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.

Chapter 9: Sun Kissed

The sun was beginning to set sending warm orange rays like long fingers between the tall buildings and into small garage at the rear of Terminal City. There sat on the hood of a blown out Buick was Alec, his mind far from the task at hand. With his arm resting across on knee he swung a can of WD-40 loosely in his oily hands. The quiet splendour of this unusual day seemed to have him held captive. He stared out of the open end of the garage at the silhouettes of the buildings beyond, his eyes glazed in thought. A light breeze blowing through the streets ruffled his golden-brown hair and cooled his body which shimmered slightly from the sheen of his sweat. The streets were quiet now although the hum of city life could still be heard mixing with the soft tunes of the radio that played unobtrusively in the back.

Alec was brought around from his musings as an oily cloth thwacked him in the side of the head. Looking round he saw Speed, Terminal cities resident transportation expert standing in his overalls with his arms crossed.

"Welcome back to the real world, where have you been?" He asked amused at having been able to catch Alec off guard.

"Sorry, I was just ... thinking." Alec replied sliding off the hood of the car and getting back to work on replacing the brakes. Speed chuckled shaking his head.

"I never thought I'd see the day when a girl would render the great 494 completely useless."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Alec replied dismissively as he set about removing the front right tyre, masking his reactions with complete neutrality in an attempt to discourage any further discussion.

"Really?" Speed was unimpressed and undeterred. He leant against the vehicle and regarded his friend sceptically. "Then tell me, how many brake checks have you done in the last two hours?" The guilty silence that followed settled his point. Alec gave him a dirty look as Speed started to laugh.

"Thanks a lot."

"I'm sorry," Speed managed as his laughter pattered out, wiping a tear from his eyes. He sat down against the car in order to be at the same level as his somewhat put out friend.

"So come on, let's have it."

"Have what?" Alec was still determined to ignore him.

"Well, not that I'm an expert but this is usually the part where you tell me all about it. You sit there all dreamy eyed as you picture her all smiling and windswept, after which I offer some vaguely relevant advice like 'get over her, there are other fish in the transgenic sea' or 'what are you doing here? Go fight for her soldier.'" Alec finally stopped working throwing his spanner down angrily and swinging around to glare at Speed.

"You think this is funny don't you?" Speed chuckled but shook his head.

"No, you have my every sympathy; love makes meatheads of the best of us." Alec got up and moved off deciding to go with just saying nothing at all. "Aww, come on Alec, don't be like that, I'm serious." Alec began to sift noisily through a tool box trying to block out the sound of Speed's voice. "Come on talk to me." Still nothing "Come on you'll feel better and then maybe we can get some proper work done." Alec for the first time considered the offer, he wasn't one for discussing his feelings, he was used to dealing with things on his own.

"What's the point it's all over anyway." He sighed playing with the ratchet in his hands. Speed regarded him carefully. The guy really did seem lost. Love was a funny thing, something to steer clear of if you could help it, but when it has a hold on you it seems impossible to let go of it. Speed was a soft touch really, underneath that sarcastic, know-it-all exterior all he wanted to do was help. Like his friend and former CO he hid behind humour and a cocky self-assurance.

Speed frowned.

"Max said that?" Alec looked round sharply denial on the tip of his tongue. "Don't even try it, you don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to figure out you're in love with Max."

"Who said anything about love?" Alec blurted a little more alarmed than he wanted to appear.

"Ok, ok ... it can't all be lost ... have you told her?" Alec gave him a look that seemed to say what do you think? "I guess not ... not appropriate right? ... Logan and all that." Alec sighed and got back to working on the busted brakes. Speed kept thinking "But maybe..."

"No, trust me it's better this way, this way no one gets hurt."

"Right, because you're just peachy-keen." Alec hesitated, the truth was he wasn't peachy-keen, he'd been miserable all week. He was hurting; he had a dull ache in the pit of his stomach every time he thought of her. He felt the misery of disappointed affection, but it was his own fault. He was being punished and this pain was proportionate to his crime. He had brought it on himself.

"Yeah, I'm always alright." Speed gave an exasperated sigh rolling his eyes.

"So you cut her out of your life for her own good ... I've seen the router sheet." Alec looked up at him and frowned. It's true for the last week he had adjusted duties to keep him as far away from max as possible.

"What? Are you stalking me now?" Speed shook off Alec's attempt at a subject change.

"You can't avoid her forever. You know in the end it's her choice, maybe you should at least let her know that there is one." Alec beheld his friend, who being renowned as fairly scatty and not as quick as his name would suggest, did on occasion make a lot of sense. Alec smiled shaking his head.

"I know," Speed laughed "I surprise myself sometimes."

Alec stood clapping his friend on the shoulder in a silent manly gesture of thanks. Smiling Speed glanced over Alec's shoulder and instantly shifted his stance becoming suddenly uncomfortable.

"I'll just go get some coffee, you want some?" He said backing off.

"Yeah, sure."

