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 Eighteen

White Equals Purity?

With the gun still very much in place, Max felt her hair being swept over to her left shoulder. The gun then slid, ever so slowly, to cover her barcode.

"Yep, transgenics sir."

Max assumed the sir was the man who then clicked his fingers, "tie them up." His bark was cold and emotionless. She half expected to see the mechanical face of a robot as the footsteps echoed louder. But what she saw was neither robot nor human. The face screamed nothing but hatred. The set jaws, the anger blazen eyes, all hidden by a cold and deceptively calm exterior; said nothing but pure evil.

"You're quite a handsome pair, aren't you?" the face spoke.

"So you must be the new bad guy in my life," Max quipped.

"Ames White," the man said, who now turned his face to look at Alec.

"Do you always get your girl to do the talking for you?"

"She tends to do it better than me," Alec said returning White's sickly smile. "Oh and," he added, almost as a scripted afterthought, "She's not my girl."

Responding to Alec's tone in his last statement, White asked, "So who hates who?" It was his idea of chit chat.

"That'd be Max hating me. Why? I don't really know."

"So I guess you wouldn't mind if I killed him first then?" White said looking back at Max.

"Actually," Alec answered for her, "She may hate me . . . but she hates you more. So I suppose in that case, you should put that gun up your own and do us all a favour by removing your ugly ass from our beautiful blue planet."

White laughed a very unconvincing 'ha ha'. "Nice try." Looking up at the man holding Alec captive, he nodded.

Max didn't have to see the gesture to know what was about to happen. Taking what she knew was a big risk; she spun around at transgenic speed and wrenched the gun out of the familiar's hand. Alec seized the opportunity created by Max to also unarm his attacker. And unlike Max, Alec had no problems with using a gun. Pulling the trigger, he shot the man clean through his chest.

"Damn it!" White swore, cursing his men for not following his orders immediately and tying them up. "Incompetent idiots!" he muttered as he charged at a preoccupied Max. Catching her off guard, he launched a punch to the left of her jaws.

Max stumbled backwards on to the floor as blood seeped from her lips. 'That's it, this son of a bitch is gonna pay!' Pushing herself off from the ground, she flew into action. A roundhouse kick struck him straight in the stomach. That was closely followed by a good shove into the concrete wall and a succession of head bangs against it.

Blood dripped down the side of his face as he pushed Max from off of him. He regained his posture and stood with the same twisted smile plastered on his face as he watched Max retreat a couple of steps. She was in no other terms freaked by his maniacal face and turned to look at Alec.

He too seemed to be finding it impossible to cause any real damage as he frantically attempted to tame the other remaining familiar,

"Max!" he yelled, "I can't bloody hurt them!"

White took a step towards Max as she regained her focus on him, "Pain is a phantom of the mind." Taking out his gun from his back pocket, he shot himself in the arm; not even wincing as he did so.

"Alec-" Max called out as White continued towards her with his bloodied arm.

"Got ya," Alec called back as he punched the incredibly irritating familiar one last time. Moving quickly, he grabbed Max from White's path and then they both ran. Ran as fast as transgenic speed let them. This was one battle they weren't going to win. Not today anyway.

"Transgenic scum!" They barely heard White's yelled taunt but they could imagine it anyway.

[line]

Max stumbled through Logan's apartment and collapsed onto his sofa.

"Max? Max?" Logan called frantically as he wheeled up to the transgenic, "Max are you ok? Oh god, are you hurt?"

Alec followed in after Max and too collapsed onto the sofa next to her.

"Max?" Logan yelled again, shaking her rather violently.

Finally she opened her eyes, "I'm fine," she breathed. "But try fighting three familiars, who don't feel pain and hence not actually being able to cause any damage to them, for a freakin' hour!"

"Well actually," Alec opened one eye, "One of them I can happily say was damaged a fair bit."

"You used a gun, doesn't count."

"Still, one less loonie to worry about," Alec shrugged.

Logan's eyes just moved from one to the other as they continued their private conversation. He snuffed the tiny spark of jealousy fast,

"Hello? Anyone gonna tell me what happened?"

