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

Thanks to:

Onthedl – I know it was kind of dark chapter and I'm trying to lighten it up a bit, but I feel like this is the right time for a truly bad time between them. But, trust me, I will lighten up the situation soon.

Katherine – Sorry, I haven't written to you, but I'm really out of time. Of course, thanks for your review. I hope you'll like this chapter.

SGOU – thanks for your review. I'm glad you liked my last chapter. And I hope you'll like this one too. I'm not planning on mentioning the journal again (it's content I mean). I think it was mentioned plenty of time.

Charming Girl – thanks for you review. I hope you enjoyed this.

Well, here's chapter 13 – lucky number!

Chapter 13 – Right place in the right time

Alec was driving across town not even thinking how he needed to get the rest of his stuff if he was gonna leave town. His mind was only focused on the road. His eyes were fixated on the white line that was separating the street in two lines like that was the line he was walking on. It was like he wished he would fall off his tracks. Nothing stopped him. Not the traffic not his reason. Rachel's journal was underneath his jacket, but he didn't want to read it. He said goodbye.

"I don't need to read this. I know what happened in that house. I'm one of the main characters of this story. I don't need it." – he thought and then remembered the fact Max read his part.

"She knows everything…she knew everything back at Crash." – his mind went back to earlier that evening. He remembered her laughter, her warm touch when she convinced him of their friendship. – "I should be angry at her. But, why am I so bothered by the fact she understands. It wasn't just pity, was it?" - was the question playing in his head. But then his soldier mode came through.

"You should be angry. It wasn't her duty to do this." .

Duty. Duty. Pictures of them being kids and back in training kept flashing in front of his eyes. He saw Max smiling, than her face changed into Rachel's., again duty, discipline, Rachel.

Suddenly he stopped. His hazel eyes were wide open, like he was staring at some image. His memories were suddenly included in a shape of Max's face. Even those she really wasn't part of. He closed his eyes but her face got even clearer. Her brown eyes were watching him, her face showing that she's the only one who can read him. And now she was gone. Her essence was gone. He started his ninja again and soon approached Joshua's house. It was dark inside, but he decided he could go in. "We don't need that much sleep anyway."

He climbed the stairs like he was climbing a mountain. He knew Joshua would try to talk him out of leaving, but he really didn't have any reason to stay.

"Josh?" – he whispered as he entered the place.

Even in dark he saw no sign of his friend.

"Josh, where the hell are you?"

"Alec?" – Joshua appeared from the back room.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Why you're here this late? Something wrong with my Little fella?" – Joshua asked kind of worried. Sure, Alec was his friend, but they didn't just hang out often. Especially not in the middle of the night. And with everything that went on the last couple of days. Alec was a ticking bomb last time he saw him.

Alec realized Joshua didn't know anything about Max leaving town, and that was weird.

"She should have said goodbye to him. I wonder why she hasn't. "

" No. Nothing is wrong actually. I came to say goodbye."

"Goodbye? Why goodbye? Where you're going" – Joshua asked as he turned on the lights in the room. His eyes fell on Alec's face, which looked very tired. All his strength was drained out of him and he didn't try to hide it.

"I'm leaving this town. I decided I should move on. Try something new. You know, meet some other people?" – Alec said trying to return some of his cockiness into his voice. And to someone else it would appear like that, but Joshua saw beyond that.

"Meet other people, huh? Not enough people here?"

Alec turned away from him because it was hard for him to lie to his friend.

"Yeah, well, I spent most of my life in Manticore, I need to see what's in the world."

That statement almost sounded convincing, but Joshua kept pushing.

"World is here. Where your friends are. Joshua here, little fella here…"

"Yeah, great, little fella" – Alec remarked with sarcasm in his voice.

"You and little fella fight?" – Joshua asked as he sniffed the air. He could feel another cat present.

Max came to Joshua's place just in time to see that Alec's ninja was parked in front. At first she didn't wanna go in, but, no matter what, she needed to say goodbye to Joshua. And she was still brave.

She walked up the stairs still hesitating a bit. Like a ping pong match was playing in her head. Go in, don't go in. Go in. Don't go in.

First she decided to take a look through the window.

"Little precaution is always welcome." – she said out loud.

Max crawled reaching the window, her mind racing.

"What the hell am I doing? I should really try that honesty thing, once in a while. I'm lying here in the dirt, just because I have to prepare myself for every occasion. Great." – she sighed. – "OK, here goes nothing."

She lifted herself up just a little so her eyes were just beyond the casement. She looked on the left and saw nothing.

"Maybe they are in the other room" – she thought but then her eyes crashed with Joshua's. She almost fell back, but refrained herself.

"He's trying to tell me something..: Where's Alec?" – her thought stopped since she saw his bike in front. He was looking in the other direction.

"What is he doing?" – Max wondered since Joshua was showing her something with his hands.

"Stay…no, that's wait there. I will come for you." – Max's eyes narrowed. – "Why do I have to wait. Oh, God, Alec must be pissed off. I should just run away from this place. But, I'll wait. For Josh."

So, Max, stayed there sitting in the dirt, not minding the cold, not minding the dirt also. Her mind was focused on only one thing – Alec was just inches away…

Joshua felt Max close, but he also wasn't prepared to see her peaking through the window. And since Alec was getting worked up, he didn't say anything. His attention went back to his friend.

"…she's the most interfering person I have ever met. I mean, I'm a grown up, no need for her to try to fix my life. And she's done that exactly." – Alec was going on and on until Joshua stopped him.

"Little fella hurt you, huh?"

And it was like all his confession was shorted into that little sentence. She hurt him.

"Yeah, well, that's a strong word." – Alec remarked his smirk on his lips. But Joshua kept staring into his eyes like there's that answer everyone needed to hear.

"What are you doing, man?" –Alec flinched.

"You lie." – Joshua said simply.

"I lie. Yeah, generally, I lie. So?"

"I don mean generally. I mean, now. Now you lie." – Joshua said as he started to walk round the room. – "You lie when you say everything is OK. And you lie when you say you need to meet other people."

Alec looked at him trying to figure out when Joshua became so perceptive, not knowing he was the first one who read his true side.

"Well, maybe I'm lying, maybe I'm not. All the same the point is I'm leaving. So, bye big fella." – Alec said heading toward the door.

"Coward." – Joshua said simply and that got Alec's attention. It was the same word he said to OC when he heard Max was leaving and now the ball was back on his side of the court.

"I'm not a coward." – his eyes were sparking, cause he was getting angrier by the minute. He was a soldier; he was no coward.

"Yes. Yes you are. You run from your friends. Father left me like that. I know what that feels like. And this is it."

"Look, dog boy, you don't know anything about me, so don't call me a coward. I came to say goodbye, so let me do this in a proper way."

"Proper way would be to say goodbye to little fella."

Alec laughed a little, since everything ended up with bringing up Max's name. He remembered that Joshua didn't know about Max's departure and he didn't want to be the one to bring the bad news.

"I'll write her a letter one day." – he simply said as he walked toward the door, but Joshua jumped from behind startling him a little.

"Wait here." – he said and left the house.

"What the hell…" – Alec asked himself surprisingly. But since he had no plan on where to go, he decided to wait for Josh. He walked back into the living room looking at some new Joshua's paintings. He heard the sound of the door again and than Joshua's voice.

"Here. Say goodbye."

He turned around and there was Max standing in front of him.

"Alec." – she whispered.

A/N – Well???? Did you like it? I REALLY want to know, so PLEASE review!