ON BITCHED
Disclaimer: If I owned it, it would still be on air and would definitely be a whole lot better, and a whole bunch of writers from here would be on my scriptwriting team, because I have to admit many people here are very good.
Summary: Max and Alec are dating. It's their first Valentine's Day
Author's Notes: Hey, this is the first fiction I have ever had the courage to post, so be kind and please review.
"Hey, Boo," greeted OC, as she saw Max striding into Jam Pony, an hour late as usual. Looking at her bad mood, she asked, "What's wrong with you today?"
"Nothing, everything's dandy," she said.
"Girl, somethin' must be really wrong 'cos I know you well enough to know that you would never you use the word dandy."
"Well, just look around you, OC," was all Max said.
OC looked around the room to see what was bugging Max so much, but all she saw were her co-workers hugging, kissing and walking together. Then she saw Normal put up hearts at the desk and that's when she realized.
"Valentine's Day, your least favorite day of the year, barring Christmas, Easter, and all the other holidays," she said.
"Well, it's just that people act so stupid on this day, like there's no tomorrow, so they think let's make the best out of today," Max said, sarcastically
"Oh, c'mon Max, people just need a reason to celebrate their love, if you know what I mean," OC justified.
However, Max wasn't about to give up, "Why can't they celebrate love in private then? Why do they have to be so crude?"
That made OC raise her eyebrows. It wasn't like they were getting down with it right here. Even then, Max would have probably laughed it off. Something else was bugging her. Then she saw Biggs walk into Jam Pony, alone. 'So that's the trouble', she thought. She smiled, and turned to Max.
"Boo, what's really your problem? That people are celebratin' or that you ain't?" OC countered.
"W-What's that supposed to mean?" Max stammered.
"You can't fool OC with that 'they're so disgusting' attitude. I can see through ya." OC declared.
Max sighed, "I should have known I wouldn't be able to dupe you. It's just that for the first time, I have someone I could celebrate this holiday with, yet here I am all alone; all because that ass had something better to do than spend time with me."
"Where's your boy?" asked OC.
"That's the thing, I don't know." Max yelled.
"Calm down, Boo, whaddya mean 'you don't know'?" asked OC, confused.
"Well, a few days ago, Alec called and said that he was going away for a few days. He told me he'd be back soon, but he didn't tell me where he was going. Problem is that he hasn't returned yet, and his cell phone is switched off. I have no idea how to contact him and I'm starting to get worried. You know Alec's track record. He's like a billboard with trouble plastered all over him. There's no way to know if he's okay or not." Max blustered.
"Wow Boo, you really care for him, dontcha?" OC realized.
"I do, OC, I really do. I don't know why or how or when it started, but I do." Max confessed. "And I don't want anything to happen to him."
"Don't worry, Max, pretty boy can take care of himself," OC consoled.
"I know he can, but that doesn't stop me from worrying," Max said.
"Whoa Boo, you're really whipped," said a very surprised OC. She had never seen Max act like this over anyone. 'She must really love him,' she thought. "So girl, why don't ya ask someone who would know?" OC advised Max.
"Like who?" Max questioned.
Just then, Biggs came strolling towards them. Max and OC both looked towards him.
"Hey girls, what's up?" Biggs greeted them. Then he saw that they were looking at him weirdly. "OK, why the hell are you staring at me like that? What? Do I have something on my face?" he asked, rubbing it, "C'mon, tell me."
"Umm… nothing. Original Cindy was thinkin' how different ya look today. You look good. Done somethin' new with ya hair?"
"Nah, just ran my fingers through it in the morning." Biggs told her, all the while thinking about how much time it had taken in front of the mirror to get this look.
"Wow, boy, OC gotta say that Manticore sure made 'em pretty. There's my Boo, you and there's pretty boy. Speakin' of pretty boy, where is he? Haven't seen him around lately. Ya know where he is?"
"Who? Alec? He-" Biggs looked from OC to Max and back to OC. "He and I haven't seen each other lately. I have no idea where he is. I was gonna ask Max myself."
"OK, enough, no more beating around the bush. I wanna know where Alec is and you're gonna tell me. Don't even think about giving me some crap about not knowing where he is, or how to contact him," Max roared, before he could say anything.
"Sorry, Max, I really don't know where he is," Biggs replied, taking a step back. 'Only Alec can handle Max when she's in one of her moods.'
"I told you, Biggs, I'm not taking this shit from you. We both know that you know where Alec is. So you can either tell me where he is, or I'll beat it out of you." Max yelled as she grabbed him by the shirt and pushed him towards the wall.
"Max, I have ten years of training on you. I was Alec's SIC. Do you really think you could take me?" Biggs said.
Then Max smiled. "Biggs, there is no way I'm gonna go down without a fight. And you do realize that in the end, no matter what happens you're gonna end up in a bloody mess, don't ya?"
