Disclaimer: If I owned it y would it be off the air right now?

Paring: N/A (so far it will change I promise)

Summary: Max is leaving but first she has something to do

Timing: Same as last chap

A/N: I had to get this chap out of the way before I could start the real story. I promise that next time this fic will have a paring. Reviews r welcome!

Revised Borrowed Time:

Chapter 7,

Gone

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So many had been lost. Tanga, Ben, Brin, Seith. One by one she counted her brothers and sisters off on her fingers. Tears falling for each as she did so. She couldn't stay here any more. She had to leave. She had to get away before any more of the people she loved were killed because of her. She wouldn't be able to deal with it if OC, Joshua, Alec, or even Sketchy joined the ever-growing list of her lost.

In a daze she filled a sleek black duffle bag with all her worldly possessions and then she was gone.

End Review

Gone… gone to where. The answer is that she didn't get very far. She only got to Crash before she realized there was something she still had to do before she faded into the night. Max sighed as she turned her bike towards Jam Pony. He had to be there.

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A slender young woman clad all in black leaned against a brick wall her head bowed, her hair shading her dark eyes. She had been standing there for twenty minutes now trying to work up the nerve she so desperately needed. It was vital to tell him and until she did so she couldn't leave. With another sigh she pushed off the wall and cleared her face. It wouldn't be good for them to see her like this. After all it had happened seven days ago. 'Seven days. Had it only been that long?' She thought, her resolve wavering for a moment, her confident stride breaking and then she was past it. After all she had to tell him. She owed him that much at least.

Heads turned and whispers spread like wildfire as Max walked through the garage like door of the Jam Pony work place. People froze and dozens of eyes followed her slow progress towards the back where Alec stood with some girl.

Looking up Alec's next words died in his throat. He had never seen her so driven, so focused before and he pitied the fool that got in her way. She obviously had something to do and she was gonna do it no matter what. He just hoped that it was a non violent something. After all he hadn't done anything lately that she could blame him for… or had he.

Distractedly he informed Nina that he'd talk to her later and then he went forth to face the music. What ever he had done, however he had screwed up he might as while find about it before she started screaming. To his surprise though all she did was reach out and rest one of her tiny hands on his arm.

"We have to talk." She murmured in a barely audible voice.

Stunned Alec followed Max as she proceeded towards the lockers where they'd have more privacy. 'This is weird.' Alec thought as she sunk down on one of the long benches.

"Alec there's something that I have to tell you." She began softly her eyes trained on her black sneaker. "There's no easy way to say this, but I have to. I mean I want to tell you."

"What is it Max?" Alec asked his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Alec… I just wanted to tell you before I leave that I know you're not a screw up. I know you've been there for me, had my back and I'm sorry if I've treated you like shit because you don't deserve it. I'm sorry Alec." She breathed.

"You're leaving." Alec said in bewilderment.

"Yes." She answered firmly still not looking the other X5 in the face. "I-I can't do this any more. I can't be the reason. I have to." She concluded after taking a deep setting breath.

"Can't do what Max? Face it?" Alec asked his anger mounting. "You can't run again. You have to stay and fight it. You have to be strong."

"Alec, I can't." Max said, her voice cracking. "Zack was right, it's dangerous for me to be here. I shouldn't have become attached. I should have kept moving all along, kept low." She mumbled. "I shouldn't have gotten mixed up in any of this, he might still be alive today if it wasn't for me."

"Max." Alec said his anger fading as he watched his strong vixen beat herself up.

"No Alec, can't you see?" She asked finally looking up at him. "I'm poison."

Alec starred at her taken aback. Sure he had seen tears in her eyes often over the past few days but some how it hadn't seemed real to him. But now, now here she was telling him that she was leaving, that she couldn't put up with it any more, that she was poison. Poison. He couldn't think of anything to say to her and so she brushed the fallen tears from her cheeks and got up to leave. Would he ever see her again?

"Bye Alec." She whispered. Looking up at her for the last time he noticed how her eyes had lost the emotion in them, how the pain that he knew to course through her veins was seemingly gone and then he realized that so was she. He didn't bother to follow her after all she had alluded Manticore for ten years how was he supposed to find her if she didn't want to be found.

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Max didn't look back as she exited her former place of employment. She had done what she had come to do and there was no reason for her to hang around now that she was done.

Somehow she knew that Alec wouldn't follow and that knowledge relieved her. It was hard enough to do what she had to without him, or anyone else, trying to turn her back. After all she would be back… someday, just not any time soon that's all.

A/N: Reviews are always welcome. .