Disclaimer: Dark Angel and its characters obviously do not belong to me. I am writing this purely for non-profit entertainment. Yada, yada! No infringement intended, so don't sue me!
A/N: Hey you wonderful people out there, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! And by the way, this chapter is extra long - you have been warned! Hehe!
Calistra – Thanks for reviewing. Yep, Zack suddenly realized that he might be going overboard!
Amelya – Thanks for your review. What's bugging Zack? Hmm…Manticore, Max, Alec, Jace…:grins:
Angel of Darkness231 – lol! I like your pairings for Jondy. One of them is right, though! You'll find out soon anyway! Thanks for reviewing.
Pixie Wildfire – Ah, Gab and Jondy fireworks…I feel bad for Zack too, but I promise he'll settle down after a while, like in a few chapters! Thanks for your review.
Mel11 – Don't worry, you'll find out what's up with Gab soon! Zack needs a bit more time :sigh: But things will be okay for him later on. Thanks for reviewing.
Kungfuchick – Nah, it's not weird and I promise you that it will happen, just not yet. The heat scenes are quite hard to write, so I am waiting for the right slot! Thanks for reviewing.
Spanishwon2123 – Thanks for reviewing. Glad you liked the chapter. More Max and Alec coming up and of course, Gab :grins:
AngelKougaeri – Hehe! Yep, Gab's mixed up alright. As for Max, she's in her usual state of denial the past few chapters, lol! Thanks for reviewing.
Lotamoxie – Thanks for reviewing here and at NWP. Uh yes, I suppose it's surprising that Jondy was sent out so soon, but the selection was done by the transgenics, not Lydecker. Zack will never really come to terms with Manticore, I think…:sighs:
Iridescent Twilight – You got great imagination, lol! Nesting in your corpse! Crunchy spiders? Ugh! It's about time Max and Alec got together, lol! And for Zack, I like the guy too, but I can't find a way to make him happy being back in Manticore. But I promise you, he'll have a happy ending as well:grins: Thanks for reviewing!
Ro – Max and Alec's definite growing closer by the chapter! As for Gab and Jondy, you'll find out soon what's going on. You are kind of right, though, hehe! Thanks for your review!
Lex2u – You think Max will get it? She's the queen of denial! LOL! Like the way she doesn't get it about Zack as well! She has a one track mind and it's telling her that Zack is her brother, hehe! Thanks for reviewing!
Darkangelgirl – Thanks for your review! Not to worry, MA moments coming up in this chapter and you might get your wish yet :winks! Gab and Jondy's situation will become clearer in this chapter.
Alana84 – Zack? He likes her and he hates Manticore and Alec, hehe! Jondy and Gab have some issues to sort out, you'll find out more in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
Angelofdarkness78 – Nah, she'll have a heart attack if Zack kisses her (in this story, anyway!) Well, if I could get my hands on Zack, I might be willing to LEND him to you for some TLC, lol! He's really cute, isn't he? About Gab and Jondy? Hehe! You might be right in a way! Thanks for reviewing!
Alec'sAngel494 – Ah…the love stories of the transgenics in Manticore. I thought everyone should have a partner! Thanks for reviewing.
Toniboo – Thanks for your review. Glad you liked the update and the MA interaction. There's more coming up! Enjoy!
Latinapotterfan – Hehe! You might get your wish, but not so soon! But you'll find out more this chapter about Gab and Jondy. Thanks for reviewing.
Dory Shotgun - :sulks: You didn't read it:sobs: Ah well…LOL! Kidding! Glad you liked it and I hope that you would continue reading! Thanks for reviewing!
L80bug – Thanks for reviewing! Enjoy the next chapter!
GuestTypePerson – Thanks for reviewing! LOL! Nevermind about the name, I think I know you by now without you actually logging in, hehe! The guys? All confused, I guess…seeing that they are all about 16-17 years old. It'll get more settled soon. Good luck with your job hunt. I hope you get what you are looking for!
Chapter 23 – Enter Sandeman
(by elle6778)
Max was about to turn around a corner when she realised who it was.
What was Gab doing skulking around here? She wondered suspiciously.
Curious, she backed herself into an adjacent open doorway, hiding herself from anyone who might be walking down the hallway and away from Gab's sight. Max stood motionless and listened intently.
