Alexceasar: I know 3 Maxes is a lot, but it will be fun to see how they fit in. And maybe just maybe there will be a child from Max and Alec.

Lakegirl08: I'm glad you like the 'side project'.

Pearly-wings: My mistake. I meant Brin not Bren. Thanks for pointing that out.


Max stared at Alec. Shaking her head she turned away from him and went to sleep.

Alec sighed walking into the bedroom. Even though he lied about the side project there was a manuscript about a breeding cult. Thing was it wasn't their mission it was Brin and Pam's.

Max pretended to go to sleep, making her breaths shallow. Once she heard Alec's door shut she flipped back on to her other side. He lied, she thought. No surprise there, an inner voice said. No, she thought, he might have a good reason.

Sighing again she thought about Pam. Maybe she could see her before I leave, she thought, and maybe, just maybe, I can get her to help me with my plan. A small smile crept out of her lips as her eyes slowly drifted into the oblivion of a deep sleep.

Next Morning

The sun splashed into the apartment making a blanket of warmth over the body on the couch. A small rapping announced a visitor.

A moan flied into the air as the body, previously sleeping, stood. Trudging to the door Max looked out the peephole. What she was staring at made her brain go into overdrive- it was to early to think clearly, especially without coffee. What happened to the shark DNA, she thought.

Unlocking the door to let Pam in she opened it a bit and headed to the kitchen. "Come on in," with a wave of the arm she said.

"Hey, I hope this isn't a bad time."

Max turned on the coffee machine and turned to Sam. Behind her was Brin. This was going to put a damper on her plan.

"Of course not, just let me change first," Max said. She grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt then headed to the bathroom.

Damn it Brin, it wasn't her fault that she was brainwashed, but it just made everything more difficult. How was she suppose to get Alec and Pam to agree to help her bring Manticore down with Brin here?

Yesterday she saw that Pam wasn't as brainwashed as Brin and was mostly confident that she would help the cause. She would be able to find out what it was like on the outside, freedom unlike the taste of it that she had now. And Alec, he was an ass, but there was something about him that Max could depend on.

Then a thought hit Max, why was Pam isolated? Maybe Alec would know, she thought that asking Pam out right might offend her.

A deep breath and she was in the living room. "So what's up?"

Brin was sitting on the couch staring straight ahead while Pam was wondering about the room.

Brin was the first to answer, "We're here because we have to start off back to Manticore."

Max stared at Brin. She didn't hear the bedroom door open and jumped when Alec said hello.

He was dressed and ready to leave back to Manticore. He was not ready, however, for the awaiting punishment for not completing his 'side-mission'.

Just as Max was about to say something the phone rang.

How the phone has such good timing I'll never know, Alec thought sarcastically as he moved around Max and answered it.

"Hello."

"Hello, X5-494. I just thought to call before you left to let you know that you and X5-452 will be staying in town a few more days. You know about our little project," Renfro said. She had a way to say more than what she actually said. It was an annoying habit.

"Yes, ma'am." He hung the phone up and turned to Max, "Renfro told us to stay tight."

Brin stood up and sauntered to the door, "Well then I guess I'll be seeing you later," with that she left.

Pam wasn't as egger to leave. She sighed and gave an apologetic smile to Max. As she was walking out the door her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she asked. Pause. "Really?" Another pause. "Yes, ma'am."

She shut the phone closed and spun toward Max. "I guess I'm also staying. Something about them wanting at least three X5's just in case the Reds come back. So…see you later Max?"

"Yeah," Max replied. Yes, she thought, finally I might have a change to enroll them in my cause.

Alone Max turned to Alec, "Can I ask you a question?"

Alec was in the kitchen, which was just an area that was separated only by a counter. "Sure, fire away."

Max walked to the counter and sat down. How was she going to ask? She started to fidget with the end of her shirt. "Did you know that Pam was in isolation?"

Alec's head flung up. That was Pam the one in isolation? "Uh, no, of course not."

Max stared at Alec disbelievingly, "You're lying. Shouldn't you be better at this? I mean they should have taught this in co-ops 101."

"Yeah, well…" Alec was at a loss. He had heard of some clone form the 09 escape in isolation for a 'nature vs. nurture' thing, or something like that. For the clone to be one of Max, now that was a huge coincidence if you believed in that sort of thing, Alec though didn't.

Max could see that he knew something but didn't want to push it, "So why don't we go get breakfast?"

She knew she was changing the subject and so did he, but he nodded nonetheless.

Alec's POV:

Breakfast,an interesting fact about a Max clone, and let's not forget the side mission, this week was getting interesting.

The only problem was that I didn't want to fulfill the side mission. I wanted Max, but I wanted her, not sex, strange but true. If he did have sex with her he wanted it because she truly cared for him. He already knew that he loved her with all his heart.

Now all he had to do was find a way to show her that he loved, but how?

Max's POV:

Breakfast? Why didn't I just suggest making him cereal or something? Then again, I didn't want to, I wanted him near me, romanticlly or as close as I can getto it. Not just his body, not in a heat related way. I didn't want to have sex and then that's it. I wanted the feel of his arms around me, in a loving embrace. I wanted his heart.

I realized then in that moment that at some point during the time that I have come to know Alec I have grown to love him. Who would have thought?


AN: Okay that's all for now. But awww Max loves Alec and Alec loves Max. I hope you all liked it and I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can.