Authors Note: The following chapter takes place in flashback format. These events occur between "Bag em'" and "Proof of Purchase". I had to speculate on how much time occurs between episodes so forgive me. I also had to fake some locations and stuff. Enjoy.

Chapter Two - Lily

Asleep on the couch, minding his own business, Alec is startled awake by his cell phone.

"Hlo"

"Hey man, it's Tony"

"Yeah Tony, what do you want?" Alec asked, running his free hand across his face.

"You've got all sorts of connections with the black market right?"

"Your point?"

"I've got some...merchandise I need to get rid of. Quick"

"What do you got?"

"Some...genetic material"

"That it? That's not worth much"

"This is" Tony quickly assures Alec

"Whatever" Alec sighs, "I'll take a look at your stuff and call my guy."

"Thanks Alec, you're a real pal"

"Yeah"

Click

-

"Hey Tony, is your boy coming soon or what?" A tall man with a goatee asks.

"He's on his way" Tony grunts "Why?"

"She's waking up and I ain't no babysitter."

"Chill out Gordie, he'll be here."

"He just better hurry his ass up is all"

A moan from the corner makes the two men turn. From her position, chained to a foundation post, the girl is helpless. Everything has been moves out of reach and there is nothing for her to gain any kind of leverage with. The chains won't budge either.

"Hey Chickie" Gordie called "You alive?"

The two men chuckle at the struggles and inventive cursing coming from their little captive cash cow.

"It ain't gonna do you no good girlie" Gordie chuckled "You ain't goin' anywhere."

Tony glances out the window. "He's here"

-

Alec heaved a sigh. It was highly unlikely that Tony's "genetic material" would be worth anything...but you never know.

"Hey Tony, open up," Alec called as he knocked on the door.

Tony whipped the door open, "It's about time Alec, I was worried you might not show."

Alec grinned. "Aww Tony, didn't know you cared."

Tony laughed and motioned Alec inside.

"So" Alec said, rubbing his hands together, "Where's the merchandise?"

"Right this way" Tony said, motioning Alec forward. "Alec, you remember Gordie right?"

Alec nodded, "Sure, hey man." Alec and Gordie shake hands. "Hey" Gordie nods.

Alec looks around. It is just an old commercial building. "So where's the 'genetic material' you want to sell?"

"Right behind you"

Gordie points to just off Alec's left shoulder. Alec turns and at first he doesn't see her.

"What? I don't..." Alec trails off as he notices the girl. "What the hell is this Tony?" Alec demands "I don't do human cargo."

Tony scoffs, "She ain't 'human cargo'"

Alec feels his chest go tight. How did these idiots get their hands on an X-series? Alec laughs.

"Not human?" Alec goes in for a closer look and sure enough, she has a bar code, she also tried to bite his hand off. "She looks human enough to me."

Gordie motions Alec back. "Careful man, she tried to kill me."

Alec raises and eyebrow and tried to look sceptical.

Gordie shrugs, "I accidentally hit her with my truck."

Alec looks back at the captive girl, impressed. "She looks fine."

Gordie waves his hands motioning to the girl as if to prove his point. "I swear man, it was less than twelve hours ago. I brought her inside because I thought she was dead. Tony even saw her. Tell him Tony."

Tony shrugs, "I don't understand what went down, but she was bleeding pretty bad."

Alec tried to look horrified, "And it never occurred to either of you to call an ambulance?"

Gordie starts pacing across the room, "No way man. If I did that, the sector police would have been all over this place."

Alec just shakes his head, "So then what happened?"

Tony looks flustered, "Well, we put her on the couch, to check if she was okay, and then she wakes up. I swear man, she's bleeding like crazy and she gets up and walks off like nothing is wrong."

"So you thought she might be...what? What exactly did you think she was?" Alec asked thoughtfully.

Tony and Gordie both shrug. "I figured she had to be worth something to someone" Tony said.

Alec looks over his shoulder at the girl. No one would ever accuse him of being all noble and heroic, but she looked so damn pitiful. He sighs, playing a hero always got him into trouble. Damn.

"Alright, I'll call my guy."

Alec moves as if he is going to pull out his cell phone, when Gordie turns his back, Alec throws him into Tony. Both men are out cold.

"Sorry guys, it's nothing personal."

When Alec bends to unchain the girl, he notices that she is actually quite pretty. Sharp blur eyes and all that golden red hair, definitely not standard Manticore issue.

""Who.." the girl cleared her throat, "Who are you?"

Alec smiled, "I'm Alec, or X5-494."

"Oh. I'm X5-629."

"Pleased to meet you. Can you stand?" Alec asks and, without waiting for a response, carried her out the door.

Tony and Gordie start to come around just as Alec guns the engine and drives off.

-

After a while, Alec pulls into a small town. Checking out the scene from the gas station, Alec decides that it is probably safe. Checking into the town's only motel, Alec starts to feel a bit awkward.

"So...are you hungry or anything?"

"Not really"

Alec sighs, he would give his left arm for a pizza right now.

"What's over there?" 629 asked, pointing towards a small strip mall.

"Who knows, it's not important." Alec brushes off the topic, he just wants a bed and a pizza.

"Well I want to go see."

With that, 629 walks off, completely ignoring Alec. Muttering under his breath about females and the general unfairness of the world, Alec followed quickly at her heels.

"What is so important that you feel the need to go over there anyway?" he asks

"I've never been free before, I want to see things."

"Why?"

"It's what free people do isn't it?"

Alec shrugged. Even before Manticore burned down he had been outside. This was all old for him.

A small shop on the corner seems to catch 629's attention. It is a small craft shop and florist. She stopt to admire the little paintings, roses, and baskets.

"Come on, let's go" Alec is looking around. They shouldn't be out in the open like this.

629 turns to leave when a small bouquet catches her attention.

"How much?" she asks, pointing to the flowers she likes

"Five dollars." The shopkeeper names a price far too high for such a small arrangement.

"Yeah right buddy" Alec scoffs "Who would pay.."

"Here," 629 hands the woman the five dollars.

Alec sputters. Where did she...that's just...oh god.

"Thank-you" the shopkeeper beams

"You're welcome," 629 smiles, "Oh, what are they?" she asks.

"They're lilies" the shopkeeper says, clearly puzzled.

"Thank-you" Alec says, grabbing 629's arm and turning them back towards the hotel.

-

Back at the motel, 629 puts her flowers in a plastic cup of water.

"Alec?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't I have a name?"

"You want a name?"

"Please"

Alec frowned, rubbing the back of his head. Names were Max's thing.

"Well I guess we can call you..."

The cup of flowers on the dresser caught his attention.

"Lily. We'll call you Lily."

-

Finally getting his hands on some food, Alec dug into his pizza with an almost passionate glee.

"You sure you don't want some?" he asked, mouth full.

Lily looked up from her seat on the floor. "No. How can you eat that over processed crap?"

"Are you insulting my pizza?" Alec asked with mock insult.

"Yep" Lily grinned

Alec turns and strokes the pizza box lovingly "Don't worry precious, we don't need her anyway do we?"

Alec looks down at Lily laughing her ass off on the floor.

"I think it's time we turned in for the night."

Lily stopped laughing like someone had thrown a switch. The motel only had single rooms and it wasn't safe to separate. The tension was suddenly thick enough to see. Alec couldn't think of a smart ass remark as his stomach clenched.

"I'll take the floor" they announced in unison.

A quick debate had Alec on the bed and Lily safely, if not comfortably, on the floor.

-

Alec woke up suddenly. The room was dark, but he could feel someone watching him. Tensing his body for an attack, he opened his eyes to slits and surveyed the room. There, off the edge of the bed. Lily? Alec opened his eyes.

"Lily?"

Lily moved to rest her chin on the edge of the bed. "Hey" she whispered.

Alec sat up, absently rubbing his face. "Couldn't sleep?"

I keep having bad dreams. About Manticore."

Alec sighed. He never was any good around vulnerable women. Alec lifted a corner of the blankets, motioning for Lily to climb in. Lily smiled, and even in the dark Alec could see her whole face light up. After some shifting, Lily positioned herself in the curve of Alec's body, her head nestled in his shoulder. Alec looked down at Lily's face, made so peaceful in sleep. God, she looks so beautiful. Alec sighed, breathing in the unique scent of Lily, and slept.

-

Two weeks later, Alec dumped Lily off in Portland. Emotional responses almost trigger pain for Alec, this had not been an easy decision. The smartest thing for Lily was to go off on her own and law low. The problem was, she didn't want to go.

"Look, this is the best thing for both of us."

"What does that mean?"

"God woman, just go" Alec threw up his hands. Lily was pacing around like a tiger in a cage.

"Alec, I thought..."

"What Lil, what did you think?"

"I don't know. God Alec, you can be such an ass."

"Welcome to reality Lily. There is a big nasty world out there and if you thought I was going to be your knight in shining armour, think again."

"I can't believe you said..." Lily turned away, trying not to cry. "How dare you Alec."

Lily slapped Alec hard enough to bloody his lip and stormed off. Alec stood unmoving, unable to speak, to call Lily back and tell her he lied. All he wanted to do was protect her, maybe even let himself love again.

"Damn it!"

Alec shouted, pounding his fist into the wall. What's said is said. Squinting to avoid tears, Alec packed up his stuff and headed for Seattle.