"Hey, Alec…Got a minute?"
"Sure. What's up, buddy?" Max heard Alec reply.
"I suppose you already know I have been assigned that mission."
"Yeah. Biggs and Jondy too. Is it about…?"
"Yeah, after last night, I'm not sure that would be such a good idea, Alec. Can't you find someone else to go?"
Max frowned, trying to think of what could have happened last night. She remembered feeling tired and had gone to bed, forgoing her night training session. She wondered if Gab and Jondy went on without her. That would be rather surprising considering that Gab had never liked to train alone with Jondy. Max had found it strange, but she never bothered to question it.
"You spoke to Max about why you don't want to go?" Max tensed a little as she heard Alec's question, wondering what Gab was hiding from her. And how did Alec know what was going on?
"NO! Are you kidding me? I don't know what she'll do to me if she finds out."
"Gab, maybe it's better for her to find out from you than through the gossip mill."
"No one knows except three of us anyway. And I didn't even want you to know, just that you forced it out of me," Gab's tone was resentful.
"And how long do you think it's going to stay this way? Come on, just tell her. Maybe she'll understand why you don't want to go."
"You understand why I don't want to go right, Alec? I mean, it's a long term thing, and I'm sure I couldn't…you know…with Jondy like that?"
Max frowned. What happened between Gab and Jondy that was so bad that he did not want to even consider going on a mission with her? Max continued to listen as Alec spoke, barely daring to breathe lest she gave her position away.
"You know, I understand how you feel. But a mission is a mission. You were selected for a reason. Maybe you should just go. Who knows? Maybe things will sort itself out when you are out there."
"Dammit, Alec! I need you to help me here!"
"I can't! What am I supposed to tell everyone else?"
"I know you, Alec. You can talk. I'm sure you can come up with something."
"I don't think so, Gab."
"Shit! I can't believe this…Are you really not going to help?"
"I told you, this sort of things is kind of out of my hands. I didn't make the final decision, you know? All of us sat down and decided that you three are the best candidates. You need Jondy there because she's been out there much longer than either of you, especially considering that this is your first long term mission. Not to mention Lydecker already approved it."
"Why didn't you ask us first!"
"Listen to yourself, Gab. Since when did anyone ever asked if we would agree to go on a mission?"
"Ever Since this freaking new change in Manticore," Gab practically shouted his words.
"Fine then, I'll remember to ask your permission next time," Max winced as she heard the way Alec's voice dripped with sarcasm.
There was a pause before Max heard Gab exhale a heavy sigh.
"Sorry, man. Didn't mean to take it out on you."
"Hey, no worries. What else am I here for, right?"
"Right. Well, I'd better go now." Gab sounded dejected.
Max held her breath and pressed herself tighter against the wall. She waited quietly until Gab's footsteps faded before stepping out of the room. Alec looked up, his expression showing his pleasure at seeing her. For a few seconds, Max forgot what she was about to say as she took note of the way he was looking at her. She suddenly felt tongue-tied.
"I'm feeling kind of popular today," Alec said, lips twisted in a wry grin. When Max remained silent, he continued, "I know I'm gorgeous, but I'm feeling a bit self conscious at the way you're staring at me now."
Regaining control over herself, Max rolled her eyes, "Could you be serious for a moment? I've got something to ask you," she snapped, embarrassed that Alec caught her staring.
"Shoot," he said, leaning against the wall.
"What's up with Gab?" she asked, getting straight to the point.
Alec gave her a considering look before answering, "Why don't you ask him?"
"If I think he'll give me a straight answer, I would! Now are you telling me or not?" Max asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
Alec grinned, "What do I get out of it?"
"Nothing," Max said in a flat tone, keeping her face straight as the image of them kissing entered her mind.
"Oh come on, Maxie…You can't get something for nothing," Alec teased. Then he said suggestively in a softer voice, "I know I'm above all that kiss and tell stuff, but I could make an exception for you."
Max couldn't help herself. She blushed, "You're impossible!" Trust Alec to hit so close to home, she thought irritably.
"But you like it,"
"No!" she denied vehemently.
"You can admit it, you know," he continued with an even wider grin.