"Me too," a voice chimed in from behind him. Spinning round Alec found Max standing awkwardly in the door way almost a silhouette against the last rays of the setting sun. Alec swallowed thickly.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked coolly.

"Just got here, why? Were you talking about me?" Max smiled playfully trying to ease the tension but not making a move to close the distance between them. Alec couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, we were just saying how nosey you were." Max stuck her tongue out at him. It was strange how they were able to slip back into their old comfort zone, picking up their usual teasing banter, despite the distance the last week had put between them. For Max it gave her confidence in the decision she had made. She was happy and for a moment so was Alec until he remembered his resolve. He let the smile slip from his features and tried to look busy. He moved to pick up the tools on the floor, Max sighed; he was putting up walls again.

"I've got loads to do so if there is something you want Max..." She smiled slightly as she played with idea of saying 'yeah you' but perhaps that was too corny, too much of a line.

"I came to see you." Alec didn't look up at her feeling he would betray himself if he did. She watched him closely.

"Really" Alec tried to sound disinterested.

"No, actually I came to get my car fixed," Max said sarcastically rolling her eyes, "Of course I came to see you." She approached him hoping to coax him into stopping this game and finally joining the conversation.

"Well here I am," Alec had a feeling that the tingle her admission had sent careering through his body was going to make his resolve that much harder to keep. Max sighed and decided she might as well just launch into it.

"Just thought you might like to know ... I've broken up with Logan."

"What!" Alec's reaction was quick, turning to look up at her finally.

"Yep, we're done." Max tried to make it sound like it wasn't a big deal. She took a deep breath and with a sigh she let out the remanence of her not-like-that-like-that relationship. Alec stood up slowly, and reaching out his cleanest hand he touched her on the arm.

"Are you okay?" Max smiled genuinely and certainly.

"Yeah, it's just weird finally walking away after all this time." Alec's mind was tripping over itself unsure what to think. What did it mean? Why was she telling him? What was she looking for when she came looking for him? Was it comfort or something more than that? The thought of it even as the slightest of possibilities made his heart beat quicken. Max, having temporarily lost track of her objective shook her head and focused.

"So, what now?" Alec asked nervously.

"Now you stop avoiding me!"

"Who says I was avoiding you?" Alec spoke up defensively.

"When we go from sharing a bed to barely speaking to each other little red flags go up." Somewhere in the back room a coffee mug smashed. Max blushed slightly having forgotten that Speed was still around. Alec grinned.

"I'm sorry. After everything that happened ... I figured rather than go and ruin your life again it would be better for all concerned if I kept my distance." He sighed heavily "I never wanted to be a confusion in your life Max."

"And has it been better?" Max asked tentatively suddenly feeling anxious. But he gave no answer he just stood looking at her searchingly, trying to see in her eyes what she wanted him too say. He was holding back Max could see it as she held his gaze.

"Alec, has it been better?" Alec tried to walk away; to answer the question would leave him exposed, could he risk it. "Alec! ... Has it been better?"

"No of course not!" Alec blurted giving up the fight. He ran a shaky hand through his ruffled hair. "I can't sleep, I can't think straight, I can't seem to get anything done because I'm always thinking about you ... I'm always wishing I was with you ... I'm miserable because I haven't got you and the stupid thing is I never had you in the first place." Alec couldn't bring himself to look at her anymore. He turned away throwing a rag at the car in frustration with himself. Max stepped closer taking his hand and effectively drawing his attention back to her.

"Maybe you did." She spoke softly. Alec looked up from their joined hands into her wide brown eyes waiting for her to continue not trusting himself to speak. "The night after the party when I came over to see you, I wanted to tell you that I was happy ... that what happened had confirmed my worst fears," she paused now smiling brightly, "I want to be with you." Alec couldn't move the shock permeating every pore of his body. As he looked at the truth shining in her deep brown eyes his face broke into a soft smile.

"Worst fears?" He asked drawing closer to her "Is it so bad discovering that you actually like me?" His face began to descend on hers.

"It's worse" she whispered leaning in to him.

"Maybe ... maybe I can make it worth your while." He said as he closed the distance between them and their lips met. Max wound her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. Alec's fingers trailed lazily across the soft skin of her cheek savouring her sweet taste. Max was stunned by his tenderness and his reverence, she wished it could last forever but even she needed to breathe.

They broke apart yet remained close.

"Do you think Speed will mind if I skip out on him?" Alec wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, Max smiled biting her lip. Then somewhere in the background the small makeshift radio that had been playing quietly was turned up and now the garage was filled with the sounds of Van Morrison's 'My Brown Eyed Girl'. Alec laughed; he held out his hand and bowed.

"Would you care to dance m'lady?"

"I'd love to."

Speed appeared from the back and watched them twist and turn around the small city garage shaking his head.

"You just can't get the staff these days."

The End.

A/N: That's it! it is finished I hope you enjoyed. Please tell me if you like that ending. You have the power to change it if you don't like it. Thanks for reading! x x x