"Why's that?" he frowned.
"'Cause either you lose and you tell me where Alec is, or I lose and Alec comes back to find that you hit me, which will lead to him beating the shit out of you," she taunted.
It made Biggs rethink his position. He knew how much his friend cared about Max, probably more than she did for herself. He didn't want to hurt either of them, 'cause truth be told, he liked Max himself. Not in that way, but he had come to accept Max as a friend and didn't want to do anything to hurt her or Alec. But he also knew that he couldn't tell Max where Alec was. It wasn't his place. He decided to give it out straight.
"Look Max, one good thing Manticore taught us was never let down your own. Alec's my best friend and I can't betray his trust. I'm sorry, but you need to understand."
Max sighed and moved away, "All right, Biggs, I won't push you, but please tell me if he's ok."
That was when Biggs realized that Max cared a lot more about Alec than she let on. "He's okay, Max, really."
"Fine, but if-"
"If there is a problem, you'll be first to know, I promise," Biggs interjected.
Just then, Normal came around, "Bip, bip, bip, people, I don't pay you to talk."
"Ya pay us zilch anyway," OC grumbled. But she started walking away. "Catch ya later, sista."
"Thanks, Biggs, now come on, before Normal comes back," Max said.
"Anytime, Max, let's get outta here." Biggs replied, straightening his clothes.
And the two transgenics walked away to make their deliveries. Max continued bitching about people needing to get a room but Biggs just laughed.
Later…
"Oh, Max, you gotta come, suga," OC whined. "Original Cindy ain't leavin' you all alone at home to mope."
"No. OC, I don't feel like it, besides Alec might remember and call. I don't wanna miss it." Max said by the way of explanation.
"Dontcha gimme that crap, suga, 'cos OC knows all 'bout that cell phone Alec gifted ya, so if he wants to contact ya, he'll know where to call. Now get your fine ass off that couch and let's go." OC ordered.
"OK, OC lets go." Max replied, resignedly.
At Crash…
Max was sitting all alone because OC had found herself a new honey. Sketchy too had a date. All the single females were surrounding Biggs, and CeCe was among them, getting furious. The place was decorated with red balloons and hearts. Everybody was with somebody. Everyone was having fun except Max, who was miserable. She kept looking at her cell phone, mentally begging it to ring. If it weren't for the transgenic metabolism, she would have probably been very drunk.
Max was probably on her tenth beer when she felt Alec's scent assault her senses. It was a heady mix of soap, spicy cologne and something that was purely Alec. But she dismissed it, thinking that maybe she was smelling it on herself. Then some unknown force made her turn towards the door.
She could not believe her eyes. Maybe she had consumed too much alcohol even for a transgenic. Because she swore she could see Alec walking through that door. 'Hell, all this drinking must be driving me nuts', she thought. But just then, she saw Alec look at her. He winked at her and smirked. She realized she wasn't dreaming. Max 'smartass bitch' Guevara literally dashed towards her boyfriend. He caught her in a fierce hug and she kissed him as if there was no tomorrow. Everyone at the bar stopped whatever they were doing and looked at the couple with no care in the world. OC smiled. Biggs winked at Alec. The couple finally broke away. Max blushed.
"God, Alec, where were you? I was so scared that something might have happened to you." Max said by the way of explanation for what she had just done.
"Aww, Maxie, really, I'm touched." Alec smirked.
"Yeah, your tendency to get in trouble and have me come save your ass makes me kinda worried sometimes." Max replied and stuck her tongue out.
Alec's eyes widened, 'Whoa, what happened in the last few days to make Max act like this? She barely acknowledged she was dating me before tonight.'
Max narrowed her eyes, "So you still haven't told me where you were the last few days."
Surprisingly, Alec bent down on one of his knees.
"Maxie, when I first met you, I was livin' in that hellhole and was fine there. Then you forced us out of that place to see the world outside 'cause you thought that anything was better than it and that everybody deserves the chance to live life on their own terms. You gave me a life that I'd never imagined. A life where I wasn't told what to do and what not. By no one other than you, of course. I made friends, had a real job and a real home, well, as real as it can get, anyway. Every time I was in trouble, you were there to help me. Oh, you bitched about it, but always had my back. You became my family. As for love, it's true I had seen love before with Rachel, but at the time, I didn't know what it was. Before I could, it was snatched away from me. But you gave me a second chance. You taught me what love really is."
"You accepted me for who I am and not who I could be. You ignored all my faults and flaws, other than my cockiness, arrogance, thoughtlessness, carelessness, irresponsibility, treatment of women as sexual objects and a few others.So today, on what is called the day of lovers, I wanna tell you that no matter what happens to us, I will always be there for you. I would die for you. And if you died on me, there would never be anyone else, 'cause I wouldn't be able to live without you. I love you, Maxie. Only you. Forever and for always."