Max glared at him. Not trusting herself to say another word, she spun around and walked away. She decided that she would talk to Jondy later that night when Alec was sleeping. She could hear the soft sound of Alec's laughter behind her.
Involuntarily, her lips twitched and she smiled.
Lydecker lowered the report he had been scanning when a knock sounded on his door. He knew who were at the door; he had called a meeting of the COs again. He had initially thought to involve only the X5s in the discussion, and then he decided that it would be better to have the views of the other transgenics.
Lydecker thought that the entire issue with heat was beginning to get out of hand. Now that they were older, their hormones seemed to be more potent, making it harder to control. The incident two weeks ago with Unit 3 was the last straw as far as he was concerned. This time, the female transgenic in heat had caused a major incident because two of the more dominant male transgenics were practically trying to kill each other fighting for her. X5-599 fared better than his unfortunate challenger, who had to remain in the med bay for three days to recover from his injuries. Fortunately, their CO had the sense to call in the guards with tazers to break them up. Lydecker feared to think what might have taken place in that dorm if the guards had not made it there in time.
After calling out for them to enter, Lydecker waited for Alec, Jace, Matt, Max, Mia, Mole, Pops and the rest of them to come in before he spoke.
"In light of recent events with regards to the female's heat, I think we need to discuss the possibility of alternative living arrangements. This cannot continue. I want to know what you think, so speak freely."
"Sir, I don't think it's too big an issue. It's just an occasional thing; females in heat. Living together as a unit bonds us together," Alec said, not sure what the fuss was all about. So far, their unit seemed to survive fine with all the heat incidents. That also meant that he could keep an eye on what Biggs and the rest of them were up to.
"Living together is good for bonding, but what if we could not stop the males from attacking the females? The morning after would not be comfortable at all. Not to mention every time it happens, all the males fight for dominance," Jace said, remembering what happened in her unit. Zack practically killed her 2IC that night, not that he needed much encouragement.
"Personally, I think I could do with some privacy. The dorms are fine when we were kids, but now that we are older, it's different. Also it could really mess things up if we couldn't stop males from mating with females when they are in heat," Max said, also recalling what happened just recently in her unit.
Lydecker nodded, "I thought just as much," he said, "I was thinking that perhaps it would be good to reassign those of you who are older to single cells."
"Single cells?" Jace asked, "Are there actually enough single cells to accommodate all of us here?"
"Not here, no. You would need to be relocated," Lydecker replied.
"Where to?" Max asked, frowning. If they were to be relocated, she was sure that her friends in the basement would be left behind in this one. She was not too keen on the idea.
"We just got hold of a new facility in Seattle, which I think have enough single cells to accommodate all of you," Lydecker explained.
Max perked up at the mention of Seattle; that would mean that if she might be able to go find Dani, her first friend outside. But it still did not solve the problem she had with leaving Joshua, Kelpy, Cammy, Hulk and the rest of them down there. Though Hulk and the rest of the more promising X3 may be transferred along with them. She decided that since Lydecker told them to speak freely, she would.
"Who exactly will be transferred over to the new facility? Just us X5s or are there any others?"
"We have not decided yet. The size of the facility could accommodate all the inhabitants of this facility, so if we do decide to bring everyone over, it would not be a problem," Lydecker answered, "Why?" he asked, curious as to what Max had on her mind this time.
Max hesitated and decided to go for the partial truth, "I was just wondering about the X3s and X6s. The X6s are under my command, so I thought it would be a bit difficult for me to do much if we were separated."
"It's not a problem to transfer the X6s as well."
"Sir, for the success of the integration plan you mentioned in the last meeting, doesn't that mean the rest of us need to be transferred as well," Pops the Arctic Division's CO asked.
"Looks like we may have to transfer the whole facility, then," Lydecker said thoughtfully, realising that this would be a larger scale operation than he envisaged.
"Wouldn't this also sort of the problem we have about our location being compromised? I mean, with respect to that mission 511, 547 and 210 is currently on?" Alec asked.
"That's also true. Relocating will help," Lydecker said.
The transgenics did not say anything.
After a while, Lydecker decided that this would be a good time to see how they could work together. It was risky to put this much trust in the transgenics but he had discussed this with Sandeman. And Sandeman had repeatedly reiterated that it was important to let them know that Manticore trusted their judgement.
