Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, blah blah woof woof.

Thanks: To all those who reviewed this story.

Candyabble: Sorry smut is not in this chapter, please read the notes to find out why. Thank you for reviewing and for your support in both my stories. I'll do my best to write the other one with the alternate ending but it might take a while.

Ska: I think you'll be surprised. Thanks for reviewing.

Iridescent Twilight: Thanks for reviewing and sorry about the smut, the notes explain why. Thanks for letting me know your opinion on the ending, I'm having some serious trouble with it. Logan, I'm not sure what to do with him, but I don't think I'm going to kill him, sorry to bust the celebration. However he won't be in the most favorable light either, an episode I recently watched again has made me more pissed off at him than I usually am, and I don't normally like him that much. He reminds me too much of Buffy, all high and mighty with no compassion or understanding for people and their mistakes or differences, feeling like they are better than every one else, just because they hold a certain title. Total arrogance. But that's just me.

Alana84: Sorry about the smut, please read the notes and don't be mad at me makes puppy dog eyes, please? I'm trying to update as much as possible, but a lot is going on, especially now. Thanks for your opinion on the ending, you're helping me out of a serious jam here! Thanks for reviewing, and hopefully enjoy the chapter!

HoneyX5-452: I did read and review one of your stories and currently have it on my alert list. I really love it, it's a great idea, but which X5 was buying the leather jacket? Please be Alec! It's the: X5 Rockband in San Francisco. Thank you very much for your opinion on the ending, I really need it, I'm in so much conflict because they both seem like viable options, so thank you! Thanks for reviewing, enjoy the chapter!

Cora: Sorry about the smut, please read the notes to understand why. Yeah, I agree with you about Max and Logan, there is just no chemistry there! I don't like him much either. Thanks for reviewing!

Willow98002: Thank you so much for reviewing, I will try and update as much as possible, but fanfiction is not all I do, and I have a lot going on right now, including my own original stories, and exams. Take care.

Notes: Alright, first off, for all those who wanted smut I am sorry but in this chapter there is no smut. Cringes at the yelling, and ducks the rotten tomato projectiles I tried to write it, I really did, but it wouldn't come out! And the only thing worse than badly written smut is badly written angst. So here goes, I hope you enjoy the chapter anyways. There will probably be more smut later on, either in the sequel (sad ending) or later on in the story (happy ending), but I can't promise anything. Alright?

P.S.: Once again I would really appreciate a beta. Thanks.

Max woke up in the arms of someone…a very strong, male someone. The brunette quickly tensed but relaxed as the memories of the past two days caught up with her.

She silently studied Alec as he slept on, oblivious to the compassionate observation taking place. He was fast asleep for the first time in days, but it seemed she had finally worn him out. Well mind-blowing sex can do that to you, Max reflected happily. She smirked when she remembered how true it was that he was 'Always ready'. Well his not-so-little-soldier had certainly proven that over the past two days.

He looked so innocent as he slept, his sparkling hazel-green eyes that had had far too much experience in death, but yet still glowed with life, were shuttered. His strong jaw and chiselled features were relaxed with a small boyish grin playing around on his lips at whatever it was he was dreaming about. His blond-brown was tousled from all the…activities…they had participated in, and that creamy muscular body that was oh-so-delicious was partially bared to her sight.

Max cringed as she thought of how she had treated him in the past. She had been upset. Upset to be attracted to someone who Manticore paired her up with as a BREEDING PARTNER for gods' sake. Upset to want to have wild passionate sex with a man who was the IDENTICAL TWIN to the brother she had KILLED. Upset to be falling in love with the damnable man when she was supposed to be in love with Logan…

But she wasn't in love with Logan, Alec wasn't Manticore, he had suffered just as much as she had, and Alec wasn't Ben. Ben had succumbed to the tortured darkness in his soul; Alec has sought to drag back out into the light, and succeeded.

But it was all alright now, Max willed herself to believe, they were together. But were they? Max frowned at the unwelcome but valid thought. She wanted them to be but, she was hit with a sudden bolt of doubt and fear, unless for him it was just the heat. A harsh pang of equal parts sadness, pain and fear hit her heart as she let the thought take root and grow. She couldn't blame him if it was, not after the way she had treated him, like shit, like garbage, her mind helpfully supplied. And in a way she had sort of forced him to stay with her… Unbidden a tear slid down her cheek.

Alec woke up slowly and leisurely as he replayed the past two days together with Max behind his eyelids. They had been…amazing. He opened his eyes and found himself staring straight into the mahogany eyes of his lover and felt his heart constrict in his chest before it shattered into a million pieces. Those beautiful eyes of hers were filled with pain, sadness, fear of him? he wondered, and of guilt. They were also filled with a tiny modicum of hatred that he didn't realize was directed at herself, not at him. No! She said she wouldn't hate me! His head screamed at him. Paralyzed, he watched as a tear slid down her smooth caramel cheek, that he had only caressed a few hours ago…

He suddenly pulled away from her as if he'd been burned, "No Maxie, shit no!" he swore as he jumped out of bed and pulled on his clothes. He cut her off as she opened her mouth, to blame him no doubt, and harshly bit out "I don't want to hear it. I don't. For once I'm not to blame, you are not going to pin this on me, this is on you 100 percent. This is YOUR FAULT, NOT MINE!" he glared at her for a few seconds then repeated softly, viciously "Not mine."

Alec didn't wait around to hear it, to hear her say it was a mistake. He didn't wait around for her to use him as her punching bag again. He turned away from the tears streaming down her face, each cruel word a blow to her heart, and just turned around and left.

Max had watched in numb shock as he jumped away from her and yelled at her as he pulled on his clothes, almost as though he was ashamed of what they had done, what they had shared. Then the words "It's YOUR FAULT!" penetrated through her numb haze, as did the words "Not mine." And she froze. Not his. Not his mate. She was rejected. But what could she say to that? He was right, it was her fault. She was the screw up, not Alec, never Alec. Renfro's words returned to her in full force "You're poison 452" and it was true. In one way or another she destroyed everything and everyone she loved.

The petite brunette numbly watched as the mate she could have had, had she not ruined the chance, the man who she loved more than life itself, left her room, left her apartment, and slammed the door shut in his haste to get away from her.

It was only an apartment that he left, but then why did it feel so much like he was walking out on her, out of her life, and he had just taken her heart with him? She really couldn't blame him, but she'd be damned if it didn't hurt.

Her brain simply shut down and stopped thinking, stopped babbling to itself, as the tears fell down her face like rain. And that's how Original Cindy found her best friend, her boo, the strongest person she knew, an hour later. The tough chica poured out her broken heart in an ocean of sadness on her best friends shoulder. Heart bruised and broken for the world to see, as her walls finally crumbled and buried her beneath them.

Okay people decide right now and let me know: happy ending or sad ending with sequel.

I sincerely hope I didn't screw all that angst up. Like it or hate it, please let me know. Flames however, will be duly fed to the Nomilies in the basement. Tell me why you feel the way you do guys, I want constructive criticism.

Oh and guys? Don't get me wrong, I love Alec, but according to almost every story I've read Max is a screwed up bitch and Alec is a perfect god. They're transgenic everyone, they make mistakes, and this entire scenario was a disastrous misunderstanding, that's all. I also realize Max was a little OOC in this chapter, but she was sort of in shock and therefore babbling, and therefore making no sense, and therefore OOCness, okay? Thanks guys, ciao!