Chapter Fifteen

Alec rubbed his eyes yawning and passed a hand behind his head in the midst of a very long stretch. The room was flooded with light and the sun shone high in the sky, making it at least 1pm, this was hardly concerning, who hadn't had a long night where you didn't remember what had happened and woke up dazed and confused the next day in the afternoon?

What was concerning was that he remembered tiny snippets that didn't fit together at all; running, bill gates, cold water; and that now, he found himself naked, in the hotel bed, Max nowhere to be seen, with Alden –Max's adopted Grandpa- putting the final touches to his breakfast table.

"Where's Max?"

"Asleep, in her old room," the old man replied, folding the napkin and laying it next to the plate, "she thought it'd be best."

Alec's brow furrowed, though he knew what he meant, it was just all the missing pieces that were confusing him, like, how did he get to the situation he was currently in, that was one of the big ones, "You got a robe?"

"On your right," and there it was, Alec actually felt kind of stupid, and who wouldn't with the look he was getting. Alec had no idea what a mother's exasperated stare looked like but he was suddenly certain it closely resembled the one he was getting right now. Looking closer, actually, the X5 realised exactly just where Max had perfected some of her most famous expressions.

Not one to be shy Alec threw off the duvet and stood up to pick up his robe, noting that it was the same powder blue of his towel at home, and putting it on, tying it carelessly before walking towards the set table and inspecting it pleased, "This for me?"

"Yes, Max will join you in a minute, she's getting her wake up call as we speak," the old man said softly and took a step to leave but Alec called out after him in a spur of the moment decision, stopping the hotel manager mid step and catching his attention and gaze, "Is something wrong?"

Alec stuttered, unsure exactly on why he'd stopped him, "It's just, I don't know but… Max, do you think, I mean I'm not sure you'd know but… do you think she, do you think that maybe me and her, could ever…" giving up Alec was about to tell Alden not to worry when he noticed a smile on the wrinkled face, a really amused smile nonetheless, but it was hidden quickly enough. Alden walked towards the door, not missing the sigh that escaped Alec's exasperated form, "Alec?"

He jolted, looking at him on the doorway, "If she doesn't with you, then, I don't think it'll ever happen… with anyone."

The door clicked shut.

That guy was sure one for entrances and exits.

All of a sudden it was as if his sense came back all at once, as if someone had turned the power on and his nose caught a million wonderful scents, French toast, banana, strawberries, hash browns, sausages, bacon, hot chocolate, muffins. This wasn't a breakfast, it was a buffy but Alec was hardly gonna complain. He was famished.

She was upside down. Not just upside down, upside down and disoriented and she couldn't see; the last one probably because of the fact that all her blood was in her head and her legs were numb from lack of it. Max didn't move, she wasn't going to either, not until she realised exactly in what position she was and where. Memories were jumbled and a sense of déjà vu spread over her as everything rushed back.

Curious eyes blinked sleepily and the unfamiliar surroundings were suddenly common again; Jam Pony, road trip, Alec, fountain, Las Vegas.

Max groaned thinking of the night before and rolling over she grabbed the pillow muffling her own head and trying to hide in it how could she have been so stupid?

Wait, no one even answer that rhetorical question.

Hopefully with luck, Alec wouldn't remember anything.

"Tired?"

Max almost screamed in surprise falling onto the floor with a loud thump followed quickly by a pained moan, "Ow,"rubbing her forehead yawning she winced trying to will power back to her limbs, "Goddamn it you psycho! Don't do that!"

His laugh rumbled, "Alden says you've got 2 minutes til breakfast, he's serving it in your room so be quick," Max had in no way forgotten Sofia's son Alehandro, also 'affectionately' known as Pepito; of course she remembered him smaller with no need to shave in the morning but that didn't mean her opinion of him had changed, "Whatever, piss off messenger boy," she said, finally standing.

Alehandro laughed, holding his hands up in surrender, "Aiight chica, but I'd put something on before joining your friend or he wont be your friend for long! D'you know what I'm saying Maxie?"

