A/N: Well, it appears that the last chapter was extremely popular. I don't know if it's because of the closet *grins* or because everyone thought the Normal thing was *cough* cute? *shakes head* you guys can be so weird sometimes. Oh well, weird is good. If you haven't guessed, I'm weird and I think it's cool. I just have a hard time trying to hide from those pesky guys in the white coats and white vans…
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Chapter twenty-three: Question Of Trust
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Alec: It's just 'cause she's hot, you know.
Logan: What is?
Alec: Everything. Everything she gets away with. You honestly think we'd be down here in this mouldy dump looking for God-knows-what if she were ugly?
Logan: We're down here to give Max a hand.
Alec (laughing): You're so whipped.
-Alec and Logan (Two)
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'You get me
When nobody understands
You come and take my hand'
-Michelle Branch (You Get Me)
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They walked back in silence, both deep in thought. White was still after her. This could not be good- and he thought that she was still in Seattle. Why was he telling people she was a transgenic? What did he want with her? Without realizing what he was doing, Alec slung an arm around her shoulders. Erin automatically relaxed into it despite the fact that she wasn't used to all this touch feely stuff. She wasn't used to hugging, hand holding or whatever it was she was doing with Alec now. Because he had his arm around her, it kind of held her to him so she had to walk really close. It was kinda nice. The only times she'd ever had to walk this close to someone was when she was helping Dylan stagger home from the pub. She was always the one he called because he was too scared of what Skye would do to him if he called her up, blind drunk at 4am. Erin was still surprised that he could remember her number.
Erin snuggled closer to Alec as a gust of wind caused her to shiver and she realised once again, hat she'd done what she'd told herself not to do. She'd begun to fall for Alec.
Out of all the guys that had hit on her or had been in any way nice, she had to fall for Alec. She was from a friggin different reality! Why did she have to fall for him and NOW?! Damn it! Why did this have to happen? She'd been sayin that a lot lately.
They got inside Terminal City easily, the Sentry greeting Alec casually before giving them a weird look. That was when Alec realised that he'd put an arm around Erin's shoulders. Erin didn't seem to realise they were so close so he mentally shrugged it off and they walked to headquarters.
When they got outside, Erin stopped. If she went in there, she would have to deal with a lot of unwanted questions. Alec saw her hesitation, dropped his arm and took her hand instead. "Don't worry. I'll deal with everything okay?" Erin nodded numbly and let him lead her into headquarters.
As soon as they got in the building, Logan was there- his face red with anger and humiliation. "Thought you could get away?" he sneered at her.
"Back off" growled Alec, an almost feral look in his eyes.
Logan narrowed his eyes "You're defending her?"
Alec shrugged, the look in his eyes slightly faded but not gone. "She doesn't need me to. She took care of you pretty easily."
Headquarters was pretty empty. Max had obviously cleared it out or everyone had left thanks to the argument that had so obviously taken place minutes before. Max, Mole, Dix and Joshua were there and for some reason, several members of Max's family. Erin realised that they were the ones that she talked to the most. They were her friends. Sketchy, Cindy and Dalton were also there. Sketchy and Dalton had obviously told the others what went on.
Logan's nostrils flared in anger "That just proves she's not all she says she is!" He stalked up to Max who was watching Erin and Alec closely. "Why else would she attack me when I asked for a blood test?"
"She told you no, man" Sketchy glared at Logan openly "You didn't even let her tell you why." He was really beginning to hate him. It wasn't enough that he had to listen to his incessant whining about his non-relationship with Max, and was kept awake for hours thanks to his constant snoring that sounded a cross between a snorting pig and a tortured animal, he now had to put up with him attacking his friends? Hell no.
"Yeah" Dalton spoke up "and then YOU grabbed her! You saw she was scared but you ignored her!"
"She tossed me over her shoulder like I was nothing!" Logan protested. Alec snorted "You ARE nothing! And it was self defence moron! I'm sure Asha knows what Erin does but I don't see you accusing her of being a cult member."
