Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Dark Angel characters. They belong to James Cameron, Charles Eglee, and Fox. But Benjamin, Mackenzie, and any other characters you are not familiar with are mine.

AN: Here's chapter eleven. Hope you enjoy it. Sorry it took so long, my explanation for the long wait is at the bottom.

A young girl stood in the shadows watching. Everyone around her seemed so happy and carefree. Was she the only one who cared? The only one who felt the pain? The only one who remembered? Did they even care that she wasn't with them?

She tried to leave the shadows to the happiness before her, but she couldn't. Something was holding her back. Something wanted to keep her in the dark. To keep her away from it all.

A tear rolled down the young girls cheek as she tried to call to those she loved, and slowly they started disappearing. One by one, until no one was left, but her and the shadow that wouldn't let go.

Only then did her voice come back to her, but it was of no use. There was no one around to hear her. There was no one to save her from the shadows.

Mackenzie shot up and looked around. It took her a couple seconds to realize where she was. Rubbing her forehead she got off the couch and walked into the bathroom. She turned on the tap and splashed water on her face. The dream had come back, after three years without it, it had come back to haunt her. Mackenzie took a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom, only to be greeted by Alec. "Morning Mackenzie."

"Mornin'. What are you doin' here?" Mackenzie questioned as she walked back to the couch and sat down.

"I came to talk." Alec replied sitting down beside her.

"About what?"

"Last night."

"Oh... I'm sorry about that little outburst of mine."

"Not that. I'm wondering if you'd explain to me what Benjamin was talking about."

"It's nothing."

"If it was nothing would you of stormed out of the room like you did?"

"Probably not."

"Then, mind explaining."

"There is nothing to explaining."

"You're lying to me."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Fine," Alec started standing up. "Don't tell me. But if you need to talk, you know where you can find me."

Mackenzie watched as Alec walked towards the door. When he was about to open it she whispered, "I left Terminal City when I was thirteen. It took me about two years to get back."

Alec turned around and looked at Mackenzie, who now had her knees pulled to her chest and was staring at the wall in front of her. "Why'd you leave?" he questioned walking back to the couch, and sitting down.

"Up until this day I don't know. I...I guess you could say I couldn't take it anymore."

"Take what?"

"Everything. I guess it could of been the constant comparisons to you and mom. Not that, that was a problem. I think every time someone mentioned one of you it hurt, because I couldn't remember mom, and it was getting harder to remember you. But then again, it might of not been that at all."

"So you just left Terminal City?"

"Yup, left Seattle after awhile. Traveled all over Canada before coming back."

"Did you tell anyone?"

"No. I just got up and left."

"Why didn't you go back sooner?"

"Like I told Benjamin when I got back, I was afraid. I know what your next question's gonna be, and the answer to that is, I was afraid of everyone. I was afraid they wouldn't want me back, I was afraid they wouldn't care."

"Why wouldn't they want you back Mackenzie? And why wouldn't they care?"

"It was just the way I felt at the time. I don't know why though. We were all family, looking out for each other. Leaving Terminal City was a mistake, a big mistake. If I hadn't left life might of been a little easier for me. I thought life was tough growing up, but it got tougher after I left. I was on my own, I had to watch out for myself, and only myself. I didn't have anyone to help me if I needed it. I was more alone then I ever was before."

Alec looked at his future daughter. He could see the tears forming in her eyes. He was about to say something when Mackenzie whispered, "That was only the beginning though."

"What happened?"

"After I got back I somewhat distanced myself from those around me, more then I did after you and Max were killed. I guess you could say it was because I had been on my own for two years, and needed time to open up to them. I began leaving Terminal City a lot more often during the night to go wonder around Seattle to clear my head. I usually found myself in Crash hanging out with O.C., Sketchy, and their friends, or on the Space Needle clearing my head.

"Before my sixteenth birthday I met someone, he was so nice and considerate. He was a great person to be around. Even though he was about ten years older then me I didn't care. Benjamin kept telling me to stay away from the guy, I wouldn't listen to him. But Benjamin had reason to tell me to stay away, the guys name was Ray White. But he told me his name was Ray Wyatt, another stupid mistake for me. I just couldn't put two and two together. I had no clue what kind of trouble I was in till it was to late.

