Author's note:Wow! I didn't expect that much reviews...Thanks! This chapter is rather short but i promise, the next one will be more lenghty and important...Feel free to make any suggestions, it may help me.
A huge thanks to those who reviewed :
Willow98002:thanks, i hope you like this chap.
silcecri:thanks and no, i didn't get it from NunWithPens Challenge...actually, it was on my mind for two months, but i refused to write it down, until now...thanks for pointing out the thing with the name, i wasn't really of the fact that instead of calling her Max, i made Alec call her Tiger all the time. So thanks.
AKA-Annabelle:Thank you and of course it's an M/A fic, i mean, have you seen my other stories? I can't write anything but that! (i'm so obessed, i'm thinking about going to see a shrink)
Meow:Thanks!
XxInsanityxX:thanks for the compliment...i hope you'll find the next chaps creative enough.
JG:Thank you!
Marsali:You're awesome to review! Thanks!
Guest type person:Well it seems that you'll see where it goes, and i hope you'll like it. Thanks for reviewing.
Maxie:Really? My best beginning? Thank you, really.
Again thanks to all the reviewers! A huge one! I'll try all my best to keep updating regularly and i really, really hope you'll like...Then again, feel free to make some suggestion, just don't be mean, pretty please...
Max didn't sleep on a bed. She just had this horrible mattress layed on the floor of the room she now lived in. Alec rose to his feet to turn out the lights before coming back at her side. She hadn't spoken a word since they got her from the warehouse. And that was three days ago. He wasn't used to a silent Max. Well she wasn't exactly silent, but, she was certainly not speaking. She didn't let anyone touch her beside Joshua and Alec, and she didn't take a shower yet. Which was staring to show (well smell, in this particular case.)
She didn't sleep much. Three hours at most. It was the first time in three days that Alec had been the one staying with her for the night. Usually it was Joshua, but he was assisting Mole tonight in one of the mission and Alec figured he needed some distraction. The Dog boy was so upset about all the situation. Who could blame him? Max, the X5 he considered as his baby sister was 'gone', she 'had lost it'. Hell, even he was upset. But then again, now he and Max were really close friends. He had even helped with the virus issue so now the star crossing lovers were able to touch each other. Actually, they had the cure one day before she got captured.
But yet again something got in the way, and now Logan couldn't touch Max because, if he did, then, she would kill him. Remind you of a virus, doesn't it?
Alec stroked her back while she slept. Two hours after she stirred. She yawned and stretched herself like a cat.
«Hey Max.» he greeted.
He had a 'Rrrr' as an answer.
«You don't want to sleep anymore huh?» They locked eyes and remained silent during a few minutes. A comfortable silent that is. «You think we can get out of this room now? You need to take a shower, you know that?» As if she was understanding him, she smelled herself and made a face. Then she sniffed him and rubbed her cheek on his chest.
«So are you coming with me to the shower rooms. I'm sure we'll find a female X5 who will help you take a shower and get some fresh clothes.» He held out a hand and she put her smaller hand in his with hesitation. Gently, he led her out of the room she slept in. She was fidgeting and avoiding light, as well as people. Each time they encountered another transgenic, she hid her small frame behind his, using him as a shield.
This definitely wasn't the Max he knew.The Max he knew would have probably kicked his ass just by pronouncing 'you', 'me' and 'shower' in the same sentence. But yet he was happy(in a way), that she was trusting him enough to take hold of his hand, to let him be the one to comfort her. A place, he knew Logan longed for. He'd let her use him as a shield as long as she needed.
This situation was undermining the moral of the troops. Two days ago, Alec had to explain to everybody what happened to his Second in Command and that saddened everyone in TC. Even Mole. Especially now that they had started the negociations with the US government, and about to be given citizenship. All that work was Max's baby. She worked hard on it during almost one year now, many of them had died along the way toward freedom. But all that was worth it. And now, their transgenic image couldn't utter a word for the sake of her life and was afraid of everything around her. That was hard, she was supposed to co-sign an important treaty with Alec in a month. A treaty that would ensure their security and the end of the hostility against the transgenics.
On their way to the public showers, they met Gem.
