Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters obviously do not belong to me. I am writing this purely for non-profit entertainment. No infringement intended, so don't sue me!

A/N: Wow, great job reviewing, people…Hehe, the common theme seemed to be the possibility of Max being pregnant!

Mel11 – Thanks for reviewing. Ah, so glad my cliffhangers are appreciated, lol! I feel a bit sorry for her too, but what can we do, she needs to find out sometime. So that everything could be fixed!

Aotearoa Hiphop Grl – The cliffies are not wicked, lol! Bun in the oven? You have to read to find out! Thanks for reviewing.

Calistra – Hey, pregnant X5s can fight too (I think!). Her knight in shining armour will definitely come to the rescue, of sorts, lol! Thanks for your review.

Kungfuchick – Biggs's quite adorable isn't he? As for Alec, he had to make a hard decision, and he did it. Now all he needs to do is to find a way to fix it. -:sighs:- Thanks for your review.

Flephanie – Thanks for reviewing. Yep, you are beginning to know how I think, lol! As for Max feeling unwell, you have to read on to find out! All your questions will be answered.

HoneyX5-452 – Glad you liked those lines. Of course Biggs is cute, after Alec, of course -:grins:- So, did you have a good holiday?

Angel of Darkness231 – You know I like to finish it like that -:grins:- Thanks for reviewing.

Kelzaa – Thanks for reviewing! Sorry about the cliffhangers, lol! You have to read on to find out what happened.

Iridescent Twilight – Watch you head, you might give yourself a concussion, hehe! As for her being sick, you have to read to find out. I think I prefer the episode when he was in the pool with Rachel. -:wipes drool:- The look in his eyes when he looked at her, and his nice sculptured shoulders…Ahem! Time for a cold shower, hehe! Thanks for your review!

NoAngell – Thanks for reviewing. Glad you liked the chapter. And yep, truth is finally out so Alec and Max can now try to fix the mess, probably with great difficulty! lol!

Lil (anon) – Thanks for your review. Nice to hear that you liked the last few chapters. They were not easy to write -:wry grin:- Alec is not sorry because…well, it's not his fault really! As for Max…read on!

Birlygirl (anon) – Hmm…Are you Girlygirl or Birlygirl? Anyways… you need to read on to see what happens to Max, I can't say now. It's spoil it for you, lol! Things will eventually work out between them. Thanks for reviewing!

X5898 – Biggs is torn between his friend and Manticore, poor guy. As for your interpretation of Alec's stance when Max found out, I have to say you hit it spot on! Max is too stubborn and hurt to understand Alec's reason, and Alec did not see the point of grovelling. Like you said, he's too proud and strong. So yes, you got it in a nutshell! Max will slowly find out and hopefully forgive him, we just don't know when. As for Renfro, she's just full of the unexpected, lol! Thanks for you long review again, I really enjoyed it!

Chance32 (anon) – Thanks for reviewing. Although Max had found out the truth, deep inside she still likes him. She's too hurt to hunt him down. She just wanted him gone, outwardly anyway. As for her pain, you gotta read on…

Ro (anon) – Thanks for reviewing here and also at NWP! Glad you liked the fic. Hmm…you may find yourself surprised at the end of this chapter. -:grins:-

W1cked angel – Of course, there's no way I make Alec lose, lol! -:Sighs:- Thanks for your review.

Sarah (anon) – LOL! It wouldn't be right if I don't put a cliffie here and there! Hehe! I'm happy you liked the story. Yep, Biggs entry was pretty obvious, wasn't it? Thanks for reviewing.

Jaimo (anon) – Can't believe you reviewed in three different places! Lol! Thanks! Of course, we all associate good qualities with Alec -:grins:- Your questions will be answered in this chappie, so read on!

Aur – Thanks for reviewing! Max did not really kick his butt this time. I think she's too hurt. Yeah, it was sad of Alec cos it all seemed so hopeless when he finally realised his feelings.

Random Rose – Ah, who else could it be? I am happy to see your review, doesn't matter late or not! Thanks for reviewing!

Lotamoxie – Hehe! I guessed just as much when I read it and didn't get it! I love stopping at those type of lines, keeps everyone on their toes, lol! Thanks for reviewing.

Lakergirl (anon) – Nope, Alec wouldn't really want Biggs to take her back to good old Manticore! As for Max's state, read on to find out what happened -:grins:-. Thanks for reviewing.

