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.
Chapter6: Safe and Sound
Dinner was being served, as Max sat down at her place at the table denoted by the fancy name card sitting above her plate. Innumerable waiters and waitresses bustled about serving some ridiculously small clump of vegetables that was passed off as a gourmet starter. Max ignored the hum of chatter and focused on memorising the movements of the guard detachment. By the time the main course arrived Max had spotted all the security cameras in the immediate vicinity and she was quite sure that the nerve centre for the watch was the third door in on the upper-balcony. There was still no sign of Alec as the plates were being taken away and Max was beginning to wonder. Just then a slight movement in the shadows below the stairwell caught her eye and sure enough unbeknown to the party there lurked Alec. Max smiled to herself letting Alec know she had seen him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him signal to her to make her excuses and go for a toilet break before he disappeared again. Max glanced up the table at the host, then back at her food and a cruel smile curled her lips. Clamping her hand over her mouth and bulging her eyes Max made some light gagging sounds as if she were trying to suppress vomit.
"Max? are you okay?" Logan whispered his concern so as not to draw attention from the other guests who were already beginning to turn in their direction.
"Yeah, I'm just not feeling too great, " Max turned to address the rest of the table "If you'll excuse me I really need to use your facilities." The host nodded
"Certainly my dear, are you quite well?"
"I'll be fine, excuse me." Max had to bite her lip to suppress the urge to laugh when she saw a number of the guest sniffing suspiciously at their plates. She managed to maintain her composure all the way to the bathroom, winking at one of security guards as she slipped passed him. She locked the door and let out long sigh as she leant back against the door. Finally something was going to happen, finally she had something to do. Speaking of which where was he?
"Alec?" Max whispered as she looked around. She was replied by a light tapping on the window which she promptly swept across to open. Alec's head popped up grinning from ear to ear.
"Ready?"
"Ready?" Max repeated wearily frowning "What do you mean 'ready'?"
"Are you ready to go find the buried treasure, Ar!" Alec attempted a rather poor pirate impression. His untamed excitement was obvious he did nothing to disguise it. It sparkled in his eyes and lengthened his smile and made him bounce on whatever rope was holding him in place. Max regarded him sceptically
"In this dress? are you kidding?" Alec rose an amused eyebrow.
"You could take it off, I have no objections." Max punched him playfully. "Come on it'll be fine, you might want to lose the heals though." Max wasted no time in discarding them and then carefully climbed up and out on to the ledge outside. Without a second though Alec grabbed her by the waist and repelled them back down to the ground below.
"Hey! don't get any ideas, I'm no damsel in distress." Max said hands on her hips as Alec hid the rope from sight.
"Shame, I was all but ready to whip out the shining armour." Max hitched her skirt up and followed Alec into the bushes up ahead of them. Alec readjusted his borrowed uniform as they went, repositioning his hat. Max giggled, he looked as if he had just escaped from a striptease show. Alec took them further into the undergrowth, through the trees towards the back of the grounds where the ground was covered in wood-chippings. The branches and plants were scratching at Max's ankles. She tried to contain her as it seemed Alec was taking the most awkward route possible on purpose because he knew she had bare-feet. Finally they stopped and Alec knelt down to dust the chippings off a partially covered man whole cover. Max stopped suddenly.
"Wait, wait, wait. We're not going into the sewers."
" 'fraid so."
"Alec!" Alec smiled sympathetically
"The other tunnels have been filled in except for the one that is in there. Come on it won't be for long so you'll be fine, just don't touch anything." Max crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as Alec began to remove the cover.
"Don't you think they'll be a bit suspicious if I get back in there smelling like shit?"
"Well you were hiding in the toilet." Max wrinkled her nose in disgust at what he was suggesting. "I'll carry you if you like." Alec beamed at her, Max just sighed and shoved him deciding just to get going it's not like she wanted to be where she was supposed to be. Alec kept his word, no sooner had they touched down inside than he was pointing out the tunnel entrance ahead of them half boarded shut. They would have a time squeezing in without ruining the dress so Max picked up the skirt ends and tucked them into her panties. Alec smirked.
"After you m'lady." Alec added an over elaborate bow "I'll follow and watch your ... Back." Max returned his grin but crossed her arms and tapped her foot trying to appear as if she were not amused which was made grotesquely humorous with her skirt hanging out of her pants. But she had no shame.
"You mean you'll watch my backside, I don't even know what's down there. So after you, you jackass." Max mimicked his bow but without the airs. Alec laughed as he kicked through the last board covering the tunnel and slipped inside. It was very dark, not that it bothered them with their genetically enhanced eyesight. The ceiling was low, and was showing signs of age but at least it was covered in sewage.
"Down dark tunnels on the first date." Alec grinned
"You must feel right at home." Max chided back. Soon they reached a hollow that open out into a bigger room with a big obvious discoloured concrete patch on the far wall.
"Looks recently made."
"It's the same stuff they used to fill in the other tunnels." Alec observed running his hand across its uneven surface.
"So ... dead end?" The look on Alec's face was hard to read but she guessed that he either had something up his sleeve or he was going tell her that he knew there was no way in and just wanted to drag her all the way down here anyway. Alec still smiling tapped the wall lightly with his fist before in one swift motion he smashed his fist straight through it.
