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 Five

The Dead End that is Denial

"You cold?" asked Alec.

Max stood there staring at him. She hadn't bought a coat and was just standing there in her ball gown. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her chest, her legs felt like bloody icicles threatening to snap any second and she couldn't even feel her big toe. Was she cold? What kind of a question was that?

"No, I'm fine."

Alec smirked, "Sure Max." Wordlessly, he took off his jacket and placed it very deliberately around her shoulders. Max could only watch Alec's profile with her mouth open as he didn't even look at her as he offered her some warmth. Knowing her astonished expression would do nothing for her, Max snapped her mouth closed pronto.

A minute of silence expanded as they stood waiting for Logan, before Max felt compelled to speak,

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Why?" asked Alec now only in his white shirt and tie. Max made sure she wasn't looking at him. She may have been with Logan, but she was still female and she would only begrudgingly admit that she could see why girls flocked to him - though she was very glad she wasn't one of them.

"You're supposed to be a chauvinistic pig on whom any shred of chivalry is a hopeless cause."

Alec laughed, "Well yeah that I am, but who says I always have to be?" He turned and looked straight down at her, his eyes open with friendly regard. Max felt even more off kilter, this was not normal, but her bodily reactions gave her no chance to dissect her thoughts as a genuine smile graced her lips.

"Ass," she replied half-heartedly.

Alec simply grinned.

"You guys wanna go home or what?"

Max startled out of her thoughts, turned away from Alec to see Logan's car on the side of the road.

"Hey," he smiled.

Max smiled back, "We definitely wanna go home."

Max walked quickly over to the car and got in at the front. Alec knowing his place got in at the back and decided to sit in the middle. Really, he should be glad he was given such choice; left window? Right window? His cynicism was a mere highlight of the fact that Max and Logan saw him simply as an 'extra,' someone just to help out with missions. Whether or not he liked to admit it to his proud self; it hurt. He didn't want to be just a 'tag along', he wanted to be considered an actual friend, and someone they could trust and rely upon. But then again he couldn't expect too much from Max and Logan; he had after all tried to kill them once. That was then though; he had changed since then and although he'd never truly escape from the things Manticore made him do, he sure as hell was going to try. That was his resolution and he would stick by it.

"So how'd it go?" Logan asked as the car came to a halt at the traffic lights.

"Not bad," answered Max.

"You got the samples?"

Max nodded.

"Good. Let's hope none of you get shot again," remarked Logan coldly.

Alec knew very well that that had been for his benefit and Max's slight shift in her seat meant that she knew it too. Alec sat waiting for Max to add her support to the comment but surprisingly she said very little. The lights changed and they were moving again, this time in uncomfortable silence until Max waved, "Hey Logan can we stop here?"

"Uh yeah, why?" asked Logan putting on the brakes.

"I just need to get something from the market. I'll be right back," she said undoing her seatbelt and sliding out of the car.

"Ok," said Logan as Max shut the door leaving both males in the car . . . alone.

Logan was obviously annoyed with him, Alec could tell from his tense and rigid frame and he felt bound to apologise,

"You know Logan," he started unsure of what he was going to say, "I really am sorry for this whole mess."

Logan said nothing.

"You've saved my sorry ass countless times and I keep stuffin' up. So I'm sorry. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful . . . if a little envious."

"Oh?" said Logan tapping the steering wheel.

"Well . . ." Alec shifted uncomfortably, "I mean you're a good guy, the completely selfless hero, who wouldn't be envious of those qualities."

"Is that all?" Logan's voice was almost accusatory.

"What d'you mean?" he had already admitted far more than he ever normally would have considered.

"Don't worry about it," Logan answered quickly.

"No what did you mean?" the X5 pressed.

"Nothin' Alec."

"No, if you've got something to say, spit it out," Alec's anger had become increasingly evident, if he was being accused of something; he wanted to know what it was.