Nina (anon) – Glad you liked the story and thanks for taking the time to review.

Angelofdarkness78 – You're really inspired after your break! 3 updates! Lol! Yep, Max being ill means she could not very well run away from Alec, which is good! Hehe! Thanks for reviewing.

Alana84 – You know, it really makes me happy when I find that you guys like the story, so thanks! Makes all the late nights writing worth the effort! The mess between Max and Alec will intensify now that Biggs got thrown into the equation, but more things will be brought to light! -:winks:-

Moving on swiftly…


Deception - Chapter 8

(by elle6778)

A street in Seattle

"Hey!" a voice yelled, startling Max and the other transgenic.

Max heard Biggs gasp in shock. She looked up and tried to focus through her pain filled haze. Then her feeling of surprised was quickly replaced with dread as she registered the newcomer's identity.

"Alec?" she said weakly.

At the same time, Biggs said, "494?" Hearing what Max said, he parroted, "Alec?"

Alec's presence surprised Biggs somewhat. He knew he should have expected the other transgenic to turn up, but he was so caught up in following Max, it escaped his mind. He had not had a chance to catch up with his friend for months now, and he really did not want to their first meeting after all those months to be one where they were on opposing sides.

Alec's face showed his confusion as he questioned, "511? You're called Biggs?" He had followed Max as she went on her deliveries, hoping to catch her so that they could talk. He did not like the way they parted and he had intended to fix that. Then all of a sudden he saw Max being attacked by someone. Of all people, it had to be Biggs. As he regained his composure, he asked, "What the hell are you doing here?"

When Biggs ran his hand through his hair in a show of discomfort, comprehension suddenly sank in on Alec, "Manticore sent you, didn't they," he stated flatly, glaring at his so-called friend.

"Look, 494…" Biggs began, but was interrupted.

"It's Alec," Alec corrected tersely, flicking a glance at Max who was semi-conscious on the side of the road. He wanted to go to her to see if she was alright, but he needed to know when they stood with Biggs. He did not want to believe that they sent Biggs to retrieve Max.

Knowing that he was currently standing on dangerous grounds, Biggs held his hands out in a placating move, "Okay, okay, Alec it is. Don't need to get all bothered about it. And yes, Manticore sent me to bring her back,"

"Leave her alone. She doesn't need to go back. Manticore has enough transgenics to feed without adding another member to our happy family," Alec snapped, glaring at Biggs.

"What's your problem, man? You know how it's like. I got my orders, and I will damn well carry it out," Biggs retorted, slightly put off at the tone his friend was using on him. He knew Alec liked the girl, but surely he understood that he had to follow orders.

In a fraction of a second, Alec blurred to Biggs and had his hand fisted at the other transgenic's throat.

"I said, leave it," he bit out through his teeth, his hands tightened around Biggs neck for emphasis. His flashing eyes a statement of how angry he was. Biggs of all people should know how he serious he was. They worked together so many times on Manticore's mission that they practically could read each other's mind.

Biggs pushed him away, rubbing his throat where Alec had gripped him. Scowling, he said, "I am bringing her back with or without your help. And if you're smart, you would go back too,"

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" Alec growled as he gave his 'friend' a wary look.

"It means that this whole thing is a set up. Renfro knows the truth about you and your girl, and she's using it to her advantage," Biggs said, exasperated that Alec was apparently not thinking with his brains.

Alec paled as he realised that he unwittingly had led Manticore to Max.

"I won't let you," Alec stated calmly, in complete contrast with his actual feelings.

Knowing what was coming, Biggs sighed in resignation, "I don't want to do this,"

Alec did not reply in words. He blurred towards Biggs, but Biggs was ready for him this time. He blocked Alec's blow and swung a kick of his own. Unsurprisingly, Alec dodged the kick easily and came back with his own attack.

Fuelled by anger, Alec did not hold back his punches. He went on a full out attack on Biggs. Biggs tried to block the best he could, but it was futile. Alec was the best fighter in their unit and Biggs knew he did not stand a chance.

When Alec gave him a particularly hard kick to the head, Biggs welcomed the darkness as it enveloped him.

Satisfied that Biggs would stay as he was for the moment, Alec rushed towards Max and knelt beside her. She was lying unconscious on the road. Alec swore. Biggs must have worked over her quite thoroughly for her to be in this state. Transgenics normally last quite long even in a fight between two of them.

