"Cindy, have you seen Max?"
Alec leaned close and spoke quietly into Original Cindy's ear, so the others at the table wouldn't overhear. The music at Crash was just loud enough to mask his voice, and the semi-dimness concealed the concern on his face.
"She said was going for a ride to clear her head," Cindy answered, keeping her voice equally low. "But I think we both know where she probably ended up; and it won't be the Space Needle this time."
Alec nodded and left Crash by the backdoor where he'd parked his bike. The engine jumped to life and Alec headed for the upscale side of town.
(Back at the apartment)
Max sat in the same position as before, the now-empty bottle of scotch dangling from her hand, her face expressionless. The apartment was warm, but she still wore her leather jacket and gloves. Her face was flushed and hot, but she felt cold inside. She had loved Logan, but Alec had been right: she was a danger to any Ordinary. And she had been a danger to Logan. 'I was so selfish,' Max thought dully. 'I wanted to stay with Logan, I wanted to have what we had before – and my selfishness killed him. I killed him.'
"You shouldn't drink alone, Max."
Alec leaned in the doorframe, his hands in his pockets. Max's mind turned, unable to decide whether she was incredibly glad to see him, or if she wanted to tell him to leave her the hell alone.
"Alec."
Alec tossed his black leather jacket on a chair and walked across the room to the couch, sitting down beside Max.
"Don't you dare say 'I told you so'." Max warned. "Don't you dare say that I knew all along that I was a danger to him." Alec shook his head slowly, wondering why she always assumed the worst about him.
Their first meeting probably hadn't given her the best impression of him, though. Of course, he hadn't been too keen on her either – a breeding partner who wouldn't get within two feet of him with his shirt off. Terrific.
"I wasn't going to say anything like that." Alec laid the back of his hand against Max's forehead and frowned. "You're really hot, Max. Why don't you take your jacket off?" Max continued staring straight forward, but nodded slowly; as though she agreed with him, but it was too much effort to actually do. Alec carefully removed her jacket and laid it on the side table, then took the empty bottle from her hand and shook his head slightly. It took a lot to get a transgenic wasted, and the single bottle of scotch wouldn't have gotten Max intoxicated, but if you were depressed or moody it could sure as hell make the mood worse. He knew from experience what the mix of guilt, self-recriminations, and drinking alone felt like.
"I killed him, you know." Max said flatly, staring at the palms of her hands. "I touched him...it was my fault. I killed Ben, I killed Zach, and now I've killed Logan." Hot tears flooded down her cheeks, but her face remained like stone.
"Manticore killed Logan," Alec said softly, rubbing her back in small circles. "Ben wanted death, and you loved him enough to give him what he asked for. Zach survived, and he's alive today and living a normal life. You didn't kill them."
"I killed Logan." Max repeated, her expression crumbling, and a sob choking her words. "I could have walked out of his life forever and he wouldn't be dead. I killed him – that's on me one hundred percent."
"Manticore killed him," Alec insisted gently. "Just like Manticore killed Rachel. I had to learn that the hard way, Max." He shook his head. "I'm still learning that."
"I could have stayed away." Max whispered, sniffling. "I was too selfish."
She broke down, the sobs overtaking her ability to speak, and Alec pulled her close and rocked her like she was a little kid. Max only cried harder, one hand clutching his t-shirt, and the other wrapped protectively around herself.
A/N: What'd you guys think? I need some reviews before I decide whether or not to keep on with this... think Max whines too much? Is too weak? Alec is too un-Alec-like? Let me know!