"Ray's job was to get close to me, and then to kill me. His father hoped it would send a message to the rest of Terminal City. He hoped that with me dying, daughter of the oh so famous 494 a.k.a. Alec, as he put it so kindly to me, everyone in Terminal City would get the idea they weren't safe, and that they never would be.

"I almost died that night," Mackenzie whispered her tears threatening to fall. "He shot me twice, after throwing me into a mirror, seven years bad luck for him. You know I have a scar from that mirror along my back, surprised no one noticed it the night we saved Logan. But... anyway... um... I would of died if Benjamin hadn't followed me there that night. I remember looking at Ray after he shot me, he looked as though he was sorry he did it. I remember trying to get up and everything going black. The next thing I knew I was waking up in the infirmary, Benjamin sitting beside me.

"From that day on I felt that I couldn't trust anyone anymore. As you can probably tell now. You're going to have your work cut out for you. You're going to be raising one troublesome child. Who's always making mistakes." Mackenzie sighed trying to keep the tears from falling. That had been the first time she told anyone all of that. She felt a whole lot better with that burden lifted off her shoulders.

"Mackenzie," Alec started.

"What?"

Alec wasn't really sure what to say, instead he pulled Mackenzie into a hug. Only then did Mackenzie let herself cry.

A Few Hours Later

"Felling better?" Alec questioned..

"A little." Mackenzie replied, "Thanks for listening, and not going all insane on me."

"No problem. But we're going to have a very long talk about all this if you do it again. Understood?"

"Yes sir." Mackenzie replied giving him a mock salute. At the same time her stomach growled.

"Hungry?"

"Just a little."

"Then lets go get something to eat."

Max and Logan's Apartment

"Go talk to her." Max said, for what seemed to be the hundredth time, to Benjamin.

"She won't listen to me."

"How do you know that?"

"I grew up with her." Benjamin simply stated before going back to playing blocks with his younger version. "When she's mad at you. She won't talk to you until she's ready to talk to you."

"Well how do you know she's not ready now?" Max questioned

"If she was she'd be over here saying how stupid the whole thing was and asking if I wanted to do something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yea."

"How do you know she isn't trying to figure out where you are? It's not like you told her you were going to be here."

"True."

"So why don't you go find your girl and talk to her." Max suggested.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" Benjamin questioned looking away from his younger self and up at Max.

"No. I'm trying to help you. Now go find her."

"Fine." Benjamin said getting up. "And for your information, she's not my girl."

"Whatever you say." Max laughed as Benjamin left the apartment.

Mess Hall

"You managed to talk Mole into playing dress up?"

"Yuppers." Mackenzie laughed, the two had been sitting in the Mess Hall talking to each other for the past two hours. Mackenzie telling him stories from when she was younger and growing up in Terminal City.

"How did you manage that?"

"Well, I took his cigars and wouldn't give them back until he played with me. I was only eight years old, and I thought it would be funny."

"I'm surprised he didn't try to kill you."

"Why would he do that? I was his favorite person in Terminal City. Most of the time he couldn't say no to me."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"What about Josh?"

"Josh had a hard time saying no to anybody. You should know that. Josh spoiled all the kids in Terminal City, me and Benji more though. Which reminds me where is Josh? I haven't seen him around."

"Josh is with Rita and two X5's going to art museums across Washington selling some of his art, he's due back in a week."

"That's right. I totally forgot about that. I thought he started all that later in life, like after I was born. Didn't realize he started so soon." Mackenzie looked around. "You know you guys change the name of this place. After awhile you guys started calling it Monty Cora, and opened it to everyone else. The ordinaries paid for their food while we got free food. It actually became quite a popular restaurant in Seattle, made Terminal City quite a bit of money."

"So who's idea was that?"

"Yours and Moles."

"Kenzie I've been looking around all over for you." Mackenzie heard Benjamin say from behind her.

"What do you want?" she questioned, not turning around.

"I wanted to talk."

"Then talk." Mackenzie replied, still not turning around.

"Fine. I'm sorry. It wasn't right for me to bring it all up last night."

"Like hell it wasn't. You had no right to bring it up." It was then Mackenzie turned to look at Benjamin. "You promised me you'd never bring it up again. You promised you'd let me keep that all in the past."

"I know Mackenzie, and I'm sorry. It just came out."

"How could it just come out? Something like that doesn't just come out. Was it because you were angry that I kept that picture? Or was it because you want to talk about it?"

"I wasn't angry Mackenzie, surprised, but not angry about the picture. Maybe a part of me does want to talk about it all, but only if you want to."