"Alright, this is what we will do. You will sit down together and come up with a proposal for the transfer to the Seattle facility. It is important to remember that the public must not know about us, so think carefully about the phasing," Lydecker told them, "Let me have your proposal next week. Make sure you include everyone, including the staff."
Alec frowned, "Sir? We need more information to work on this. The personnel database is classified, I believe,"
Lydecker nodded thoughtfully, then replied, "Let me know what you need and I'll arrange it,"
It had been a few days since Max overheard Gab and Alec's conversation in the hallway, and she still had not had a chance to speak to Jondy. She was disappointed when Jondy did not show up the last few nightsfor their nightly training session. Gab, as usual, went with her but he was in such a sullen mood these days that Max decided that it would probably be safer if she did not push him about Jondy.
Max promised herself that she would get to the bottom of this no matter what it took. The state Gab was in was beginning to worry her.
Max turned to the table occupied by unit 6, searching for her sister. Jondy was taking with Alec, but Max could not hear their words. Alec was obviously saying something to Jondy which she did not like, because she stood up abruptly and left the table.
Her eyes followed Jondy as she walked out of the mess hall. She did not look too happy.
Max pushed her chair back, barely glancing at her unit mates as she said quickly, "I'll see you all in the Rec room later, okay."
Not waiting for their reply, Max rushed out of the mess hall, in search of Jondy.
She found Jondy in the gym, punching the sandbag furiously. She shut the door behind her quietly and started towards Jondy, hoping that her sister was in the mood to talk.
"Hey, Jondy. Mean left hook you got there."
Jondy swung around, her expression showing her irritation until she realised that it was Max. Smiling, she abandoned the sandbag and walked towards Max.
"How are you doing, Max?"
"You took the question right out of my mouth," Max said with a wry grin, "Are you alright?"
Jondy shrugged, "Yeah, why shouldn't I be?"
Max saw that Jondy's eyes dimmed a bit as something crossed her mind. Taking a deep breath, she tried again, "Something is bothering you…and Gab. Did he do something to you?"
Jondy's eyes snapped up to meet Max's. Max could see that she was about to form a sharp retort before something seemed to stop her. Instead, she sighed and shook her head, "Nothing important."
"It's important enough to upset both you and Gab," Max said softly
Jondy fell silent.
Max sighed. This was harder than pulling teeth, she thought. Pulling Jondy with her, Max sat down on the floor before saying, "Tell me."
After a few minutes of silence, Max was about to give up when Jondy began haltingly, "Few nights back, I came here…"
Max realised that it must be the night she missed the training. Giving Jondy an encouraging look, she nudged, "Okay…then?"
Jondy inhaled, "Then Gab came in, telling me that he's going to give it a miss. When I asked him why, he said that there's only the two of us."
"You still can train without me, right?"
Jondy nodded, "That's what I said, but he said that he would rather go to sleep. I mean, he made it sound as if he can't be asked to train with me."
Max raised her eyebrows in surprise. She knew Gab had a big mouth, but she never expected him to say something potentially hurtful to someone.
"So I got pissed off and started yelling at him…" she paused, then looking guiltily at Max, she said, "Okay, I kicked him about a bit as well."
Max gave her a small smile, "He probably deserved it after saying what he said."
"Then he started yelling back at me, asking me why I have to be such a pain in his butt."
Max frowned, "That was unnecessary," she stated, promising herself to have a word with Gab.
"You tell me… Actually, when I yelled at him, I said something that I wish I didn't," Jondy said a bit guiltily
"What?" Max asked, curious.
"You are going to hate me for this," Jondy looked down at her shoes, fiddling with the laces.
Max tensed, "Why?"
"I accused him of being blind to any other girl except you, and that he wouldn't notice anyone else evenif they are right in front of him."
Max gasped, her eyes wide, "Jondy! What possessed you to say something like that! Gab and I are just good friends," she practically shouted, hoping that Gab would not take it the wrong way.
Jondy buried her face in her hands, mumbling, "I know! I didn't really mean it! It just came out, okay!"
"Jondy…how can something like that just come out…What did he say?" Max asked, apprehension in her voice. This was beginning to sound like a nightmare come true. Her sister had accused her best friend of liking her. Max suppressed a groan.