"Max," he called out, shaking her gently.

Her eyes fluttered open, "Alec… What are you doing here?" she asked, frowning in confusion. She wanted to scream at him again for all his deceptions but she simply did not have the energy to do so right then. Her entire body felt weak and she found it hard to focus. When she recalled what happened just recently, her eyes blazed as she spat, "You told Manticore where I was, you bastard! Haven't you done enough?" She struggled weakly against his arms.

"No time for that now, Max. Tell me what happened to you," he urged, his concern for her etched clearly on his face as he ran his eyes over her. He held her firmly to stop her futile struggles.

Max fought to remain conscious, "We were fighting. He hit me once and I just collapsed," Her face twisted in pain she tried unsuccessfully to get up, "Damn! What the hell is wrong with me?"

Alec frowned, "He hit you only once and you're like this?" He was stunned. One blow should not have that effect on her.

"I don't know why. I was not…" her voice trailed as she blacked out again.

"Max!" he yelled desperately, but it was useless. She could not hear him. He began to fear that she was more seriously injured than he thought.

Alec realised that he had to get some help for Max. Neither of them knew what was wrong and he did not want to risk Biggs waking up. Cradling her carefully in his arms, he stood up and started to walk.


Harbour Lights Hospital

The hospital was bustling with activity when Alec arrived with Max in his arm. Scanning the reception area, Alec sighed with relief as he saw the doctor heading towards them.

"I got your message," Dr Shankar came towards them, walking briskly. She frowned as she saw how pale the unconscious Max was, "What happened?" she asked, gesturing for a nurse to bring a gurney. She registered the worried look on Alec's face as she felt Max's forehead for her temperature.

"I am not entirely sure why she's like this. She got hit only once," Alec explained, his eyes pleading silently for her help.

"Where?"

"In her belly, I think," he said, depositing Max on the gurney. He followed close beside her as the nurse wheeled the gurney into a private room. There was no way he would leave her alone when she was in this state.

"Was there any bleeding?" Dr Shankar asked once they were in the room. She started hooking Max up to some monitors.

"Not that I can see. She's just wouldn't wake up," Alec sighed, wishing he could be of more help. He disliked the feeling of helplessness he was experiencing now. It was gut-wrenching for him to see the usually feisty Max lying there so still.

"That's odd. I need to get some blood-work done on her to find out what's wrong," she paused for a moment as a thought occurred to her, "Do you think she might be pregnant?" she asked hesitantly, not sure how would Alec take her question.

Alec stilled as the question registered. He and Max had sex without any form of protection that night. Could she be pregnant? He wondered what would that mean for them.

To Dr Shankar, he answered quietly, "It is not impossible,"

If she was surprised, the doctor did not show it, "I'll do a test just to make sure. Now why don't you grab a seat. There's nothing much we can do until the results come back," she said, piercing Max's skin with a needle attached to a tube to extract her blood.

After she took enough of Max's blood to be able to run the tests, she collected the vials and stood, "It will take a few hours. I'll come back as soon as I get the results,"

Alec nodded absently, his attention fixed on the dark haired transgenic lying listlessly in the hospital bed. Remembering the last time he was in this hospital, he wondered if this was a payback for what he allowed to happen to Logan.

He would not forgive himself if the same thing happened to Max.


Biggs cursed Manticore for assigning him this mission. It was too personal to him, but Manticore did not know that. The last thing he wanted to do was to jeopardise his friendship with Alec, but what else could he do? He needed to complete the mission, but it meant bringing both of them back to Manticore.

He had been searching for hours for them since he regained consciousness. He could not believe Alec just left him lying there after knocking him out. So much for being friends, Biggs thought resentfully. Thought Biggs admitted to himself that after Alec saw what he did to Max, he had doubts that Alec still considered him as one.

He tried not to wince as he felt the throb in this side where Alec punched him. He was not stranger to bruises but that did not mean he enjoyed receiving them. And Alec could definitely pack a punch and this time Alec obviously thought that there was no need to hold his punches.

When he finally arrived at the third hospital in the area, he went up to the reception desk and stood waiting for the nurse to notice his presence. When she did, he gave her what he knew was a charming smile and spoke.

"I am looking for my sister. I just got a call from her boyfriend saying that she got admitted," he said, smile firmly in place.

The nurse blushed under his regard, thinking how cute he looked, "What's her name?"