"Well I don't."

"Then you don't have to."

"What do you really want?"

"I want you to forgive me."

Mackenzie was quiet for a few seconds, as though she was trying to figure out what to say. Alec looked from Mackenzie to Benjamin, "I think I'm gonna go," he said standing up. "Stay out of trouble Mackenzie."

"Will do. I'll tell you some more funny stories later."

"Ok. I'll be looking forward to that." With that Alec walked away, and Benjamin took over his spot.

"You forgive me?" Benjamin questioned. Mackenzie looked at him, almost getting lost in his chocolate brown eyes.

"On one condition." Mackenzie stated with a sigh.

"What's that one condition?"

'You kiss me.' Mackenzie's inner voice spoke out. "If you want to talk about something from the past, don't start the conversation around other people. Ok?"

"No problem."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"And if you break this promise..."

"You can torture me for the rest of our lives."

"Sounds good." Mackenzie smiled.

"So you forgive me?"

"Yes, I forgive you. Where did you end up staying last night?"

"My place."

"Your place?"

"Yes my place."

"Oh! That place. I thought you got your own apartment or something. But, I'm gonna go head to 'my place'. You gonna come? Or are you gonna be a loner and stay here?"

"Hmm...I think I'll tag along, 'cause I have nothing better to do."

"Sounds good." Mackenzie said, getting up and heading out of the mess hall, Benjamin right behind her.

The two of them walked silently to the apartment, Mackenzie lost in thought, and Benjamin trying to figure out what to say. When they got to the apartment Mackenzie said, "This place could really use music," before collapsing on the couch.

"I know what you mean." Benjamin sighed sitting down beside her.

"Remember the club Dalton and Gem set up?" Mackenzie questioned, lying down her legs practically over one leg of the couch, and her head on Benjamin's lap.

"Yea. Great times. You comfortable?"

"I'm very comfortable." Mackenzie smiled. "I just got an idea."

"What's your idea?" Benjamin questioned, not sure if he should of asked.

"Well why don't we start the club sooner, and have a little party. Cause in about a week we'll be hopefully getting rid of a major threat to our parents, and we'll be leaving. I think we deserve some fun."

"Kenzie do you realize how much work that would be? We'd have to find a stereo, really good speakers, and we'd have to find space somewhere."

"Fine, we won't start a club, but how about a party?"

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Talk to Mole. I'm sure he'd be willing to help set it all up. It could be a break for everyone."

"You don't have as much control over Mole now, as you do in the future." Benjamin stated looking down at Mackenzie.

"So? Point is? If he doesn't help then I'm sure my dad will." Mackenzie smiled.

"That's because your dad will do anything for you. Even though technically you aren't suppose to be alive...yet."

"You're just jealous."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Yes I am."

"No you're not. Wait... Hey! How did you manage to trick me like that?"

"I don't know. I guess this proves that I am smarter then you are."

"You wish Benji."

"No Kenzie. I know."

Mackenzie glared at Benjamin. "I'd get up and storm off in anger but I'm too lazy and comfortable at the moment. So this will have to do." With that said Mackenzie stuck her tongue out him, and hit him in the stomach.

"Like that did any damage."

"I could hit you harder if you want me to."

"No, that's ok."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"I'm bored." Mackenzie complained.

"Well what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"Uh... I don't know."

"Well... jeez... aren't you helpful."

"Hey I don't see you coming up with anything."

Mackenzie bit down on her lower lip in thought, after a couple seconds she suggested, "We could go see if we can have a party in HQ. Oh, we could even have it at the Mess Hall."

"You're stuck on this whole party idea aren't you?"

"Well at home there was always some sort of party."

"True, but most of the time you didn't go to them."

"Yea, but that's 'cause I was always busy."

"Doing what?"

"Stuff."

"Like."

"Hello... half the time I was with you. Aside from the time I left Terminal City. Oh...and when I was going out with mini White."

"Uh huh." Was all Benjamin said in reply.

"So you gonna help me with this party idea?"

"Why not? I've got nothing better to do."

"Good. You talk to your mom and dad, see if they can help us at all. And I'll talk to my dad, see if he'll help."

"Ok. Sounds good. When do you want to do this?"

"How about... now."

"Ok, then get up."

"I don't want to."

"If you want to do this now you have to get up."

"Give me a couple minutes."

"You said you wanted to do it now. So we will do it now." Benjamin said standing up, Mackenzie rolling off the couch and onto the floor.

"Ow." She said sitting up. Adding in grumbles, "You're a very cruel person Benjamin."

"Look who's talking Mackenzie." Benjamin laughed leaving the apartment.

Max and Logan's Apartment

"So you and Mackenzie friends again?" Max questioned after Benjamin finished explaining his and Mackenzie's, well Mackenzie's, plan to have a party for the Terminal City inhabitants, and friends.

"Would she want me to help her throw a party if we weren't friends again?" Benjamin questioned in response.

"You never know." Max replied, with a small smile on her face.

Benjamin shook his head, wondering what his life would of been like if his mom had been around. "So you gonna help?"

"Why not. Terminal City could use some excitement, its been a little hectic around here. So when you guys planning on having this party?"

"I'm not really sure. But I'm guessing Mackenzie would be hoping it would be tonight, or tomorrow night."

"Ok. I'll see what I can do."

Alec's Office

"So you want to have a party?" Alec questioned his future daughter.

"Exactly." Mackenzie smiled.

"Tonight?"

"Preferably."

"How about tomorrow night."

"If I have to wait till then, then fine."

"That sounds more reasonable, considering the day's practically over, and we'd only have an hour or so to get the party together. But where were you planning on having this party?"

"Either here at HQ or at the Mess Hall."

"Mess Hall's bigger."

"It is."

"So how about there?"

"Sounds good."

"Ok."

"I got a question for you. Do you life at HQ or something? 'Cause every time I talk to you its either here or my apartment. I'm beginning to wonder if the reason you left Terminal City was because you were tired of living in your office." Mackenzie mused.

"For your information I do have an apartment, other side of Terminal City."

"Wow, amazing. Wait... how can you say the other side of Terminal City? Terminal City isn't that big."

"Why are you asking so many questions?"

"Why are you?"

Alec and Mackenzie both looked at each other, and after a couple seconds Mackenzie burst out laughing.

Mackenzie's 'Apartment'

"Party's on." Mackenzie gleefully said popping her head out of her room as Benjamin walked into the apartment. "Your mom gonna help out?"

"Yea. She says Terminal City could use a party."

"Awesome." Mackenzie smiled disappearing into her room.

"You know I don't get you sometimes." Benjamin said as he got comfortable on the couch.

"And why's that?" questioned from her room.

"Because one second your mad then your excited and perfectly fine. One minute you don't want to know something and the next you want to."

"Can't help it. Mixed emotions I guess. Being here some times is just a little nerve-racking." Benjamin heard Mackenzie sigh, and watched as her form filled the bedroom door. She was wearing a pair of denim looking pajama pants, and a blue tank top. "I'm out for the night, didn't sleep much last night."

"Ok. I might go wonder around Terminal City for a bit."

"Kay. Night Benji."

"Night Kenzie." Benjamin replied as Mackenzie walked back into her room.

Benjamin looked at the roof. 'How am I gonna tell her?' Benjamin asked himself. 'How am I gonna tell her I feel about her? How am I gonna tell her the day we saved my dad I thought I lost her forever? Why does life have to be so complicated?' Sighing Benjamin got off the couch and left the apartment, to wonder around Terminal City.

AN: Hey! Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter. I had to kind of rush the ending because I have a lot of plans for the next chapter, and I thought you guys deserved a longer chapter considering it took me so long to get it posted. So, anyway, the reasons why this took so long to get posted were, my computer had to get cleaned again... this time I didn't get it back for awhile and we couldn't get it hooked up to the internet for some reason, I had a small case of writers block...but that's gone now, and school has been kind of crazy... I've been getting tons of homework. Please leave a review, and any ideas you may have, 'cause I can try to put them in. Next chapter party time, I'm trying to think of a way to make it really interesting.

Katherine: So Mackenzie and Alec had that little talk you thought they should have. Did you like it? I don't know why the ones that are involved are the last one to know these things. I guess that's just how it works out. lol. So who do you think should be the first to speak of their feelings? Benjamin? Or Mackenzie? lol.

Guest type person: Just a couple more chapter till you find out who Mackenzie's mom. At least I think a couple more chapters. Now why do I have a feeling I said that before? lol.

Moonlight: I hope this cleared everything up for you. I hope you like this chapter as much as you did the last one.