This Thing Called Life

Chapter 9 - Breakthrough

Alec opened his eyes to blinding light. He could just make out the forms standing on the other side of the room, talking in hushed tones.

He opened his mouth and managed to croak out. "Did ya miss me?"

"OH MY GOD, ALEC!" Mel and Kat dashed over to him, covering him in kisses. Joshua leapt from the side of the room and pushed the two women aside. Gathering him up in a bear hug, he gripped Alec tightly until he struggled for breath.

"Josh, air!" Joshua let him go with a quick apology and stepped back.

The voices of various transgenics washed over him, all excited to see him alive and well. But one person wasn't there to greet him. He looked at Kat in confusion.

"Where's Max?"

The room fell silent and cold fear gripped his heart.

Why aren't they saying anything. Where the hell is Max?

Joshua stepped forward and spoke quietly, resignedly. "Little Fellah gone. After hurting Alec. Little Fellah ashamed, had hard time, ran away. Rough few days."

Mole spoke up from the back of the crowd. "Crazy few days you mean. Alec, you should have seen her when we rescued you guys. She was magnificent! I've never seen a soldier so dedicated to a cause, even to the point her own life meant nothing to her. She was an animal…" Alec cut him off abruptly. He had already been told about Max's stint as 452 and the frenzied massacre of White's merry men. He wanted to know more recent details.

"What happened to Max. After. That." he said the words slowly.

His mind was fuzzy and he couldn't remember much that had happened. He'd been with her last night, that he knew. And she'd kicked him, that he could feel still. But what had made her do it was still a mystery to him. Admittedly she abused him physically all the time, but last night there had been a look in her eyes he hadn't seen since she'd told him about Ben. A terrible sadness and tremendous pain.

"Max's entire unit was killed the other night. White killed them. Max, myself, Josh and a few others took him out. Burned him alive. It wasn't pretty. Deeply satisfying, but not pretty." Mole puffed heartily on his cigar.

"Oh god. I had no idea. When I went after her…I ragged on her." Alec was sad, concerned and worried.

Kat chimed in. "She lost her entire family, Alec. Her friends were tortured. She probably figures it was her fault. Then she attacked you. And from what I understand from Charlie, Max tried to kill Logan last night. So I'd say she's hurting, drained and emotionally destroyed. And feeling very, very alone." Alec shuddered. He remembered vaguely how he had tried to stop Max from giving in to her primal nature a couple days earlier and again last night.

"We need to find her! I have to get out of here and – " Kat's resounding "NO!" shook him and everyone else in the room.

"Don't you DARE consider getting out of that bed! You're in no shape to be running around looking for Max, especially after your setback last night! We can set up a team for that. Heal first, deal later." Her tone left no room for argument. Alec lay back in his bed and closed his eyes in an attempt to ward off the physical and emotional pain. He was worried. More than that, he cared. If he let himself dwell on in he would have to admit something else. He loved her.

Goddamit, Max! Why did you leave? I would have gone with you, anywhere!


Alec entered Logan's apartment without knocking. He'd never done it before and couldn't see any reason to start now. This was his last stop. Alec had spent the past few months searching for Max.

Cindy had hoped to hear from her once she'd settled in, but Max had never called. Alec had the feeling she was still embarrassed of everything she'd done and was trying to hide from anyone who knew about it. He only wished she would contact them. Her own kind understood her actions, the reasons and more than anyone they understood the guilt. The guilt at actually having committed said actions and the guilt at knowing they would do it all the same way again if they had to.

Alec approached Logan slowly. "Logan, buddy, the way I see it, you owe me something."

Logan sat hunched over his computer, as always. He looked up and scowled at the handsome X5.

"I thought we did the whole 'thank you' thing months ago." He said, obviously not happy to be in debt to Alec for anything. The fact that the younger man had saved his life annoyed him no end.

"Nah, buddy. We're past that. Besides, I'm sure you'da done the same for me. " He replied, knowing full well that Logan would have let him die a thousand times over before considering saving his ass. "But trust me, I wouldn't be wasting my time here for that. More important things to do. That's not what I meant."

"I see." was the terse reply.

Alec shrugged and leaned against the doorframe, studying the older man who had somehow managed to snag Max's heart. He couldn't fathom how a beautiful, sexy, smart, kick-ass X5 female could fall in love with an Ordinary like Logan Cale, but he had to accept that she had. Alec wondered if her feelings for the annoying, boring, underground cyber-journalist had changed, considering how she'd almost blown the guy's head off.

" So, Logan, you gonna tell me where Max is?"

Logan narrowed his eyes trying to discern whether or not Alec was ribbing him. They'd done this many times in the past few months: Alec barging in asking if he knew where Max was, Logan telling him he didn't. But the X5s face was blank. "We've been through this before. And the answer is still 'no'. I haven't seen her since that night and I don't know where she is."

"Just say it, old man. Now that you've seen the damning evidence, your little fantasy bubble popped. I can see it in your eyes, Logie. You're scared of her. Of us. You're glad she's gone."

"Why are you here, Alec?" Logan bit out. He wouldn't give the younger man the satisfaction.

"I'm looking for Max. She was going through your files before she ran. I wanna know what she was looking for." Alec advanced menacingly towards Logan and braced his hands on either side of the older man's chair. "And I've got the strangest feeling you've been holding out on me."

Logan gulped but tried not to show his fear. "I have no idea where she could be."

Alec reached out and grabbed Logan by the throat, squeezing just enough to make the older man strain for breath. "Gee, that's a shame. I never hated you before, Logan. I disliked you, but never hated you. But I think you're lying to me. And I think you doing it because you're a coward, and because you want to spite me. Your dream died. Or should I say you let yours die. By losing faith in Max, you lost the best thing you ever had."

Alec squeezed harder. Logan was now gasping for breath. "I don't believe you. You know more than you're letting on. And you're going to tell me. Or I'm going to kill you. And this time Max isn't here to stop me."

Alec let go of Logan and the older man rubbed at his throat and swallowed repeatedly.

"Okay. I think I know where she went." He rasped out. Quickly, he pulled up a file marked 'Adam'.

Alec raised an eyebrow and shot a questioning look at Logan.

"Adam is Zack."

Alec glared at Logan. "And you couldn't tell me this before? Was it so hard? You just can't stand the thought of helping me, can you? I thought that's what Eyes Only does, helps people."

Logan replied angrily. "Eyes Only helps the innocent. You're far from it."

"Don't push me, old man. You really don't wanna piss me off any more than you already have. I'm this close to ending your miserable existence as it is." Alec indicated with his fingers exactly how close he was to killing Logan. And he was. The man had been sitting on this information for months, perfectly content to keep it to himself.

Fucking bastard.

Alec shook his head in disgust and quickly scanned the contents of the file, committing it all to memory. Without another word he turned and walked out of the apartment, not bothering to close the door. Logan sat looking furiously after him and snarled under his breath. "Animals, the lot of them!"

Alec's enhanced hearing caught the words just before he entered the elevator. He made a mental note to have a team sent out to clear Logan's computers of any files on transgenics. The last thing they needed was for their enemy to have inside info on them.

I never thought Logan would turn on Max. On me or the others, maybe. But not Max.

Alec sighed. He didn't like calling Logan the enemy. But he'd shown such hostility. It just proved how different they really were.

TBC

Chapter 10