Freedom on the inside

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own anything to do with Dark Angel. They apparently belong to some guy who is most definitely in need of a brain check. What was he thinking when he decided to axe the show? Oh well, I guess when I'm rich enough I'll just have to buy the rights to the programme and then we'll finally get a third season. I wouldn't count on it though.

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: M/A (eventually!)

Summary: What if Max never escaped Manticore in 'Designate This' and didn't get the chance to infect Logan? Logan and everyone else in Seattle thinks she's dead and Renfro's still alive?

Author's Note: I know there's been a lot of 'what if she never escaped stories?' but this is my shot at what could have happened. Please read and review!

Chapter Two

Under Orders

Max sat up abruptly on her bunk at the sound of incoming footsteps. The clang of the metal lock on her door confirmed the arrival of her nightly visitor.

Max lay straight back down, knowing exactly whose pretty face she was going to have to see.

"I see you're well worn out."

Max didn't bother getting back up, nor did she bother responding to his flippant remark.

Alec walked further into the small room, so that he could see her face rather than her knees. She had a nasty cut across the left side of her face and her right hand was nicely bandaged up. "And also very out of practice," he noted, taking in her injuries.

Turning her face to the side, Max shot him her death glare, "I wouldn't be so sure about that pretty boy."

Alec just smirked, "I can handle your flying kicks." His presumptuousness was typical for one of Manticore's finest.

Max got up and sat cross legged to face him, "Well if I remember correctly, you were the one that went flying."

"I let you kick me."

"Sure you did."

"I did," he said faking his sincerity.

"Whatever!"

Tired of standing, Alec sat down on the cold concrete floor, directly in front of Max. Max groaned at her new view of Alec and fell back on to her back. The ceiling was much better to look at than his cocky grins.

Alec leaned his head back against the wall, watching Max's still body. Her eyes were still open and her body was as tense as it always was.

For the past few nights, this had been their idea of copulating. Max usually got the bed and he usually sat on the floor, trying to wind her up as much as possible. Most of the time he succeeded; that was as long as he didn't fall asleep first.

Although he usually preferred a more willing breeding partner, there was just something about X5-452 that intrigued him. Never in all his Manticore life, had he had a reaction like Max's, from a female X-5 and that only made her seem more of a challenge to win over. Her fiery temperament and blatant distaste for Manticore set her apart from all the other X-5s, not to mention the fact that she was an infamous 09'er. He didn't know what it was but he felt drawn to her, and that he knew, was a dangerous path to follow.

"You know Renfro's gonna keep asking why you're not pregnant yet."

Max continued to stare at nothing, "Must be the filth and degradation I spent my whole life in."

"She is gonna figure it out."

"What you scared?" Max asked, almost laughing at the hint of worry in his voice.

Alec said nothing.

At the surprise silence, Max turned to look at him. He wasn't particularly looking at anything and his unfocussed gaze told Max that he was sifting through some flashbacks. And by the look of his tense jaw and clenched fists, they didn't look like pleasant ones either.

"Alec?" Max called.

He didn't so much as blink.

"494!"

Alec jerked his head back, banging his head in the process. Blinking, he regained his focus on Max's only slightly worried expression.

"What?"

Max shook her head, "Nothing."

Not feeling in the mood to question her or continue his quest to irritate her as he normally would, he leant his head back on the wall and closed his eyes, trying desperately to think of happy thoughts. Not that he had any.

Max watched him silently. His slightly twitching closed eyes told her that he wasn't quite asleep yet. Something had happened to him in the past to cause what seemed like a very horrid flashback. She usually had them when asleep and she'd wake up in a state. She used to have Original Cindy there to calm her down, but now she had no one, and it seemed none of the other transgenics ever did either.

Closing her own eyes, Max tried to get as comfortable as she possibly could on the hard bunk. But then again, she supposed it was better than Alec's.

Max stood beside Alec in the line of transgenics currently on the breeding programme. Renfro was closing in on them with every mission report she gained from the other soldiers. So far they had been lying and getting away with it. Frankly, she was surprised that Alec hadn't exposed her the first time and had continued to lie along with her.

Renfro finally came to a halt in front of the two X-5s and looked suspiciously between the two of them.

"Report"

"Copulation with myself and X5-452 was successful ma'am," Alec said in the perfect soldier like monotone.

Instead of her normal "excellent 452," Renfro said the thing that both Max and Alec hoped she wouldn't be saying, "Both report to my office now."

"Yes ma'am," they said in unison, before turning and marching to her office as ordered.

Both transgenics stood either side of the door. Neither one speaking due to surrounding Manticore officers.

About five minutes later, the clicking of heels on the polished surface, announced Renfro's arrival. Walking passed Alec, she opened the door and called for them both to follow.

Inside, Alec and Max stood side by side, feet wide apart and arms behind their backs. Renfro sat down behind her desk and looked up at the two transgenics.

"Why aren't you pregnant yet?" she asked getting straight to the point.

Max tried to stay calm, giving her a blank answer, "I have no idea ma'am."

"Ah well, I think you do 452," she said leaning forward across her desk, "Neither of you have been following orders, have you?"

Both remained utterly silent.

Moving back against her chair, she sighed, "But that's ok. You're both being taken off the programme."

At this point alarm bells were ringing in Max's head. They weren't going to let them get away with it that easily were they? By the looks of things, Alec was just as unsure. Shifting slightly on his feet, he was the first to say something,

"Permission to speak?"

"Granted"

"What is our current mission then?"

Renfro smiled, "you will be informed in a week, when I have more details. For the time being, continue with training as normal. Dismissed." Turning both X-5s filed out the room before Renfro called out again, "X5- 452?"

Max turned around, "Yes ma'am?"

"You're being admitted to Unit 9 under command from X5-494. Will there be any problems?"

"No ma'am."

"Good. We have high hopes for you. Dismissed."

As Max walked passed Alec back down the corridor, she didn't miss the small grin on his face.

A/N 2- Wow! So many reviews for one chapter! Thank you! Well, since most people like this idea, I will try and get chapters up regularly. I thought I'd just sort out the breeding partner subject in this chapter. Please let me know what you think so far, any ideas are welcome.