"He denied it and said that his eyesight was fine," Jondy paused, seemingly unable to go on. She looked away from Max, staring unseeingly at the gym equipment in front of them.
"Jondy?" Max prodded softly.
"You are going to laugh," Jondy said in a small voice, still not looking at Max.
"Whatever it was, it can't be that bad!"
She sighed heavily, "It was… I asked him why he didn't notice me. That I was right in front of him all this time and he didn't notice me,"
Max was finally stunned into silence. The thought that Jondy was interested in Gab never even occurred to her. Now that she thought back to it, she realised that all their fights must be because of all the repressed feelings. She sat there blinking for a moment before Jondy's voice brought her back.
"Go on…laugh," Jondy went on bitterly. Her face was set in a mutinous mask.
Max put her arms around Jondy's shoulder, hugging her tightly, "Oh, Jondy…"
Jondy sniffed, "I can't believe I said that to him," she said mournfully.
Max hid a smile, "What did he do after that?"
Jondy finally managed to look at Max. Her lips twisting, she said, "What do you think? He ran off, of course. The coward!"
Max laughed out loud, relieved that Jondy seemed to be able to see the humour in the situation. All they had to do now was to find out what Gab really felt for Jondy.
Too bad they were leaving for their mission the next day.
A couple of days later, Lydecker told Max to bring the two X6s she had chosen to his office. That meant that Max had to rush through the morning drills with the rest of the X6s and then leaving them to practice by themselves while she extracted Tom and Dani to go with her.
More than halfway to her destination, footsteps behind her made her glance back over her shoulders. Her heart gave a tiny lurch when she noticed who it was.
"Hey, Maxie," Alec greeted with smile. Behind him were Kelpy and Cammy, waving their hands at Max in greeting.
"Hi," Max replied, giving him a small smile as he came up beside her, leaving the other four to walk behind them. She tensed slightly as his arms brushed against hers. She vowed that today, she would not lose it, no matter what he decided to tease her about.
"So, it's inspection day for these four, is it?" he asked casually, flicking his hazel eyes at her briefly.
"I guess so. Why else would Lydecker want to see us all?"
"Hmm…" he said thoughtfully, surprisingly not teasing her about anything.
Max did not know whether to be disappointed or relieved that he did not say anything else.
At that moment, they arrived at Lydecker's door. After knocking on the door and hearing Lydecker's invitation to enter, they opened the door and filed in.
Max was the first one to notice that there were two men in the room. One was Lydecker and the other was some old man who looked strangely familiar to her.
Lydecker got up from behind his desk and stood beside the old man.
Max continued to stare at the old man with an odd look on her face. She was trying hard to remember something about the man. The memories were hazy, but she could have sworn that when she was a child, he used to pick her up and carry her around.
Lydecker spoke, "Sir, let me introduce you to 452 and 494, the two soldiers who trained your bodyguards," he paused for a moment, and then with twinkling eyes, he continued, "Otherwise known as Max and…"
Still caught up with her memories, Max mumbled distractedly, "Alec…"
Alec sucked in his breath and stiffened noticeably at her slip.
Suddenly realising what she just did, Max's eyes darted up anxiously.
Lydecker's lips twisted in a smile, enjoying the look in the transgenics' eyes, "Max and Alec. And this is Dr Sandeman, one of Manticore's founders,"
Max and Alec simultaneously let out an almost imperceptible breath of relief.
Sandeman smiled and peered at Max and Alec, studying them intently before he spoke, "It was a long time since I last saw them face to face," He turned to look at the other two. "Kelpy and Cammy…It's been too long since I've spoken to you two," he said wistfully. "But I suppose in a short time, we'll be able to catch up,"
Kelpy and Cammy grinned at him.
Alec was surprised, but he kept his face impassive.
Max was growing more confused. Obviously Sandeman had known them from their childhood, but why did they not know about him all this time?
"452?" Lydecker's voice penetrated her thoughts. He was looking at her with concern.
Snapping to attention, Max said, "Yes, sir?"
"Do you want to introduce these soldiers?" Lydecker asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Um…yes, sir," Max gestured at the two X5s. "They're X6-343 and X6-344. I've been calling them Tom and Dani to get them used to their names. They will be the main bodyguards. I believe that their role is to be Dr Sandeman's grandchildren. They have all the usual X6 abilities and I have instructed them on how to behave as normal children," Max looked at Alec, waiting for him to do his bit with Kelpy and Cammy.