"How do you feel about Asha, Alec?"

"She's a pretty girl, what would most guys think?"

"Ok, so what about Max?"

Alec knew exactly where this was heading,

"What about Max?" he asked carefully.

"How do you feel about her?"

"Apart from the fact that we argue about everything, I like to consider her a friend."

"A friend?"

"Ok, maybe that's too generous."

"I didn't ask about your relationship, Alec, I asked how you felt about her."

"What exactly are you getting at Logan?"

"I think you know."

"No I don't, enlighten me," asked Alec, his anger was barely being contained.

Logan went to open his mouth but was immediately prevented by the opening of the car door. Max climbed back in, carefully sitting on her peach ball gown. It was only as she sat down that Alec realised that she was still wearing his jacket. Logan's paranoia from the past few minutes now made far more sense. Logan actually thought he had romantic feelings for Max. What a joke! Alec was far too wise to get involved in something as messy as that. I mean he was enjoying the single life, the girls and freedom of no emotional attachments. Right?

"So what were you guys talking about?" Max asked turning to look at Logan.

"Ames White," Logan said quickly.

"What a stimulating topic," Max remarked sardonically.

"Yeah," Logan muttered under his breath forgetting that both transgenics could hear him.

The rest of the journey was spent in utter silence.

Returning home, Max walked lazily into the kitchen to find OC putting some water on boil,

"So how come you aren't asleep yet?" Max asked.

"Not tired," said OC turning around to face Max, "How was . . ." She let the rest of her sentence hang.

"What?" asked Max frowning.

"Honey, since when have you owned a black dinner jacket, specifically tailored for um . . . a man?"

"What?" Max said looking down at herself, "Oh, I forgot to give it back to him."

"What are you doin' with Alec's jacket anyway?"

"It was cold," Max shrugged.

"Lemme guess, you yanked the jacket off him?"

"Actually he offered it to me."

OC's eyes widened in shock.

"What?" Max yelled defensive. "The guy was my 'date', he's supposed to act all chivalrous."

"Whatever Boo, but I don't think it'd go down good with Logan."

"It's only a jacket, Logan's jacket," Max added.

"It's not the jacket, hon, it's the gesture."

"Whatever Cindy, I'm beat, I'm gonna go to bed." Max took the jacket off, draped it over a chair and headed towards her bedroom.

"Morning," Max smiled as she walked into Logan's apartment the next morning.

"Hey Max," Logan replied still seated in front of his computer.

"I believe this is yours," said Max bringing out the black dinner jacket.

"Oh right, thanks, just leave it there."

Max was fairly surprised Logan hadn't questioned her further. She felt a desperate need to clear things up, especially after OC's barrage of questions had managed to instil some anxiety in her,

"I was cold, so Alec let me borrow it."

"That was nice of him," Logan's expression was unreadable.

"So did you get rid of the samples?"

Logan nodded, "All gone."

"Good."

"Um, do you wanna come around for dinner tonight?" he asked turning around to face her.

"Uh, I'm sorry I can't," Max answered honestly.

Logan's face momentarily fell, but he quickly regained his expressionless face. The change didn't go unnoticed by Max,

"We're having a girl's night out, that's all."

"Max, its fine you don't have to explain."

"It's just . . ."

"What?"

"You seem tense."

"Max I'm just fed up."

Max was slightly taken back by the defeat in his voice, "Why?" she asked knowing the answer.

"I just can't deal with it anymore. You, me and the virus. Three's a crowd Max."

Max had no idea what to say to that and in the end she decided there wasn't much left to say, "Fine," she snapped, "Have a nice life Logan."

Logan's eyes widened, "I didn't mean-" but the words fell dead on his tongue. She was gone.

A/N 2: Sorry about that, slightly lame to end their relationship over a misunderstanding; probably wouldn't really happen but then this whole story is kinda AU isn't it and anyway I have to get our fav couple together somehow! Lol! Please review!