A/N- Hmm…someone's still reading this? I'm a little shocked…

Tempest of Emotions

Chapter 14: The Bend in the Road

'Despite the times you let me down, you have been there to save me, even when I didn't know I needed saving and wouldn't admit it even if I knew. I need you to back me up.'

I never thought of you as a person. I never thought about your feelings or how my harsh words scarred you on the inside, even though you would never admit it to me. You never let that mask of hidden emotions slip, except only once and even then I wasn't sure. I tried to be your friend and you pushed me away. We're not that different you know? We push people away; that's what we were programmed to do. I was only saved because he gave me my heart back and I learned to be human once more.

I knew you had a tortured soul, much like my own but I never did anything. I never tried to help you with coping with the outside world; in face I scorned you whenever you tried to be close to me. I never thanked you or appreciated the fact that you were my friend and always looked out for me. I was too stubborn to accept your friendship, even when I used you to push him away. The fact is that you were too annoying and--And now you're gone. I never got to say I do care about you until it was too late. I'm sorry. You're gone…you can't be gone. I still hear your voice and I still see your face. I still see that cocky smile you flashed at me. I still hear your laughter, rare as it was. I can almost feel your warm hand, soaked in blood. I still see his sinister smiling face as you fell into a lifeless heap on the ground. I couldn't stop him! You're gone and I couldn't do anything. Where are you?

****

Flashback (To the time right before chapter 4-Showdown)

"Max?" A far too familiar voice called out

"What? Oh it's you." She regarded him with more than the usual contempt. Turning her back to him, she continued to ignore him as she concentrated on everything but him. Lockers were incredibly fascinating that particular day. They had the most intricate patterns Max had never noticed before or took the time to appreciate. And the chipped red paint only added to its quaint and distinct charm.

"I'm not going to disappear just because you're ignoring me." Alec finally stopped trying to claim her attention. He sighed comfortably as he leaned against the wall waiting for something.

"And that's a terrible shame. Well, it never killed to dream. Maybe I'll get my wish someday and you will go poof!" She finally turned and faced him. She scoffed at his face and walked away. A safe distance away, she muttered, "I can't even look at you."

Alec stared after her with the most puzzled face. Why this much venom so early in the morning? Hmm, this definitely calls for investigating.

"Hey Cindy. It's a beautiful morning, but not half as beautiful as you." Alec greeted her cheerfully with as much charm as he could muster by concentrating all of it into a blindingly brilliant smile.

"Whoa, down boy. Cindy got nothing to say to you, so you can turn off that smile." Cindy gave Alec a cold look before she hurried with uncustomary haste to go on a run. She snatched a packet from Normal's hand and sped off.

An annoying voice sounded from the background, "You see people? That's what you all should be doing. Now bip!" Normal was momentarily stunned by Cindy's apparent burst of eagerness for work, but shrugged it off. Perhaps his wholesome influence was finally rubbing off on these sluggards. He would have to keep the good work up.

Alec was completely baffled. What was wrong with everyone? Why was everyone giving him the cold shoulder? He didn't think it was anything when Sketchy avoided his look earlier that morning. 'Did I forget something important?'Alec thought a while before his memory of a certain urgent phone call hit him. 'Crap, I knew I forgot something. Now I have to go apologize to Max. That's gonna be so fun.' He reluctantly went in search for the one he had let down, again. 'Why am I always apologizing to her? And if I don't, she's gonna make my week hell. Just great.'

"Look Max, I'm--" Alec started contritely when Max rudely cut him off with her infamous glare.

"Sorry? You're sorry? You think that does anything? The word "sorry" doesn't change anything. He could have died and you're sorry?!" Max started ranting about how unreliable Alec was. How dare he have the guts to speak to her!?

"Will you let me finish?" Alec cut in, just as rude as Max. He was determined to apologize even if she didn't want to hear it. Max fumed but was miraculously silent for the moment.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I was," he searched for the right word, "occupied and I couldn't get away. Still, Logan pulled out of it and Josh came through for you."

"That's the second time that Joshua had to take your place. If it weren't for him, Logan would be dead by now. And you have the nerve to claim that you were "occupied"? Don't even try. Just go away. And don't speak to me again." Max's ire grew as she listened to his sham of an excuse. "Occupied"? Sure maybe with some hot chick he just couldn't keep his hands off.

"Max, I'm trying to say I'm sorry and you're brushing me off as if I was out last night partying and deliberately trying to let Logan die. I said I was occupied and I was!" Alec couldn't believe her. She was so stubborn! Why wouldn't she believe him! He was busy dodging White and his wonderful lackeys. And then he met this girl…

"Fine, Alec. Whatever, I believe you. I do and now, I have a job to do. Please excuse me." Max left in a hurry, similar to Original Cindy. Normal nodded approvingly at her departure. He was definitely doing a good job. 'First the Nubian princess, then Missy Miss. Damn, I'm good.'