"Logan mate," Alec started as he sat up straight, "Just give us a chance to recuperate." With that he fell back onto the sofa.

Logan watched as both the transgenics fell into a peaceful slumber side by side. Well, not quite so side by side. Max had almost subconsciously laid her head in Alec's lap and Alec returned the gesture; his hand coming round and holding her firmly.

Logan couldn't help but stare, though he sure as hell didn't want to.

[line]

Max awoke to the faint smell of pasta and a much stronger smell of denim and . . . Alec. 'What the hell?' Opening her eyes fully, her sight adjusted slowly to the dark denim on which her head rested. Now that she was fully awake, she could also feel the fingers intertwined in her hair. 'That must have been one hell of a fight for me to fall asleep . . . on Alec.'

Getting up carefully as not to wake the sleeping X5, she released herself from his grip and sat up on the sofa. Turning her head, she looked at him. His eyes were closed, mouth slightly open, head tilted back; still fast asleep and completely oblivious to the intimate position in which they had been sleeping. He looked . . . adorable.

Max wanted to cringe at the use of the words that had popped up in her brain but she didn't. She watched silently as his chest steadily rose and fell in sleep. Her eyes moved back up his body to his face. His skin was flawless, except for a small eyelash resting on his cheek. Hesitantly moving her hand up to his face, she brushed the lash away gently with her thumb, leaving her four fingers still touching his soft skin.

She sat staring at her skin on his and felt inexplicably uncomfortable as she finally came to her senses. They were still at Logan's. Logan. Oh god. What if he had seen them? Where was he even? Logan answered Max's silent question as a sudden clatter of metal came from the kitchen. The unexpected noise caused Max to jerk away from Alec. She turned her head towards the kitchen and almost wanted to groan, he was probably preparing his same old culinary masterpiece –

"Lemme guess, pasta?"

Max's face flushed a hot pink, out of either embarrassment or amusement at Alec's perceptive guess. Turning back around, Alec was staring at her with smiling hazel-green eyes. The jerk hadn't been asleep at all, but for some reason Max wasn't at all bothered.

"Be grateful ass."

"I am," he said defensively, not one to turn down free food.

Max didn't reply.

Getting up from the sofa, he looked back down at her, "Let's go help lover-boy then."

Max rolled her eyes, "Alec, I swear you are-"

"Absolutely . . . uh . . . fantastic and . . . that's why everyone loves me and one day you will too."

This time Max couldn't reply. Not that it really mattered much, Alec had already disappeared into Logan's kitchen.

'Damn. What's wrong with me?'

[line]

A/N 2 – Ok so what do you guys make of that. I said there would be some M/A in this chap. So let me know if that was good/bad. I know most of you want to see a lot lot more M/A, but I am building up to it, so bear with me!

Also next chapter, we're back at Manticore! So yeah to more Ginger but boo to more evil Renfro!

Once again, I can't get through to check this chap on before uploading, so I apologise if it doesn't turn out right.

Massive thank you to all my wonderful reviewers, love you guys lots!

Lakergirl08 – hey you registered! Maybe we might see one of your own fics soon!!! Anyway sorry about the cliffhanger, but I hope you liked the outcome (ie. This chap!)

Jade-k – yeah I suppose I am a bad person for leaving it like that; can you forgive me?????!!!!!!

Gauri – hey thanks for reviewing! About updating often, my internet connections are driving me a little crazy at the mo, but I'll try.

Lynsi – that's no prob about the info. Well I definitely hope you liked this chap. I know it wasn't major M/A but it's getting there!

Kristibella – well here's a big hug from me to you for passing your theory, well done girl!!! Logan may be doing some grovelling but I'm not sure how I'm gonna play the break up yet, they're already practically broken up, so I'm not sure.

ontheDL – well am very glad that you liked and yes Logan will soon be out of the picture.

JeNsEnS wifey ChAdZ lover – hey there! You haven't gone already have you cos I'm really gonna miss ya story, please try and update it soon. Anyway, thanks very much for reviewing and I hope you liked this chap.

Loralee – well I'm sure you managed a guess and I hope you liked it!

SmilinStar xxx