the doors. Everyone in Jam Pony had gone silent with the whole incident. Even Normal, he was at a loss for words which wasn't, well, normal." Finally, he came to and started clapping and ordering people around with his usual zest, but she could still see the surprise on his face.

Her phone rang. "Yeah." she answered.

--It's Alec, get to Logan's.-- And he hung up.

"Yes." Alec sighed. "Yes, I was at her house last night. Sketch asked me to do his run for him. I didn't even know that it was for her before I agreed to it." He dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling of the apartment, the lowered voices on the TV set to his right. "It was late, it was hailing, and she offered me a room for the night. When I left this morning, it wasn't through the front door, and the clipboard was in the foyer. I took Sketch's board along with the package and that's gotta be how they picked him as a suspect." Logan had been baffled by his sudden intrusion earlier and Max had arrived with more questions than she had breath to ask.

"Well, that explains that." Logan said. "Quite obviously the next question has to be whether or not you so or heard anything. With a security system as high tech as hers no doubt is, only a professional could've gotten in there without triggering any alarms." He turned to Max "Do you think it could've been this mystery transgenic?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Do I think the transgenic is capable? Yes, but whether or not she did it...? I mean, from what I could tell, if she wanted Kay dead, she'd definitely be dead." Alec noticed that she'd become more docile and hadn't yet jumped down his throat for getting himself involved in the whole thing... although the day was relatively early. "Did you see anything?"

"About that..." he began, pursing his lips. "She wasn't actually attacked." They looked at him, awaiting a further explanation. "I was with her the whole night." Max threw her hands up in defeat and walked away. Logan watched her then looked back to Alec; his expression confused. "The whole night." Alec stressed, trying to coax the realization out of him until finally Logan's expression changed from confusion to embarrassment for having not caught it earlier.

"But then how could she have ended up in the hospital?" Logan asked.

Alec searched for the words without having to go into any detail. To his mind, it would probably send them both into cardiac arrest, since about the most intimate they had been recently was a bear-hug. "One thing led to another and at some point I must've, squeezed too hard?" he ended, not really knowing what else to say. "Damnit, it's not like I planned on it."

"You put her in hospital, Alec!" Max shouted.

"Thank you, Doctor Obvious! Jesus Christ, like I don't feel like shit already!" he shouted back, running his hands through his hair and resting them there. "We can talk about that all later but there's something I have to tell you about first." It took a while before Max managed to calm down, in large part because of Logan's words. She would've been at Alec's throat by that time if it weren't for him. "I saw a barcode, on the back of Kay's neck." This got their full blown attention. "But it was different, not the barcode just..." He took a moment to think his words through. "It... blended into her skin, like one minute it was there and the next it wasn't. I've never seen anything like that, on any transgenic."

Max's eyes widened. "Like camouflage?" she asked. Alec thought for a bit then nodded. Logan and Max shared a knowing look; thinking the same thing. "It's gotta be her."

"Do you guys mind telling me what the hell you mean?" Max told him everything then, including all of the smaller details, having not had a chance to before. "Oh my god. This morning, I overheard the butler talking to a guy about some mission that she had to be prepped for. It could be another assassination. In fact, I'm almost certain it is. The guy, that the butler was talking to... It was Agent White."

Logan took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "This is not good." He put his glasses backed on and glanced at the set; the banner at the bottom of the screen reading 'Tech mogul returned for merger'. He upped the volume and they caught the tail end of what was said. Next, footage appeared of the back of a man's head looking up, then running forward after hearing the sounds of a whistle from a guard. "Please tell me that that's not you Alec." Logan said, lowering the volume again and turning to him.

"We are so far up Shit's Creek that even if we had a paddle, it wouldn't do a damn thing." Alec covered his eyes with his hands and rested his head there. "I need to talk to her."

"Are you crazy?" asked Max. "The media's got you on camera and the police'll be searching for someone with your height, build... you can't, it's too dangerous." More than scorn, she spoke now with concern and even fear. "You need to get out of here. We'll do what we do best and get you out of the sector ASAP." she said at last.

"No." Alec stood now. "I'm not leaving. Besides, Sketch is gonna break at any time, and if he does, they'll find out about all of us; it'll only be a matter of time. Our lives are here, all of our friends. To run is a last resort, it has to be." he ended quietly. "Think about it, if Kay was working close with White, why didn't she turn me in, or all of us for that matter?"

"Maybe she doesn't know." Logan offered.

"Maybe. But I feel like... like there's something more." He left it at that. "Just let me talk to her." With a doubting and heavy heart, Max agreed but insisted on going with him. "No, it's better if I do this alone. I'll be alright, I hope. If you don't hear from me in two hours, then you can do your Hero bit but until then, just throw a bit of trust my way?" She tried to smile, but it came out more as a forced expression. Alec left them both then.

Max looked to Logan, but he fought her eyes and turned to his computer. "Logan, about the cure..."

"Leave it. It was stupid of me to think that she'd come through anyway." he said, waving the whole thing away with his hand. "I'm going to get started on Kay's file; see what I can dig up. Although what I don't understand is how Manticore could've put one of their own creations in such a high profile spot. If anyone ever found out about her, they'd be media fodder in a second. Right now, none of this is making any sense."

