I'm sorry for the long delay. Life's been insane lately. But high school is coming to a close so pretty soon I should have more time to write. Anyway here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.

Alec, holding Jack, watched Max play with Eva across their apartment. Max was wearing her trademark black cat suit and was making the baby in her arms giggle by blowing raspberries on her stomach. He enjoyed moments like these, moments of calm between heists and City Council meetings and meets with Tryptophan suppliers.

He smiled as he watched the two important females in his life laugh together, utterly carefree and happy. When Max looked up and caught his eye, smiling her gorgeous smile, his grin widened until it nearly stretched ear to ear. The moment was slightly ruined however when Jack stuck one of his fingers straight up Alec's nose.

Alec looked down at his son and raised one blonde eyebrow. The baby laughed and gave him an innocent look with his huge gorgeous green eyes he inheritated from his father. His blonde hair was mussed and sticking up, much like his daddy's.

"That look doesn't work on me little man." He told his son as he extracted the tiny finger from his nostril. "I invented that look."

Jack flashed a dimpled grin Alec knew so well. "Ha!"

Alec laughed. "Okay mini-me, you win. This time." He grinned. "Am I ever gonna win an argument in this family?"

"Nope." Max said as she walked over to him. She set down Eva in the playpen behind him. The little girl looked as much like her mother as her brother looked like their father. Max kissed first Jack and then Alec on their cheeks. "Not a one."

Alec sat Jack in the playpen, setting him next to his sister. Then he wrapped his arms around his mate and soundly kissed her. He was just pulling her towards the bedroom, his fingers of one hand on her zipper pull, when there was a knock at the door.

He groaned and Max laughed. She kissed him again and reluctantly pulled out of his arms. She walked, a little unsteadily, to the door.

Mace, Charlie, Biggs and Luke stood outside the doorframe. Charlie and Mace were wearing similar outfits to Max's suit, black and skin-close. With a silent nod Max kissed Alec and then left with Mace and Charlie.

Biggs and his son walked into the apartment, shutting the door behind him. He looked at his friend. "This happen often? That you wait here while she goes out on a heist?"

Alec shrugged and got them each a beer from the fridge. "We pretty much take turns. We can't both leave Terminal City, it would be too disastrous if both of us were captured. This way if one of us gets arrested or cornered, we have a back-up to come bail our asses out of the mess."

Biggs took the beer he was offered and watched Luke plopped down on the couch. "So what should we do in the meantime?"

Max went over the plan with Mace and Charlie. They were standing in the command center, peering down at something on one of the desks by the surveillance center. Some X6s loaded up a van for their use in the background, supervised by Mole, smoking one of his cough pungent cigars.

"Tonight the mission is to get a datadisk with some information we need." She pointed to the map of the city they were looking at. "We've heard now-verified rumors of Manticore facilities still in existence. One in particular caught my eye, one that is supposed to be the equilivent of a transgenic ICU hospital. Apparently that's where they took the most injured soldiers, rather than just chop them up for parts."

Mace nodded. "I've heard of this facility, but I'm not quite sure where it is. Somewhere on the east coast though." He looked down at the map. "What building are we breaking into?"

"The house of John James Holden. He's a self-proclaimed 'Trannie Fan.' He's been collecting information on Manticore since before T.C. was founded."

"Wait, if he's a 'fan' coulsn't we just ask for the information?" Charlie asked.

Max shook her head at the younger transgenic's statement. "No. Holden has been trying to capture an X5 so he could have them brainwashed and keep them around for a pet. So we have to be extra careful not to be caught, otherwise we'll be thrown into a cage again."

Charlie's mouth made an O. "Oh." Then she nodded in understanding. "What defenses does the building have?"

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