Disclaimer: I don't own anything here, just an idea, but trust me you can't get anything from that! Leave me to live in fiction

Summary: Set after "The Berrisford Agenda". Alec said goodbye to his first love and that changed him forever. Can he open his heart to someone else? Or will it stay closed forever? What will Max think about him from now on? He is a changed man now... A/M

Well, I'm back! Finally! I want to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter (even the one about my fire accident)! I hope you will stay tuned for the rest of this story, because I'm not giving up on her! And there it is! Finally, chapter 8!

Chapter 8 – I can hear you...

Logan was driving very fast just so he could reach his destination as soon as possible. When he parked outside the Crash he saw Max's motorcycle in front. He felt a little relieved by that, seeing that he finally found her. But than his eyes caught someone elses bike, it was Alec's...

"Looks like they are still here. Good, I would hate to miss a party." – Logan thought, his jeaulousy rising.

He got out of the car, trying to hear some noise coming from Crash, but there weren's any. He has gotten closer, but still no sound came through that door.

He was thinking how he must looks pathetic. First he was lurking in front of Max's door, and now he's lurking here, but he needed to know where Max is. And who she is with. Normally, he wouldn't give a damn if she was with Alec alone, but something changed. And he could feel that. Their conversation before about Alec gave him that idea. Max was confused and he could tell. He put his hand in his pockets feeling Rachels letter. He took it out thinking how he could just leave it on Alec's bike, but he decided against.

"The wind could blew it away. No, I have to give him the letter face to face. It's way to important. And, I have to see his face..."

He tried to open the door, but they were locked.

"Strange..." – he thought. – "OK, their bikes are here, so they have to be here. But, why is it locked? There has to be other people inside..."

His mind was racing while he was trying to figure out what to do.

He couldn't just leave, although that would be the easiest and probably the least painful decision. He needed to get in there. He needed to know what was going on. There was enough guessing, he needed to know the truth. There were lots of question he needed anwer to. What was Rachels letter doing in Max's apartment? Why did Max lie to him about where she was? Why was she here? With Alec..?

He tried the lock again but no use.

He decided to call her by name. She could hear him. Well, so could Alec, but that was not the point at this time. There was no one around, so he yelled:

"Max? Are you in there?

Max heared a familiar voice coming from outside and she got scared. She removed her hand from Alec's breaking their connection.

Alec watched as her hand left his, warmth desepearing as she whispered Logans name. There was no words to describe his pain. Instant pain in his heart. Another mans voice touched her enough to break their moment. Nothing that happened there wasn't enough for her to forget Logan. Nothing he did wasn't enough.

"No one can do nothing. Her heart will always belong to Logan." – he thought. – "I can't aloud myself to get too attached to her. She could break me. She could do that. Rachel broke me once, but she didn't know the real me. Max knows me and she can finish me off."

He put his "not caring" mask on, his stone face in place. Another bang at the door startled them both.

Max just sit there, her eyes locked at the door.

"That is Logans voice, isn't it? I'm not imagining it.....aren't I? Why do I hear him? Why is he here? Why don't I want him here....? – her thoughts were racing in her head. But than she heard another voice, the one she listened the entire night...

"Well?" – Alec calmly asked.

She was still prosessing everything, so she didn't hear him at first.

"Max?" – he repeated.

"What?" – she asked feeling confused.

"Well...aren't you gonna let your boy in?" – he asked trying to sound as cool as possible.

"Let him in..." – Max whispered. – "I don't want to let him in..." – she was thinking slowly coming to a realization. But Alec's next remark stopped that. Painfully.

"You don't want to leave your loverboy standing outside too long. He could catch a cold or worse, he could think something is wrong. You know, he must've seen both our bikes out there, and now the door is locked...poor old man could get some weird ideas. You know, like something is going on..." – he stopped for a second, taking a deep breath. – "And there isn't." – he quietly finished putting his smirk on.

That was a mask and he knew it. He was a big liar, but he needed to save his heart. He needed to be in control. He needed to lie once again...

Max looked up at him, meeting his cold eyes. They were getting darker with each second, still trying to remain their coldness. She kept watching him, waiting to see if something will change, if his eyes will change. All she needed was one small glow, one small sign that she didn't imagine the entire night, but nothing changed. Alec kept looking at her and her anticipation, but hasn't said a word. That was a horrifying moment for him. Her eyes piercing his, and he needed to play cool. He needed to act as a soldier once more.

Another bang and a sound followed:

"Max, are you in there?"

Alec broke their eye connection and slowly stood up. He looked down at her and simply said:

"Well, let's let him in." – he smiled ad headed toward the door.

Max watched him go up the stairs while she headed toward the bar where her drink was. She needed it quickly.

Alec took his time climbing the stairs, like the man standing on the other side is some awful enemy that will hurt him. And, in some way, he was exactly that.

He slowly unlocked the door, letting air in. He shivered from the cold, since the only thing he had on was that little shirt he found. The other reason for shivering was Max's absence.

