Rating: PG

Genre: Drama / Angst / Romance

Pairing: M/A

Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel , it owns me. ;)

Summary: How important are memories? Max and Alec face a new challenge in their changing relationship. Can an unfortunate accident bring them closer together? ...And now jealousy; a catalyst for trouble.

Lethe

Episode 2: Bedside Manners

Carefully climbing in through the broken window they had used for an exit, the two transgenics stood awkwardly staring at the destruction. Alec could only offer Logan small apologetic smile having forgotten the extent to which he had trashed the older mans apartment. Logan stood crouched over a pile of clay limbs that had once been an Aztec sculpture. To say Logan looked agitated would be a gross understatement. Max sensed the tension.

"Alec, go find the first aid kit." Alec complied happily and slipped out of the way. Max stepped over the remains of the coffee table and a bookcase to where Logan was standing.

"So I take it he's back."

"Yeah. Look Logan..."

"Look at this place." Logan huffed throwing the remnants of his Aztec god to the floor with a resounding thud. He sighed emphatically "How many times do I have to start over?" Max stood speechless, although he hadn't said it directly it felt like he was implying that she and her kind were a huge burden to him. There was always going to be problems, if they were going to be together, there were risks that they both would have to accept. And by the sounds of it Logan was beginning to tire of the cons.

Logan slumped off across the room to the far wall where one of his more expensive paintings seemed to be the only thing in this room left unscathed. Max tried to console him.

"I'm sorry Logan, it was..."

"You'd think he'd be able to practise some self-control," Logan continued cutting her off "He's a ticking time-bomb."

"Hey! It's been a hard time for him."

"Oh yeah." Logan scuffed sarcastically "I bet being waited on hand and foot was unbearable." Logan voice was lined with bitterness. "You know I wouldn't be surprised if this had all been an act." Max's hand connected with his face in a loud crack. With the virus cured she could set him straight in any way she pleased.

"I suppose he pretended to almost die too." Max snapped back "It's just stuff Logan, it can be replaced." with that she stormed off after Alec. She found him sat in the kitchen already at work with a pair of tweezers trying to pull the glass shards out of his hand.

"Hey let me do that." She said softly, taking over. Alec said nothing just watched her as she set to work. He had tried not to over hear but with his abilities it was hard not to. It seemed he was causing problems between Max and Logan again without meaning to. He may not have liked the guy or less understood him, but he had an amount of respect for him. It had happened that the accident had timed itself almost exactly with Logan's big breakthrough with the cure. It brought Max out of reach once again as she devoted herself to Alec's recovery. So he couldn't blame Logan for feeling as he did. Alec could see Logan lurking in his peripheral vision giving them a suspicious glance every now and then. He sighed and looked back at Max trying to force Logan and Logan's ridiculous paranoia out of his mind.

Max carefully cleaned the cuts and gashes before pulling out some gauze to wrap his hand up with. Alec couldn't remember Manticore ever being this gentle. Their policy seemed to be the more pain you endured the stronger you would become against it. Manticore was back in Alec as was his darker side and darker deeds in the form of a number, 494. As the tidal wave of memories crashed through him it crushed a lot of his defences to those torturous memories he'd tried to forget and unearthed hidden ones that Manticore wanted him to forget. The blow was cushioned somewhat by the memories of his freedom, of his friends, of his family, of the good he had done, allowing him to keep his faith in himself.

Max finished packing up and looked up at Alec, who was looking at her with a strange wonderment. She blushed lightly under his heated scrutiny.

"All done." Her words snapped him out of his daze. He flexed his fingers testing the limiting effects of the bandage. It still hurt but it was functional.

"Thanks."

They spent the next few hours helping Logan to tidy his apartment, with Alec trying to apologies and Logan trying to say as little as possible to him.

"Uh ... Logan ... I'll pay for all this ... really." Logan said nothing so Alec gave up and just left quickly. Max glared at Logan.

"What's wrong with you?"

"It's him, taking everyone for a ride. Max, you haven't had a moment to yourself since the bombings ... I haven't had you home once since ... what about us?" Max continued to stare at him in disbelief, he was speaking out of anger and jealousy he knew it but he couldn't help it.

"What about us? this has nothing to do with us. He's a friend who needed help. we're in the middle of a war Logan things like this are going to happen." Max made a move to leave

"So why aren't you going to stay tonight?" Max turned around and beheld him as if he were stupid to even ask that question. She left to find Alec and get away from that place as quickly as possible.

