Disclaimer: Nothing has changed. I still do not own Dark Angel. If I did I would try to resurrect it with Jensen on board. The rest can take a hike.
A/N: In this chapter we do not really get closer to the bad guy, so will not say too much, but I repeat this is dark and some of you are not going to like it.
Am listening to Gavin deGraw. Great Album - like the song 'Chariot' the best.
Best Laid Plans
It was getting worse, Alec mused, lost in thought.
Like every other night, Alec was beating Sketchy at pool. That was not however what was on his mind, although the statement was just as true in relation to Sketchy's pool skills. Alec did not need to keep his attention on the table to run it; Sketchy never stood a chance. Most of Alec's attention was focussed on the problem that was Max. She was sitting at their usual table with O.C., a frown marring her pretty face. Ever since getting out of Manticore three months before, her mood had deteriorated at a steady pace.
At first Alec had believed the bullshit she was spouting about how everything was his fault and she would be so much happier if he had never stumbled into her life, his fault she couldn't be with Logan and that it could all be laid at his door. After a couple of weeks of observing her, though he came to the conclusion that that was not the problem. May just used those excuses - for they were nothing more - to vent her feelings and if that was what she needed then Alec was more than happy to give it to her. At least until he found out what was really bothering her, there was only so much abuse a guy could take after all.
"Hey, you going to take that shot?" Alec started, realising that he had been drifting off into dreamland. He flashed his partner a grin and quickly ran the table, finally potting the black in the top left corner. His opponent could only stare in surprise. The ever hopeful Sketchy shrugged and said: "Oh well, maybe next time. Scotch?"
At Alec's nod he pushed his way to the bar leaving Alec to his thoughts. Going back to his original train of thought, Alec resumed dissecting Max's recent behaviour. In the last week he had noticed an interesting development; Max was actively seeking his company. He was convinced she was not thinking about what she was doing; he had also noticed that the time with him was the only time when she let her guard down and relaxed her strict control somewhat. A deeply disturbing aspect of this new trend was however that she was avoiding her closest friends. Max also seemed mortally afraid of touching anybody except him. And her best friend was beginning to notice.
Glancing over at their table, he saw her do it again. Fortunately Cindy was distracted by a rather buxom blonde at the next table. While flirting with her blonde, Cindy had leaned over the table to reach the bottle of tequila Max had been steadily drinking for the last hour. Cindy's arm had brushed Max's bare forearm. Max had withdrawn her limb so fast, Alec could have sworn she blurred. He watched as Max's face ran through a variety of emotions, from shock and embarrassment through rage to fear until her 'I don't give a shit' mask fell back into place. Alec did note that the stress lines on her face had deepened ever so slightly and that her hands were trembling as if she was having a seizure.
He decided to find a place where he could think. In Terminal City there were constant interruptions by transgenics asking for something or other - usually Mole for more cigars, that guy seriously smoked too much. He would borrow the Space Needle from Max.
'After all I am trying to help her, so it is only fair. Just hope she sees it the same way should she ever find out.'
Twenty minutes later he was comfortably seated, looking out over the maimed city. 'I would've loved to see this place before the pulse.' Alec mentally shook himself and admonished himself to get down to business. 'The problem that is Max.
'1. She avoids touching people - but not me.
'2. She gets tense in big crowds.
'3. She only relaxes when we're alone at my place or hers.
4. She is avoiding all her friends and knowing how fanatical she is about friends…' he left the thought unfinished, unwilling to go there.
'5. She works every free minute, driving herself to the brink again and again until she is worn to a thread and collapses.'
Now that Alec had sorted what he did know, he was even more worried than before.
'Now that I think about it, the whole business of organising the transgenic into a cohesive whole started after she started avoiding people. She also started shying away from ordinaries before she shied from transgens. Now she stays away from everybody if she can help it. Something is seriously wrong with her.
Thoroughly worried now, Alec decided to keep a close eye on her from now on. For some reason Max was teetering perilously on edge and he would be damned before he let her fall.
Two weeks later, Alec had to admit to himself that his constant surveillance was not helping. "I still don't much more than before. If this was a military task I would've failed and landed in isolation by now.' Alec was disgusted with himself. After all that time he was still no closer to the answer than before. Except for one thing, Max was avoiding him now as well. 'I need to do something. Whatever it is, is eating at her until it has her from the inside. She's slipping from my grasp and there is nothing I can do. I've watched her - no intel. I've tried talking to her and all I get is soldier-face Max telling me to butt out and smacking me for my troubles, before stalking off.'
Leaning further back in his chair, Alec watched the proceedings around him with narrowed eyes. Max was chairing a meeting with reps from all the units to decide what was needed and how to get it. 'How to get it was the easy part of course,' Alec thought. 'five-letter word starting with h and ending in eist.' Looking across the table he reflected that she was Stonewall Max today. Not a flicker of emotion marred her face, but her eyes, ever the window of her soul, betrayed her tension. The longer the meeting took, the more panic they showed.
'Mole is noticing it too. He's got that look on his face when he thinks he can trick someone into giving more than they want. Better wrap this up quick before he tries to exploit her weakness.'
Rapping on the table with his knuckles he made use of the brief silence in proceedings. "I think we all know what needs to be done. I suggest you pass your shopping lists to me and I will start assigning teams to get the stuff." Flashing his best smile at the assembled group, he had the meeting wrapped up in seconds and the members out the door in minutes. With satisfaction he watched Max let her mask slip and sag into her chair in relief. 'This time I will not take no for an answer. She will answer my questions if I have to bind and gag her to do it.'
Clearing his throat he addressed the only person he considered a true friend: "Max, we need to …"
The door slamming open interrupted his speech and he could only watch in disgust as Logan stormed into the room, beaming from ear to ear.
Alec did his best to head him off. "Look, Logan now is not the best time." As ever Logan just ignored him and made his way over to Max, where he went down on one knee next her chair. His aspirations to high romance were somewhat spoiled however by the whirring of his exoskeleton and the stiltedness of his movements.
'Fuck, what is he doing? Is he going to propose to her or what does he think he is doing.' With morbid fascination Alec watched Max shrink away from Logan and make herself as small as possible.
'That's just not right. Max is the strongest person I know. Why is she letting him intimidate her that way? Look at the prick, he doesn't even notice. I'm stopping this right now.'
Before anyone could do anything, Logan pulled out a syringe and injected the neon green contents into Max's arm. As Max stared stupidly at the tiny drop of blood blooming on her skin, Logan started babbling, the words freezing not only him in his tracks.
"Max. I've found the cure to the virus. In the end it was really easy. I found a doctor." Oblivious to anything but the sound of his own voice, Logan completely ignored Max's frozen features, reached out and laid his hand on her bare arm.
As if in slow motion, Alec watched Max's eyes move down to stare at her arm and Logan's hand. A split second later she looked as if somebody had punched her in the stomach, as a great gasp of air escaped her lips.
'Any other time I would find the look on her face amusing. Why isn't she saying anything?' Alec thought, then shook himself out of his stupor and walked up to them.