«Hey Alec. Got a new girl to...» she stopped dead in her tracks as she realized who the girl behind Alec was. «Oh.» she simply said.
«Hey Gem.» he replied gently. «She needs a shower, and some new clothes. I can stop by her apartment for the clothes but the shower, i'm sure she'd kill me if...you know...» he said.
«I know.» Gem nodded. «And Joshua already dropped by her apartment and took her some clothes. You were going to the public shower?» Gem asked.
«Yes. I hoped that we would find some X5 female who would gladly help her.» he informed.
«Come with me. She'll probably feel safer at home, and there's Joshua's scent all over the place.»
«Good idea.» Alec smiled.
Then, Max aknowlegded Gem and sniffed her. She was probably smelling Joshua on the X5 and accepting her.
«Is she okay?» Gem had to ask.
«She's always ok.» joked Alec then he turned serious. «No. She's not. She's not herself anymore. She's...It's like she's dead in a way.»
«What did the medics said?» Gem inquired.
«That she shut down, and when she 'reboot' herself, well...only the feral side survived. Doctor Carr will come by tomorrow. With OC.» he said.
«Krit and Zane know yet?» she asked.
«No. They don't. They'll be back in two days.» he informed.
«They won't be too happy to know that you found her location and didn't called them you know.» she stated.
«Oh. And what was i supposed to do? Wait for them to come back before rescuing her. They'll understand. And why did they had to go anyway? Huh?» he almost shouted.
Max felt his tension as she released his hand. Alec was immediately conscious that something was wrong and turned to Max.
«I'm sorry Max, i didn't mean to threaten you.» he soothed.
She eyed him carefully and then rubbed her cheek on the chest of her protector again.
«I guess, she says it's okay.» assumed Gem.
«Yup.» agreed Alec.
Making Max take a bath wasn't that hard. In fact, she took a long bath. Like the ones she used to take when she was still...well herself. That was the easy part. The difficult one was to dress her up. Gem ran after her during one hour before she could talk Max into wearing a bra, a panties, a blue tank top, and a jean. If it wasn't for the fidgeting and all the rubbing and the little sounds she made, you could have swear that Max was back. Her hair wasn't dishevelled anymore, she was clean. She didn't have the looks of an animal anymore.
When the girls finally came out of the bathroom, Alec was grinning broadly. He had heard the 'oh no!', 'come here Max', 'would stop and put your bra?'. He knew that she was driving Gem crazy.
«Was it hard?» he asked Gem.
«Hard?» yelled Gem. «She's worst than Eve!» Alec continued to smile.
«Where does she sleep?» she asked.
«In a room, near the infirmary.» Alec informed.
«She doesn't want to go back to her apartment?» the young woman asked.
«Actually, this is the first time she's out of that room in three days. We brought her there when we came back, you know, so that the others won't see her like... this...» They both looked at
Max was sniffing all around the room.
«And then, she didn't wanted to go out anymore. It would be good if she could stay here...» suggested Alec.
«Oh, no Alec! You know how much i appreciate Max but it is out of question that i babysit her, i already have Eve and Joshua. I swear those two will drive me crazy one day. I don't want an extra person here. No way. Why don't you do it? I'll be there for the showers and all, but otherwise, she likes your company.» Again Max rubbed herself on Alec and snuggled close to him on the couch.
«She really likes you.» stated Gem.
«She'll kill me when...»
«If...» interrupted Gem.
«We'll get her back.» said Alec determined. «We need her, i need her.» Max got on her feet and again 'explored' the room.
Then Eve walked in with the teddy bear Joshua had offered her.
«Mummy...»
«Yes cuttie?»
«Why is aunt Max sniffing around?» the little girl asked genuinely.
«Hmm...Max is ...not okay lately on, it's late, let's get you back to bed.»
«Okay.» Eve complied yawing.
«Will she be okay?» At that moment, Max raised her head, and tilted it on one side.
«She will be.» answered Alec.
Max's attention was back to Alec again.
«You should take her to her apartment, she might you know smell herself...i've only seen another X5 in this state before...»
«I remember 247.» Alec cut in. «I do remember him. Just don't tell OC, or Logan what happened to him okay?»
Gem nodded and disappeared in Eve's room.
«Come on Tiger, we have to get you home.»