"Well, well, well, look what the cat draged in." – Alec smiled at Logan, thinking how that remark sounds very strange coming from his mouth. – "Come in, come in. Your girl is down at the bar." – he said moving aside so Logan could come in.

Logan looked at him thinking what is going on in there.

"Alec" – he just said as he got in. – "What's with your shirt?" – he tried to sound as unconserned as possible.

"My shirt?" – Alec looked down figuring out that he isn't totally dressed. But he just laughed. – "Well, Maxie, here, spilled her drink on me. Twice. No... Actually, she spilled my drink on me twice. She is too smart to spill her own..." – Alec started to babble, while Logan tried to find Max with his eyes. He saw her sitting at the bar holding her glass, staring ahead. She didn't even look up as he started to come down the stairs. And Alec kept babbling:

"...and see, that is how I ended up without my shirt. And it was one of my favorite shirts. Nor fair, I'm telling you!" – he was surprised by himself how he could talk nonsense for a long time. But those were just words.

Both of the man got to the bar close to Max, each with their own thoughts. She still didn't move.

"Max?" – Logan said wondering what's wrong with her. And if she had some problems, why hasn't she come to him.

Max sighed as she looked up at both of the men.

"What's up?"

"Ahm...I was trying to find you the entire night. I had some information about some activity in the sewers, and I wanted you to check it up." – he started to tell his "story".

That got her attention, because, buisness was always buisness.

"What kind of activity? Transgenics?"

"No....no....actually, I got a tip sbout some dumping area, and wanted to know if that's something interesting for us, but I think it's just trash. No need to worry..." – he stopped talking feeling very ridiculous.

"Oh...well, good than." – Max said feeling relieved that she didn't need to on some boring assignment.

Alec stood there watching this strange conversation between them, not been able to resist thinking how they act like two strangers who have nothing in common. His mind was full and he needed to go away.

"Look, guys, I think my shirt is dry, so I'll go to the bathroom and change."

He started to leave, but Logan called his name.

"Alec, remind me to give you something when you get back. "– he remembered the letter he found on the floor of Max's appartment. He got it out of his pocked and showed it to Alec.

Alec turned and only saw an envelope, but he didn't see words written on it.

"Yeah, if that's money, just hand it over." – he smiled, and Logan flinched. He hold up the envelope, but Alec didn't move. Something was strange, and he knew it. He decided to wait.

"It's not the money."

"Well, than it can wait. I'm freezing." – Alec said and headed to the bathroom.

When he was in no sight, Logan looked at Max. She was staring at him trying to see what's with the envelope.

"What's that?" – she asked.

"Hmm...it's a letter. For Alec, actually." – Logan simply said trying to see her reaction.

"A letter for Alec? Who, on earth would write Alec a letter?"

"Well, actually, it's not for Alec, as much as his alias, Simon."

Now it was Max's turn to flinch.

"Simon..."

Logan handed her the letter, not moving his eyes from her face.

She looked at the words written on it, and she recognized the handwriting. It was Rachel's handwriting.

She sat there for a second not saying a word, while Logan watched her. He could see she recognized the letter, what meant Alec had no clue about it.

She looked up.

"Where did you get it?"

Since it was no time to quibble, he simply said:

"I found it on the floor of your appartment when I was looking for you."

"My appartment? How did you get in? O.C.'s not home tonight." – she was getting angry, but not as much for Logan breaking into her appartment, as much for her own mistakes.

"Like I said, I was trying to find you. And you said you'll be home tonight. But, I think that is not the biggest problem we have here." – he said pointing at the letter.

"Ahm...the letter. The truth is, I don't know anything about Rachel's letter. But, I think I know how did it got there where you found it."

Logan didn't say a word. He let her continue...

In the meantime, Alec changed his shirt, feeling very comfortable now in his own clothes. He started to walk around the bathroom, hands running through his hair. He was nervous.

"What's happening to me? I'm hiding in the bathroom! I'm not supposed to hide! And, I don't even know what I'm hiding from! I was always up to challenges! Face your problem and solve it. That's the rule. There's nothing about hiding in the bathroom! And what's with both of them?! Jesus, it's like they're buissness partners, and not love partners! This day is way too weird...Max is acting weird, Logan is acting weird, and now I'm acting weird. "

He remembered what happened just minutes ago, he and Max sitting next to each other, she holding his hand. He felt instant warmth inside. He was starting to feel. First time after Rachel. And although she died just days ago, she was gone years ago. And he was holding on. Now that feeling was gone. He said goodbye, and he was ready to move on. He looked at the exit door, trying to figure out what to do when he gets out.

"Fight for her or surrender?" – he wondered.

His soldier mode came through. And a soldier never gives up.

He approached the door, opened them quiatly, but than stood at his tracks.

He could hear Max speak. And he heard her say Rachels name.

Coldness entered his eyes once again...

Well, I hope you liked this chapter. I'm still trying to get in the right spirit. I was without my computer for 2 weeks, and I wanted to update as soon as possible. I will try to write another chapter really soon. (if another accident doesn't happens, that is )

Review, please, please!!!