"In the damp its like cardboard." Max stepped up next to him and slid her hand along his arm into the whole he had just made enjoying the surprised look on his face.
"You know you have this unhealthy habit of putting your fist through things."
"Lucky for you I do or you would have come all the way down here for nothing." Alec pulled out a lump of wall mimicking her motion of sliding the back of his hand along her arm "Although I'm sure we would have thought of something else to do." Alec felt carefree, that smile that Max couldn't seem to shift was giving him the confidence to test the barriers between them.
"Yeah, but who needs candle lit dinners and moonlit walks when you've got breaking and entering." They began to pull the wall out making a hole big enough for them to squeeze through. They climbed over the wall of steal security cabinet's and stood in awe at the row upon row of safety deposit box draws that filled all available space in the safe. They smiled at each other. Alec rubbed his hands together.
"We're in." Alec walked up one side running his index finger along the numbers printed on the front of each drawers. Max walked up the other side smiling in satisfaction not at the lines of drawers but at the image of Christopher Cale's face in her head all red and constipated.
"28 02, why not." He slowly slid the drawer out checking for wires, motion sensors and lasers as he went. He placed it on the table high cabinets that ran along the centre of the room and opened it found it to contain a velvet pouch and inside that a number of gems. Although there was no light Alec was fairly sure they were emeralds. Trying some other drawers he found more gems, bonds, property deeds, artefacts, and wads of cash. As Alec began to pocket the loot Max's hand suddenly shot out and stopped him. Alec sighed as he looked up at her expecting all the time to see that look on her face, the one that she had whenever she was about to sacrifice something for the greater good.
"Alec, we don't need to take anything. Isn't enough that we got in?"
"Max, we need this, even if you don't I know a few transgenics who could do with some cash injection. I've already pocketed enough to keep us comfortable for the rest of the year and I haven't even started." There was that look again and he knew she wasn't going to let up.
"That's enough then leave the rest." Alec groaned, there was no point arguing he would never win and he was actually surprised she was letting him take as much as he had so he complied. Max looked about as Alec began to slide the draws back into place, something was missing, a finishing touch.
"Have you got any paper on you?" Alec raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Err, there was some wrapped around the cash ...here." Alec held out a crumpled sheet of paper that Max snatched up eagerly. Retrieving her lipstick she quickly scribbled something down. She smiled triumphantly and placed it down on the table-high divide between them so Alec could read it. He grinned.
"Let's go." Max said grabbing Alec by the hand and pulling them both out the way they came in leaving the note in plain view behind them.
"It seems a shame to wait until they next happen to check the safe." Alec whispered as they scuttled back across the immaculately kept lawn to the wall of the house. They leaned up against it a moment checking the coast was clear.
"What are you going to do? set the alarms off on purpose?"
"I just might." Alec breathed passing purposely against her to get to the drain pipe and start climbing up to the window from which he had extracted her. He watched her as she straightened her dress out and replaced her shoes. She glowed, there was a slight blush tinting her cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes that had become brighter through the last few weeks.
"Well..." she said finally facing him again.
"Well..." Alec echoed smiling broadly. He held out his arm to her and she took it shaking her head as he escorted her to the door. They stood there awkwardly like two kids at the end of a first date.
"I had a great time." It was true her evening had been significantly improved by his interference.
"Me too, we should do it again sometime." Alec leaned closer placing a hand on the wall by head where she was leaning, hand on the door handle ready to leave. "I'll call you."
"I'd ... better go ... before they get suspicious."
"I'll miss you. I'm not sure I can take it." Max shoved him playfully.
"My mama warned me about boys like you." Max said poking a finger into his chest
"Lydecker warned me about girls like you."
"Goodnight." As Max made a move to leave, Alec saw his opportunity slipping away.
"Wait."
"Wha...?" before she could finish Alec closed the short distance between them and captured her lips in a slow sweet kiss. Max had entirely stopped breathing as the night of flirting finally came to a head. The moment was broken by a knock at the door. In that same instance Alec moved swiftly to the window and dived out.
"Max?" Came the concerned voice of Logan's cousin Trixy. Max sighed and opened the door falling effortlessly into character. "Are you okay? you've been gone ages."
"Yeah I'm good now, just a bit nauseous. Shall we."
"Lets." they walked arm in arm back to the main hall where the dinner table was being cleared and the guests were happily sipping sherry. Max rejoined Logan who wasted no time in smothering her.
"Max are you okay? do you need anything? is it the shakes? do you need some of your pills?" Max rolled her eyes.
"It's under control." she answered vaguely which seemed to cover all the questions in one and pacified him at least for the time being. Just then the whole place burst into life in a confused mix of sirens and flashing alarms. A confused commotion broke out amongst the guests. Chris Cale was swarmed by his body guards and then promptly rushed off to the source of the trouble. Max unmoved looked out of the large bay window at the silhouetted figure jumping over the fence and disappearing into the night.
A/N: here it is finally there is more to come shortly. It's writen it just needs to be typed up. So what do you think? I was only able to quickly skim read it before I posted it so if there are big stupid mistakes I'm sorry I will fix it soon. Review please!