Realisation that all she had on was a pair of shorts came suddenly and oh-so horribly and a perfected woman reflex took place as one arm covered her chest and her other hand went to slap him. Alehandro, however, had been raised in the hotel kitchens and rooms while the maids did the beds and cleaned the bathrooms and he could spot a good slap coming and so successfully darted back and ran out dodging the pillow thrown his way, "One day Pepito I'm gonna…"

Max growled under her breath trailing off into inaudible threats and general grumbles.

With one quick glance around for her clothes she realised they were no longer where she'd left them, they were no longer in sight. About to bellow out to the one that had just ran out of her room she halted, spotting a note on the table.

Your robe is hung up next to the door, I sent your clothes to the laundry.

Al

Once read Max allowed herself a small moment to seriously ask why all her human friends were meddling, interfering, prying and annoyingly nosy creatures. Rolling her eyes, shaking her head and pumping her fist she slipped into the robe, tying it securely around her and walked out of her room. But as she closed the door behind her, her attention was caught by a very familiar figure standing in the doorway of her and Alec's room

"If she doesn't with you, then, I don't think it'll ever happen… with anyone."

'What won't ever happen with anyone?' the brunette suddenly thought, 'What are those two talking about?'

Before she had a chance to eavesdrop some more though Alden left, not seeing her and headed to the elevators, obviously going back to work. The slight doubt she was feeling at going in was suddenly trashed when her stomach spoke up letting himself be known, "Man, I'm starving."

Alec looked up catching her eyes and smiling as she opened the door and came in, spotting him and the breakfast table, and joined him sitting down in the chair opposite him, "Hey."

Nervous for some reason beyond him he greeted her back and watched as they lulled back into a silence, a very awkward silence that neither was used to. Quiet and stillness were not things they were used to in each other's company, either because they were fighting bad guys together or they were fighting against each other, either way, it was uncomfortable, neither transgenic sure on how to proceed.

Alec took the lead, "Want some hot chocolate?"

Apparently that seemed to be all it took to break the strange ice that had formed between them and smiling Max held out her cup for him and began to put things onto her plate, "I could eat a horse I'm so hungry."

"Yeah I know how you feel, I woke up and the first thing I noticed was the gargantuan hole in my stomach," Alec said grinning although he knew he'd twisted the truth, that was at least the third thing he'd realized the first had really been his state of undress, but it was a little white lie, it didn't matter.

Laughing she nodded, "It wasn't quite the first one with me. I noticed first that I was upside down with the blood rushing to my head and then secondly that Pepito was in my room and I was unknowingly giving him a show," she replied, groaning once again at the very recent memory, "That one is definitely gonna come back and bite me in the ass."

With all his will Alec really wanted to smile and shake his head and continue the light hearted conversation they were having, but his focus with those few words had been shifted to …other things… and he was busy mentally threatening 'mr. happy' –to put it in G rating- in his robe, so his smile and shake of his head came out more as a flinch and tightening of his jaw.

"You ok Alec?" Max said, concern slightly etched onto her face as she bit into a hash brown.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine, my head just hurts," he managed to reply.

"What did you do to it?" Max asked, not realizing in what direction their conversation was heading, perhaps because too much blood was directed to her stomach as she dug into the much needed sustenance, "I was actually going to ask you that question," Alec said, "My memories of last night are still a bit jumbled.

Those words took her directly to last night and her hand wavered as she poured herself more hot chocolate, spilling her cup that went directly for Alec. Cat like reflexes threw him back to avoid burns and he rolled in a backward roly-poly done too quick to realize his robe was caught beneath the chair and his weight. All he could do was finish the reflex back to a standing position, his eyes closed praying that he would wake up and this wasn't real.

'Oh god. Please let me wake up, please, please, please…'

Alec wanted to punch his own daylights out; there he stood void of any injuries, his robe wrapped around his chair with him standing naked, boner and all from his thoughts in their conversation mere moments ago with Max most likely staring at him, still holding onto the jug.

Max was staring, 'Oh my god.'