"You alright?" Alec asked as she exited the building approaching him where he had been waiting by their parked bikes.

"I'm fine, Lets just go."

Alec growled inwardly as they rode away from Foggle Towers. He hated how the older man could always destroy Max's mood and usually left him to take the brunt for it. As they approached the safety of the Terminal City perimeter fence Alec wondered if he should ask her about it. For all the time he'd been absent from himself she never mentioned Logan and of course he could not remember to able to ask or taunt and tease as he often did.

Their walk through Terminal City seemed like old times, with Alec doing more talking than anything else being uncomfortable in the silence. Max for once enjoyed it. She had craved to hear it for so long that now it was like a breathe of fresh air and it allowed her to drift off into her own thoughts.

She had been wondering about her own suppressed thoughts, whether there were more that she just couldn't access because of Manticore. She thought back to her newly recovered memory that was now so precious to her. She wondered whether it influenced her subconsciously when she was planning her escape with her siblings when they jumped out through the windows on that cold winters night. Then she thought of Alec. What did the memory mean to him? what else had he unlocked? she thought back to Zack's own brush with amnesia and wondered if this brush with death had unlocked any secret programming in Alec.

Before she knew it they were back at Alec's place and she had taken off her jacket, one boot and was in the process of untying the other before she realised she didn't need to be there anymore. She stopped, her hands still holding the lace of her boot as she decided what to do.

She had gotten so used to coming here every night that it had become automatic. She couldn't give away the fact that she wanted to , and liked to be there, nor that she had made a mistake, her sense of pride wouldn't let her. As if coming to a similar realisation Alec stopped talking and just watched her eyes flicker with possible solutions to save the proud creature before him from hurt or embarrassment. He couldn't admit that he wanted her to stay, but excuses he could do.

"You have some of your things still here, right?" He said with a slight smile.

Max took off her other boot.

"Yeah ... I thought I should get it all together." They looked at each other a moment both understanding each other yet remaining uncertain over the implications. Max slowly started to look around for her things whilst Alec's mind raced looking for an excuse to make her stay. He almost died with relief when the heavens opened up and rain began to patter lightly against his window.

"It's pouring down with rain. You might as well stay and take your stuff home tomorrow, you know, save you getting it all wet." Alec reasoned.

"I hate the rain." Max said almost enthusiastically. And so the pretences could remain and neither had to leave the safety of denial.

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The hours passed and soon it was time to retire, not that either slept much at any one time, but the eventful day had worn them down physically and emotionally. There was no question of who would sleep where neither dared to bring it up.

"Just change in here."

"With you watching? yeah right, in your dreams." Max scoffed

"I'll turn my back. " Alec assured her "Hey if you can resist staring at my perfect body, I can resist looking at yours." Max snorted her disapproval and turned her back to prove it. Alec chuckled and turn round too to change for bed. Alec pulled his sweatshirt over his head awkwardly thanks to his bandaged hand which should have practically healed by now. He went to examine it trying hard to ignore the sounds of clothes being removed behind him. He suddenly stopped catching skin reflected in his small bedside mirror, angling it very slightly he could see her bare, flawless back. He held his breath when she bent over to pick something up from the floor.

"Are you done?" Max called suspiciously hearing a general lack of activity behind her. Alec snapped back into life and removed the rest of his clothing except his boxers.

"Yeah, just about." Hearing the shifting of his bed sheets Alec looked round to see Max already snuggling up in his bed. A wicked grin spread across his face as he got in. He couldn't resist.

"In my bed again Max? It's just any excuse with you isn't it ? your obsessed, it's just not healthy." Max smacked him but kept her smile.

"It's good to hear you joking again."

"Who said I was joking? I'm serious." Max hit him again.

.....

"...But you're thinking about it now, aren't you?" Max pulled her pillow out and proceeded to try and smother him with it, Alec just laughed.

"Don't make me kill you!" She warned as Alec's laughter died away.

He loved winding her up and it felt good to remember how to push her buttons. He smiled up at the beauty poised above him. Max found it strange how comfortable she felt being like this with him. The cold room finally felt warm and toasty. She lay her head down on his chest and sighed happily when she felt Alec begin to tentatively stroke his fingers through her hair, a contented smile playing upon his lips.

A/N: This is set after the end of the series 2. Alec and Max live in TC, the virus has been cured, and the world is still against them. I hope this answers all your questions. There is more to come. And it become more romancey from here on in. Oh and much M/A. Sorry I haven't updated recently I've been moving house and it's a huge hassle. What do you think? please give me feed back! xxx