Max had tears in her eyes. She had never heard anything so beautiful. She could not believe that someone like Alec had said that. Even Logan with his pre-pulse wine, candlelight dinners, and 32 years of experience had never said anything that was remotely this romantic. And Alec, who until a year ago, didn't know the first thing about genuine romance except for the Rachel incident, was saying things she hadn't imagined in her wildest dreams.
Alec kept looking at her. 'She's very quiet. Why isn't she saying something? And are those tears? Is she really crying? Why is she crying?' All these questions were eating him up.
"I love you too, Alec. I love you more than anyone I've loved before. When I first saw you, I thought you were my brother. I started off hating you because you weren't him. Because you could be here and he couldn't. Because I was the reason that he wasn't alive. I know what you're gonna say, 'It's not my fault.' But it'll be some time before I can forgive myself. You were exactly how I remembered him when we were young. Exactly what he wasn't when I met him again. Full of life and laughter. Even in that hellhole, you managed to have a sunny attitude towards life, where he, despite being free, was always haunted and hunted. It made him become a hunter. Every time I saw you, all this came rushing back to me. And I blamed you for everything that was screwed up in my life."
"Yet you didn't give up on me. You made me see beyond the face into your heart. You made me realize who I really was. For ten years, I tried to fit in, be someone I wasn't and I thought I was finally succeeding. But you came along and spoiled everything. You told me who I really was and that there was nothing I could do to change it. That being me wasn't such a bad thing, and that I was probably better than others were. You changed my life so much in the past year. Despite the way I treated you, you hung around. You taught me to smile again. Laugh again. And for that, I wanna thank you. I love you and I never wanna let you go."
Now Max was crying openly. Every one was shocked at the sight of it. No one had ever seen Max cry. But today there was no stopping her. Just then, Alec pulled out an envelope and handed it to her.
"What's this?" she asked, in a wobbly voice.
"It's your gift. Open it and see," he replied.
She opened it. Inside were a bunch of papers with addresses and telephone numbers.
"What are these?" she wondered.
"They're the addresses and numbers of your brothers and sisters."
Max was shocked, "How did you- where did you-" For once she was flabbergasted.
"How?"
Alec shrugged, "I wanted to get you something special, thought about what you wanted the most; the answer was your family. So…"
"Is that where you were the last few days? Why didn't tell me? I could have helped you. And how did you do this? In ten years, I couldn't find them and it took you ten days."
"Yeah, I was checkin' out the addresses. I didn't tell you 'cause I wanted to surprise you and see the look on your face. And as for how, it's easy when you have enough money and the right contacts."
"But Logan-"
"There were a lot of things Logan hid from you," Alec said, demurely.
That made Max angry, "After all that I did for him, risked my neck for his stupid EO missions, I can't believe he did that. We had a deal. Well, he's gonna pay for it later."
"Yeah Max, we'll make him pay. And tomorrow we can check out the addresses. Would you like that?"
"I would love that. But I didn't get you anything." Max pouted.
Just then, Biggs went over and changed the music.
"You're wrong, Max, you got me everything I want right here in my arms. Now come on, dance with me."
They started dancing holding each other tightly.
"Wow, where did they get this song? It's nice. Makes me think of you."
"No Max, not me, you. You're my angel."
Angel's Wings by Westlife. Written by Steve Mac, Wayne Hector and J. MacCarthy
I would die for you
Lay down my life for you
The only thing that means everything to me
'Cause when you're in my arms
You make me prouder than
Than anything I ever could achieve
And you make everything that used to seem so big
Seem to be so small since you arrived
On angel's wings, an angelical formation
Angel's wings, like letters in the sky
Now I know no matter what the question
Love is the answer
It's written on angel's wings
And I often wonder why,
Someone as flawed as I
Deserves to be as happy as you make me
So as the years roll by
I'll be there by your side
I'll follow you wherever your heart takes me
'Cause you make everything that used to be so big
Seem to be so small since you arrived
On angel's wings, an angelical formation
Angel's wings, like letters in the sky
Now I know no matter what the question
Love is the answer
It's written on angel's wings
Now anyone who's felt the touch of heaven in their lives
Will know the way I'm feeling, looking
In my baby's eyes
That's why I can't bear to be too far away
I know that god must love me 'cause
He sent you to me on angel's wings
On angel's wings, an angelical formation
Angel's wings, like letters in the sky
Now I know no matter what the question
Love is the answer
It's written on angel's wings
Love is the answer
It's written on angel's wings.
A/N: Special thanks to my beta editor Shallowness without whom I have no idea what I would have done. Thanks Shallow, you're the best.