Author- Northernmoon

Rating – PG-13 for now (for language)

Pairings- M/A

Disclaimer- none of these characters belong to me, don't sue!

A/N- As always, I'd like any feedback you're willing to give. Assume that this is after A and M have a heart to heart about Ben but doesn't include any of the other drama after that.

A huge thanks to all the reviewers. For candyabble (because you didn't leave an email address)…you inspire me to be a better reviewer. Thanks so much for the detail you put in, especially quoting the lines you enjoy. You're a Star!

Chapter 7 - Soaking

Max pedalled back to Crash trying to control both her bicycle and her foul mood. Neither task was made easier by the continual splashing from passing traffic. After uselessly wiping her face on her dripping wristband for the hundredth time, she pulled up across from Crash and scanned the perimeter out of habit.

As the squelching sound from her shoes reached her genetically enhanced ears, she reconsidered her decision not to skip out on Sketchy and just head home. She stopped short a good distance from the door, recognising Cece leaning against the wall staring off with a distant look on her face.

"Hey." Max called out, instinctively alerting Cece to her approach.

"Hey." Cece responded, eyes widening at Max's appearance.

"You okay?" They each asked simultaneously, and then grinned at each other.

Max replied automatically, "You owe me a beer!"

Cece's face showed her confusion and she slowly said, "Oh-kaay, but…ummm…why?"

Max realized her mistake and tried to explain, "Well, its…uh…a custom I guess, if you say the same thing at the same time as someone else. First one who calls it gets a beer." She ended a little embarrassed. "Sorry, bad habit. Pretty lame huh."

Cece looked thoughtful for a minute and then smiled. "Just imagine how that would have worked if we knew that back in Manticore."

Max actually giggled just the tiniest of bits at the mental image of perfect squadrons of genetically engineered killing machines responding to the trainers with a typical 'Sir, Yes Sir', only to descend into total chaos in the attempt to determine whom was owed extra-curricular alcohol by whom.

'Damn its good to laugh about that place.' She thought, nearly missing Cece's shrug and follow up statement.

"Besides I guess that custom that makes about as much sense as anything else out here."

Cece looked up, took in the concern on Max's face, and quickly changed the subject. "So, you're more than a little wet."

Max took off her cap and began the attempt of wringing the water out of her hair and clothes.

"Yeah," she replied. "Rough night."

"So," Max attempted awkwardly, "What about you?"

Cece looked down at her own relatively dry clothes before she realized what Max meant.

"Oh, you mean out here?"

Max nodded.

"I just needed a breather."

Max nodded again with sympathy. "The noise and shit can be a little much sometimes, can't it?"

Cece looked at Max in amazement for what felt like the hundredth time that day. "I thought you loved it here!"

Max grimaced slightly then looked at Cece as if assessing how exactly to reply. Finally she just shrugged and said, "I would never say 'I LOVE' it but I do love my friends, my family really. The stuff that's hard, well, its usually better to put up with the smell, noise and groping than to be alone. Coming here, well, it's the closest place to belonging that I've had since Manticore, for better or for worse.

Cece nodded thoughtfully, then hesitantly asked, "So, you miss the…belonging we had at Manticore too?"

Max slumped down the wall in response to the difficulty of the question.

"I miss my family, my unit that is, more than anything in the world. But that was never about Manticore, it was always about us. We never needed Manticore to give us that. We just needed each other." Max finished without her usual confidence, looking to the other transgenic to see how her words had been received.

It was her turn to be surprised when Cece replied cautiously, "Yeah, I get that."

They looked at each other in sadness and understanding for a second before Cece offered Max a hand to help her back up.

"So, can I buy you that beer now?"

Max looked down at the puddle at her feet. "I'm going to have to literally take a rain check for that. I really just need to talk to Sketch and get home."

Cece smiled and asked, "If you're going to hurt him, can I watch?"

Max smiled back with appreciation, "Naw, the man is too soft, even for an Ordinary. You wouldn't have any fun. Now, when I next kick Alec's ass, I promise you front row. Hey if you're into that, the least I can do is provide you with a means for entertainment."

Cece spluttered, "Yeah right, as if you kicking 49-Alec's ass would be solely for MY benefit."

As she realized what she had just said, the smile left her face and she stepped back from Max watching the volatile X5 with her Manticore mask back in place.

Max took a step towards Cece in an attempt to alleviate the sudden distance between them. Cece cautiously stepped back.

'What the hell?' thought Max. She was mostly horrified at Cece's retreat but a tiny voice somewhere in her subconscious was smugly satisfied, as it tasted the other female's caution tinged with fear.

Shrugging it off, Max offered gently, "Tell me, is there any reason why we BOTH can't be entertained?"

Cece unconsciously relaxed, and shook her head with a small smile.

There was an awkward moment before Cece offered to send Sketchy out for Max.

Although surprised at the offer, Max asked, "Can you tell him to meet me out back?"

Cece just nodded and went back inside.

Unconsciously echoing Max's thoughts, Cece walked back into Crash feeling a little embarrassed, 'What the hell is wrong with me?'

She spotted a morose Sketchy toying with a beer, watching Alec and Biggs playing pool. She slumped into chair next to him and inwardly rolled her eyes as he hopefully offered to buy her an adult beverage.

With no preamble, she bluntly said, "Max is waiting for you out back."

As Sketchy set his drink down, her eyes followed the not-so-subtle hand signals between Alec and Biggs that let her know that despite her caution, they had overheard her.

As they casually followed Sketchy towards the back of the bar, Cece rolled her eyes once again and quietly muttered disgustedly, "you can take the boys out of Manticore, but you can't take Manticore out of the boys."

"Oh, what the hell," she said as she got up to follow them out. "Maybe I'll get that front row seat after all."

Okay I know this is a little short…I have another chapter and ½ ready to go but I really need some critical feedback. Do you like where this is heading? Like Cece & Max's relationship? Want to know more about Cece, or is enough, enough already? I'm having an inward struggle trying to set all this up when I really just want to get to Alec and Max. Please help me out! I know I sound needy…but…well…I am! Anyone want to volunteer to beta this and kick my ass when needed?