"Max," he answered

The nurse frowned as she flicked through the forms, "Are you sure she's here? I can't find her name," She started again from the top, not wanting to disappoint the guy in front of her.

"Maybe he haven't filled in the form for her yet," Biggs tried, desperately hoping that this was where they were. He did not relish the thought of going to more hospitals; it brought back unwanted memories of the last time he went to the med bay in Manticore.

"What does she look like?" the nurse asked, eager to help.

"Dark hair, pretty. She normally wears black tops," he described.

The nurse's face lit up, "I think I just saw her a couple of hours ago. Try the second left turn in that corridor," she suggested, pointing to his left.

"Thanks," Biggs said gratefully as he flashed her another smile.

The nurse watched his retreating figure, as she let out an appreciative sigh.

He walked swiftly along the corridor, keeping his eyes open for the two transgenics. As he turned left, he came to an empty corridor. Slowly, he walked pass each door, looking in. He finally found them in the fourth room.

Alec was sitting by the bedside, holding on to Max's hand with his back to Biggs. Biggs noticed that Max appeared to be unconscious. As if he sensed the presence of someone else nearly, Alec turned.

"You!" he hissed, an angry frown appearing on his face.

"Alec…Listen to me…" Biggs began.

"What for? It is obvious that we are playing for different teams here. You are obviously on Manticore's side. So don't waste my time," Alec retorted, his eyes pinning Biggs with a suspicious glare.

"Damn it, man! It's me you are talking to here. Since when we'd ever played for different teams? I'll always have your back and you know it, so stop saying all these crap!" Biggs snapped in exasperation, tired of fighting against his friend.

At that reminder, Alec cooled down slightly. Grudgingly, he conceded that Biggs was probably not to blame for this entire mess. He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. He kept silent for a minute, and then he said, "I don't know what to do… She might be pregnant,"

Shock spread across Biggs face, "What? You sure?" he asked, astounded.

"I don't know. She was in heat about a month ago, and… well, you know what it's like. We didn't really think of the consequences at that time," Alec admitted, now feeling a tad foolish at their irresponsible behaviour. If Manticore found out, they will be over the moon, he thought darkly. Now that he had time to think about it, he realised that it was the last thing he wanted Manticore to find out. Breeding program be damned; he had no intention of letting Manticore use his child as a guinea pig.

Biggs sat down, his face pale as he remembered his own experience, "It's not your fault. We don't really think straight at those times. Believe me, I know," he said distractedly.

Alec looked up questioningly at his friend. He forgot that he was mad at Biggs when he registered the sad look on his friend's face, "Hey, what's wrong? I am the one who's meant to be depressed here," he tried to joke.

Biggs gave him a half-hearted smirk, "She was assigned as my breeding partner a couple of months ago. It's not as if we could disobey orders, so we did what they asked. We were normally quite careful so that she did not get pregnant, but one night she went into heat. Last week, we were deployed in the field. She got hurt and she could not stop bleeding. We were in hostile territory and I could not get her out. I just sat there and watched her bleed to death. When we finally were air lifted out back to Manticore, one of the nurses told me that she was pregnant. It wasn't common for females to die from miscarriage, but she was also really hurt from the fight. The combined injuries caused her death. I kept thinking that she would have been still alive if I hadn't gone and got her pregnant," he finished with a self-recriminating tone.

Alec just stared at his friend, too shocked to speak at first. Then he cleared his throat and said, "It's not your fault too, you know," he said softly. He tried not to think that the same fate may befall Max. He took comfort in the fact that they were in a hospital and so far, Biggs did not seem to have any inclination of dragging Max back.

Yet.

Biggs's lips twisted, "That's what I tried to tell myself for the last one week…But it's not working. Sometimes I just want to blame Manticore for making us do all these things,"

"If it's anyone's fault, it's theirs. They paired us up to breed then they send us out on those damned missions," Alec stated angrily, "The whole thing is beginning to get out of hand,"

"Yeah, but what can we do?"

They sat there in silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts. Alec was thinking about his entire situation with Max and the possibility that she may be pregnant and Biggs was thinking about how he was going to make sure Max gets back.

Biggs decided to speak first, "She got to go back, you know,"

Alec's head snapped up. A frown grew on his forehead as he stared at Biggs.

"Give it a rest, will you! Can't you see she's not exactly healthy right now. You of all people should understand!" he bit out.

"That's what I am saying. Nothing here is going to help her. She needs to go back to Manticore,"

Alec narrowed his eyes suspiciously, sensing that Biggs knew something he didn't.

"What's going on?"

"You know the retro-virus which Renfro injected into Max?" he waited for Alec to nod before continuing, "Well, as a back-up just in case she managed to really escape, Renfro made it such that the retro-virus mutate after a few weeks. The mutation means that the virus will start attacking her muscular tissue and nerves, making her weak and less resistant to pain,"

"WHAT?" Alec yelled, jumping up from the bed into a standing position. He glared down at Biggs.

"Hey! Calm down, I didn't know this until I got assigned the mission. She will get worse as she exerts more, which I think explains her collapse when we were fighting earlier. This is to make it easier for Manticore to re-capture her," Biggs explained, keeping a watchful eye on Alec's fists.

"I can't believe this!" Alec seethed, still glaring at Biggs. He knew inside that it wasn't Biggs fault, but he was the nearest thing now for Alec to vent his anger on.

"Get a grip, Alec! It is not as if I did it to her!" Biggs retorted indignantly, "Stop blaming me, will you?"

Alec sat back down and swore inwardly at Manticore and their sick games. Or more accurately, Renfro and her sick games. He had to admit that the idea was a good one, though he wished that it wasn't used on Max.

Sensing that Alec was now calm enough to listen to him, Biggs continued, "Although not fatal, the mutated retro-virus will make her so weak that she's be useless within weeks. So, the bottom line is, we need to get her back to Manticore for the antidote,"

"I don't like this," Alec stated apprehensively, pinching the bridge of his nose. His mind was numb. He could not think of anything right then to get them out of the mess.

"You know it needs to be done," Biggs reasoned.


Max felt herself floating weightlessly in a sea of fog. She could hear voices; they were growing louder. She managed to make out two distinct male voices. She recognised the voices as Alec and Biggs. She wanted to get up and run, but she could not open her eyes or move her limbs. She seemed to be stuck in a limbo where she could hear them talking but not able to participate.

"I don't like this,"

"You know it needs to be done,"

"This is why you are here, right? Renfro told you everything so that you can deliver Max back to her,"

"Alec…"

"And I am stupid enough to lead you to her, damn it,"

"You didn't know I was following you,"

Max realised that they were talking about her. At their words, it registered on Max that Alec did not lead Manticore to her deliberately. He was just deceived by Renfro. Somehow, that made her feel slightly better, but not enough for her to forgive him for what he did to her.

"All that psy-ops must have rotted my skills. I can't believe I did not spot you following me,"

"Heh! Just admit it, alright. I am a better tracker than you,"

"Tell yourself often enough, Biggs, and you might even fool yourself,"

"Well, you - "

Max wondered why they paused so suddenly. Then she heard another voice, a woman this time. It sounded like Dr Shankar. So she was in Harbour Lights?

"I got the test results from her bloodwork. The results were…interesting,"

"So, is she pregnant?"

Pregnant? Max could hear the nervousness in Alec's voice as he asked the question. She had suspected that she might be pregnant, but she was not sure. She did not know what to make of Alec asking the same question which had been on her mind for the last one week. She waited for the doctor's reply apprehensively.

"No, she's not,"

The doctor's words made Max feel an odd mix of disappointment and relief. Max detected another pause. Then she heard Alec's voice, his tone strangely echoing her feelings.

"Oh,"

"But I found a mutated strain of virus similar to Logan's in Max's blood. It made me think that maybe Max was the carrier. It is likely that she infected Logan, since the virus seemed to transfer on skin contact,"

Max's bleary mind tried frantically to process the doctor's words. Then it suddenly sank in. The feeling of horror as she realised what had happened to Logan was enough to jolt her senses.

Max's eyes snapped open.


t.b.c (Ahh….The joys of cliffhangers, lol! -:Ducks a rotten fruit thrown by a reader:-)

A/N: Erm…yes, the pregnancy was a bit of a red-herring wasn't it! -:smiles sheepishly:- I tried, it just wouldn't happen! So what do you think of this chappie? I am going on a holiday soon for a couple of weeks, so no updates until I get back. Will hopefully update Retrieved before I leave. Next update will be around 18th Aug. It will be nice to come home to find your reviews (not so subtle hint, lol!)