Max rode off on her bike, angrier than before. He could have been lying dead or captured by White for all she knew. She had worried about him last night and here he was, alive and healthy. 'He can get captured by White for all I care. I'm never going to forgive him for what he did.'

~~~~

A few weeks later of the memory…

That time at Crash was the first time Max spoke to him in weeks and it was a relief. He guessed she had finally cooled down and had other things to worry about, especially about Mr. Superhero and the lovely Asha. It was apparent that things were not always as platonic as it seemed between the two. Still the strain between Alec and Max not speaking left an uneasy tension in the air in which certain friends had to chose sides and not speak to the others. There was a breath of fresh air when they finally spoke and the relationship began to mend when White decided to pop his timely face up.

Dancing, they were dancing together and not making taunting remarks at each other. They were just dancing like two friends and the world was good. A little peace is not a bad thing for the mind and dancing with him was not a bad thing either. The music was loud but her thoughts were louder, 'Am I getting along with Alec? Whoa, this is a weird experience!' The crowd swayed together as couples engaged in fast paced movements across the floor. It was a normal night and she was a normal girl dancing with a normal boy. Why didn't it last? The memory of that night began to melt and fade into the dull light, the night her life took a turn for the worse. Maybe she should have left Seattle before things got out of control. It went against her instincts to stay and yet, she could not leave.

End of Flashback

Max groaned silently as she cracked open her eyes. Pains stabbed her from every part of her body, it probably would be better if she was unconscious. Memories of a fight with Alec came flooding back in her groggy mind. She winced as she remembered her fight with White. Why did she seem so slow? Every time she attacked, he was ten steps ahead of her and those damned punches of his. Her foggy mind had a hard time comprehending; it was as if she fought with the skills of a normal human. Her kicks did not even seem register as she fought as hard and as swift as she could.

'I wonder if Alec…' she pondered when she remembered. It was just a memory, he was not alive. She was back in her cell and Alec was dead. She was trapped again and Alec was dead. White had beaten her within an inch of her life and Alec was dead.

Alec was dead.

****

"I can't believe you killed him! And those two other transgenics, you didn't even let me scrap their DNA. That was not the plan, Ames and you know it." A pale faced woman in a lab coat spoke softly, even though she wanted to scream. Her precious plans, they were all ruined.

"Calm down, doc. You still have the female to fuss with. And the other three were expendable. You know, she wasn't really that tough especially after I drugged her and electrocuted her. Pretty easy if you ask me."

"But I could have used his genes and now he's dead. And the other two, who knows what secrets their genes might hold? What am I going to tell the Conclave?" Fear showed clearly in her hazel eyes, a weakness that she had since childhood.

"Tell them what you want and--"

"And what?" There was something in the way he acted that made her suspect him for hiding something.

"And, things are not as bad as you think. Stop the hysterics, Bromley. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, you are not cut out for this." He gave her a superior look while she clearly could not control her fear. He would never understand why the Conclave let her live; she should have been killed or released into the world.

"But Ames--"

"But nothing. You still can't control your fear at this age. Pathetic, that's what you are." Ames left without a backward glance as the trembling woman.

Doctor Bromley grinded her teeth as he departed. "Easy for you to say, you don't have to report to them." She muttered to herself. "How I despise him."

There wasn't a time she could remember when she did not hate Ames White; Ames, the wonderful rising star of the familiars who made his first kill at the mere age of three. Even before she met him, she had hated listening to his latest exploits and how great an asset he would become when he had reached maturity.

She had finally met him in a social gathering at the age of twelve. He was the most arrogant braggart in the history of the world. He openly revealed his disgust at her being allowed at the gathering. It was supposed to be a meeting of the strongest and brightest, he said, and she was neither. She was only there because of her father's position. Of course, daddy could pull some strings, but she was there because she deserved it. She was snubbed at that meeting because of him; him and his brighter colleagues. From that day forth, she swore a promise to herself, "Just you wait, brother, just you wait. Someday, I will be head of the Conclave and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Head of the Conclave, what a lofty dream. She was just a child then and even as she grew up she still dared to dream it. And now, Ames was trying to ruin it. 'Over my dead body.' Bromley swore as she walked toward a lab. She had some samples to work with.

****

When I first saw you, I thought you were Ben, coming back to take his revenge. And you have taken it. Are you going to haunt me like Ben? Like everyone else I couldn't save?

Max rattled her chains restlessly. A restraint on every limb and enough chains to make sure she could not move with ease. 'I need to get out. I need to escape. I need to get out of here.' Her mind was flooding with thoughts of only escaping while her eyes stung with unshed tears. No more crying. Crying would not bring him back, crying would not free her, crying would not help. 'What about Zack?' she thought suddenly. Could he still be alive? Or was he dead by the hands of that murderer? The suffocating smell of death surrounded her, filling her lungs. She trashed about wildly, trying to weaken the chains somehow.

Logan, would Logan come? Did he even have the resources to come? No, all hopes on any rescue party was extinguished. If she was going to get out, she would have to rescue herself. Nobody's coming, no cavalry is coming, no big brother is watching over me. I'm going to get myself out and when I do…

"WHITE!" she screamed into the lifeless cameras, "White! I will kill you! I will kill you for all you have done!" She continued to scream in anguish. A man watched her struggling on a screen. He jingled the heavy bundle of keys he had stolen from the unconscious guard laying dead on the floor. He took one last look at the screen before he exited the monitoring room and locked it. He needed time before he was discovered.

****

A/N- Sigh It's done, another chapter is done. ARGH! I will try not to kill this fanfic, no guarantees. Till next time. Ciao.

Hmm, confused? Hope the little changes helped. It was a memory, not that Max and Alec somehow miraculously pop out of the place free as birds. That's not going to happen…