Blood and Balls

Disclaimer: Would I even be here if I owned Dark Angel? I think not.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: M/A

Summary: Max and Alec have to attend a charity ball in an attempt to retrieve some blood samples that have fallen into the wrong hands. Naturally, it leads to all manners of confusion.

Author's Note: I wrote this story ages ago, way before I had even started writing 'Triangle' or 'Freedom on the inside'. I didn't particularly like it, cos I thought, if I was being brutally honest, it was a bit on the cheesy side but I thought I'd let you guys be the judge of that. Please read and review!

Chapter Three

Natural

The audience clapped as White took his place behind the microphone, while both Alec and Max shared a glance that conveyed identical sentiments. Reluctantly, turning back to the front of the stage, Max tried to seem at least remotely interested as she waited to hear the 'doctor's' speech.

"Good evening," he began, "It's a pleasure to be here," he said smiling at Dr. Murphy. Facing the audience again, he started his well prepared speech,

"Gene splicing and genetic enhancements have been researched for many years now, but it is only very recently that we have begun to make some interesting and critical advancements in this relatively new technology. The advancements nevertheless are small. The idea of super strong genetically enhanced soldiers is I assure you all, a child's fairytale." The audience laughed, prompted by White's comical tone.

Alec and Max shared another brief and bemused look.

"The technology has an emphasis on enhancing lives that already exist. It aims to create cures and not create species that could in effect erase the purity of the human race; trials at such controversial levels have long been outlawed. Our priority is to keep our medicines as natural as possible; as natural is of course best."

Max shifted slightly in her seat at the stressed 'natural.' Ames White was anything but natural. To be frank, he was the bigger risk to the purity of the human race than the transgenics ever would be.

White continued to go on and explain exactly how genetic technology would aid in the curing of certain diseases, whilst Max blew a silent breath of relief. White was here to keep Manticore quiet; for the time being anyway, but the mere fact that he was in the same building as herself and Alec made her stomach churn with unease and overshadowed that small consolation.

After thirty minutes of talk on genetics and technology, the medical 'talk' part of the evening was over.

"If I hear the word chromosome or embryo again, I swear I'm gonna kill someone," muttered Alec to Max as they walked carefully out of the hall, "And how the hell are we supposed to get the samples with him here."

"Hang on," Max whispered, pulling Alec roughly behind a pillar.

"Jeez Max, if you wanted me this badly all you had to say was – ow!"

Max elbowed him sharply in the stomach, "He's leaving," she whispered.

"Looks like ol' Ames isn't the social type," Alec commented, his breath tickling the inside of Max's ear. Obviously, he didn't know that, but Max sure did, as she tried to edge away from him in the very confined space behind the pillar. "Looks like it," she said, trying desperately to concentrate on White and not on Alec's breathing. What the hell was wrong with her?

"Coast is clear," Alec whispered again. And since he was right, Max was now able to move away from him before answering, "I say we eat first."

"Maybe now might be a good time to go."

"I don't think so," Dr Murphy's just gone back up.

"In that case, let's eat," smiled Alec, offering his hand to Max. Max just stared at his outstretched hand.

"Max?"

"Uh yeah, let's go," she replied walking straight past him towards the food. Alec decided to ignore the mood swings; she was female after all. Casually, he inserted his hand back into his trouser pocket and walked over to the food tables.

It was self service and Max was just piling anything and everything on to her plate. Alec laughed uneasily, "Max, people'll think you starve normally, unless of course you have something to tell us?"

Max looked up at him, her face bearing the normal look of confusion she held especially for him,

"Like maybe you're eating for two?" Alec winked, clearly meaning it as a joke to lighten up the mood, but it was not one that was appreciated,

"Shut up," Max snapped curtly.

Alec decided he really was an idiot at the best of times. That had probably been the worst line imaginable considering the fact that Max wasn't allowed within even a foot of Logan and for her to be . . . well it just was not possible. She was probably still blaming him for that whole little virus problem, so it was best to probably just drop it.

Picking a table in the corner of the great dining room, they both sat down side by side, neither transgenic saying a word. The first five minutes, were pretty much silent for them if the noise of the rest of the room was overlooked. But that particular silence was soon broken,

"Excuse me?"

Max and Alec both looked up from their plates and masterfully prepared dinners, to find a man presumably in his late thirties accompanied by a pretty brunette of roughly the same age, staring at them, "Do you mind if we sat here? All the other tables are full."

Max gestured towards the empty seats, "not at all."

"Thank you," replied the brunette as they seated themselves in front of them.

"So what's your field?" asked the man looking at Max.

"Uh neuropsychology."

"Wow, I've always wanted to specialise."

Max nodded and smiled, "It's great, uh, very rewarding."

"I'm sure it is," he replied smiling, in a way that was making Max feel extremely uncomfortable. She began to feel a flush creep up her neck, while Alec shifted beside her and shovelled more salad into his mouth.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Hutchinson," he said extending his hand towards Max. Max shook it once, "Dr Hart."

"Nice to meet you, Dr Hart."

Max didn't return the formality.

"Uh, this is Ms. Giles."

"Hi," the pretty brunette smiled.

"So, what do you do?" Alec asked trying to find some ground in the conversation.

"File mostly, I'm his secretary."

"Right," Alec smiled, somehow he didn't really want to take part in this particular conversation and neither did the secretary by the looks of things. They both fell silent as Dr. Hutchinson tried again,

"So what do you think of genetic engineering?"

"Um," said Max swallowing her food, "It's been around for a long time and I don't necessarily think it's such a bad thing."

"No, neither do I," he smiled again.

Max was sure she was bright red and was more disturbed by the fact that Alec was dead quiet, when normally he would have leapt at the chance to embarrass her some more.

The obviously besotted doctor went to open his mouth again but was stopped by the clang of Alec's metal fork landing on his empty china plate. Max seeing that Alec had finished, grabbed the chance to get out of the incredibly awkward situation with both hands, figuratively and literally. She knew Alec wasn't going to let her live this down for days, but she really didn't have a choice.

Placing one hand on his shoulder and wrapping her other very deliberately into his own, she turned to look at him, "Would you like to dance?"

She could see a glint of mischief in his eyes, but she could only beg the gods that Alec being him, wouldn't ask for desert or something.

"I'd love to honey," he said after a brief pause before pulling her up from her chair.

Once standing, Alec placed a possessive hand around Max's waist and extended a hand to the now very embarrassed Dr. Hutchinson, "Nice meeting you, doctor."

The poor guy nodded and smiled faintly, as the two transgenics walked over to the dance floor. Once safely out of eyesight, they both let go of each other.

"Don't say a word," muttered Max.

To which Alec answered, "You know you really do underestimate me sometimes."

"That was just really . . . uncomfortable, ok?"

Alec said nothing as he looked around, anywhere but at Max.

"Alec?"

"Dr. Murphy's down here; now would be the time to go," he said finally looking at her.

Max nodded, following his lead out of the banquet hall and into the empty corridor at the back of the mansion.

"Whereabouts are the samples?" Alec whispered.

"Study."

"Right let's get this over with then."

With all the stealth of a cat, both trangenics quickly climbed the grand staircase, being extra careful in avoiding unwanted attention. 'I can't wait for this to be over,' Max thought silently. Funnily enough, the exact same thought ran though Alec's mind too, as they reached the top floor.

A/N 2: Thank you to the people who reviewed. I got rid of White early cos when I first wrote this I just wanted it to be a simple MA fic, one that wouldn't get too complicated, which would have significantly reduced any chance of me ever finishing it. So I'm sorry if this wasn't quite what you were expecting, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please leave a review, thanks!

Love SmilinStar xxx