Erin was watching everything in bewilderment. Everyone was sticking up for her! Mole was stood by the stairs with a big grin on his face as he watched Alec and Logan yell at each other. He knew who his money was on. Dix was stood by his table, his head swivelling to watch as if it were a tennis match. Syl was snuggled into Krit on the couch as they both watched Alec face down the older man with amusement. Jondy and Zane were stood at a table covered in guns, looking through it and listening at the same time. Zack was stood leaning against a wall with his arms folded and his eyes narrowed on Logan. Tawney, Brin and Lee weren't there. Cindy and Joshua were near the door, O.C. watching Alec and Erin, and Joshua glaring at Logan. Max looked like she was going to explode.
"Everyone shut up!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. Silence fell immediately. She looked at Erin "I think we can say that you reacted to Logan grabbing you, right? And you used some basic self defence?" Erin nodded. "So can you tell us why you didn't want a blood test?" Max asked more calmly.
Erin let go of Alec's hand and sat down heavily in a chair with her head in her hands.
"Erin told me her reasons" Alec spoke up quietly "It has nothing to do with White and I promised not to say anything."
"And we're supposed to trust your judgment and whatever lies she's fed you?" Logan sneered at them both and Joshua growled.
Alec looked like he was going to snap "Erin doesn't lie to me, and my judgment is perfectly fine!"
Max sighed and rubbed her temples, a headache was coming on. "Alec, Logan, I want to talk to you both alone and without shouting. Everyone else- go back to whatever it was you were doing."
"We'll do that in a minute" Alec pulled the photo fit from his pocket. "Right now, we've got something else to talk about."
He unfolded the paper and held it up for them to see. "We had a narrow miss with White. We were upstairs in Jam Pony and White came hasslin' Normal. Normal says that his guys have been buggin' him for weeks- looking for Erin." Alec looked at Erin. "She must be pretty important if he's lookin' for her instead of you" he turned back to Max.
Max nodded and turned to Dix "Dix?"
Dix nodded from the doorway "On it."
"Okay then" Max looked back at Alec and Logan "We need to talk in the office. Now."
Logan nodded and followed Max up the stairs. Alec folded the paper back up and walked up to Erin who still looked uneasy.
He smiled at her and whispered in her ear "Everything will be fine. I promise." Erin nodded and he left to follow Max.
Sighing, Erin walked out into the garage, unaware of Original Cindy's gaze.
Next chapter: A Friend's Advice…
"She's one of my best friends, of course I like her" Alec frowned and Max rolled her eyes.
"Don't be a prick. I mean, do you LIKE her?"
A/N: Wonder how long I should make you wait for the next chapter…
Tramps-Like-Us: Why did you have to change your name? I think that MartyMcFlyHasMyShoes is far too long. From now on, any messages for you will be under Dude. Okay? Where was I? Oh yes, it does have a plot. Ya know? The thing where Erin wants to get back home? Oh, and the cult's evil plot to destroy the world or whatever it is they want to do. And the Alec and Erin question? *grins* you know the answer to that one dude.
Messymissy: Now that was a long review. *grins* thanks. There'll be more stuff about Alec's feelings later on but as I've said before, this story is mostly about Erin. Oh, and yep, the whole Link thing is the reason why White wants her- because she's the Link and that means she can do… stuff. *grins* No more questions!
Elin: *looks at my Alec wallpaper on my desktop* I know exactly what you mean. Doncha think that there should've been more Alec in a blue towel?
Moonlight: Doncha isn't really 'proper' English. *rolls eyes* Damn my teachers for drilling these things into me! "Doncha" = don't you or don't ya. It's just basically put together. Anyway, where are you from?
Fallinorange: Do you think I'm getting' carried away with the Logan bashing?*thinks for a second* Nah! In the second story Logan gets… *smiles evilly* I think I'll make you wait.
Everyone: Just so you guys know, at the end of this story, there'll be a preview for the sequel, which, in my opinion- is WAY better.