"Sir, Kelpy and Cammy will be responsible for back-up and generally providing support. They will work from behind the scenes, mostly. In addition to their usual transgenic strength, they're also capable of camouflaging themselves, which we believe is a useful trait for this mission," Alec explained.
Sandeman nodded, looking pleased, "Seems that everything is in hand, Lydecker. Well done, everyone. So when will they be starting?"
"In about a week. We'll send them to you," Lydecker informed him.
Sandeman stood and smiled, "Well, I'll be seeing you all then,"
The six transgenics filed out of the room and shut the door quietly behind them. Alec waited until he and Max was alone before he spoke.
"Gee, Max. Thanks for that." He said sarcastically as he walked beside her. He had a bit of a shock when he heard Max utter his name. He had thought that Lydecker was going to punish them for sure.
After being exposed to a flirty Alec for weeks, Max was a bit surprised to hear the tone of his voice, "What?" she retorted with a frown.
"My name, Max! You told Lydecker and Sandeman!" he exclaimed, exasperated, wondering how could she be so calm about it.
Max rolled her eyes, "Oh, get over it. They didn't seem that bothered by it."
Alec fell silent for a moment as he thought on her words, "Hmm…You know, I think you are right. That's strange," he mused.
Max stopped walking and turned to face him, "What? It's strange that I am right?"
Alec smirked. It was not what he meant but he was not going to let this opportunity go. "If you put it that way, then yes," he said, knowing that it would rile her.
"Don't be such a smartass!"
"Oh, we're back to that, huh? I was beginning to think that you've lost your obsession with that part of my anatomy. I was beginning to worry," he said, grinning cheekily as he moved closer to her.
"I am not obsessed with your ass!" Max said, her cheeks reddening at his implication and his proximity. She stood rooted to the spot as he stopped just inches from her, looking down at her.
Bringing his face closer to her ears, he whispered, "Okay then, not my ass. But what about the rest of me?"
Max broke out in goose-pimples as she felt his breath on her ears. She barely heard what he said as suddenly the image of them kissing popped into her mind. Again.
"Max?" he prompted. He wanted to touch her but he was afraid that she would run. So he remained standing there, his hands clenched tightly in an effort to prevent them from wandering.
Max swallowed and then looked up.
Brown eyes locked with hazel ones.
Alec watched in fascination as Max's pupils dilated. He decided that he had shown enough restraint. If he did not do what he wanted right now, he would probably die of frustration. He would deal with the consequences later.
Alec cupped her chin in his hand and lowered his lips to catch hers in a gentle kiss.
For a second, Max did not respond. Then tentatively, she started moving her lips against his. Everything went blank for Max; she could not feel anything except Alec and his touch.
Slowly, they broke apart, staring at each other; their looks a mixture of passion, confusion and wariness. Neither knew what to say.
For once, Alec was tongue-tied.
Then Max looked away uncomfortably, clearing her throat.
"Erm…You know..." she started.
"Yeah?" Alec prompted softly, rubbing the back of his neck in a show of awkwardness. He hoped that Max would not hit him too hard this time.
"We really need to stop doing this…People will talk," Max said softly, not meeting his eyes.
Relaxing a little, Alec gave her a wry grin, "I think it's too late for that now. People are already talking," he pointed out.
Max flushed as she looked up at him, "I guess you are right," she admitted.
Suddenly feeling inexplicably happy, Alec's grin grew, "Are you saying what I think you are saying?" he asked in a slightly teasing tone, hoping that it would conceal his nervousness.
Max smiled at him, "What do you think?"
"I think you know what I mean. And I think you should kiss me again," he said cheekily.
Gasping at his audacity, Max retorted, "I think you got it the wrong way round. You were the one who kissed me!"
Alec smirked, "Does it matter?"
Max did not get a chance to answer as Alec promptly stopped her from talking by using his most effective method.
Kissing her.
t.b.c. (I can't believe I can't find a good spot to put a cliffie! LOL!)
A/N: Does this chapter meet your approval? Hehe! Write me a review and tell me what you think! I think I am addicted to your reviews :grins: