Disclaimer: I own no part of Dark Angel, that particular goody belongs to Cameron and consorten, and look what they did with it. Neither do I have any claim to the lyrics of Happy to be stuck with you, by Huey Lewis and the news.
A/N: This is an idea that popped into my head complete one day while driving. I was listening to the song in question and I love it, because it is such a sing-a-long tune. Plus I think everybody knows the lyrics. Anyway while I was joining in at the top of my voice, this little thing appeared. So I wrote it down as best I could. I have another version in mind – which I might add at some later point for comparisons sake. So R&R please, I need to know what you think.
Crash was packed. The dancefloor was heaving, guests crowded three deep at the bar, clamoring for drinks.
'Myrtle must be pleased.' Max thought, shifting in her seat. She focused her attention back to her table. The usual crowd was gathered areound 'their' table, Sketchy well into his third beer and O.C. scanning the crowd for a new honey.
So far so usual.
"Hey, boo. D'you want another drink?" O.C. asked, glancing at her unusually quiet friend. Max looked down at the glass in her hand and noticed that it dod look rather flat and the ice had melted a long while ago. She chuckled ruefully: "Well, it looks like this one is well past its drink by date. I'll have the same again. Easy on the ice this time."
O.C. smiled: You got it. One drink coming right up." As she stood up, all the lights went out. Unwilling to stumble through the crowds and mybe fall over somebody and break her rather fine neck, O.C. plopped back into her seat.
"Huh! Brown-out. Haven't had one of those in a while." Sarcasm fairly dripped from Max's voice.
As the people muttered in confusion, asking for lighters, candles anything so the party could go on - Sure, the taps did not work without electricity, but there were still all those lovely shiny bottles nehind the bar – a single spotlight lit up the rarely-used stage.
"No brown-out after all." Sketchy muttered. His brow wrinkled in confusion. "Since when does Myrtle do entertainment?"
His question was answered, when, with a whirring clank a stocky figure lumbered into view. Shading his eyes with his hands, the figure scanned the now dimly lit club, his whole face lighting up, when he spotted Max at her table, still staring into her half-empty glass.
Sketchy frowned: "Hey, Max isn't that Logan? I thought he'd gone home."
Max slowly raised her head and stared at the stage, as an awesome blast of feedback screeched through the place, making the entire place wince collectively, like a wave sweeping the room and bobbing heads under for a second. A dispassionate area of Max's soul catalogued the fact that the noise was an easy way to recognise transgens, as they seemed to wince more than the norms.
Logan smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that. 've never done this before." Looking out over the audience, he lowered this voice. "This is for you, Max. I love you. Hit it, boys."
Out of the corners of her eyes, Max saw some of the transgens, hidden in the audience, snigger behind their hands and plastered a frown on her face, glaring at them till their eyes fell away. As soft strains of music filled the club, she recognised the song almost instantly and dropped her head into her hands. "Oh my God. I can't believe he's doing this."
Clearing his throat, Logan launched into a rusty rendition of 'Happy to be stuck with you' by Huey Lewis, a pre-pre-pulse band, forgotten long before the pulse ever hit. Also a song that had played on the radio the night Max had broken into his apartment.
We've had some fun,
and yes we've had our ups and downs
Been down that rocky road
But here we are still around.
O.C. nudged Max, prompting her to lift her head. "Aw, come on, boo. It's kinda romantic." She giggled. Max looked at her, eyes twinkling. "I suppose it is, but…"
Logan's rising voice drowned her out.
We tought about someone else
but neither one took the bait
We thought about breaking up
but now we know it's much too late
The curtain pulled back, revealing the pips, dressed in yellow-pink spandex, joining in on the chorus.
We are bound by all the rest
Like the same phone number
All the same friends
And the same address
Yes, it's true (yes it's true), I am happy to be stuck with you
Yes, it's true (yes it's true), I am happy to be stuck with you
Cause I can see, (I can see), that you're happy to be stuck with me
"Hey Maxie. What's Logan doing up there?" Alec flopped down on the free chair next to Max, grinning into her face. Max's semi-smile turned instantly into a scowl as she swatted his hand away from her drink. "Don't you dare 'Maxie' me." she hissed.
We've had our doubts
we never took them seriously
And we've had out ins and outs
but that's the way it's supposed to be
Max turned back to Alec. "If you must know, Logan is singing a song for me." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and huffed." Alec only smirked, green exes twinkling in the reflected light of the stage. "You call that singing, Maxie? Sounds to me like somebody is strangling a cat."
We thought about giving up
but we could never stay away
Thought about breaking up
but now we know it's much too late
Sketchy drowned his laughter in his beer, as O.C. bit back a grin. Alec looked at them and laughed out loud, clearly pleased with his world. Max glared at him: "Shut up, jerk! This is all your fault."
And it's no great mystery
If we change our minds
Eventually, it's back to you and me.
Alec's face fell, a hurt expression in his eyes. "How is this my fault? It's not like I pushed Logan on stage and made him embarrass himself in front of all the people he knows. I wasn't even here."
"Exactly, you weren't here, Alec." Max snarled. "I couldn't care less what Logan does. What bothers me Alec." Her eyes narrowed to slits, while her voice turned into a hiss. "What really bothers me, is that you tell Logan the good news without me and then bugger off to god knows where, leaving me here all by myself, while said man gets completely smashed and decides to sing down the roof in his joy. And the worst thing, and this is definetly your fault, is that I can't even get up and leave. I have to suffer through that!" She gestured wildly at the stage, where Logan was seriously getting into the swing of things.
We are bound by all the rest
Like the same phone number
All the same friends
And the same address
Grinning wildly,Logan swung once around himself only just barely avoiding the fall on his nose everybody was expecting. Max swatted Alec's arm a bit harder, refusing to ger sidetracked by Logan's shenannigans as he worked the crowd.
"This is all your fault." Glaring at him, she gestured at her voluptously rounded stomach. "First you plonk me down here and just leave me and then Logan gets drunk and decides to sing and I can't even get off this chair and this is so embarassing." A tear trickled down her cheek and Alec's gaze softened. Leaning over, he picked her up and deposited her in his lap, arms curled protectively around his precious burden.
"Aw, sweetheart, is that what's bothering you?" Gently, Alec brished a strand of her hair behind her ear, his wedding ring glinting in the shadows. "Im sorry for leaving you like this, but Mole wanted something. I ran into Logan and thought, well why not tell him. I didn't think being godfather would throw him so much that he would get smashed and proceed to serenade you on stage." He rested his chin on her head.
Max was not so easily mollified. "Fine, so Logan gets smashed. But it's still your fault I couldn't just get off the darn chair and leave. Why are they so high here anyway?"
Alec's voice deepened as he whispered in her ear: "If I remember correctly my darling wife, it took two of us for this particular situation to develop." Flushing heavily Max squirmed in his lap, precipitating a chain of reaction that caused Alec's breath to hitch in his throat. As Logan continued to mangle his chosen lyrics in the background, the two of them were lost in their own little world. O.C. glanced fondly at her friends.
"Why, don't you two lovers go on home and Sketch and I will take care of Logan."
Max nodded, eyes glued to Alec's, Crash already forgotten. Sliding from his chair, Alec gently set Max on her feet. Curling his hand protectively around her waist, he led the way out, making sure nobody bumped into his heavily pregnant mate. Max, content in her role of protected – for the while – followed peacefully in his wake.
O.C. brushed away a tear. "Those two are so sweet."
Sketchy laughed: "God, poor Max. I'd forgotten she needed help with chairs. God, look at him. He's totally gone. I didn't think he had that much to drink." Both turned to the stage, where a swaying Logan was gyrating through the final chorus.
Cause I can see (I can see) that you're happy to be stuck with me
yes it's true (yes, it's true) I'm so happy to be stuck with you
I'm so happy to be stuck with you
Happy to be stuck with you…