"Let's hope Alec can get answers out of her." Max sighed. He agreed with her and began opening programs and typing away. "I..." she held back. "Things are hard for both of us. It seems that every time we try to find a way back to normality... as normal as we can be, something always gets in our way." Logan stopped, his eyes still fixed on the screen. "I hate what's happening to us, and the only thing that gets me through all of it, is the thought that things will be a lot better after these last hurdles."

He wheeled over to her and she knelt in turn. "I hear your voice, your laugh; I smell your hair and your skin; each time I look at you, I wonder what the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, sees in me. But three out of the five isn't good enough. It's torture, going day by day without being able to touch or taste you. There are days when I feel like just giving in, and having those few hours of you; days where I couldn't give a shit if I died as long as those last moments were with you. Everything would be easier, if I just had you... all of you." Tears began to pool and slowly run down Max's cheeks. He moved back from her and shouted into the air. "I can't even wipe your tears!" he said at last.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Kay began, "I believe that it is time for a ten minute break. There's a conference room a short way down the hall where snacks and refreshments have been laid out. It should give us all a chance to stretch our legs and prepare for the main event." she smiled, inciting the same response from the business men and women in the conference room. "Gary, I wonder if you could do me a favour and escort them there?" The thirty-something man nodded and did as he'd been asked. When the last of them disappeared from view, she let her head fall into her hands and let out a deep breath.

"Knock knock." came a woman's voice. Kay looked up and found Anne standing just inside of the doorway. "You're a tough woman. Physical assault before breakfast and mental assault before lunch." Kay didn't stand and go around the twenty seater conference table to meet her, the walk seemed like a marathon.

"Anne, you're head of PR. I can't comprehend how you could be doing your job by standing there." Kay said with some burden. "Although I wonder if you do the job I pay you for at all. I saw your handiwork on the news this morning." This raised an eyebrow. "Leaking the word that I was attacked and almost killed for all intents and purposes. Oh, and the camera footage of a man leaving my house? Clever, but very, very risky. I could fire you for that."

The redhead sighed. "Well, it got the police off your tail, didn't it? Besides, you can't tell a thing from that footage, I made sure of it before I leaked it to the press. You should be thanking, not threatening me for that." She now strode closer to Kay. "Did you happen to notice the frenzy the stock market's in? When they found out you were in the hospital, McIntyre slipped, when they found out that you couldn't be responsible for the murders and that you would return for the merger, stocks went through the roof. Face it, I saved this company's ass."

"And what about the guy that was caught on camera? Did you ever think that I might not want him involved in any of this?" She shook her head violently. Anne had known almost everything by the time she started to work. The manner staff had found Kay severely bruised in the guest room and had called an ambulance when she struggled to wake up. They knew she'd let the, unidentified guest, in so there was no question about whether she knew him or not. Anne immediately saw it as a chance to do damage control on another front. "I've already spoken to Jonathan, he's gone down to the police station to represent the man that you tried to frame. I've also dropped the charges that you managed to press on my behalf as well as stopped the investigation, and the station is going to pull the footage."

"I noticed that you didn't add an official statement to your list of things to do." Anne smirked. "And are we forgetting one important thing? This, mystery man may not be the killer, but he did hurt you. He fractured two of your rib bones and frankly, I can't understand why the hell you aren't pressing charges. What was it, a lover's spat?" It didn't take a genius to put the burnt out fire, strained sheets and musky air together to paint a rather descriptive picture. "Did he have his way with you and then beat you up just for the hell of it?"

"Enough!" Kay shouted, rising to her threatening height and slamming her hands on the table. "Are you forgetting to whom you speak?" It didn't seem that she'd lost any of her command. "We are employer and employee, not friends. Talk to me like that again, and I'll make sure that your six figure salary evaporates along with any chances of you ever working on this continent. Do I make myself clear?" The woman was silent. "Get - out."

Anne gritted her teeth and spun on her heel. Kay's sudden surge of authority did not come at a price and she fell back into her chair, more drained than before. She heard movement from the doorway but didn't bother to look up, assuming it was another insignificant interruption. The doors closed, and it was then that her eyes lifted. Alec was leaning against them, somber and plagued with thoughts as it seemed. She stood. At length, he began. "About... I..."

"Don't worry about it, it's just a couple of bruises and it's not like I didn't ask for them. When the prospect of having an extra zero removed from their salary comes around, my people tend to overreact." she smiled. "Besides, if memory serves, I left you with a few battle scars of your own. How about we call it even and leave it at that?" She looked across at him, and found that there was something else.

"I'm sorry." he said, feeling the need to get it off his chest.

"I'll heal."

This brought him to the next, uncomfortable topic. The whole way over, it had been eating away at him and now he was about to mutate their well-off understanding. "I saw the barcode on the back of your neck." She was about to say something but he cut her off. "There's no use in denying it or trying to explain it in any other way than fact. The only way you'd have that, is if you're a Manticore series."

"Alec, this isn't the time..."

"I know about White, I heard him talking to your butler."

"You don't know what you heard, or saw, so just..."

"I know because I'm one of them." he half shouted. He turned and lowered his jacket, exposing the back of his neck. "You can't lie to me, not about this. Whatever you are, you're not alone. You and I, we're the same."

Her eyes began to glisten. "I'm nothing like you, Alec." Kay's voice was stern, adamant. "But I will explain, just not now, and not here." She made her way over to him. "I'll go to Logan's after I'm finished with all of this, but if I leave now, I'll put you in danger." It took a moment before Alec nodded. "Now go, before the conference comes back."

End Part Three