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Always

Chapter # 8

You have to make the dough...

His breath slowed at the sound of his own foot steps. He'd been waiting with the other Xs in the medical lab. Now, every male was been tested individually and then led to a cell to copulate with their respective partners.

A guard led him to a small room he recognized as one of the doctor's offices, quickly turned around, locked the door and left him alone. Seconds later, a short, bald man with a doctor's coat came entered.

"Hey doc," he grinned at the doctor.

The doctor glanced at the door to make sure they were alone. "494. it's good to see you," he said, not much at ease.

"My contact found what you wanted?" Alec began, more as a statement then a question. "The snickers bars?"

Alec nodded in confirmation.

"Thanks," the doctor continued. "Those are impossible to find. I owe you one."

"Well, I do need a little favor." "Just name it."

"Is there anyway I can avoid this whole breeding program?"

"Well, if I say there's something wrong with you, Renfro will make investigations and .... I don't need to tell you the rest" "I know doc. It's just --I'm not going to get this some knocked up and then just let Renfro put an innocent rugrat into Psy-Ops just because it has my blood."

"Well," the doctor paused. "There is something..."

"What?"

"We give all the X's a routinely dose of birth-control meds. You probably noticed, or maybe didn't since you've taken the task of trading anything put in front of you for cash..."

"And chocolate."

"Over the passed week we haven't administered the drugs, it was scheduled for tomorrow. I can give you something stronger then what you're use to, it should work properly." The doctor searched for a needle and inserted a green liquid into it. "I give you a shot of this and to we hope it works on time."

"Oh, so all my little swimmers drown?"

"Well, not exactly. This allows you to copulate without getting your partner pregnant, but the effects will wear off in about a week. That should be enough time for Renfro to pull you from the program."

"Ok then. Let's do this."

The doctor injected the liquid into Alec's arm and called in the guards to take him away.

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Max sat waiting in the cell she was assigned to. All she could do was stare nervously at the wall and wait. Thoughts flooded her mind. 'What if they assign me to Krit?' 'What if I get pregnant?' Suddenly she heard the sound of the guards approaching her cell. The door opened agonizingly slowly. Before Max saw who her partner was, she already knew. She could smell him. Not a second later, was she staring into his eyes. Life could be that cruel. Starring back at her, with an all too similar expression was none other then Alec.

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Up, down, up, down, up, down. Her eyes couldn't stop the constant movement that began the minute he had walked in. He'd look up, she'd look down. He'd looked down, she'd look up. If it weren't for the oh so awkward situation this would really annoy her.

"Ok, you know what, that's it! Lets just do this," she sat up as she came out with the statement and waited for his response. But she didn't get one. He remained seated in the corner of the room, still avoiding her gaze. His skin tone had turned slightly red. Jondy was amazed at how shy her companion was. Finally, he looked at her, his eyes so full of purpose. She could have gotten lost in their depths.

"Don't you care?" Ben's voice was somehow stronger then the first time she had heard it.

"About what?"

Ben looked down at the floor again. "We were made, built to be soldiers, but this baby. It'll be more human. Sure it'll be incredibly fast and strong, but it won't have come from a test tube. It will have lived inside of you for nine months, just like a normal baby."

"That's where you're wrong. It wouldn't be like a normal person. He or she would be a transgenic and be damn proud of it." She walked to the corner and sat beside Ben. "But I see your point. Something that's created naturally shouldn't be locked up."

As he looked up at her again, she felt her body tense. "What about a genetically engineered soldier that didn't have a choice? Should they be caged too." There was an intense pause before she responded. "No one should be."

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58 minutes and 3.8 seconds. That's how long it hand been since Krit walked into her cell. 58 minutes and 1.7 seconds. That's how long it had been since she had jumped him.

It's not like she would usually do that sort of thing. But hey, orders are orders! And after sneaking around for 2 years, who was she to complain. Now they we're cuddled up in a small bed sheet on the floor.

"A penny for your thoughts." Krit smiled at her.

"You know too much about the outside for someone who's never been there."

Syl leaned closer to him, dragging her fingers over his chest.

"I could be out there if Zack would stop seeing me as a delicate little girl."

Krit chuckled. "You are a delicate little girl."

"Am not!" Syl said with a big pout.

"Don't worry," Krit put both arms around her. "I still love ya."

"You'd had better!" She kissed him passionately before slowly getting up.

"Hey" Krit grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

"What?"

"Don't tell me your leaving already!" The smile Syl had had during the previous conversation faded.

"Krit, we can't..."

"Why not?"

"I can't get pregnant Krit. I won't. Not here."

"Syl, relax. This is the first time we didn't sneak in any protection. Nothing's gonna happen."

"Krit I'm serious!" Syl started putting on her clothes. "I admit that I went with the moment when you came in, but I'm not gonna risk it. So just get dressed before I get really pissed off with you." She threw Krit's pants at his face and he quickly put them on.

"Syl, stop worrying babe. We'll find a way to get out of this."

"Promise?"

"Promise"

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Alec looked at her in disbelief. It just had to be her, didn't it? He could easily read the look of shock and anger on Max's face. It perfectly mirrored the look on his.

He turned around to look at the guard, who had a wide smirk on his face. The guard closed the steal door and walked away. Pushing down the urge to bust out of the cell and punch the guard, Alec took off his shirt and slowly started turning around. "Let's do this," he said, trying to sound serious.

But when he was finally faced her, his expression changed from annoyed, to panicked. She was still standing in that same spot, but her face showed a combination of misery and fear. Her body was shaking violently, before Alec could react she was laying down on the floor still shivering. Alec wanted to move, to help, but his body remained frozen. His mind slowly drifted years back. When they we're no less then 10 or 11.

Alec was curled up in a small bed. Various children stood around him watching as his body trembled uncontrollably. Ben slowly crawled in the bed next to him and embraced his brother attempting to comfort him. His body remained shaking, but the sense of Ben made him feel somewhat safer.

He hated the seizures. Manticore came up with meds to treat it a long time ago. Max was probably off them since she was suppose to get pregnant. He suddenly realized that she was still on the floor shaking and that he had to help her.

Alec's first instinct was to call for the guards. But the aching memory of what they use to do to the seizure victims replayed in his head. Instead, he picked her up off the ground and carefully placed her on the little bed each cell contained. He lay next to her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him, calmed by his touch. He shifted awkwardly, but then relaxed as she placed her head on his chest. Max opened her mouth trying to say something, but didn't have the strength to speak. Alec saw her struggle and he tightened his grip on her.

He looked down into her eyes and whispered.

".. Don't worry, you're safe here."

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Review!!!! Syl and Krit did.. Max and Alec didn't.... But did Ben and Jondy.? evil grin :) find out in the next chapter!!